XL Stainless Custom Corvette featuring Morgan-inspired styling

This striking creation is the work of XL Stainless, a Canadian company who specialize in stainless steel fabrication, welding and customisation. This particular car was an in-house project. It wasn’t designed as a pre-production prototype for some small-scale manufacturing run. It’s just a showpiece to demonstrate the company’s skills in working with metal – in this case aluminium.

Based on a rear-ended 1998 Chevrolet Corvette donor vehicle, the car was designed, and built, by the company’s boss, Warren Scaife. Scaife says the styling – specifically the front-end – was inspired by the Morgan LIFEcar 2 concept from 2010. The back end is a bit more of a mystery, although it apparently utilizes Mitsubishi Eclipse rear lights.

Leaving the somewhat controversial styling aside, which by Scaife’s own honest admission isn’t perfect, the XL Stainless custom Corvette is anything but boring. And the fact the bodywork is entirely fabricated from aluminium instead of fiberglass is a testament to the quality of the build. It’s not just a new body though, the car also has a 21-inch longer wheelbase and a wider rear end. Scaife also went to town on the interior, reupholstering it with fine-grade leather from Mercedes-Benz.

The drivetrain too is far from standard. Both the engine and transmission received a full rebuild and were treated to a plethora of off-the-shelf performance parts. The engine in particular benefitted from upgrades, including a stroker kit and a supercharger to boost the power output to an impressive 665 horsepower.

In total Scaife says the car took around 2,500 hours to build, and cost roughtly $80,000. He’s currently using the car to promote his company, while also being careful not to put too many miles on it as it’s also up for sale.