For those interested in knowing the evolution of the Corvette’s chassis innovations and how these refinements are accomplished, a recent news release from GM covers the developments from C1 to the C6.R Corvettes. Zora Arkus-Duntov transformed the purpose of the original Corvette, thanks to addition of a V8 engine that allowed the car to prove its worth on the racetrack.

Thanks to Duntov’s contributions the Corvette has enjoyed almost sixty years of racing success everywhere from local tracks to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. With nearly six decades worth of on-track experience, the chassis refinements are certainly battle-tested; with the vast array of information available thanks to track testing this information is easily translated into each generation of the American sportscar.

With the 60^th anniversary of the Corvette on the horizon, the 2013 model features improvements to the chassis, suspension and drivetrain that have been race proven. Much of the hardware seen on street Corvettes is used on the full-race version – for 2013 the C6.R shares the aluminum frame rails that grace both the esteemed Z06 and ZR1 models.  The C6.R will share the production ZR1’s rack-and-pinion and steering column complete with a fully adjustable steering wheel.

According to the press release, this racecar will benefit from chassis refinements to the “windshield frame, the hoop around the rear of the passenger compartment, the door hinge pillars, the drivetrain tunnel, the firewall and the floor pan.” Thanks to the years of racing experience, the ZR1 model benefits from the track proven 51/49 weight distribution and carbon ceramic brake rotors. The Corvette continues to evolve as a true race tested sportscar both on and off the track.