The Chevy SSR impressed illustrator Joe Iacono with its curvy, sporty styling. But, its promise inspired him more than the reality he saw at shows and on the street. He thought that Chevy nailed the design of the SSR but missed from the performance standpoint. So, Joe combined concepts from automotive history with modern technology, to create what Lexus might build and what Chevy almost did: a sports car with a sport truck package.
He started with the Lexus LF-C roadster concept that debuted last year and gave the two-seater a more aggressive stance and a body shaped by a simplified fluidity that slices into the wind. Its abbreviated bed is sealed by a hardtop tonneau but is unbroken by a tailgate. This is not a hot rod, but a sports car-the kind that owns the nipple-point turns on alpine roads. Power, performance, style: Joe's retro racer aims for the winner's circle in your automotive heart.
We bumped into Robbie Azevedo, owner of Pacific Coast Customs in American Canyon, California, at an ice cream shop in Las Vegas during last year's SEMA Show. He laid before us Joe Iacono's renderings of this roadstered '48 Chevy Suburban, first one page, then another, as if he was serving a Belly Buster banana split one scoop at a time. This rendering by Joe stunned us with its retro curves dripping with orange and cream-colored paint. Even the in-progress photos that we have of the body, unpainted and tucking 20- and 22-inch Budniks, hint at the promise of sugar shock yet to come.
Here's a taste of what's planned for this Suburban called "Project Impression." Its shortened, chopped, retro curves drape across a heavily modified S-10 pickup frame with a 108-inch wheelbase. Powered by an upgraded Camaro LS1 engine spinning a 4L60-E tranny, cars on the stop light starting line will be left licking this 'Burban's tailpipe. And with a full suite of audio, video, and a mobile PC, this ride has brains as well as looks. Want more? There's a lot to know. But, be patient-this is no soft-serve vanilla treat squirted absent-mindedly into a Dixie cup. Keep your eyes glued to Truckin' and your appetites in check, and you might see a full-blown feature on this 'Burban once it's built.