Detroit Speed Equipment (DSE) has been cranking out some serious hardware for various vehicles in the last few years, including components for the C3 (1968-1982) Corvette. Typically, DSE picks up vehicles to use for their in-house rolling test beds, essentially rolling guinea pigs that that serve as development vehicles for their product lines.
One such example is this ’72 Corvette that they’ve completely rebuilt from the ground up that features a Mast Motorsports LS3 crate engine wth 560 horsepower at the crank, backed by a close-ratio 4-speed and 4.11 gears. With such little gearing and only four forward geas, the top speed is mechanically limited to 120 mph.
While that may seem a bit “slow” to some, this car wasn’t built for sheer straight line acceleration or quarter-miler times — it’s dialed in for the autocross circuits all over the country. Of course, it take a lot more than a competent drivetrain for it to be competitive in the autocross course.
The stopping bower comes from 4-piston Brembo brakes, and being a Detroit Speed test mule, there are a ton of modifications done to the suspension that make it more than competitive. In fact, the products attached to the undercarriage are so new, that they’re still in development as we type this.
It features tubular A-arms, sway bars and a killer IRS set up that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. It’s already won several competitions from various events all over the country, and there are no sacrifices made in any aspect of the car. It’s also sporting the recently unveiled electric headlight motors that DSE had developed exclusively for the C3.
The Smoking Tire‘s Matt Farrah has a go in the Mako Shark and he can’t wipe the smile off of his face!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, the parent company to Timeless Muscle Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the magazine’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next round modifications for his own cars.
