Corvette C6 R, the Kentucky arrives in the Sarthe!

When the Americans at Corvette Racing decide to take a step into endurance racing, they don't do things by halves. Today the Corvette C6-R, an endurance monster.

After a great success in endurance with the C5-R, the American company decided to renew its experience at Le Mans with the 6th generation of its flagship model, the Corvette C6.

But unlike its competitors, the brand decided to develop the racing version in conjunction with the road version, and all the elements designed for the C6 had to be adaptable to the track version.

The choice is made for the Z06 version, the most muscular model in the range at the time.

The engine remains the same, V8 of 7 liters developed by Katech developing 590 horsepower, the aerodynamism is also reworked with a vent opened in large on the hood in order to better cool the brakes, the engine but also to plaster the car on the ground, while at the back the gigantic spoiler it tackles the car to the track at high speed.

Moreover a particularity returns on the C6-R, it is the absence of rear window, a camera is then fixed to the bumper and a screen is installed in the cockpit.

This is the premise of a system that today all manufacturers use in competition.

In 2005 the monster is unleashed at Sebring and its debut is rather convincing, no defeat in the American Le Mans series.

But things are going to be quite different when arriving in the Sarthe the Corvettes see themselves confronted with the powerful Aston-Martin DBR9 GT1, and things do not happen as expected, at the end of the 24 hours of racing the English are the ones who win.

But it is only a postponement, because in this GT1 category, the Corvette is going to be crowned of success, it gains nearly 39 victories in American Le Mans Series and in France the American wins consecutively two years in 2005 and 2006 then a last time in 2009.

2009, the year that marks the end of the C6-R GT1, the regulations decide the end of this category, the competitors discover the GT2 category.

But this time, the rules require the participants to use common components between road and race cars, no problem for Corvette which had already used this system on its GT1 version.

This time the choice is made for the ZR1 version, this road model will be built with parts that will fit on the C6-R GT2.

The chassis is then shared, as the steering column, the aesthetics, the aerodynamics but also and especially the engine.

The 6-liter V8 derived from the LS7 R (engine of the GT1 version) is reduced to 5.5 liters for a power of 470 horses, the regulation imposing that.

The C6-R GT2 became the reference in endurance racing and between 2009 and 2013 it won 12 races in the American Le Mans series and shone at Le Mans in 2011.

The C6 Corvette, in addition to being a legend of modern motoring, is also a reference in the world of endurance racing.

And this thanks to these monstrous C6-R but also the C7 and C8-R which at Le Mans remain the cars with one of the most beautiful engine sounds, each departure after a refuelling waking up the whole paddock.

The model presented in this article belongs to the Kennol Performance Oil company, making this car evolve on many circuits, allowing to keep a trace of this magnificent car.

Arthur Legrand