agapsdiver

Looks like IMSA GTLM racing is expecting a C8.R mid-engine in 2019 per "Racer Magazine"

Jeff V.

Sounds like "Racer Magazine" is expecting a mid engine C8R based on "rumors".

elegant

Thank’s Jeff V. for being the bearer of accurate news, e.g., that it is a rumor.

Consequently, the title of this thread is not factual at this time.

Shaka

You know there were 15 L88 Corvettes built in 66 and Penske got the first one and Guldstand drove it. Where did that information come from? Most major race car events require at least a year in advance for entries. You will need inside information to find out though. The 66 L88 Corvette information was only recently discovered.

Jeff V.

None of which has anything to do with the lack of accuracy in the thread title. The article snippet itself says "if the rumors are true" and then does absolutely nothing to back up those rumors. No sources, unnamed or otherwise. No sightings of components or part orders or engineering projects. No mention of comments or official filings within the IMSA organization. There is absolutely nothing here to suggest anyone in or near IMSA is "expecting" anything.

The magazine is generating traffic based on keywords and vague speculation. Nothing more.

For all we know they'll keep racing C7Rs until the C7 goes out of production in 2021. It'll give them time to develop the C8R or Zora.R or whatever the hell they end up calling it. I've got about as much to back that statement up as this magazine article does.

0HUBBELL RACING

There’s an excellent chance of C8R coming. Only question is the exact date and who will design & build it.

Pratt & Miller could be or Dallara or Coyote.

vetteman41960

Funny as I just asked in another thread with Elegant how he thought GM would handle the situation if in fact the C8 mid engine is to debut next year as the Corvette Racing entry.

It seem all the people in the know state the car won't be dubuted until the Detroit Auto show in January of 2019.

But if GM is planning on running the C8 mid engine the Roar a before the 24 is held 2 weeks prior to Detroit Auto show.

There is no way GM releases the C8 mid engine in 2019 as a 2020 and does not run it in IMSA GTLM in 2019.

The C7 is already a 5 year old platform and has to race against competition that is much newer.
Ford GT 2016
Ferrari 488 2016
Porsche 911 rear mid 2017
BMW M8 2018
Corvette CR7 2014

If the car goes on sale in 2019 you can bet GM will run it in 2019 as its GTLM entry.

As it is the Corvette is struggling to compete.

Yes they have won back to back championships based on the best GT team in the world with the best drivers in the world.

Seldom is the C7R in the mix for being the fastest car on the track. Corvette racing wins because of reliable cars and great team work and drivers.

I think the C7R has won 2 pole position in the last 2 years and very rarely does it have the fastest lap of the race.

Will GM wait another year trying to chase the competition with an old platform?

I personally hope they debut the car before the Raor of 2019 and then let the rest of the world try to compete with a advanced mid engine car run by the best GT team and drivers in the world.

GM will walk away with the championship if the C8 is reliable.

Go CORVETTE RACING !!!

Quinten33

dmaxx3500

new race cars,dont happen over-night,,it takes 6 months to 1 year to build a ground-up car,

Jeff V.

I like the simplistic thinking that leads one to believe that just putting the engine in the back of the road car will automatically translate into a winning race car.

vetteman41960

Jeffy
The fact the Rear mid engine car have a traction advantage over a front mid is very simplistic.

Everyone knows that the rear mid platform has tremendous advantages over front engine GT layout.

Maybe that's why the Road racing is dominated by rear mid engine and most super car manufacturer choose to compete with rear mid platform.

I guess that the following could all be wrong and Jeffy could be right
Audi
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Maclaren
Cadillac dpI
Porsche 911 rsr
Bugatti
Ford GT

Also the chief engineer for Corvette Tadge has stated a a number of occasions that the front mid engine platform is maxed out performance wise.

They can't get the power to the ground as it is with 750 hp. Corvette so adding more power won't help.

The only way to advance Corvette performance is going Rear mid engine.

vetteman41960

I would bet GM is developing the C8r at the same time as the road version of the rear mid engine C8 just like they did with the c7r

NewYuriCity

elegant

As per above and before, we have definitive information that the C7.R’s raced last week at the Roar are brand new cars. Also as per above, building race cars is very expensive and very time consuming. Pratt and Miller is a small shop (been there while they were building the original C7.R’s), and they are now fully involved in getting those two cars finally ready for the Daytona 24 hour race — and for subsequent ones this season.

They are not now building ME.R’s, though we will see them for the 2019 season (or as at least one friend believes, for 2020).

vetteman41960

1st deliveries of the C7 where OCTOBER 2013. I took museum deliver of VIN # 383 on October 13th 2013.
GM then ran the C7r at The roar before the 24 the 1st week of January of 2014.

So C7r was developed along side the road car


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vetteman41960

I guess I can hope that once the new C7R have been built and are ready for 2018 GTLM competition maybe them Pratt&Miller could start development of C8R.

As to cost of new cars I have a thought that GM may very well sell the C7R to the French team that runs Corvette in GTE am series.

Who know maybe GM will allow the French team to run the C7R in GTD in 2019 Imsa while the C8 runs GTLM

Might sound far fetched but it's possible . Plus does not hurt a guy to dream.

Now that Cadillac is no longer runner the CTV in the Pirelli racing series GM gave their blessing for Callaway to run in the series for 2018.

One can only hope. I can't get enough of Corvette Racing !

Jeff V.

Did I at any point debate any of that?

I know full well the benefits of a ME layout. What I said was, there's more to building a successful race car than just sticking the engine in the back.

ME road car does not automagically and instantly translate into competitive ME race car. There is a lot of development that has to happen.

Are we on the same page yet?

The debut of the C7 was 1/2013. The C7 was known to the public for a full year before we saw the race car.

Also, the C7 was not a radical departure from the C5 and C6. They'll almost be starting from several steps back with a ME car.

As I said before...there is a lot of development that has to happen. Anyone who thinks they'll see a racing version of this thing, let alone a competitive one at Daytona in 2019 is setting themselves up for disappointment.

sunsalem

IF the ME debuts as a Corvette in Jan. 2019, I find it highly improbable it would not debut during the IMSA 2019 season.
And I say this as someone who has followed Corvette Racing closely for the last 20 years.

OnPoint

I doubt we'll see the C8.R prior to the road car being released. Such would be inconsistent with prior practice.

Further, the current race car is being held back much more by BOP than the platform.

They are winning on pit stops, guts, reliability and having the best drivers, IN SPITE OF the BOP.

Can't wait for that crew to get a sorted ME platform. The BOP fascists may have to get even more creative/aggressive in their attempts to hamstring the Corvette race team.

Jeff V.

The C5R, C6R and C7R have all lagged the public debut of the road car by a year or more. But I'm sure the completely new mid engine car will buck the trend and be winning races while the press is still hung over from the road car debut event.

C5 debut. NAIAS, Jan 1997
Corvette Racing formed. 1998.
First C5R race. 24 hrs of Daytona Jan 1999
C6 debut. NAIAS, Jan 2004
First C6R race. 12 hrs of Sebring, Mar 2005
C7 debut. NAIAS, Jan 2013
First C7R race. 24 hrs of Daytona, Jan 2014