By the beginning of 2004, the design work for the C6 was complete, and the Corvette team was busy getting the new Vette ready for production. At around the same time—several months before the C6 street car’s debut—C5-R builders Pratt & Miller were brought in to begin development work on the first C6.R.

While all this was going on, Corvette Racing was having its best year ever. From 1999 through the end of the 2003 season, the team won its class in 25 of 44 races entered. Class wins at Le Mans came in 2001 and 2002, followed by a Second Place showing in 2003. In 2004, the team won each of the 10 races it entered and scooped up its third Le Mans victory. To say there was pressure involved in the development of the C6.R would be a serious understatement.

One of the things that makes GT-class racing so popular is the fact that the race cars are closely related to production sports cars. Pratt & Miller initially built two C6.R racers based on the upcoming C6 Corvette. With the wheelbase being 1 inch shorter, and the body itself being 5 inches shorter, this wasn’t going to be a mere re-skin of the C5-R.

Since many of the C6’s chassis details had been worked out using lessons learned from the C5-R program, the new C6.R was already ahead of its predecessor. The car used the same hydro-formed frame rails, slick shape, and flush headlights as the ‘05 production Vette. And with the addition of a large rear wing and a deep front spoiler, the C6.R had a superior lift-to-drag ratio.

The car’s all-aluminum LS7.R powerplant was such a gem that at the end of the 2005 racing season, it was honored with the Global Motorsports Engine of the Year Award. The fuel-injected, 427ci small-block was equipped with a dry-sump oil system, CNC-ported cylinder heads, titanium valves and connecting rods, a forged steel crankshaft, and plate-honed cylinder bores.

The C6.R used the same driver’s air-conditioning system that the C5-R cars had employed since 2000. The unit pumped cool air into the driver’s suit and helmet to combat heat exhaustion. Other noteworthy features included a small, flat-screen monitor connected to a rear-mounted video camera; sensors and electrical plug-in receivers to remotely monitor engine functions; and a light-activated sensor to measure side-slip while racing.

Coming off a best-ever year in ‘04, the pressure was really on the Corvette Racing team to perform. The 12 Hours at Sebring was the only race of the ’05 season in which a C6.R didn’t win First in class. The cars took Second and Third—a commendable accomplishment for a debut outing. Were it not for two minor tire problems, the team would have taken Sebring as well.

But Le Mans is always the big prize, and here, the C6.Rs did not disappoint. The Aston-Martin DBR9s qualified Nos. 1 and 2 in class, with the Vettes qualifying Nos. 3 and 5. Corvette Racing’s strategy was simple: run consistent, 3:55 laps and avoid breaking anything.

The race started at 4 p.m., and soon the Astons and C6.Rs were swapping the GT1 lead. In the second hour, C6.R No. 64 experienced two left-rear tire failures, but it remained within striking distance of the Astons. At hour 17, the top three cars were within 4.5 seconds of each other, and the heat was climbing into the 90s. Hour 19 sealed the deal for the C6.Rs when the No. 59 Aston pitted for heavy repairs. The Corvettes were now in first and second place in GT1. At hour 23, the No. 58 Aston ran out of gas and retired.

In the end, Jan Magnussen took the checkered flag in the No. 64 C6.R, giving the team its third Le Mans class win in four years and a Fifth Place overall. Johnny O’Connell brought the No. 63 car home in Sixth overall and Second in class. The Third Place Aston was 16 laps and 136 miles behind the winning C6.R.

We should also mention the brilliant work of the Corvette Racing pit crew. In 2005, the team only experienced two crashes, one at Sebring and the other at Lime Rock. In both instances, the cars were driven back to the pits, repaired, and re-entered in the race. The C6.R went on to win its class in 10 out of 11 races in 2005. When the Z06 was released in ‘06, the family connection to the C6.R was obvious, and the buyers were the winners.

Here's the Story...
Illustrated Corvette Series No. 122 - 2005 Corvette Roadster
"Top Down WOW!"

For many auto enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like a convertible. The Corvette was born as a roadster in ’53, and except for a nine-year stretch from ’76 through ‘85, there has always been a topless Vette available. Sure, the C2 coupe’s styling is timeless, and the removable-roof-panel coupes from ’68 on are terrific. But there’s nothing like having the sun on your face and the wind in your hair while driving a Corvette. The new C6 took that roadster experience to a new level.

When Dave Hill took over as Chief Engineer for the Corvette in ‘92, many wondered what the former Cadillac engineer could possibly contribute to the evolution of Chevy’s sports car. As it turns out, Hill brought to the car something no one anticipated: flagship quality. Beating up on Corvette quality had almost become a sport in the automotive press. Thanks in part to Hill, the C5 all but put an end to that. But while the basic C5 design was incredibly good, engineers quickly identified numerous areas for further improvement. Enter the C6.

Thanks to the extraordinary power potential of the LS-series engine family, hitting the 400hp mark wasn’t much of a stretch. But unlike the olden days of the solid-lifter big-blocks that could be tricky to live with, the new LS2 engine delivered a tractable, easy-to-use 400-horses and 400 lb-ft of torque. Suspension and brakes were dialed in to a level unimaginable a few decades before. All that was left was to develop a platform that performed as if cut from a single piece of billet aluminum. The C6 chassis platform took everything learned from the C5 and the C5-R race car and delivered an out-of-the-box, world-class sports car for $52,245. That’s $140 less than an ‘04 Vette!

Usually, it takes a year for buyers to warm up to a new-generation Vette, but this was not the case for the ’05 model. Buyers put their money down on 3,308 more Corvettes in ‘05 than in ’04. An ‘05 convertible stickered for $52,245 (around $65,000 loaded), and 10,644 enthusiasts said, “I’ll