When it comes to modified sports cars, your first thought would generally be aerodynamics or exhaust upgrades. Maybe lowering springs or coilovers would be on your short list of necessary upgrades in order to make it more capable than before on the road and the racetrack. The go-to sports car when thinking like this tends to be the all-American Chevrolet Corvette. Semi-compact, fast, aggressively styled, and surprisingly usable, the Corvette for many is the perfect or ideal sports car. But what if your sense of adventure takes over when buying? Some go for a lifted truck to go off-road. But what if you want both?

For the enthusiast who equally appreciates the roar of a V-8, aggressive sporty styling, and also incredibly capable off-road drivability, there are very few options from the factory. The more off-road capable sports cars, such as Lamborghini’s upcoming Huracan Sterrato and thereturn of the Porsche 911 Safari, tend to cost a pretty penny since they are highly-specialized cars. For someone, though, making it themselves is the best option. With DIY custom upgrades, owners have turned the Mazda Miata into an off-roader on more than one occasion. In this case, a heavily modified C5 Corvette might be the most budget-friendly and reliable option.

While some might call this the most American car or assume that this C5 is just swapped onto the chassis of a truck, there is a high level of engineering involved in this build. The owner of the car has apparently done similar builds to this on a C4 Corvette with highly technical and involved suspension work. With a four-inch lift kit and 33-inch Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, this C5 is actually set up quite well. Having cut the fenders for improved clearance, the Corvette now sits at over 60 inches, as opposed to the original 47.7 inches which means it sits at the same height as a new Ford Bronco Sport.

Outside of the suspension upgrades, this C5 Corvette is a surprisingly decent car, too. The 5.7 liter V-8 runs well and made a healthy 345 horsepower when new. At 154,000 miles and with these massive tires, it is safe to assume some of the power is missing. However, the engine looks properly maintained, as does the interior. The comically added Z71 sticker (reserved for trucks) fits right in on this Corvette, and it is definitely the first time this sticker has been paired with Hurst short-throw shifter and a targa roof. With the stock quad-tip exhaust, the car still roars the way it did when new, too. This might just be the most aerodynamic off-roader when it gets down to it. Even the price point is realistic on this build at $8,500. With the reliability of Corvettes plus the off-road drivability of this setup, is this the perfect buy for the all-terrain enthusiast?

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