Photo: Chevrolet
It was roughly a year ago that American carmaker Chevrolet presented the C8.R, the racetrack derivative of the then newly minted mid-engined Corvette. And it took the car less than that to land the bowtie carmaker the manufacturers' title in IMSA GT competition.
The coronation of the winner took place this past weekend after the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race, and it comes shortly after the No. 3 Corvette Racing team clinched the GTLM drivers and team championship titles two weeks prior. This marks the 13th time since 2001 that Chevrolet wins the manufacturers' title in the series, and the third time it snatches the three full-season GTLM crowns over the past five years.
"The first season for the Corvette C8.R has shattered all of our expectations,” said in a statement Mark Reuss, GM president. "The success of the Corvette Racing team wouldn’t be possible without the close link between the crew and the Corvette engineering team. It has been great to watch these two teams work closely together to learn from each other. I can’t wait to see what next season brings.”
The C8.R that made it all possible, like all other racers in this series, is based on the production model and must abide by the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unlike the production version, though, which packs a 6.2-liter small-block V8, the C8.R is powered by a 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated unit with an equal number of cylinders.
Despite being smaller, the engine develops more power than the one on the regular Corvette, namely 500 hp and 480 ft.-lb. of torque. All are controlled by means of a compact Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox, replacing the eight-speed dual-clutch used on the road-going version.
The C8.R rides on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport GT competition tires and during the dark hours of the race the track is illuminated by ultra-bright racing headlights.
"The first season for the Corvette C8.R has shattered all of our expectations,” said in a statement Mark Reuss, GM president. "The success of the Corvette Racing team wouldn’t be possible without the close link between the crew and the Corvette engineering team. It has been great to watch these two teams work closely together to learn from each other. I can’t wait to see what next season brings.”
The C8.R that made it all possible, like all other racers in this series, is based on the production model and must abide by the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unlike the production version, though, which packs a 6.2-liter small-block V8, the C8.R is powered by a 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated unit with an equal number of cylinders.
Despite being smaller, the engine develops more power than the one on the regular Corvette, namely 500 hp and 480 ft.-lb. of torque. All are controlled by means of a compact Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox, replacing the eight-speed dual-clutch used on the road-going version.
The C8.R rides on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport GT competition tires and during the dark hours of the race the track is illuminated by ultra-bright racing headlights.
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