PRESS RELEASE

Chevrolet to auction first retail Corvette Z06 Carbon at Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach

DETROIT – The first of 500 retail 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition coupes will go to the highest bidder at Barrett-Jackson in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 3.

The winning bidder will also be given the unique opportunity to tour GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich., home of the hand-built LS7 and LS9 engines found in the Z06 and ZR1 respectively. The winner will also have the opportunity to watch the car going down the line at the famed Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Ky.

“The Corvette Z06 Carbon will surely be an instant collectible,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President, Chevrolet Marketing. “For that reason, we see Barrett-Jackson as the premiere venue to sell the first retail Z06 Carbon.”

The Corvette Z06 Carbon was designed as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first race in the 24 Hours of LeMans. As such, it continues the technology transfer between the production Corvette and racing.

At first, there were only two pictures of the new limited edition Corvette Z06 Carbon that Chevrolet plans to offer this fall. But after that, in the run-up to this weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring, the muscle car Z06 Carbon was shown in public. And now we have more photos to show you after the jump.

Look at this perfect muscle car – the Z06 Carbon was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the Corvette at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the time when Briggs Cunningham and John Fitch won their class. The Carbon edition is actually a Vette Z06 with a ZR1 chassis with carbon skin. Only 500 examples will be made in only two colors – Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue. But check out the official press release for more information:

2011 CORVETTE Z06 CARBON LIMITED EDITION
Taking track-to-street technology to a new level

DETROIT — When the 2006 Corvette Z06 was introduced, it represented the closest connection to the Corvette race cars ever. The 2009 Corvette ZR1 closed the gap between racing and production even further. This year, Corvette continues its tradition of track-to-street technology transfer with the 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition.

“Designed to further incorporate technology developed through racing, the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first race in the 24 Hours of LeMans,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet General Manager. “With a limited production of 500 units, this car is a must-have for the true Corvette collector and driving enthusiast.”

After we presented you an interview with Doug Fehan, and the upcoming challenge for the Corvette C6R at The 24 Hours of Le Mans, we wanted to present you live image of this beautiful racing muscle car – The Chevrolet Corvette C6R GT2.

The shot above was snapped at the garages of Pratt & Miller, the racing outfit contracted by GM to develop and run the racing Corvettes. As we can see, the color scheme is the same black and yellow, but the 2010 C6R has sharper paint job.

The bodywork is built based on an aluminum frame – for instance – the GT1′s frame is made of steel. The brakes are made of steel, too. The power unit of the muscle car is a downsized 5.5-liter V8.

We all hope that the Corvette Racing team is going to beat the competition, dominated by Ferraris and Porsches.