Despite the Contessa's Cobra influence, Adams team did raid the GM parts bins for some mechanical bits. Although the front and rear independent suspensions are all bespoke and crafted in-house, The Contessa does make use a rear axle cribbed from the Camaro SS, while the wheel bearings normally found on Corvettes. Pop the hood, and you'll likely find additional GM parts -- power on our test car came from a 502-cubic inch V-8 crate engine sourced from GM Performance Parts, but buyers can also spring for the 7.0-liter, LS7 V-8 used in the Corvette Z06. Adams says our car was tuned to produce roughly 500 horsepower, although the LS7 can be built to throw down between 700 and 1000 horsepower.
Plenty O' Power
Although we typically argue there are few replacements for displacement, but we're not entirely certain we'd spring for the extra power. Although stainless steel isn't exactly a light material (in fact, it's heavier than normal steel), the Contessa's curb weight isn't all that hefty. In road trim, it tips the scales at 3000 pounds, roughly 200-300 pounds less than a base Corvette. Impressively, a race-spec version of the Contessa, dubbed the Contessa Track, peels away another 500 pounds from that figure. Acceleration is brisk, to say the least, but we're most impressed with how sorted the Contessa Touring is on a road course.
Adams and his team have created an incredibly balanced car. Turn into a corner, and the Contessa is more than happy to point its tapered nose where you point it. The steering rack is power assisted, but it's very well weighted, and provides an incredible level of feedback to the driver. Suspension tuning, coupled with massive 18-inch, 245/40 tires in front and 275/40 rubber in back, helps provide an insane amount of grip, even in the tightest of corners.
It takes an awful lot of tomfoolery to break the Contessa from its balanced demeanor, but when you finally push the car past its limits, it doesn't hold a grudge. Instead, it's surprisingly forgiving; when oversteer finally rears its head, a quick flick of the wrist in the opposite direction is more than enough to bring things back in line. Brembo-sourced disc brakes, which consist of12.75-inch brake rotors and four-piston calipers front and rear, quickly scrub off speed but don't feel overly snatchy.
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