Bennett Coachworks ZX-1 Corvette

Imagine that you're a Corvette fanatic that simply has to have the latest and greatest incarnation of America's sports car in your driveway. You're head over heels for the sexy 2014 Corvette Stingray, and you've marched right to the dealership and ordered one up for yourself.

Life should be good. But there's still one nagging question interrupting your dreams of the C7's aggressive styling and vastly improved interior: What on earth do you do with the old-and-busted C6 Corvette cluttering up your garage?

Don't leave it out by the curb for the fiberglass recycler: Milwaukee-based Bennett Coachworks will take your trusty C6 and reforge it into the hopped-up Bennett ZX-1.

The ZX-1 makes use of the C6 Corvette chassis, but the car gets a makeover thanks to redesigned body panels. There's no disguising the canvas -- the Vette's curves still show -- but the end result is significantly more angular, and perhaps even a bit sinister.

According to Bennett Coachworks, 450 and 650-hp versions of the ZX-1 have already been produced, but a new 860-hp version is set to be the most powerful yet. New heads, cams, valves, injectors, headers and exhaust -- and an ATI Procharger supercharger -- make that increased output possible.

Prices for the ZX-1 range from $60,000 to $100,000 and up, plus the cost of a donor C6. Your final tab depends on how many performance and cosmetic options you add.

You'll be able to inspect the ZX-1 at the March 8-10 Detroit Autorama. Bob Bennett and several Bennett Coachworks employees will be in attendance as well -- just in case you have a spare C6 lying around and want to place an order.

By Graham Kozak