Pandem C8 Widebody is What Happens When Two Worlds Collide

Love it or hate it, Pandem’s first C8 widebody customer car proves that the new Corvette can be just about anything. 

Pandem, makers of all sorts of widebody conversions for Japanese vehicles, first announced that it was going to offer a C8 widebody kit a few months ago. At that time, it showed off CEO Ken Miura’s personal ride, which was no doubt a pretty wild take on the newest Corvette. But now, the very first Pandem C8 widebody kit available to the public has made its way onto a customer car owned by Alex Lawn, and it’s quite the sight to behold.

Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on your own personal taste. But we find it interesting that two very different parts of the automotive enthusiast world have come together in one vehicle here. After all, Pandem has always remained mostly devoted to JDM vehicles, while the Corvette is a distinctly American phenomenon.

Regardless, the C8 has thus far proven to be a versatile ride. It’s often mistaken as an exotic, and now we suppose that it’ll fit right in at the local Honda meet, too. Pandem is known for building over-the-top body kits, and the C8’s is no exception, with some of the most extreme bodywork we’ve seen gracing the new Corvette’s flanks thus far.

The wild C8 widebody has those requisite new fenders that give the car a menacing stance, but that isn’t the only change of note going on here. There’s also an aggressive new front lip, squared-off wheel arches, low-lying side skirts, a giant rear diffuser and rear bumper winglets, and a rear spoiler big enough to host a picnic lunch on, which is all the rage these days.

The cost of the entire kit is right around $7,000, which isn’t terrible. Of course, installation and paint is going to run you far more than that. This particular car also sports an air suspension and some aftermarket wheels and tires that increase that tab, but are almost necessary given the wild body modifications.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that the Pandem C8 widebody kit is brave new territory for the Corvette. Sure, plenty of other aftermarket outfits are selling widebody kits for the C8, but few so blatantly attempt to apply JDM styling to America’s sports car. And for that reason, the newest Corvette must be considered more of a crossover star than ever before.

Photos:Pandem USA, Alex Lawn

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