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::
Chevrolet Corvette C6R Pictures :: |
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Chevrolet Corvette C6R General Info :: |
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Produced in |
2006 - 2008 |
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Curb Weight |
1100 kg / 2425 lbs |
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Length |
4511 mm / 177.6 in |
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Width |
1999 mm / 78.7 in |
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Wheelbase |
2685 mm / 105.7 in |
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Layout |
Front Engine RWD |
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Drivetrain :: |
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Engine |
LS7R V8 7.0L |
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Displacement |
7000 cc / 427.0 cu in |
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Valvetrain |
2 valves/ cylinder,
pushrod with overhead
titanium valves |
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Fuel Fed |
Sequential EFI |
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Aspiration |
Naturally Aspirated |
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Gearbox |
6 speed sequential |
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Chevrolet Corvette C5R performance stats :: |
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Horsepower |
590 hp @ 5400
rpm |
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Torque |
640 ft/lbs @
4400 rpm |
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Redline |
7000 rpm |
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Power to weight ratio |
0.53 hp/kg |
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0-100 km/h | 0-60 mph |
3.0 seconds + - |
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0-160 km/h | 0-100 mph |
Unknown |
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0-160 km/h | 0-200 mph |
Unknown |
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400 m | 1/4 mile |
Unknown |
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Standing mile |
Unknown |
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Top Speed |
320 km/h / 200 mph |
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:: Chevrolet Corvette C6R Additional Information :: |
(Corvette
Racing source) Examples of the synergy between the Corvette Z06's
production LS7
small-block V-8 and the LS7.R racing engine that powers the Corvette C6.R
race cars abound.
Both are powered by 7-liter engines with dry-sump lubrication systems, CNC-ported
cylinder
heads, titanium valves and connecting rods, forged steel crankshafts and
plate-honed cylinder
bores. While the components and specifications of the street and
competition engines are
tailored to their specific environments, the thought process behind them
is identical.
GM Powertrain, using valuable data gleaned from the factory Corvette
Racing program, developed
the 505-horsepower LS7 with many competition-derived components and design
features. It takes
production small-block performance to an unprecedented level while
demonstrating the continuing
adaptability of the engine's compact, cam-in-block design. It is, quite
simply, the largest, most
powerful production small-block V-8 GM has ever produced.
"In many ways, the LS7 production engine is a racing engine in a street
car," said Dave Muscaro,
assistant chief engineer of small-block V-8 engines for passenger
cars."We've taken much of
what we've learned over the years from the 7.0-liter Corvette Racing
program and instilled it here.
There really has been nothing else like it offered in a GM production
vehicle."
Indeed, the LS7's engineers spent as much time at race tracks as they did
at engine
dynamometers. Everything from the cylinder heads to the unique dry-sump
oiling system has a
direct line back to the racing program. But while the LS7 has racing
roots, it delivers its
performance with uncompromising smoothness and tractability - qualities
that make the
Corvette Z06 a daily-driveable supercar.
The LS7's specifications are significant for a production engine:
* 505 horsepower @ 6300 rpm
* 470 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4800 rpm
* 7000-rpm redline
* Unique engine block with larger 104.8-mm (4.125-inch) bores and
pressed-in cylinder liners
* Forged steel crankshaft with 101.6-mm (4-inch) stroke
* Titanium connecting rods
* Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
* Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake
valves and sodium-
filled exhaust valves
* Dry-sump oiling system
* 11.0:1 compression ratio
* Camshaft with 15-mm (.591-inch) lift
* Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique "quad flow" collector flanges
"The racing experience enabled us to visualize how we could get more power
out of the production
engine," said Muscaro."How much you get depends on where the bar is set,
and racing helped us
set realistic goals. A street engine has the constraints of emissions,
noise and durability
standards, but the race engine really challenged us to produce maximum
power from a given
package.
"When we started to look at upgrading the LS6, the first thing we did was
sit down with the race
group and talk about what they had done to build a 7-liter small-block,"
Muscaro explained.
"What did they do to the block to make the cylinder bores bigger, what did
they do to the heads
to increase the airflow? That was the key to creating the LS7."
The LS7's racing roots are evident in the cylinder block and reciprocating
assembly, where an all-
new aluminum block casting accommodates large, 104.8-mm-diameter
(4.125-inch) cylinder
bores. Aluminum flat-top pistons produce an 11.0:1 compression ratio.
Lightweight titanium
connecting rods link the pistons to a precision-balanced forged steel
crankshaft with a 101.6-mm
(4-inch) stroke. The titanium rods weigh just 480 grams apiece - almost 30
percent less than
comparable steel rods.
Both the production LS7 and the C6.R race engines use dry-sump oiling
systems designed to
keep the engines properly lubricated during high-speed cornering. In the
production Corvette Z06,
an 8-quart reservoir delivers oil to the engine oil pump under the
demanding conditions of
cornering loads in excess of 1 g. While common in racing cars, the
Corvette Z06 is one of just a
handful of production vehicles - and the only production Corvette - to
incorporate such a high-
performance oiling system.
The LS7's CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are yet another legacy of the
Corvette racing
program. To ensure optimum airflow, the LS7 has straight, tunnel-like
intake runners. Large by
production-vehicle standards, the ports are designed to maintain high
airflow velocity, providing
excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm.
