Corvette Stingray (concept car): Difference between revisions

Corvette Stingray Racer
Corvette Stingray Racer
Overview
Manufacturer	Chevrolet (General Motors)
Also called	XP-87
Designer	Pete Brock; Bill Mitchell; Larry Shinoda
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door Roadster
Layout	F/R
Powertrain
Engine	283 cu in (4.6 L) V8
Transmission	4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,337 mm (92 in)
Chronology
Predecessor	Chevrolet Corvette SS

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Revision as of 00:20, 15 September 2019

The Corvette Stingray Racer is a privately funded concept car that formed a basis for the second generation (C2) Corvette Stingray. The Stingray Racer was designed by Pete Brock, the youngest designer to work at GM at that time, Bill Mitchell, GM Vice President of styling, and Larry Shinoda in 1959. The Stingray still exists today with a 327-cubic-inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 producing 375 hp (280 kW).

History

Corvette SS predecessor

The 1957 Corvette SS racing sports car was created by a team of engineers headed by Zora Arkus-Duntov as part of an official Chevrolet race effort meant to culminate with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Soon after its race debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where it retired after 23 laps, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) banned manufacturer-sponsored racing, and the SS was relegated to test track duty. Mitchell bought the Corvette SS development mule and used its chassis as the basis for the new car.

Design and development

The Stingray used elements of the still-born Q-Corvette design study as well as the SS underpinnings, featuring a 92-inch (2,337 mm) wheelbase. The new car was exceptionally light, with a dry weight of 2,200 lb (998 kg), nearly 1,000 lb (450 kg) lighter than a 1960 production car. Its fuel-injected small-block 283-cubic-inch (4.6 L) V-8 engine produced 315 horsepower (235 kW) at 6,200 rpm. The Stingray body design strongly influenced the styling of the next generation Corvette, which saw production as a 1963 model. It also was a test bed for many technical developments, including the four-speed manual transmission, extensive use of aluminum and a De Dion rear suspension.

Motorsports

Billed as a car "built to test handling ease and performance," Mitchell arranged to have the car raced extensively. In the hands of Dr. Dick Thompson, it made its debut at Maryland's Marlboro Motor Raceway on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an SCCA National Championship in 1960.

Retirement

The Stingray was then retired from racing and modified by Mitchell with, among other things, a passenger seat added. The modified vehicle was exhibited as an experimental show car even while Mitchell regularly drove it personally on weekends. After its career as a concept car was finished, it was retained by the GM Design Studio as a historically significant vehicle.

Specifications

1959 Stingray Racer:	Detail
Engine:	Chevrolet small-block V8
Valvetrain:	Single cam-in-block, pushrods, rocker arms, 2 valves per cylinder
Displacement:	283 cu in (4,640 cc)
Bore × Stroke:	3.875 in × 3.000 in (98 mm × 76 mm)
Induction:	Naturally aspirated, Rochester constant-flow mechanical fuel-injection
Maximum power:	315 hp (234.9 kW) at 6200 rpm
Maximum torque:	295 ft⋅lb (400.0 N⋅m) at 4700 rpm
Compression ratio:	11.0:1
Cooling:	Water-cooled
Transmission:	4-speed manual
Differential:	Halibrand quick-change
Steering:	Saginaw recirculating ball — 2.5 turns lock-to-lock
Brakes f/r:	Drum/drum
Suspension front:	Short-long arms (SLA) with coil springs over tubular Delco shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Suspension rear:	De Dion tube, four trailing arms, coil springs over tubular Delco shock absorbers
Body/Chassis:	Fiberglass body on a tubular steel space frame chassis
Layout:	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
Track f/r:	51.5 / 51.5 in (1,308 / 1,308 mm)
Wheelbase:	92 in (2,337 mm)
Wheels:	Halibrand cast magnesium, 5.00-15 with knock-off hubs
Tires f/r:	Firestone Super Sports 6.50-15/7.60-15
Length Width Height:	——— ——— ———
Weight:	2,204 lb (999.7 kg)
Power-to-weight ratio:	7.0 lb/hp (4.3 kg/kW)
Power-to-volume ratio:	1.113 hp/cu in (50.6 kW/L)
Maximum speed:

2009 Stingray Concept

The 50th Anniversary Stingray show car debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2009. Also referred to as the Corvette Centennial, a version of the model was first shown at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and stars as Sideswipe in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

The Corvette Stingray Concept was developed as an internal design challenge to combine classic Corvette cues with surprisingly high-tech features, modern materials, and a striking new appearance. The car is well-appointed with a clamshell hood, scissor-style doors, ergonomic seats, rear-view camera with night vision enhancement, and a high performance hybrid drive. Interactive touch controls allow the driver to customize the power and efficiency of his or her ride and share it with friends via the in-car camera system and advanced telemetrics.^[1]

In popular culture

The two-seater version appeared as the private car of Elvis Presley's oil tycoon character in the 1967 film Clambake.

The car was featured in Season 6 of Mad Men.

References

^ "50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept". media.gm.com. 30 October 2009.

External links

[pr-50th-1] "50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept". media.gm.com. 30 October 2009.

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@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ===Motorsports===
-<!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: [[File:Bill Mitchell (automobile designer).JPEG.jpg|thumb|GM VP [[Bill Mitchell (automobile designer)|Bill Mitchell]] with the Stingray concept car he co-designed]] -->
 Billed as a car "built to test handling ease and performance," Mitchell arranged to have the car raced extensively. In the hands of [[Dick Thompson (racing driver)|Dr. Dick Thompson]], it made its debut at [[Maryland]]'s [[Marlboro Motor Raceway]] on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an [[SCCA]] National Championship in 1960.