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This Compilation of C6 Corvettes Driven at Full Throttle Will Make Your Day

The Chevrolet Corvette was originally designed as a road car, but the first-generation roadster was quickly transformed into a race car by privateers. Since then, every generation of Chevy's iconic sports car spawned at least a race-spec version.
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R 1 photo
Photo: Chevrolet

Chevy
didn't bother much to take the Corvette racing in the early days, but it eventually set up a factory team for the fifth-generation model, and it's still going strong. All Corvette generations since the C5, including the mid-engined C8, have won major events, while some of them went on to fully dominate certain series.

The C6 Corvette is one of the most successful so far, having spawned four different racing versions. Chevy took the C6 racing in all major series, building GT1, GT2 (GTE), GT3, and GT4 variants based on either the regular Vette, the ZR1, or the Z06.

All were obviously powered by V8 engines. The GT3 and GT4 cars shared the 6.2-liter LS7 (rated at 515 and 437 horsepower, respectively), while the GT1 versions featured the beefed-up LS7.R, a 7.0-liter V8 good for a whopping 590 horsepower. The GT2-spec car was fitted with the smaller, 5.5-liter LS3 V8, but it was still quite capable at 491 horsepower.

I'm not going to list the massive amount of trophies that the C6.R won. These cars were raced from 2005 to 2013, about as long as the road-going model was kept in production, so the list would be quite long. I'm actually here to show you how good all these cars sounded while being driven in anger on race tracks like the Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, and even at Le Mans.

Exciting? Thrilling? Hair-raising? I don't know, you pick the adjective. It's all the same once you hit the play button and crank up the volume.

And, of course, it's not just about the engine note. These C6 looked damn sexy while tackling tight corners or speeding up on a long straight. There's also bonus footage of a few cars resting in the pits. Pay attention, and you'll notice some bare carbon-fiber aero work. Hubba hubba!

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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