= = Chevrolet’s latest racing Corvette = =
#1
02-12-2014, 06:33 AM
= = Chevrolet’s latest racing Corvette = =
7 Things You Need to Know About the Beastly Chevrolet Corvette C7.R Race Car
February 11, 2014 at 6:40 pm by John Lamm | Photography by John Lamm
Chevrolet’s latest racing Corvette, the ferocious-looking C7.R, made its public debut at this year’s Detroit auto show in January before hitting the track in anger at the Rolex 24 at Daytona later that month. While the two-car team placed just fifth and tenth in the GTLM class due to mechanical difficulties, Corvette Racing characterized the C7.R’s debut as “promising,” which makes sense given that one led the class for a time and the other ran as high as second in class. The C7.R next takes to the track—reliability issues hopefully sorted—at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. To tide you over until then, here’s a heaping helping of info direct from Corvette Racing.
1. The C7.R is the product of “cascade engineering.”
Talk with Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan about the progression from Corvette C6 and C6.R to C7, C7 Z06, and C7.R, and the topic of “cascade engineering” inevitably comes up. Brands often talk about technology transfer from race cars to production cars, but the Corvette team breathes that philosophy, and nothing happens in isolation during the development of each new Corvette—for street or track. There is no chicken and no egg, being instead a process that flows from one car to the next, from the track to the road and back. Essentially, Corvette engineers on each program can find something to learn from the various variants. Fehan explains further: “You built a great road car, homologate it and make a great race car. You learn things in that race car, and it gets moved into the next-generation road car and then you homologate that [for racing]. Look at the progression from C6, C6.R, Z06, ZR-1 and now C7, C7 Z06, and C7.R. In each of those model years, production-wise, you saw more and more racing content [reach the street cars].”
2. It looks like a C7, but there are major dimensional differences.
Sitting on the grid, a Corvette C7.R looks squat compared to a production C7 Stingray—and it is. The racer’s tall rear spoiler emphasizes the low look of the roofline that, at 45.3 inches high, is 3.3 inches closer to the pavement than the street car’s. Adding to the menacing stance is the C7.R’s 80.7-inch width, nearly five full inches wider than the Z06 and a massive 6.8 inches wider than the stock C7.
3. The C7.R chassis deviates in significant ways from the street car’s.
While the production Corvettes offer a seven-speed manual and the option of a six-speed automatic (Stingray) or an eight-speed automatic (Z06), the C7.R employs a beefy six-speed sequential manual. The Corvette’s traditional transverse composite leaf springs give way to adjustable coil-overs for track duty.
Rules dictate steel brake rotors for the race car—the Z06 will offer carbon-ceramics as an option—but it has something not even the burliest Z06 gets: six-piston rear calipers to match the six-piston units at the front. At 14.8 x 1.4 inches and 14.0 x 1.3 inches front and rear, the race car’s discsdon’t differ much in size from the standard Z06’s, but the C7.R’s are, of course, race-spec. The C7.R rides on fat Michelin race rubber, but uses 18-inch wheels all around. The street cars either have 18-inch front and 19-inch rear (Stingray) or 19-inch front and 20-inch rear (Z06). The C7.R’s wheels also measure a substantial 12.5 inches and 13 inches wide front to back.
4. The new, more aluminum-intensive C7 chassis paid huge—and immediate—dividends.
Referring to the C6 Z06 and ZR1’s chassis rails, Fehan points out that theyalready used “the largest single hydroformed pieces made in the world.” But the C7 incorporates multipart assemblies that combine extruded-aluminum crash structures, cast-aluminum front and rear cradles, and more, all integrated into the hydroformed rail assembly at critical bend points. The new method made the production chassis both lighter and stiffer, and it allows the C7.R to ride on bones some 40 percent stiffer than the C6.R’s. And a stiffer race car makes for happier drivers. Mark Kent, director of racing for Chevrolet, has said, “In the first lap in the C7.R, the drivers felt the increase in chassis stiffness [and said that] handling was better over changing surface features and rough track segments.”
5. It lacks the cool rear fendertop vents of streetable C7 coupes—for good reason.
First, of course, there are no fakes—each vent is functional. All C7 Corvettes have vents on their hoods and aft of the front wheels that vary in size depending on duty, but things get even more specialized aft of that. The stock C7 coupe has an intake on the driver’s side rear fender to cool the transmission and one on the passenger’s side to cool the differential. The Z06 adds inlets ahead of each rear wheel to feed air to the rear brakes, while its fendertop openings gain little vanes to better force precious oxygen over the trans and diff. (Watch this video for an explanation from the Z06’s aerodynamicist.) The race cars? The C6.R had a similar setup to the C7, with the lower intakes feeding the brakes and NACA ducts on the fenders to send air to the mechanicals, but the C7.R makes do with just the lower ones—there’s no fendertop venting, because it would disturb the airflow over that picnic table arranged on the rear decklid. Instead, the C7.R splits the air coming into the lower inlets, apportioning it to the binders and the transmission/differential.
