Watch the video of CHEVROLET CHEETAH A.K.A “THE COBRA KILLER” .Thomas, who was also known as "Mr. Corvette", used a Corvette small-black V8 as the donor engine. He increased the displacement to over 6 liters and fitted it with Rochester Fuel Injection, which he himself had developed.
Maximum power is said to have been around 520 hp, which was phenomenal in those days. The innovation didn't stop there, as Mr. Thomas used an advanced spaceframe chassis, seen at that time on European racers, and managed to distribute the weight almost perfectly between the front and rear axles (48:52 front/rear).