Christian Prusia of Torque Industries had batted around ideas with automotive illustrator Mike Miernik and builder Dave Eckert for years. The topic of their drawn-out brainstorming: a '63 Chevy Impala. Perhaps it could continue indefinitely, but one weekend Prusia made a phone call that put an end to the talk and solidified the hardtop's design. A clean form coated in a blanket of color, the car has the pop art appeal of a Wayne Thiebaud painting while pulling the heft of a Corvette drivetrain. Obviously, the Corpala's audio/video system would need to complement the overall design, not compete with it.
Taking cues from the exterior's silver color scheme with eye-popping red accents, Jim Griffin of Griffin Interiors started snipping through Rolls-Royce leather. Meanwhile Craig Wolfe of Hear No Evil took over the audio/video installation in collaboration with Prusia, Griffin, Eckert, and Sony, who provided all the gear. With such an emphasis on performance, the Corpala couldn't be hampered by the audio components. Therefore, the team designed a system that balanced most of the poundage over the rear axle, thus maintaining the overall 50/50 weight ratio.
Like the Corpala's uncluttered body, the dash is all '60s, with long sleek lines and modern upgrades from the form of the original. The new cluster of 10 gauges was sprayed in silver to match the exterior. Meanwhile, the main body of the dash was wrapped in smooth Rolls-Royce red leather. At center, the crew dropped in the Sony XAV-W1 head unit.
The center console hides the exhaust cutout controls and incorporates a stock six-speed Corvette shifter and emergency brake.