At the beginning of the month, Chevrolet unexpectedly unwrapped the new Corvette C8.R, telling everyone willing to hear that a new era is about to begin in the IMSA GTLM class series. At the time, the full specs of the car were largely unknown, but that changed this week.
Set for a race debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 25, 2020, the C8.R is not your regular Corvette. Several changes were needed to get the car in line with the competition’s regulations, but also to make it one powerful machine by improving aerodynamics, increasing stiffness and decreasing weight.
The car is built just as the "civilian” Vette on the 2020 Stingray chassis, only in this case it is both stiffer and lighter, comes with a lower center of gravity, and allows for even weight distribution on the wheels.
Unlike the production version, which uses 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 regular Corvette, namely 500 hp and 480 ft.-lb. of torque.
The transmission has been replaced too, and instead of the eight-speed dual-clutch, a compact Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox is used. The swap was made in order to allow the fitting of a special race car diffuser at the rear.
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.
“We have looked forward to racing a production-based mid-engine Corvette for a long time,” said in a statement Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports.
“The debut of the C8.R is the result of immense collaboration between GM Engineering, Propulsion, Design and the Corvette Racing team. As Corvette Racing enters its third decade of competition, we’re excited to begin the next chapter.”
Cars racing in the GTLM class of the IMSA are based on production models and must follow the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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