Corvette Chassis Developed for the Road by Winning on the Track

The Chevrolet Corvette did not enter the world as a racecar. In fact, it started out as a two-seat convertible with a relatively poor straight-six engine and poor-fitting fiberglass body panels. Over its history and especially in the last two generations the Corvette has been honed on the track.  

“Candidly, Corvette was not a high-performance car until Zora Arkus-Duntov fitted it with a V-8, and began campaigning Corvettes in racing. Today, the Corvettes competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans use many of the same components as Corvettes rolling off the assembly line at Bowling Green [,Kentucky]," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette’s vehicle chief engineer.

The CorvetteChevrolet Corvette Gen.2United States of America, 1963 > 196710 versions
93 photos
came into its own as a sports car in its second generation. Duntov gave the car a chassis that was nearly twice as stiff and an independent rear suspension with transverse leaf springs. Duntov also pushed for disc brakes.

Chevrolet built five Corvette Grand SportsChevrolet Corvette Grand ...United States of America, 1963 > present2 photos
in 1962 based on the C2 Corvette to take on the Shelby CobraShelby CobraUnited States of America, 1961 > 19683 series
8 versions
37 photos
. GMGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
did not believe in factory racing at the time, but the five completed cars were quite successful competitively. 

In the C5Chevrolet Corvette Gen.5United States of America, 1997 > 20049 versions
17 photos
and C6Chevrolet Corvette Gen.6United States of America, 2004 > present56 versions
176 photos
1 video
Corvettes, ChevroletChevroletUnited States of America, 1911 > present82 models
3556 photos
7 videos
has really turned to the racetrack to develop the cars. The C5 got a transaxle transmission. The C5.RChevrolet Corvette C5-RUnited States of America, 2000 > present3 photos
raced for six years. It won its class in the 24 Hours of Daytona and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. In the 2004 season, it won its class in every race in the American Le Mans Series. 

The C6 Corvette used the knowledge gained from racing for its development. It got a completely new suspension compared to the C5. The C6 Z06Chevrolet Corvette Z06United States of America, 2011 > present3 photos
and ZR1Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ZR-1United States of America, 2009 > present3 photos
use an aluminum rear subframe instead of steel and a roof and engine cradle made from magnesium. It weighs half as much as what is used on the regular C6 Corvette. 

The C6.RChevrolet Corvette C6.RUnited States of America, 2011 > present3 photos
1 video
has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times since 2001. 

The new C7 Corvette will debut next year and will certainly apply what Chevrolet has learned from racing at Le Mans.