One Of The Rarest Chevrolet Corvettes Emerged At Barrett Jackson's Latest Auction, And Sold For a Surprisingly Reasonable Price

The latest Barret Jackson Auction was held last January, and as always, some epic vehicles were showcased. This was the 54th annual event of its kind, and one of the largest yet, with 1,191 vehicles featured with a 100-percent sell-through, and over $195 million in total sales. Among the noteworthy vehicles was one of fairly humble origins, compared to the usual vintage, but with proven American underpinnings and heritage. 

A certain 2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6 changed hands at the auction for a fairly-easy to digest sum of $36,000. Looking at the model’s value fluctuations in Classic.com, the price was more than the average for the model, but still reasonable considering the specs of this particular example. There are plenty of sixth-generation ‘Vettes that can be had in the $20,000 range, but this one, despite not being a Z06 or ZR-1, stands out for a very particular reason. 

American power, Italian styling

This C6 Corvette, despite being an early LS2 car, is one of approximately 100 cars built by the California-based company, N2A. The name stands for “No 2 Alike”, meaning every car is custom-built according to the client’s specific preferences. There are two variants, dubbed Anteros (the one seen here) and Stinger (inspired by the C2 Stingray).

Anteros retains the original C6 underpinnings but gets an all-new carbon-composite body, inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO and 275 GTB. Actually, the only original body part is the front windshield. The front hood is not a clamshell-style piece, and the fastback rear ends with single round taillights, and the original quad-tip exhaust.

The new split-spoke wheels are lighter and open up a perfect view towards the upgraded Wilwood brakes with drilled and slotted rotors.

The interior changes are less radical. Most of the C6 interior remains, but has been exalted with high-grade Italian leather and gloss-wood trim. 

The Ming Blue metallic hue, to me, is reminiscent of the 1999 Jaguar XK180 - a car that, sadly, never made it to production. This was one of the few, high-quality, custom colors N2A made available to its customers.

The LS2, 6.0-liter V-8 remains unchanged, meaning it still produces 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet. This is also a manual car, which makes it more appealing to driving enthusiasts, as the robust Tremec T56 six-speed manual still serves faithfully. 

Even today, the base-model C6 Corvette is plenty quick. The 0 to 60 mph time takes just 4.2 seconds while crossing the quarter mile in 12.2 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 186 mph (for the coupe model).

The custom body gives a more esteemed look, usually reserved for Italian or British grand tourers like the Maserati Coupe or Jaguar XK-R. Underneath, however, still lies raw American V-8 power, with proven durability, and one of the most comprehensive aftermarkets of any platform.

Moreover, total C6 Corvette production comes to 215,223 vehicles, so as far as mechanical parts go, the new owner will be covered for a long time. Corvette purists may frown upon the custom body, but I think it exalts the car to a Gentleman’s American sports car / GT. This also sounds like the best way to spend a reasonable amount of money on a very special vehicle that is known to have solid underpinnings. 

I am curious to hear what you make of the N2A Anteros? Do you prefer the original C6 Corvette's look, or do you think this is an upgrade? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Over 10 years of experience make him an expert in creating car content. Japanese brands like Toyota and Nissan are closest to his heart, but he is especially passionate about performance cars. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.