2000 HP Chevy Impala: Twin-Turbo Bubble Top Rocket

Gil Losi’s Project Car

Gil Losi, a founding member of Team Losi Racing, created this 1961 Bubble Top Impala in collaboration with Steve Cook Creations for the Detroit Autorama, the renowned showcase of custom cars and hot rods existing since 1953. Unfortunately, his unfortunate passing transpired last year.

In any case, Losi put together a beautiful ride with extreme meticulousness from the front to the back. Shawn of AutotopiaLA connected with Brandon from Overdriven Performance concerning the changes implemented on the Impala. Allegedly, the car earned a seat as a finalist in the renowned Great 8 competition at the Detroit Autorama.

The very first item to take care of was examining the undercarriage, where a made-to-order Art Morrison chassis had been incorporated – that had been painted, adorned with stripes, done with close attention to detail, and given a completed look with paneling.

2000hp Twin Turbo 540ci Bubble Top Impala | Great 8 Finalist at Detroit Autorama

The physical structure was then coupled to a Ridetech ShockWave air suspension, allowing Losi to achieve the desired low-slung look for their Impala. The headlights and taillights remained original, while all of the external trim pieces were custom manufactured from solid brass. Notably, no side mirrors were included with this 1961 Impala.

Powering Brandon’s majestic Bubble Top Impala was a huge 540 cubic-inch twin-turbocharged big block engine from the renowned engine builder Mike Moran. Before dyno-testing, the engine produced an extraordinary 6,144 horsepower, though when put inside the Impala it was detuned to 1,800 horse power in order to compete for the prestigious Ridler Award.

Transmitting that force solely to the back rims is a General Motors 4L80-E transmission. Personalized Billet Specialties rims were fitted, with the fore at 18 inches and the after measuring 20 inches.

Gabe’s Customs completed the inside of the Ferrari-red car with a heart console taken from a Cadillac CTS-V. The sole carbon fibres around the Dakota digital meters were the only ones seen within. A rear camera was also included in the motor vehicle.

The booming sound of the engine and its precise construction details led the presenter to speculate that the 1961 Bubble Top Impala was worth around a half-million dollars. Although the project car is for sale, the location where it can be acquired wasn’t divulged.