1964 Cheetah GT V8

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