Photoshoot: 1967 Roadster Shop Innovator Chevrolet Nova

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(from Roadster Shop Press Release) Roadster Shop – 1967 Innovator Nova.​

Being content with a pre-existing ‘genre’ or existing set of aesthetic standards was never the goal for this vehicle. Armed with a belief that true progress in design can only come with taking risks and stepping outside comfort zones, the Roadster Shop knew this car had to be like nothing else that ever came before it

When car owner Alex Covington came to the Roadster Shop with his 1967 Nova build, he knew this shop was the right choice. With their first Street Machine of the Year award in 2009 with their ‘C1RS’ 1962 Corvette already in the bag, Roadster Shop owners Phil and Jeremy Gerber were eager to push the envelope even further. This Nova was to become that car.

The direction for the car was to turn the plain-Jane grocery getter into a high tech showpiece of not just the design and fabrication potential of the shop, but as an example of where the hot rod and custom industry could possibly head in the coming years. - An exercise in taking advantage of the most current manufacturing, design and prototyping trends available while pushing the industry forward. Thus the ‘Innovator’ was born.

Hailed as more ‘concept rod’ than hotrod or custom, almost every single piece on the vehicle has been either hand fabricated or purpose made for the car. The top was chopped ¾ of an inch, the fenders were re-profiled, the main mid-section body line was completely removed and new accent lines were created over each wheel opening. New bumpers were made along with rocker extensions and front and rear diffusers. Air is fed to the 693hp GM LSX motor via functional plenums on either side of the re-shaped hood and through the custom machined headlight openings. As with the floor, trunk and interior, the engine bay has been completely hand made from sheet metal to achieve the Roadster Shop’s specific vision. Extensive use of 3D software along with CNC machining allowed for limitless possibilities in the creation of many of the details of the car. Everything from the gauges and bespoke digital readout interface, to the knobs and vents in the ac system, to the custom made wheels and the completely asymmetrical layout of the layered grille design and paint graphics, every detail on the car has been scrutinized and thought about.

All this bespoke fabrication sits atop the foundation which the shop is well known for; performance chassis and suspension. With a few modifications performed on the production version of the Roaster Shop’s FAST TRACK Nova Chassis to accommodate some of the specifics on the car, the Innovator was set to perform and handle too. Proving that this was not just a styling exercise, the car blazed to the top of the Street Machine of the Year contender times at the Goodguys Columbus autocross track.

The performance and styling package came together as one when the Innovator stood up to the judge’s scrutiny at the 2011 Street Machine of the Year ceremony, where it took the top prize. Since then, the car has also gone on to win the 2011 Optima Batteries Raybestos Performance and design award and be nominated as a finalist in the 2011 Mothers Shine awards and Grand Turismo Award at the 2011 Sema show.

More information about Roadster Shop available at their website.

Technical Specifications

Engine – GM LSX 454
Built by – Shafiroff /Mast motorsports
Output - 693hp@6500rpm, 601 lb/ft tq@5500 rpm
Transmission – Tremec T-56 Magnum
Chassis – Roadster Shop FAST TRACK
Suspension (Front) - Roadster Shop FAST TRACK IFS with Afco Pro-Touring remote reservoir shocks.
Suspension (Rear) - Custom 3-Link w/Afco Pro Touring remote reservoir shocks.
Brakes – Baer 14” rotors with custom 6-piston ‘Innovator’ calipers.
Wheels – Custom machined 18”x10” front and 20”x12” rear
Tires – Michelin Pilot Sport 275/30R18 Front and 335/30R20 rear
 
I LOOOVE the concept of the grill. But I don't think it fits well on this car.
I find the work done to it amazing, but am not a fan of the overall design. Props for the build!
 
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