1964 Cheetah GT V8
Publish date: 2024-07-29
Bill Thomas had one goal in mind when he designed and produced the Cheetah: beat the Ford Cobra. With Chevrolet backing the company, 25 fine examples were produced until sadly, the factory burnt down. After the blaze, chevrolet pulled out of the project.
The power to weight ratio of this beast was phenomenal as the car was small and lightweight (Almost 500lbs lighter than the cobra!). The V8 was pushed back as far as possible leaving the engine almost in the center of the car. Some examples were tuned as high as 520HP.
See full Cheetah GT V8 Gallery
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| engine | Chevrolet V8 |
| displacement | 5351 cc / 326.5 in³ |
| bore | 101.6 mm / 4.0 in |
| stroke | 82.55 mm / 3.25 in |
| compression | 11.0:1 |
| power | 283.4 kw / 380.0 bhp @ 6200 rpm |
| specific output | 71.01 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | bhp per tonne |
| body / frame | Fibreglass |
| driven wheels | Front Engine / RWD |
| front brakes | Nascar Drums |
| f brake size | x 279 mm / x 11.0 in |
| rear brakes | Nascar Drums |
| r brake size | x 279 mm / x 11.0 in |
| front wheels | F 38.1 x 17.8 cm / 15.0 x 7.0 in |
| rear wheels | R 38.1 x 17.8 cm / 15.0 x 7.0 in |
| curb weight | 748 kg / 1649 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2286 mm / 90.0 in |
| front track | 1448 mm / 57.0 in |
| rear track | 1499 mm / 59.0 in |
| width | 1727 mm / 68.0 in |
| height | 1194 mm / 47.0 in |
| transmission | 4-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 2.20:1, 1.68:1, 1.00:1, :1 |
| final drive | 3.72:1 |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~6.22 seconds |
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