[1]2013 is the final goodbye for the Corvette C6.R, a car that could go down as the most-winningest Corvette of all time. With the final season of this venerable racing machine winding down though, a lot of attention and ink has been spilled over its replacement, the Corvette C7.R. Sure, we know what the production 2014 Corvette will look like, but what about the version that will represent the U.S.A. on the international racing scene?
We got our first peek at the 2014 Corvette C7.R this weekend, when GM released this quartet of pictures to an eager public. While many of the details remain up in the air, we do know that the Corvette C7.R will make its racing debut on January 25th, 2014 at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Just about everything else we want to know is still unrevealed at this point. While the production Corvette is slated to get a 455 horsepower, 6.2 liter LT1 V8 engine, the C7.R Corvette will get an updated direct-injection version of the 5.5 liter ethanol-fueled V8 used in the C6.R [2]. The Corvette will make its debut in the all-new United SportsCar Racing series [3], which sees GRAND-AM and American Le Mans join forces in this unified road racing series.
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That said, there are still similarities between the road and racing versions of the Corvette beyond the looks. Both cars will be using an all-aluminum chassis, and Corvette Racing’s team of drivers is likely to carry over as well. Tommy Milner was on-hand this weekend for a few hot laps at Laguna Seca, which played host to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this weekend, where GM rolled out the all-new Cadillac Elmiraj [7] concept as well.
Lest we forget, Callaway Racing is also working on a racing Corvette [8], albeit for the GT3 series, and the first production Corvettes are slated to arrive at dealerships this fall. 2014 should be a fun “break-in” year for Corvette fans for sure.