From Dreams To Reality: The Superformance 1963 Corvette Grand Sport

This driver got his dream Corvette and showcased it on the 2017 Hot Rod Power Tour.

Everyone who loves cars probably has a clear memory of playing with their toy cars as a child. We would make the engine noises, race them all over our rooms, and just fall in love with all these different makes and models. As you get older and the idea of playing with toy cars loses its appeal, we move on to the real deal. Sometimes, you’re actually lucky enough to buy a car that you played with as a toy.

In a video released by Chevy, we meet Roberto Berdiel, who is one of those lucky people. As a child, he played with his replica 1963 Corvette Grand Sport. He loved that car, but as he got older, he never saw it in real life. That is until he saw that Superformance offered a 1963 Grand Sport, and he realized that he had to have it.

“I got this car inside my head when I was a kid and I saw a Matchbox toy,” Berdiel said. “For some reason, I never saw another one after that toy.”

So 40-plus years later, he saw his dream car in person and had to own it. He bought the vehicle and dubbed it “El Niño.” Once he decided to buy the vehicle, he had to choose which engine he wanted inside.

“I chose the LS3 engine 525 horsepower because I thought that was a very reliable engine, it runs very smooth, it really shows off when you want to show off,” Berdiel says. Boy, was that a great choice! In the video, we get to watch and, more importantly, listen to the car in action. The engine roars down the road, thanks to the side-exhaust system.

Berdiel decided to take his Grand Sport and showcase it in the HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour. He loves the idea that people will wave from the side as he tours through multiple cities alongside like-minded people. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about loving these cars, and showing them off to inspire others to pursue owning their own dream cars.

Berdiel says it best, “You can go out and buy a new car, or you can go out and buy a car you want, and this is the car I want.”