[SPIED] The Mid-Engine Corvette C8.R Spotted Track Testing at Road America

Following Sunday’s double-podium finish by Corvette Racing at Road America on Sunday, we caught word that the team was going to be sticking around for a few days for conducting additional tire tests at the historic Wisconsin track.

Today we learned that those “tire tests” may be related to the development of the team’s next generation mid-engine racecar that’s expected to be called the C8.R.

SportsCar365.com optained several photos of the wide-body mid-engine Corvette that is equipped with a large rear wing and rear diffuser:

This is the first time that a Mid-Engine Corvette has been spotted wearing only vinyl camouflage as the street versions are still wearing the black cloaks.

Some of the interesting features appear to be a set of vents that run down from the B-Pillars on each side and a possible air intake located squarely in the middle of the rear deck. Unfortunately, we only can see the rear of the car so not much can be said about the front or sides.

The racing versions of Corvettes are built by Pratt and Miller. As the LT1 engine is expected to power the first street versions of the Mid-Engine C8 Corvette, we would think the team would continue to use the tried and tested 5.5 liter V8 that currently powers the C7.Rs.

Corvette Racing’s program manager Doug Fehan alluded to the building of the new Corvette racecar at the Bash earlier this year, but has also made statements saying the C7.Rs may be around a bit longer due to the homologation rules for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It’s been our contention that the development of the C8.R race car would force GM to reveal the C8 Mid-Engine Corvettes earlier than the Detroit Auto Show in January 2019 so as to be able to race the car for the entire 2019 IMSA WeatherTech schedule. If that’s the case, look for a mid-engine reveal sometime this fall!

Source:
sportscar365.com

Related:
Larbre Competition Mentions C8 Corvette Racecar Development During ACO Press Conference
Corvette Racing: C7.Rs May Be With Us For A Little While Longer
[SPIED] Rocky Mountain High: C8 Mid-Engine Corvettes Spotted in Colorado!