2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition is a road-going, track-capable homage to the Corvette Racing C7.R racecars. It’s offered in Corvette Racing’s signature yellow livery or black with coordinated exterior and interior accents.
Production of the 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition Convertible is limited to 550 cars. They will all be top-of-the-line 3LT models, all in Lime Rock Green exterior and Brownstone suede interior. These vehicles also include suede-wrapped interior trim, carbon fiber accents, variable tuned performance exhaust system, Z51 Performance Package and Magnetic Selective Ride Control.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s all-new LT1 6.2-litre V8 engine is SAE-certified at 460 horsepower (343 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft of torque (630 Nm) at 4,600 rpm, with the available performance exhaust system. With the standard exhaust, the numbers are 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 460 lb-ft (624 Nm). They are the highest standard power ratings ever for the Corvette, delivered with efficiency that is expected to exceed 26 mpg on the highway.
Since 1955, the Chevrolet Corvette has been powered by the Chevrolet V8 engine. Technological advancements have increased output from 195 hp in 1955 to 638 hp in 2012, but the fundamental architecture of the Chevrolet Small Block have remained the same; a 90-degree V8, with overhead valves actuated by pushrods, and a 4.4-inch on-center bore spacing.
Bill Mitchell, GM’s famed design director and hand-picked successor to the legendary Harley Earl, was a firm believer in the influence that racing brought to improving production cars. Unfortunately, the American Manufacturer’s Association banned factory-backed motorsports efforts in 1957. Undeterred, Mitchell received permission to race privately and bought an experimental Corvette racing chassis from Chevrolet – with the stipulation he alter the bodywork so there was no mistaking it for the earlier factory-fielded Corvette racers. Mitchell and his protégé, Larry Shinoda, got to work and developed the Sting Ray’s design.
The Corvette ZR-1 was more than merely a more powerful Corvette – it was a complete performance package that included wider rear bodywork to accommodate humongous rear tires and a unique, convex rear fascia with rectangular taillamps that made the car recognizable at a glance.
