Description:

Callaway LM ZR1

This is the second street legal Callaway LM ever built, and the only one based on an original ZR1 Corvette (VIN 1G1YZ23J915802118). It was designed and assembled in Italy by italian car maker Granturismo SRL.

Granturismo SRL, based in Vicenza, northern Italy, was a Callaway dealer and built the first 7 street legal Callaway LMs under agreement with Reeves Callaway.

This car was assembled in Spring 1995

Like all Callaways LMs produced by Granturismo SRL, this car was built to customer's needs and had custom details that make it unique.
This car introduces:

-Full carbon fibre body
-Special air exhaust grids on hood
-Carbon Fibre rear diffusers
-Racing style small rear window with Carbon Fibre frame
-Brembo braking system
-Coilover shocks
-Custom made Headers and exaust
-Custom made special Doug Rippie eprom
-Custom made lightweight Speedline 18” wheels

-weight: 1280 Kgs.

-power: 465 bhp.

The car has been constantly taken care by Granturismo SRL on behalf of its owner. It has been used on the streets and has never raced.

It has been unused for the last 4 years.

Granturismo Callaway LM history
On Spring 1994 Callaway Cars Inc. and Granturismo signed a cooperation deal to build together a very special race car, the Callaway LM.

LM stands for Le Mans, the circuit in France where the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race is held every year since 1923.

The first result of this project is the participation of a Callaway LM in 1994s race.

The Callaway LM took the pole position in its class (GT2) and fought for the 1st place until a missed pit stop at the end of the race compromised the chances of victory.

3 weeks later Granturismo's own team with pilot Enrico Bertaggia raced the Callaway LM at the 4 Hours of Vallelunga, getting a 2nd position overall, only beaten by a Ferrari F40 (GT1 class) and first in the GT2 class.

Following this important success, Reeves Callaway put the Granturismo logo on all official Callaway LM race cars as a sign of gratitude.

Callaway Cars Inc. officially introduced its cars in Italy at the Granturismo SRL stand during the Bologna's Motorshow in December 1994, premiering worldwide the prototype of the first street legal version of the now legendary Callaway LM (“Stradale”), to be assembled in Italy by Granturismo SRL.

The production of the first LM started in February 1995, using parts supplied by Callaway Competition GmbH Germany and by Granturismo SRL itself, using all racing special parts for suspensions, clutch and brakes.

In March 1995 during a press meeting at the Vallelunga Circuit, the first Callaway LM “Stradale” is presented along with 2 Callaway C8 expressely shipped for the occasion from Connecticut to Italy.

In the following months 2 more LMs “Stradale” are built to order for the first clients under license from Reeves Callaway.

The first was based on a 1990 Corvette with a Callaway engine (500 bhp), the second was based on a Corvette ZR1 with original engine, but custom exhaust and a custom high performance Eprom designed by Doug Rippie.

In the following years Granturismo SRL built 4 more LMs “Stradale”.

During these years Granturismo SRL also supplied parts to Callaway Cars Inc. for the racing and street LMs built in USA.

3 of the 7 Granturismo's LMs built in Italy have been transformed into racing cars aftewards, including the official team Martini Racing LM that won all races in the 1997 Italian Championship GT1 and GT2.

The agreement between Reeves Callaway and Giuseppe Fornasari, owner of Granturismo SRL, came to an end in 1997, leaving 7 of the most powerful and permorming street legal racing cars ever built.