The Corvette C7.R has been around for a few years now, and it’s about to take a trip to Shanghai where it will compete in the FIA WEC wearing a special redline livery. It’s also the first time a factory-run Corvette has participated in a race in the Asian region.

More about the Chevy Corvette C7.R

The C7.R is based on the C7 Corvette and was built from a base model. It was initially debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2014 and was built in combination between Pratt & Miller, an engineering and fabrication company (also known as Corvette Racing,) and Chevy as a purpose-built car for endurance racing. It can run on C85, E85 or E10 racing fuel and delivers just 491 horsepower from a 5.5-liter V-8 – the same one found in the old C6.R. The engine was carried over with some added enhancements like direct fuel injection for better fuel economy, and it has a rear-mounted transmission, a six-speed semi-automatic transmission at that. All told, it weighs 2,447 pounds (less than a Honda Civic) or 2,745 pounds when filled with that delicious go juice and a human driver.

For now, there’s nothing more to go by on this special, China-prepped car, but it will take on the 16-turn, 5.45-km track on November 16-18. That track, known as Shanghai International Circuit, has been around since 2004 and is a big stop for major championship races. Chevy is going there to push the Corvette brand (and its Redline special editions as you can tell by the livery) in the Asian market while also putting itself up against “the top manufacturers and teams in the FIA WEC.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Read our full review of the 2014 - 2017 Corvette Stingray

Read more Chevrolet news.