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2009 Corvette GT1
Edition
Pricing for the GT1 Championship Edition starts at $65,310 for the 4LT
Coupe, $71,815 for the 4LT Convertible and $86,385 for the 3LZ Corvette
Z06. Click here for more information:
Season-Opening Sebring Race Marks Corvette Racing's 10th Anniversary GT1
Championship Edition Corvettes Commemorate Corvette Racing's Decade of
Success
SEBRING, Fla. – The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the season-opening
race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series to be held on March 21, will
mark the start of Corvette Racing's 10th anniversary in international
road racing. The team made its competition debut in February 1999 at
Daytona, and competed in its first Sebring 12-hour race the following
month, finishing fourth in the GTS class. Since that modest beginning,
Corvette Racing has become one of the world's premier production sports
car teams, winning eight consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team
championships, seven straight drivers' titles, and five class victories
in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Chevrolet is commemorating Corvette Racing's decade of success with the
introduction of the GT1 Championship Edition Corvette. These limited
edition vehicles (designated Regular Production Option GT1) will be
available in coupe, convertible, and Z06 models in yellow or black
livery. With graphics packages inspired by the championship-winning
Corvette C6.R, the GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes will make their
public debut at Sebring International Raceway. Production is scheduled
for spring.
"There have always been strong ties between production and racing
Corvettes," said GM Racing manager Mark Kent. "Technology developed by
Corvette Racing is applied to improve the efficiency, performance,
handling, aerodynamics and safety of production vehicles. Now with the
introduction of the GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes, the link between
the race and street versions is apparent at a glance. Corvette
enthusiasts will be able to purchase cars that celebrate the remarkable
history of Corvette Racing. The GT1 Championship Edition program is
another example of how racing helps Chevy sell cars and trucks and
provides a solid return on investment."
The ALMS season-opener also will mark the final appearance of the
Corvette C6.Rs in the GT1 class in the Sebring 12-hour endurance
classic. The twin Corvette C6.R race cars (chassis Nos. 5 and 6) are
beginning their third season, and are scheduled to be retired in
preparation for new global GT class rules that will take effect in 2010.
These two cars have accounted for 23 of the team's 74 wins.
Corvette Racing has scored six class victories in Sebring, and Johnny
O'Connell, driver of the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, notched his
record-setting seventh Sebring win in last year's event. O'Connell and
Jan Magnussen, the reigning GT1 champions, will be joined by Antonio
Garcia at Sebring, while three-time GT1 champions Oliver Gavin and
Olivier Beretta will be teamed with Marcel Fassler in the No. 4
Compuware Corvette C6.R. The addition of Garcia and Fassler for
long-distance races will bring the total number of Corvette Racing
drivers to 19 since the team's inception.
Corvette Racing will be powered by cellulosic E85R ethanol fuel at
Sebring for the first time. The team adopted the renewable fuel made
from wood waste after last year's Sebring race, and used E85R throughout
the remainder of the 2008 ALMS season. Cellulosic ethanol was one of the
key ingredients in the team's overall victory in the inaugural ALMS
Green Challenge in the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans held at Road Atlanta in
October 2008. The winning No. 3 Corvette C6.R achieved the best overall
score based on performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact
under criteria developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the U.S. Department of Energy, and SAE International. Corvette Racing's
use of an alternative fuel on the race track reflects GM's commitment to
producing fuel-efficient vehicles for customers – there are 3.5 million
E85-capable GM FlexFuel vehicles on the road today.
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We got word last month of GM planning a second special edition Corvette
for 2009 that would commemorate Corvette Racing's successful 10 year run
in the American Le Mans series. Now official, the 2009 Corvette GT1
Championship Edition celebrates over 70 victories in the ALMS, eight GT1
Manufacturer Championships and five GT1 class victories at the 24 Hours
of Le Mans.
The GT1 Championship Edition is available in the Coupe, Convertible or
Z06 models in either 45U Velocity Yellow or 41U Black. The series will
have its own specific VIN sequences: 300001 for the Velocity Yellows
which represent the #3 Corvette C6.R and 40001 for Black which
represents the #4 C6.R. Only 600 will be produced this spring and those
are limited to 200 for each body style and 100 in each color.
The GT1 Championship Edition features C6.R livery inspired graphics
which feature the mascot "Jake" ghost-painted on the hood bulge, years
of the championships and drivers flags. Also making the Corvettes unique
are the ZR1 full width body color spoiler and chrome wheels. The coupes
and convertibles include the Z51 Performance Package, NPP Performance
exhaust and MX0 6-Speed Paddle Shift Automatics. The GT1 Corvette coupe
also comes with the optional C2L Dual Roof package. All three GT1 models
get the optional U3U Navigation Systems as well.
Inside the GT1 Corvettes you'll find a custom leather wrapped ebony
interior with exclusive yellow accent stitching, GT1 embroidery on the
leather seats, instrument panel and center console armrest. Under the
hood is a special engine cover with a carbon pattern and yellow Corvette
lettering. A windshield banner is also included and is installed by the
owner. |
