Consulting the engineers on what makes the Corvette C7.R such a good race car

Elle Cayabyab Gitlin

The latest generation Chevrolet Corvette is a wonderfully good sports car, thanks in large part to the long-running Corvette Racing program. The team—a partnership between Chevrolet and engineering firm Pratt and Miller—debuted at the 1999 Rolex 24 at Daytona, campaigning a pair of C5-R race cars. The wins started the following year, and haven't stopped; 102 to date, including eight class wins at Le Mans.

But the internet lately been abuzz with increasingly fever-pitched rumors and spy shots of a mid-engined Corvette. While we think it's increasingly likely that an 8th generation 'Vette will indeed have its engine behind the driver, the old-fashioned front-(mid)engined, rear-wheel drive layout of the C7.R hasn't done too badly the last few years. Competition has gotten particularly fierce in the Corvette's class; 2016 saw the arrival of the Ferrari's 488 GTE and the Ford GT, an all-carbon fiber affair purpose-designed for winning on track.

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