2012 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Set to Debut at Sebring
The next generation of Chevy Corvette C6.Rs will make their racing debut at the upcoming 12 Hours of Sebring race. The newest C6.R race car will feature a widebody based on the ZR1, but will be powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8.
The new C6.R will be a whole two inches wider than the iteration it will be replacing, now measuring in at an impressive 80.6 inches. To put that into perspective, the race car will be 5 inches wider than the ZR1 found on the streets.
Other changes that we’ll see at Sebring to the Corvette will be an almost three inch higher rear wing mount, new dive plates on the front end, and slightly larger inlet restrictors.
The changes come after one of teams last season was granted a waiver to run a car two inches wider than the GT rules normally allowed. Subsequently, the rules were changed to allow all cars in the GT class to increase their width for the 2012 season. Since the widened C6.R had to go through the approval process again, the Corvette Racing team decided to tweak other aspects of the car within GT regulations as well.
“GM Powertrain engineers went through a similar process with updates in engine tuning and calibrations to improve driveability and throttle response,” said Gary Pratt, Corvette Racing team manager.
The 12 Hours of Sebring will start on March 17th at 10:30 AM EDT and Corvette Racing will have Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin piloting the number four car while Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia will be behind the wheel of the number three car.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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