The Black Manta Returns: Angie King’s SEMA Corvette

Racecar driver and car tuner and entrepreneur Angie Mead King recently posted her latest project, the “Black Manta” at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Looking like something storming out of the Batcave, it is a 2013 Corvette C6 ZR-1 face-lifted to softly look like a C7 seventh generation Corvette on steroids. This is its second reincarnation of the Black Manta, the first one was unveiled at the 2015 Manila Auto Salon.

Penned by renowned automotive illustrator Jon Sibal, the project was born out of a collaboration between Car Porn Racing and Gi Automotive. The first build took the team three years to prepare and the whole car was stripped of its fiberglass body panels and dry carbon fiber was used to create this work of art. Gi Automotive a partnership of two very creative and multi-talented women, Amber Blonigan and Angie Mead King. King is also the scion and managing director of Victoria Court, one of the country’s most profitable motel chains.

The finished product is a body that is 12” wider in the front and 14” on the rear.  It is fitted with 305 mm wide Toyo tires in front and 345 mm rear Toyo tires and 20” x 13” DPE wheels. The C6’s fiberglass leaf springs were taken out and fitted with an AccuAir air suspension system and Airrex air struts to allow adjustable ride comfort and ground clearance.

The supercharged LS9 Corvette engine sports a Varex active exhaust system that allows the driver to adjust the exhaust noise into a rumbling free flow or into stealth mode with a quiet purr in noise sensitive congested areas. Inside, all the stock interior is upholstered with Alcantara leather and Recaro seats.

Dupont Registry calls the Black Manta as “the archetypal supervillain for the C6”, and soon as Gi Automotive takes this supercar for further track testing, C6 owners can look forward to having their own Black Manta conversion.  Follow them on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/giautomotivegroup/