And now for the race car you’ve all been waiting for: the Corvette Racing C7.R. Developed by Pratt and Miller Engineering, it’s built to compete in the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, which starts January 25-26 with the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona. The race also marks the first time Corvette Racing participates in the American endurance competition since 2001.
The engine will remain 5.5 liters in displacement, but adds direct injection for gains in fuel economy, which should lead to less pit stops during those long races, such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Continuing the synergy between the track and the street, the C7.R and the 2015 Corvette Z06 will share the same, production-based aluminum frame. But for the first time ever, the frames for the race car and the Z06 will be built in-house at the Bowling Green assembly plant in Kentucky.
Production of the C7.R will include the use of advanced manufacturing materials such as laser welding, Flowdrill-machined fasteners, and a GM-patented aluminum spot-welding process. Additionally, the production structure of the C7.R is significantly stronger than that of its predecessor, which means that the C7.R’s frame is 40 percent stronger than that of the outgoing C6.R.
We can’t wait to see this thing in action. Stay tuned for live photos and more.
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