We record the restoration of classic American muscle on our show Chop Cut Rebuild, now in its seventh season. Dan Woods, host of the series, told me a while back that we would be profiling a near-new Corvette on the show this year. The basic plan, he explained to me, was to tear the vehicle apart and completely redesign it. I replied sarcastically, "Great idea! Let's destroy a brand-new 'Vette and rename the show Chop Cut Ruin."

What I didn't know was that the brothers who own Corvette Specialty of California, Mike and Laurent Bensaid, had secretly been dreaming of creating a line of modern Corvettes inspired by the classic 1963 split-window Stingray. They envisioned taking the modern vehicle--with its superior performance and technology and uninspired design--and completely revamping it.

The result would be an aggressive, modern machine that follows some of