Spada have released full technical details of their exciting new limited-production supercar, the Codatronca, which will be available in two versions, the TS and TSV, with a third race destined option, the TSS, promised in the near future. Based around the muscular Corvette C6, the new concept car is the work of legendary automotive designer Ercole Spada and his son Paolo, and sensationally revives the 'coda tronca' Kamm tail form that Ercole devised in the 1960s featuring on several Alfa Romeo models including the much-loved Giulietta SZ.

The new Codatronca breaks fresh ground as it takes this form of design thinking forward to the 21st Century and the result is a unique concept sports car that promises blistering performance to match its individual looks. "Our latest model is a sportcar built in the spirit and tradition of the Italian 'carrozzeria'," say Spada. "It combines both racing and 'tourism' characteristics and represents the latest evolution of the concept of truncated tail. This car brings in nimbleness, aerodynamics and lightness, which are the chromosomes of Ercole Spada’s cars and of Spadaconcept future models."

The Spada Codatronca is expected to be available in three hand-crafted versions. Two of these will be fully road homologated super cars, the TS (Turismo Sportivo) and the TS (Turismo Sportivo Veloce); with a third, dubbed the TSS (Turismo Super Sportivo), described by the Italian firm as "the finest race version which will be delivered soon."

The Spada Codatronca is a front-mid-engined, rear wheel drive two-door coupé featuring an very lightweight aluminium spaceframe structure combined with a magnesium roof section and similar composite treatment for the engine cradle. The engine is the Corvetta C6's aluminium block V8 and cylinder head with an eight-quart dry-sump lubrication system, titanium valves and connecting rods. This Euro 4 compliant engine is a 7.0-litre (7011cc) type LS7 and to achieve the huge power increase demanded by Spada it has been fitted with two Italtecnica C38 Rotrex centrifugal superchargers, each boasting its own individual intercooler. The engine is OHV with 2 valves per cylinder, SFI (sequential fuel injection) and compression ratio is now 11:1.
 

These upgrades to the slippery car's powerplant all add up to give the TS version a very impressive horse power of 600 bhp (442 kW) at 6,300 rpm and 790 Nm of torque at 4,600; while the TSV goes even better with horsepower up a thumping extra 100 bhp, to 700 bhp (515 kW) at 6,200 rpm, and an extra 160 Nm of torque, now coming it at 950 Nm, delivered at 4,200 rpm. Both versions feature a short-throw 6-speed manual gearbox with a final drive ratio of 12/41; 1st gear ratio is 2.66, 2nd (1.78), 3rd (1.30), 4th (1.00), 5th (0.83) and 6th (0.71).

The Codatronca TS weighs in at 1400 kg, while the faster TSV version shaves off an extra 20 kg to bring its weight down to 1380 kg. Both cars have a wheelbase of 2686 mm, a front/rear track of 1607/1580mm, and are 4759 mm long, 1960 mm wide and 1240 mm high. The suspension features a short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone, cast aluminium upper and lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, coaxial spring put on adjustable shock absorber, at both the front and rear, along with adjustable anterior and posterior anti-roll bars equipped with ball joints.

The Codatronca's power-assisted steering is speed-sensitive, magnetic, with variable-effort rack-and-pinion and fluid cooler. The hefty brakes are power-assisted discs with ABS, 14-inch front rotors and 13.4-inch rears which are vented and cross-drilled, and have 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers. Both TS and TSV models have 20-inch alloy wheels fitted all round.

The cars are being mechanically prepared in conjunction with Italtecnica, and final performance of these unique machines is very also impressive, the Codatronca TS 'entry level' model has a claimed top speed of 330 km/h and achieves 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, while the TSV can reach 355 km/h and knocks half a second off the 0-100 km/h dash in the process, now reaching it in just 2.7 seconds.