New era begins at Daytona with IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
The Chevrolet
Camaro Z/28 returns to its racing roots this week when the all-new
Camaro Z/28.R race car debuts in a 2.5-hour endurance race ahead of the
52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona. It will be one of the most production-based
competitors on the track, sharing aero, engine and even axle components
with the new 2014 Camaro Z/28.
Stevenson Motorsports and CKS
Autosport will campaign Z/28.R race cars in the GS class of the IMSA
Continental Tires SportsCar Challenge. The Daytona race begins at 1:45
p.m. EST, on Friday, Jan. 24, kicking off the 12-race 2014 season.
“The
original Camaro Z/28 was designed for racing and became an iconic
performance car through its hard-fought victories,” said Mark Kent,
director of racing for Chevrolet. “A new chapter in racing begins this
week, as the new Camaro Z/28 makes its competition debut in one of the
most hotly contested series in motorsports.”
This week
Chevrolet introduced the most track-capable Corvette in the brand’s
history – the 2015 Corvette Z06. It stretches the performance envelope
for Corvette with unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, at
least 625 horsepower from an all-new supercharged engine, and an
all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission – all
building on the advanced driver technologies introduced on the Corvette
Stingray.
“The new Z06 delivers levels of performance,
technology and design that rival the most exotic supercars in the
world,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors North America. “And
the Z06 leverages the engineering expertise of GM, offering the choice
of two world-class transmissions, supercar performance without supercar
fuel consumption and technologies that make it easier to fully enjoy the
incredible experience of driving it.”
The 2015 model is the
first Corvette Z06 to offer a supercharged engine, an automatic
transmission and, thanks to a stronger aluminum frame, a removable roof
panel. The new, supercharged 6.2L engine is expected to deliver at least
625 horsepower (466 kW), and can be matched with either a seven-speed
manual or an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic
transmission with paddle shifters for manual control. The aluminum frame
carries over from the Corvette Stingray and will be used essentially
unchanged for the Corvette Racing C7.R.
A track-focused Z07
Performance Package adds unique components for true aerodynamic
downforce, Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup tires for enhanced grip, and
Brembo carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors that improve braking
performance and contribute to greater handling through reduced unsprung
weight. Although development testing is ongoing, the Z07 package has
already recorded some of the fastest lap times ever for a Corvette,
surpassing even the ZR1.
“The Corvette Z06 is a great example of
the technology transfer between racing and production Corvettes,” said
Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “First, we took what we learned
on the Corvette Racing C6.R and applied that to the all-new Corvette
Stingray. Then, using the Stingray as a foundation, the Z06 and C7.R
were developed to push the envelope of performance on the street and the
track.”
1. The Blues Brothers (1980)
2. To Live and Die in LA (1985)
3. The French Connection (1971)
4. Bullitt (1968)
5. Ronin (1998)
