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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Soup it up
Corvette C6RS gets custom touch
Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit Auto News
Why should Jay Leno have all the fun?
The host of the "Tonight Show" has added another special vehicle, a Chevrolet Corvette C6RS, to his collection of cars and motorcycles, which are housed in a couple of good-size airplane hangars. The Chevrolet Corvette C6RS, by the way, was a star of the General Motors display at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association's trade show.
In case you missed it, the C6RS is basically a street-legal Corvette race car that burns E85 ethanol in its custom-built, 8.2-liter (that 500 cubic inches for the old-school crowd) V-8 engine.
As it turns out, this time Leno won't be the only one enjoying such a car because two major Detroit area motorsports suppliers plan to build 20 to 25 such cars over two years.
The C6RS was built in New Hudson by Pratt & Miller Engineering, the same shop that builds the Le Mans GT-class-winning Corvette C6.R racers for GM. And just like the engines that propel those 'Vette racers, the engine in Leno's and the other C6RSs come from Katech Performance in Clinton Township.
To get one of the C6RSs, you'll need a C6 Corvette donor car -- either in standard or Z06 guise -- plus around $185,000 for modifications that include:
• A 600-horsepower engine packed with racing-bred technology
• A blueprinted T-56 six-speed gearbox Arvin Meritor Dynamic Ride Control suspension
• Special cooling hardware
• K&N air intake
• Brembo brakes
• Black chrome BBS wheels
• High-performance Michelin tires
• Corsa exhaust
• A wider yet aerodynamic carbon fiber body But while this may be a racer on the outside, it's a luxury ride inside, with two-tone leather seating in a Dynamat-insulated interior so you can hear not just that big engine but also the upgraded audio system.
"We're taking our racing partnership to the street for a select group of people," Pratt & Miller spokesman Chris Ladouceur says, noting that the car will offer drivability for the daily commute and for track day activities.
For information, visit www.prattmillerc6rs.com or call (248) 446-9800.
Larry Edsall is a Phoenix-based freelance writer. You can reach him at ledsall@cox.net.
Soup it up
Corvette C6RS gets custom touch
Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit Auto News
Why should Jay Leno have all the fun?
The host of the "Tonight Show" has added another special vehicle, a Chevrolet Corvette C6RS, to his collection of cars and motorcycles, which are housed in a couple of good-size airplane hangars. The Chevrolet Corvette C6RS, by the way, was a star of the General Motors display at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association's trade show.
In case you missed it, the C6RS is basically a street-legal Corvette race car that burns E85 ethanol in its custom-built, 8.2-liter (that 500 cubic inches for the old-school crowd) V-8 engine.
As it turns out, this time Leno won't be the only one enjoying such a car because two major Detroit area motorsports suppliers plan to build 20 to 25 such cars over two years.
The C6RS was built in New Hudson by Pratt & Miller Engineering, the same shop that builds the Le Mans GT-class-winning Corvette C6.R racers for GM. And just like the engines that propel those 'Vette racers, the engine in Leno's and the other C6RSs come from Katech Performance in Clinton Township.
To get one of the C6RSs, you'll need a C6 Corvette donor car -- either in standard or Z06 guise -- plus around $185,000 for modifications that include:
• A 600-horsepower engine packed with racing-bred technology
• A blueprinted T-56 six-speed gearbox Arvin Meritor Dynamic Ride Control suspension
• Special cooling hardware
• K&N air intake
• Brembo brakes
• Black chrome BBS wheels
• High-performance Michelin tires
• Corsa exhaust
• A wider yet aerodynamic carbon fiber body But while this may be a racer on the outside, it's a luxury ride inside, with two-tone leather seating in a Dynamat-insulated interior so you can hear not just that big engine but also the upgraded audio system.
"We're taking our racing partnership to the street for a select group of people," Pratt & Miller spokesman Chris Ladouceur says, noting that the car will offer drivability for the daily commute and for track day activities.
For information, visit www.prattmillerc6rs.com or call (248) 446-9800.
Larry Edsall is a Phoenix-based freelance writer. You can reach him at ledsall@cox.net.