6. It uses an updated version of the C6.R V-8, not something based on the LT4.
Why forsake the Z06’s mighty, supercharged LT4 small-block V-8 for the C6.R engine, especially given the fact that the C7.R is directly developed off the Z06? Blame the rules, according to Fehan. “We can’t use the supercharger or the variable valve timing. Add the fact we’d start life with 6.2 liters in an all-new architecture, [with a] new block and new cylinder heads, and then have to de-bore and de-stroke to 5.5 liters to meet the rules. To go through that process on a brand-new engine with the time and expense to determine durability and reliability didn’t make any economic sense when we already had a proven 5.5-liter done.” The one big change made to this year’s version of the V-8? Direct fuel injection, which allows for more precise throttle control and about a three percent gain in fuel economy, enough to potentially eliminate one pit stop in a 24-hour race.
7. European competitors whine constantly about the Corvette’s pushrod engine.
Fehan continues on the matter of the Chevy small-block: “I rue the day we would ever have to go to overhead cams. Bigger, heavier, giant heads. Cams in head, higher center of gravity, bigger package, in most cases more weight. All the additional parts like chains, pulleys, and gears—you just increase the opportunity for things to go wrong. Fuel-efficiency and emissions standards may at some point cause us to have to go that way, but when you look at the size and weight of our C7.R package, plus its power and reliability, there’s nothing that beats a two-valve engine. I sit on several FIA engine councils and it always comes up from our competitors. Whether it’s Porsche, Ferrari, or Aston Martin, they’re always complaining about what they perceive of as the advantages the two-valve engine has [over] their [designs], and want the two-valve engine penalized. To that I say, ‘go back to the road car—if the two-valve engine is that much better for racing you ought to put it in your car.’ To which they have no answer.”
February 11, 2014 at 6:40 pm by John Lamm | Photography by John Lamm
1. The C7.R is the product of “cascade engineering.”
Talk with Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan about the progression from Corvette C6 and C6.R to C7, C7 Z06, and C7.R, and the topic of “cascade engineering” inevitably comes up. Brands often talk about technology transfer from race cars to production cars, but the Corvette team breathes that philosophy, and nothing happens in isolation during the development of each new Corvette—for street or track. There is no chicken and no egg, being instead a process that flows from one car to the next, from the track to the road and back. Essentially, Corvette engineers on each program can find something to learn from the various variants. Fehan explains further: “You built a great road car, homologate it and make a great race car. You learn things in that race car, and it gets moved into the next-generation road car and then you homologate that [for racing]. Look at the progression from C6, C6.R, Z06, ZR-1 and now C7, C7 Z06, and C7.R. In each of those model years, production-wise, you saw more and more racing content [reach the street cars].”
2. It looks like a C7, but there are major dimensional differences.
Sitting on the grid, a Corvette C7.R looks squat compared to a production C7 Stingray—and it is. The racer’s tall rear spoiler emphasizes the low look of the roofline that, at 45.3 inches high, is 3.3 inches closer to the pavement than the street car’s. Adding to the menacing stance is the C7.R’s 80.7-inch width, nearly five full inches wider than the Z06 and a massive 6.8 inches wider than the stock C7.
3. The C7.R chassis deviates in significant ways from the street car’s.
While the production Corvettes offer a seven-speed manual and the option of a six-speed automatic (Stingray) or an eight-speed automatic (Z06), the C7.R employs a beefy six-speed sequential manual. The Corvette’s traditional transverse composite leaf springs give way to adjustable coil-overs for track duty.
Rules dictate steel brake rotors for the race car—the Z06 will offer carbon-ceramics as an option—but it has something not even the burliest Z06 gets: six-piston rear calipers to match the six-piston units at the front. At 14.8 x 1.4 inches and 14.0 x 1.3 inches front and rear, the race car’s discsdon’t differ much in size from the standard Z06’s, but the C7.R’s are, of course, race-spec. The C7.R rides on fat Michelin race rubber, but uses 18-inch wheels all around. The street cars either have 18-inch front and 19-inch rear (Stingray) or 19-inch front and 20-inch rear (Z06). The C7.R’s wheels also measure a substantial 12.5 inches and 13 inches wide front to back.
4. The new, more aluminum-intensive C7 chassis paid huge—and immediate—dividends.
Referring to the C6 Z06 and ZR1’s chassis rails, Fehan points out that theyalready used “the largest single hydroformed pieces made in the world.” But the C7 incorporates multipart assemblies that combine extruded-aluminum crash structures, cast-aluminum front and rear cradles, and more, all integrated into the hydroformed rail assembly at critical bend points. The new method made the production chassis both lighter and stiffer, and it allows the C7.R to ride on bones some 40 percent stiffer than the C6.R’s. And a stiffer race car makes for happier drivers. Mark Kent, director of racing for Chevrolet, has said, “In the first lap in the C7.R, the drivers felt the increase in chassis stiffness [and said that] handling was better over changing surface features and rough track segments.”
