The all-new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will act as Pace Car for this year’s Indianapolis 500 at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month.
Leading the pack of open-wheel racers at Round Five of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series, the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Indianapolis 500 Pace Car will mark a record 12th time the Corvette model has fulfilled the pace-setting role, starting in 1978, and the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car for the event since 1948.
Featuring Chevrolet’s Z51 track package, which adds an electronic limited-slip differential, dry-sump oiling system, brake, differential and transmission cooling and unique aero treatments, the Corvette coupe is finished in Laguna Blue paint with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on its doors and event specific safety features and strobe lights.
Thanks to the standard Stingray’s 6.2-litre LT1 V8 direct injection engine, an estimated 335kW of power and 610Nm of torque drive the Corvette’s rear wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching.
The new ‘Vette also features a carbonfibre bonnet and removable roof panel, composite guards and doors, carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminium frame.
First seen at the 2013 Detroit auto show in January, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale in the US in the third quarter of this year, with the convertible version – unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show in March – to follow a few months later.
The 97th Indianapolis 500, dubbed “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, takes place at the historic ‘Brickyard’ on Sunday, May 26.
