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1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS news, pictures, and information | ||
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Led by the gifted Zora Arkus-Duntov, a team of engineers created this ultra-lightweight (1850 lbs) and powerful (307 horsepower) racing car using the Mercedes 300SL as their template. A featherweight magnesium body enveloped a tubular steel space frame that featured coil-over-shock front suspension, a de Dion rear axle and inboard-mounted aluminum drum brakes. A fuel-injected small-block V8 that could reach 307 horsepower at 6,400 RPM sat under the hood.
The 1957 Corvette SS was a 'concept car', created with the goal of competing in the 24 Hours of LeMans. Two chassis were built, 'the Mule' and the car to be raced. However, its first test would not be in the crucible of LeMans, but in its shorter American counterpart, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The Corvette SS raced for the first time at Sebring, where suspension problems and other mechanical defects forced its retirement after only 23 laps. General Motors was enthusiastic about the potential of the SS based on results from practice and lap speeds.
Juan Manuel Fangio, the winner at Sebring in 1957, was impressed enough with the car to test the SS under practice conditions. The results was astonishing: Fangio completed a full lap a full 3:27.4 seconds faster in a car he had never driven before than other drivers could in cars they were experienced driving.
Despite GM's enthusiasm, Corvette was scrapped months later, as the American auto making community would unite to ban the manufacture of factory-produced racecars. This wouldn't stop GM from rolling out the Corvette as a sports car for the layperson who loved combining the look and feel of a racing car with the comfort of an everyday vehicle. To this day, Corvette is renowned for producing some of the finest cars not only in the United States, but also throughout the world.
| CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 ENGINE POWERS TONY KANAAN TO CAREER-FIRST INDIANAPOLIS 500 VICTORY | |
 | INDIANAPOLIS (May 26, 2013) – Tony Kanaan, No. 11 Hydroxycut KV Racing Technology SH Racing Chevrolet, had been denied a trip to victory lane many times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), but as fate would have it this year, he was in the right place at the right time to capture his first Indianapolis 500 win. Kanaan, the 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, started 12th and led 34 laps, but the key move came when he took the lead on a lap 197 restart, and was stretching his advantage ...[Read more...] |
| Tanner Foust Favored For X Games Medal Rookies Victorious After First-Corner Crash Claims Veterans | |
 | FOZ DO IGUAÇU, Brazil (April 23, 2013) - Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust had a target on his back this weekend in Brazil, where the opening round of the Global Rallycross Championship took place on a challenging X Games course at Foz do Iguaçu. Fans lined up 10-deep before the race to get a glimpse of their favorite rallycross stars and the grandstands were packed for the Sunday race. 'The fans in Brazil are amazing,' said Foust. 'They were totally pumped to watch the rac...[Read more...] |
| Norra Names Mark Mcmillin Grand Marshal For 2013 General Tire Mexican 1000 | |
 | Legendary Baja racing champion and San Diego-based homebuilder Mark McMillin has been named by the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) as the honorary Grand Marshal for this year's upcoming General Tire NORRA Mexican 1000. The unique fourth annual on and off-road rally is set to kick off this Saturday, April 27th in Mexicali, Baja, Mexico and will conclude at lands-end in San Jose Del Cabo on May 1. Mark McMillin's Grand Marshal role places him in an elite group of previous icons ...[Read more...] |
| Corvette's Chassis Innovations Refined on the Race Track | |
 | Zora Arkus-Duntov's racing-bred development legacy continues to improve Corvette It's been said that racing improves the breed, and when it comes to the Chevrolet Corvette, nearly six decades of checkered flags are the proof. As Corvette marks its 60th anniversary in 2013, the design of the chassis, suspension and other drivetrain features are rooted in the rigors of competition. 'Candidly, Corvette was not a high-performance car until Zora Arkus-Duntov fitted it with a V-8, and be...[Read more...] |
| Corvette Featured Marque at 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion | |
 | Chevrolet Corvette will be the featured marque next August at the 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where historic race cars annually come to the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track to relive the sights, sounds and smells of racing days gone by. Corvette's recognition in Monterey, Calif., will come during its 60th anniversary model year, and a large contingent of Corvette racers is expected representing each of the car's six generations in competition. Corvette also was the featured marqu...[Read more...] |
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