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| C7? Been There, Done That! | |
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|  | | July 17 2008 02:37:47 PM EST | |
| A new C7 Corvette? Shrug! Who remembers this earlier C7?
From 1993 – 96, Callaway Cars via its German subsidiary - Callaway Competition GmbH - produced its own C7 [on the Callaway site, click 'project history', click 'projects C7 - C12', click 'C7'].
Although primarily intended for racing, there was a ‘down the road’ plan to offer street cars.
Daytona and Le Mans were the racing targets and the Paul Deutschman design proceeded accordingly. What emerged was completely new and purpose-built - a full monocoque, rules-mandated flat bottom, carbon-fiber front mid-engined, rear transaxle design. ....and the most powerful, lightest weight sports GT in class.
A naturally-aspirated, electronically-controlled port fuel injected, 6.8L Callaway aluminum V8 delivered over 680HP in race trim, even when limited by the FIA air restrictors. All said, this C7 had top speed over its competitors - 205mph and did 0 – 60MPH in 2.8 seconds.
Callaway C7R raced only once. It led its class in the 1997 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, but DNF’ed finishing 54th completing only 331 laps [the winners ran 690] for drivers- Enrico Bertaggia, Boris Said, Johnny Unser, and…..Ron Fellows.
The project was abandoned shortly after when the FIA changed its GT1 regulations and precluded further FIA GT racing and the Le Mans plan. Only two Callaway C7R's were built - one in the public domain, the other in the private collection of Reeves Callaway, himself.
More photos here, here, here, and here.
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