Caprice Wagon was Crucial to GM In Developing the C4 Corvette
Road testing Corvettes involves many fast miles per day, and a regular work van just won’t keep up. But a L98 Caprice wagon can.
The coolest part about this Caprice Wagon is that has been built. The sad part about this Caprice Wagon is that there’s only one. But yes, this thing is pretty much the coolest thing you’ll see all week.
Via Car and Driver, we know this Caprice wagon was built by folks at GM. But it was never intended to ever go into production. Instead, this unit of perfection was made by engineers, one of which is former Corvette development engineer Jim Ingle. Ingle had seen that “new” L98 engines were being tested in Caprice models, and a perfect storm saw one of those engines go in a Caprice wagon. Due to support rigs needing to stay with Corvette test models, the L98 powered wagon seemed ideal. Except a hot motor isn’t all this Caprice has.
Retaining the L98 motor, Ingle added “modifications to suit our needs, whims, and desire for distinction.” So it got uprated shocks, and a massive front anti roll bar. Out back, the rear end was kept in check by air shocks and hardware from the Caprice handling package normally found in cop cars. And of course it wears signature Corvette wheels with appropriate rubber.
The interior is upgraded, too. Corvette seats were put up front but the rest was standard Caprice wagon. This was a workhorse, and Ingle tells C&D “It has hauled toolboxes, floor jacks, chains, tires, convertible tops, and excess luggage over many miles of mountain roads.” So it really is meant for work. And it could put some work through the rear tires, too. At the time 0-60 was done in 7.2 seconds. That’s not all that much slower than the Corvette’s standard sprint to the same measure.
The Corvette team must have known what it was they created. You can’t put a powerful motor in something absurd like this and not admire its absurdity. We certainly do. As for the whereabouts of this car? That’s currently unknown, but one thing that is able to be found is the direct connection between this and the LT1 Impala SS. The similarities are just way too obvious to ignore.
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Photos courtesy of Car and Driver
