Boosted! Chevrolet Gives New Life to Nova with 2.0-Liter Turbo

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Posted on 03 November 2015 by Zach Doell

 

 

Purists, go ahead and cringe. Chevrolet Performance’s latest custom car build isn’t by the books, but it is utterly jaw-dropping. 

In 1967, you couldn’t find a much cooler car than a Chevy Nova SS with a big V8 lurking under the hood. These compacts were light, they were nimble, and it’s no wonder why they’re so highly revered today.

In a bid to pay tribute to that iconic nameplate and showcase one of the brand’s newest crate engines, Chevrolet Performance has custom built a ’67 Nova SS and fitted it with the 2.0-liter “LTG” turbocharged four-cylinder from the current Cadillac ATS. All told it generates a punchy 272 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. To some this may be sacrilege, to the rest of us, it’s heart-achingly cool.

The new-age ’67 Nova 2.0 is now on display at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, amongst 20 other Chevrolet vehicles. Take a peek below to watch the Chevrolet team build the car from start to finish.

It’s quite the build. Although it has only 2.0-liters to give, the Ecotec LTG engine looks remarkably burly within the Nova’s engine bay, and matches up quite well against some of the Chevy II’s original V8 options. For instance, the contemporary 5.3-liter (327ci) V8 pumped out 275 horsepower, and the 4.6-liter (283ci) V8 gave chase at 195 horsepower.

The all-aluminum crate engine also improves the Nova 2.0’s front-to-rear weight distribution to an even 50/50 split as well, and according to Chevrolet, it provides this car with a launch from zero to 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds. Delightfully, shift work is handled by a six-speed manual gearbox.

Engine aside, there’s a lot to love about this Nova’s sinister presence. Chevrolet Performance increased the car’s wow factor with a new billet aluminum grille, color-matched bumpers, shaved door handles, 17-inch Z/28 wheels, all pulled together with a low-slung airbag suspension.

Chevrolet hasn’t revealed its plans for the Nova 2.0 in the future, but you can bet if there’s a charity auction somewhere down the line…expect this hot Nova to fetch big bucks.