Street Legal
The Carter Prototype
Designed and built by hand by George Carter III, this one-of-a-kind prototype starts with a 2002 Corvette Z06 donor platform with styling influenced by Le Mans Prototype racecars. Original systems, including traction control, ABS, and LS6 engine internals, were retained. Performance improvements include increased tire footprint, aerodynamic optimization, and a 500 lb weight reduction.
- Donor vehicle: 22,000-mile, un-wrecked Corvette Z06
- Components removed and sorted
- Chassis modified; engine repositioned 8 inches rearward
- Body form developed over chassis using wood, foam, and body filler for fiberglass mold construction
- Body mounted; prepared for paint
- Completed front view
- Completed rear view
Texas license plate “PROTO” - a fitting nod to its one-off prototype design.
Hood raised with American flags mounted on wings, preparing for a Fourth of July car show.
Specifications
| Engine Type | Aluminum alloy 16-valve pushrod V8 |
| Engine Size | 5.7 liters / 346 cu. in. |
| Horsepower | 455 @ 6400 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 104.5 in |
| Curb Weight | 2,640 lbs. |
| Pounds Per Horsepower | 5.8 |
| Fuel Capacity | 18.0 gal. |
| Fuel Requirement | 93 octane unleaded gasoline |
| Tires, front/rear | 295/35-ZR18 / 345/30-ZR19 |
| Brakes, front/rear | Vented disc / vented disc, ABS |
| Suspension, front/rear | Unequal-length A-arm, coil-over shocks, front pneumatic lifts w/4500 psi air tank |
| Drivetrain | Front engine, rear-transaxle, RWD |
| Performance | 0 to 60 mph = 3.4 sec |
The Dual-Motorcycle-Engine Car
Carter set out to build a truly unique twin-engine car. While dual-engine vehicles had been built before, they typically shared a common drivetrain or placed one engine at the front and one at the rear. Carter took a different approach - dedicating one engine to each rear wheel. This configuration is ideally suited for two motorcycle engines with integrated transmissions.
The engines are efficiently packaged with most of the mass located just ahead of the rear axle. Custom motorcycle exhaust systems are integrated seamlessly into the design.
To achieve a low aerodynamic profile, the front end was designed to sit close to the ground. The air dam was intentionally sacrificial, allowing for damage without impacting critical components. A modified Chevy pickup air dam was adapted for this purpose.
Specifications
| Engine Type | Yamaha 4-stroke, transverse in-line four, DOHC, 16 valves. |
| Engine Size | 1200 cc x2 |
| Horsepower | 145 at 9500 rpm (modified from stock 130) x2 |
| Transmission | Sequential 5 Speed |
| Wheelbase | 94.0 inches |
| Curb Weight | 1340 lb |
| Pounds Per Horsepower | 4.62 |
| Fuel Capacity | 7.5 gallons |
| Fuel Requirement | 93 octane unleaded gasoline |
| Tires, front/rear | 265/40-ZR14 / 325/40-ZR15 |
| Brakes, front/rear | Wilwood Disc / Wilwood Disc |
| Suspension, front/rear | Unequal-length A-arm, coil-over shocks, trailing arm, coil-over shocks |
| Drivetrain | Rear engines, Yamaha chain to each axle independently |
| Performance | Scary Fast, won a vintage Can-Am race in Oklahoma against actual racecars |