2016 Corvette Z06 Celebrates Motorsport Pride with C7.R Edition

When an auto company goes racing, they are always quick to draw correlations with the vehicle on the track influencing the product for the street. Sometimes it seems to be purely a reach of reasoning when an stock version of an automobile differs so greatly from the race version. NASCAR is arguably one example of this when a front-wheel drive Ford Fusion powered by four-cylinder or six-cylinder powerplants is represented by a rear-wheel drive, V-8-powered stock car. Audi often touts the technology residing in their prototype sports car as transitioning to the production cars but the R18 e-tron quattro racing in the FIA World Endurance Challenge incorporates far-out mechanics such as a hybrid electric turbocharger. Thankfully for those motorsport purists who want to see race cars resemble their showroom stock counterparts, the GT classes of sports car racing can be trusted in providing a faithful mix of street and track performance.

Since 1999, Corvette Racing has been a concerted effort to display America's longest-running sports car as a motorsport powerhouse. Through three generations of the Chevrolet Corvette, its reputation amongst the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin and Ferrari has flourished. For 2015, the latest Corvette C7.R race car has been off to a rolling start. Corvette Racing captured class honours at both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. This past week, Chevrolet announced plans to celebrate their race car with a limited edition street version called the C7.R Edition.

Consisting of a total of 500 cars, the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition strongly resembles its competitive sibling with its special graphic package. Offered as a coupe or convertible, the Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition will be available in an all-new Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat or Black colouring. Carbon fiber hood section and a Spectra Gray Metallic colour is also applied to the front of the vehicle for appearance effect. Black-painted wheels with yellow accent strip and the Corvette Racing logo are found at the center of Michelin PS Cup 2 tires.

The two-passenger interior of the C7.R Edition Chevrolet Corvette Z06 employs the use of Jet Black leather, carbon fiber and sueded microfiber surfaces. Competition Sport Seats and Corvette Racing sill plates are also included. Each one of the 500 C7.R Edition Corvette Z06 will bear a numbered interior plaque wearing the vehicle's identification. VIN 700001 will indicate the start of the limited edition sports car line (Obviously, this seems to indicate the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition could become the next Barrett-Jackson charity auction list). Another unique add-on for the C7.R Edition is an indoor car cover wearing C7.R graphics.

Aside from the special C7.R Edition treatment, the vehicle is the highly-equipped, high-powered 650-horsepower Corvette Z06. Propelled by a supercharged LT4 engine, the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7.R model features the go-fast technology of Performance Traction Management, electronic limited slip differential and the handling responsiveness of Magnetic Ride Control. The before-mentioned Michelin PS Cup 2 tires and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes are elements of the Z07 Performance Package.

This year will mark the 15th anniversary of Corvette Racing's first win. The maiden GTS class victory in September's Grand Prix of Texas as part of the 2000 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) has been the launching pad for the Chevrolet Corvette's notoriety as a sports car backed with a modern racing pedigree. As of the 2015 Grand Prix of Long Beach, Corvette Racing has captured a total of 88 class wins between ALMS and the Tudor United Sports Car Championship. Seven wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as an overall victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona cements the purpose of celebrating the Chevrolet Corvette's racing history with the 2016 C7.R Edition.

A Canadian Star Car: Red Green's Possum Van

Clip of Possum Van during a Red Green Show season 1 scene transition. It could be argued that the car someone regularly drives can be reflective of their personality. The level of character traits found in our automobiles can range from subtle to flamboyant as practicality, style, power, brand loyalty and other details are factors influencing our vehicle affection. On the big screen and silver screen, an automobile (frequently popularized as a Star Car) can be used to affirmatively to expand on a human character. Batman’s Batmobile, the Dodge Charger called the ‘General Lee’ in Dukes of Hazzard, the Volvo P1800 featured in the 1960s television version of The Saint, the Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond in some of the most famous spy movies are some popular examples where vehicles play a major role in reinforcing the appearance of fictional individuals. Due to the budgetary constraints of Canadian media productions, the presence of native Star Cars is rare. However, one success...

Honda’s Secret 30th Anniversary In Indy Car Racing

Photo Credit: Engine Developments Ltd. Too many times, forgetting an anniversary would end with someone spending time in the proverbial doghouse. This has apparently happened this year as the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season concluded with no major celebrations or recognition for what is 30 years since a major current partner of American open wheel racing began participation in the sport. The following article is a collection of the details I’ve learned as well as some insight from engine builder John Judd on what was a quiet 30th anniversary in the Verizon IndyCar Series. During the week where the 30th running of the Canadian street race now known as the Honda Indy Toronto, I was compelled to capture the flavour of the inaugural event. The viewing experience provided me some insight into a period of time where I was too young to absorb auto racing in the manner I do today. A race that featured television coverage with no regular onscreen statistics, the league used a local ...

The 1967 Indy 500: When An STP-Sponsored Turbine Almost Changed Racing

Photo Credit: Uncredited Photographer/IMS LLC Racing has always been the ultimate proving ground for automobiles. Not only has competition promoted innovations big and small, race cars have also influenced overall vehicle appearance. At the 1967 Indianapolis 500, the STP-Paxton TurboCar fielded by the late Andy Granatelli provided a shocking example of how much racing at the speedway evolved over 56 years. Ever since the first 500-mile event was held at the 2.5-mile rectangular oval Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911, the winning Marmon Wasp with a rearview mirror paved the way for what would be a grand showcase of automotive development. Accompanying “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” advancements in automobile technology showed greater sophistication with every passing decade in the quest for more speed. During the 1920s and 1930s, American race car designer Henry Miller offered groundbreaking engines to the Indianapolis 500. Miller also gave front-wheel drive technology it...

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