5. It lacks the cool rear fendertop vents of streetable C7 coupes—for good reason.
First, of course, there are no fakes—each vent is functional. All C7 Corvettes have vents on their hoods and aft of the front wheels that vary in size depending on duty, but things get even more specialized aft of that. The stock C7 coupe has an intake on the driver’s side rear fender to cool the transmission and one on the passenger’s side to cool the differential. The Z06 adds inlets ahead of each rear wheel to feed air to the rear brakes, while its fendertop openings gain little vanes to better force precious oxygen over the trans and diff. (Watch this video for an explanation from the Z06’s aerodynamicist.) The race cars? The C6.R had a similar setup to the C7, with the lower intakes feeding the brakes and NACA ducts on the fenders to send air to the mechanicals, but the C7.R makes do with just the lower ones—there’s no fendertop venting, because it would disturb the airflow over that picnic table arranged on the rear decklid. Instead, the C7.R splits the air coming into the lower inlets, apportioning it to the binders and the transmission/differential.
6. It uses an updated version of the C6.R V-8, not something based on the LT4.
Why forsake the Z06’s mighty, supercharged LT4 small-block V-8 for the C6.R engine, especially given the fact that the C7.R is directly developed off the Z06? Blame the rules, according to Fehan. “We can’t use the supercharger or the variable valve timing. Add the fact we’d start life with 6.2 liters in an all-new architecture, [with a] new block and new cylinder heads, and then have to de-bore and de-stroke to 5.5 liters to meet the rules. To go through that process on a brand-new engine with the time and expense to determine durability and reliability didn’t make any economic sense when we already had a proven 5.5-liter done.” The one big change made to this year’s version of the V-8? Direct fuel injection, which allows for more precise throttle control and about a three percent gain in fuel economy, enough to potentially eliminate one pit stop in a 24-hour race.
7. European competitors whine constantly about the Corvette’s pushrod engine.
Fehan continues on the matter of the Chevy small-block: “I rue the day we would ever have to go to overhead cams. Bigger, heavier, giant heads. Cams in head, higher center of gravity, bigger package, in most cases more weight. All the additional parts like chains, pulleys, and gears—you just increase the opportunity for things to go wrong. Fuel-efficiency and emissions standards may at some point cause us to have to go that way, but when you look at the size and weight of our C7.R package, plus its power and reliability, there’s nothing that beats a two-valve engine. I sit on several FIA engine councils and it always comes up from our competitors. Whether it’s Porsche, Ferrari, or Aston Martin, they’re always complaining about what they perceive of as the advantages the two-valve engine has [over] their [designs], and want the two-valve engine penalized. To that I say, ‘go back to the road car—if the two-valve engine is that much better for racing you ought to put it in your car.’ To which they have no answer.”
Last edited by Space; 02-12-2014 at 08:24 AM.
#2
02-12-2014, 06:51 AM
It almost looks like they are going with a European style car. Cause it looks sort of like the ferrari or lamborghini in my opinion but i bet it would still be fun to drive. 
#3
02-12-2014, 09:40 AM
>Bonus Post<
Take care of your Chevy & they will last a long time & hold their value. What do you think of the below 55 
contact ✉ ☎ contact
x prohibited[?]
Posted: 8 days ago
1955 CHEVY BELAIR - $27500 (SCOTTSMOOR)
1955 CHEVY BELAIR VIN: N/A
1955 CHEVY., 2DR.POST, ZZ4 355 CU.IN. , 4 SPEED TRANS. LOOKS GOOD, RUNS GOOD, NO RUST. CALL PAUL 321-759-3940
x prohibited[?]
Posted: 8 days ago
1955 CHEVY BELAIR - $27500 (SCOTTSMOOR)
1955 CHEVY BELAIR VIN: N/A
1955 CHEVY., 2DR.POST, ZZ4 355 CU.IN. , 4 SPEED TRANS. LOOKS GOOD, RUNS GOOD, NO RUST. CALL PAUL 321-759-3940
- Location: SCOTTSMOOR
- http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/cto/4319301483.html <Click
Last edited by Space; 02-12-2014 at 09:42 AM.
#4
02-12-2014, 01:50 PM
Click below to see what happened @ Daytona 24 hr
- Corvette Racing at Daytona: Promising Showing in C7.R Debut
www.corvetteblogger.com/2014/.../corvette-racing-at-daytona-promising...
Jan 26, 2014 - Corvette Racing at Daytona: Promising Showing in C7.R Debut ... NewChevrolet GT race cars display competitive balance in 2014 opener ... We willexamine these issues, find the root causes and resolve them ... We just did fuel on the first one and chose just right-side tires and fuel on the second one.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post