22 2014 CHEVROLET RACING SPECIAL
IN FOCUS
– with aerodynamics heavily influenced by
the racing side. In fact, the GT/GTE C6.R
used the production rear spoiler and
production-based splitter from the ZR1,
along with many other pieces. The C6.R
and ZR1 were about as close as production
car and racecar could be and yet, despite
stiff competition in its new category, the
C6.R still took 12 race wins in four years, as
well as a 2011 GTE Pro class victory at
Le Mans, and ALMS Manufacturers’, Teams’
and Drivers’ titles the past two years.
If all that could be achieved by the
production and racing sides working
together on what was essentially a rebody,
what’s possible now they’ve worked together
in developing a whole new platform?
The Chevrolet Corvette C7.R racecar is
about to begin providing some answers.
NEW PLATFORM, NEW POTENTIAL
The 2014 Stingray is the first all-new
Corvette imbued with the accumulated
knowledge and experience of more than
15 years of Corvette Racing – and the
recently-revealed Z06 informs and reflects
the C7.R in a way that’s truly symbiotic.
“We worked concurrently with the race
team developing the aerodynamic
packages for the Z06 and the C7.R,” says
Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter.
“We even used the same modeling
software to test both cars, enabling us to
share data and wind tunnel test results. As
a result, the aerodynamics of the
production Z06 produce the most
downforce of any production car GM has
ever tested, and we’re closing in on the
aero performance of a dedicated racecar.”
There are clear benefits to applying
lessons learned on the racecar to the road
car, and tangible advantages to designing
the two applications of similar machinery
in concert. While the production side gets
a lot of benefits from the racing team, the
road car guys are also innovating and
improving on their own.
“In the production car, the chassis is
99lbs lighter and 57 percent stiffer,
which is just incredible to me,” says
Fehan. “People work years to accomplish
that and we’ve been given it because the
production team looked at it and realized
that if it’s a benefit to racing, it’s also a
benefit to production.
“So now we have a stiffer chassis.
Does that mean we can lighten some
suspension components because we
don’t have to worry about the fact that
they may or may not be communicating
properly with the chassis? Do we have to
TADGE JUECHTER
“We worked concurrently
with the race team developing
the aerodynamic packages
for the Z06 and C7.R”
The C7.R is fitted with six-piston monoblock front-brake
calipers that work on 14.8in. steel rotors. At the rear,
six-piston calipers put the squeeze on 14in. steel rotors.
(TOP & BOTTOM RIGHT) Where the 2014 Corvette
Stingray takes many of its aero strategies from
the C6.R, the C7.R and Z06 take it to the
next level, sharing aggressive cooling
strategies for brakes, transmission
and differential.