The cylinder heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers that are fed by huge,
56-mm-diameter
titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves each weigh 21
grams less than the
stainless steel valves used in the standard Corvette LS2 small-block V-8,
despite the valve head
having 22-percent more area. They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled
exhaust valves
(vs. 39.4-mm valves in the LS2). To accommodate the large valve face
diameters, the heads'
valve seats are siamesed. Drawing on the experience of Corvette Racing,
the LS7's valve angles
are 12 degrees - versus 15 degrees for the LS2 - to enhance airflow.
Both the street and competition engines have evenly spaced, symmetrical
intake and exhaust
ports. Complete CNC porting of the LS7 and C6.R cylinder head is performed
on state-of-the-art,
five-axis milling machines, which carve out the intake ports, exhaust
ports and combustion
chambers with mathematical precision. Airflow through the LS7's cylinder
head ports was improved
43 percent on the intake side and 26 percent on the exhaust side over the
LS2.
"The LS series of GM small-block V-8 engines is going to have a long-term
impact on the
performance industry," said Kent. "It was Zora Arkus-Duntov's vision that
Corvette should lead
the way with race-ready parts and designs. I think he would be proud of
what the GM small-block
V-8 has achieved."
General
Motors Press Release Corvette Racing's twin Compuware Corvette
C6.Rs waged a fierce
battle in the season finale of the American Le Mans Series at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca. When
the four-hour race was finished, Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta stood on
the top step of the
victory podium in the GT1 class for a record-tying ninth time in 2007. The
"two Ollies" drove their
No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a 30-second victory over the No. 3
Compuware
Corvette C6.R of Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen.
The pair completed 150 laps of the 2.238-mile road course and finished
11th overall to crown
their third championship season together. Beretta extended his record for
career ALMS victories
with his 37th win, while Gavin notched his 28th career ALMS title.
Corvette Racing won the GT1
manufacturer and team championships for the seventh consecutive year.
"I have to take my hat off to Olivier because he drove brilliantly," said
Gavin. "We were knocked
off the track twice today, and there was big pressure all the time from
our sister car. The one
thing that kept us in front was the pit stops. The guys did a fantastic
job with every stop, and our
engineer Steve Cole and Corvette Racing gave us a mighty car. This was the
best car we've
had at Laguna Seca, and a victory was a fitting way to finish the season."
The lead in the GT1 division changed hands three times in the four-hour
race. Magnussen
started on the pole and led until the first round of pit stops at 56
minutes into the race. Gavin
took the lead over O'Connell at the first driver change, but surrendered
the point after contact
with a GT2 Ferrari in the Andretti Hairpin shortly after two hours of
racing. The No. 4 car regained
the lead on the second round of pit stops and driver changes at the 2:16
mark. Beretta and
Magnussen then drove the last hour and 45 minutes, stopping for a splash
of fuel and tires
at 20 minutes before the checkered flag.
"I have no words to describe what the Corvette Racing crew can do," said
Beretta. "I had contact,
Ollie had contact, and on the pit stops they gave us more than 100 percent
and put us in front.
They are awesome."
The GT1 race was literally won in the pits. "We were a little down after
finishing second in the pit
stop competition, but we pulled together," said Ray Gongla, crew chief for
the No. 4 Corvette.
"The guys had to do three flawless pit stops in a row, and they did it."
Magnussen mounted a furious charge from lap 99 to lap 109, cutting
Beretta's lead to 1.74
seconds at one point.
"We had a really good car in the beginning of the race, but when I got in
the car on a different
tire compound, it was a little hard for me to find a good balance,"
Magnussen reported.
The first few laps in my second stint were very fast and I was starting to
regain the lead, but after
about eight laps the other car was just as fast so I couldn't catch
Olivier.
"It's been a great season with Corvette Racing," said Magnussen after his
first full year with the
team. "To be with this team and to see all of the Corvette fans, I feel
like it's the best time of
my life right now. I hope somebody comes out and races with us next year
to make it even
better."
Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan reflected on today's result: "I
think the final race
of the season was the crowning touch to what we did all year – perfect
races, no mistakes, and
dedicating ourselves to getting better every time. It's a great ending to
a great season."
The Monterey Sports Car Championships marked the conclusion of Laguna
Seca's 50th
anniversary celebration and a milestone for Corvette Racing.
"Fifty years ago, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the godfather of Corvette Racing,
conceived the Corvette SS
race car to put Corvette squarely in the arena of international endurance
racing," said Chevrolet
general manager Ed Peper. "This year marks the 50th anniversary of both
the Corvette SS and
of the Laguna Seca circuit. As we look back on the results today at this
great track and reflect on
Corvette Racing's record of success over the years, it's clear that the
Corvette C6.R has realized
Zora's dream.
"Corvette Racing has again set the standard for engineering excellence,
preparation, and
commitment in the American Le Mans Series," Peper noted. "The team came to
race at every
event, and ran with all of the passion and skill that have made Corvette
Racing America's
premier production sports car racing team. The drivers, mechanics,
engineers, support personnel
and team managers of Corvette Racing have made everyone at Chevrolet
proud, and I
congratulate every one of them on a job well done."
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