Corvette Stingray (Concept car)
Encyclopedia
The Corvette Stingray was a privately funded concept car
that formed a basis for the second (C2)
generation Corvette Sting Ray. The Stingray racer-concept car 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 1957. The basis of the Stingray was the 1957 Corvette SS, an engineering test mule chassis for the creation of an official Chevrolet race effort culminating with the 24 Hours of LeMans. Soon after its race debut, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) banned manufacturer-sponsored racing, and the SS had been relegated to test track duty. The Stingray exists today with a 327-cubic-inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 of 375 hp.
. The new car was exceptionally light, with a dry weight of 2,200 pounds, nearly 1000 lb (453.6 kg) lighter than a 1960 production car. Its fuel-injected small-block 283-cubic-inch (4.6 L) V-8 engine produced 315 hp 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.
's Marlboro Raceway on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an SCCA National Championship in 1960.
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.
February 2009. Design and technology came together to celebrate Corvette's past, present and future.
DETROIT – Chevrolet delivers a futuristic vision of technology and design with the 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept. A version of the model was first shown at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and stars as "Sideswipe" in Transformers
: Revenge of the Fallen. The Corvette Stingray Concept represents both the icon
ic legacy and an exciting future for Corvette.
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.It has been rumored to be the basis of the C7 corvette.
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
that formed a basis for the second (C2)
Chevrolet Corvette C2
The Chevrolet Corvette , also known as the Corvette Sting Ray, is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1963 through 1967 model years.-Origin and development:...
generation Corvette Sting Ray. The Stingray racer-concept car was designed by Pete Brock
Pete Brock
Peter Brock is a former racing car designer from the United States. In the early 1960s he worked with Carroll Shelby at Shelby American where he was the designer for the iconic Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe.FIA World GT Champion 1965...
the youngest designer to work at GM at that time, Bill Mitchell, GM Vice President of styling, and Larry Shinoda
Larry Shinoda
Lawrence Kiyoshi Shinoda was a noted automotive designer who was best known for his work on the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang....
in 1957. The basis of the Stingray was the 1957 Corvette SS, an engineering test mule chassis for the creation of an official Chevrolet race effort culminating with the 24 Hours of LeMans. Soon after its race debut, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) banned manufacturer-sponsored racing, and the SS had been relegated to test track duty. The Stingray exists today with a 327-cubic-inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 of 375 hp.
Design and development
The Stingray used elements of the still-born Q-Corvette design study as well as the SS underpinnings, featuring a 92 inches (2,337 mm) wheelbaseWheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
. The new car was exceptionally light, with a dry weight of 2,200 pounds, nearly 1000 lb (453.6 kg) lighter than a 1960 production car. Its fuel-injected small-block 283-cubic-inch (4.6 L) V-8 engine produced 315 hp 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
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
, extensive use of aluminum and a de Dion rear suspension.
Operational history
Billed as a car "built to test handling ease and performance," Bill Mitchell arranged to race the car quite extensively. In the hands of Dr. Dick Thompson, it made its debut at MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
's Marlboro Raceway on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an SCCA National Championship in 1960.
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
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
even while Mitchell regularly drove it personally on weekends. After its career as a concept car was finished, it was retained by the GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Design Studio as a historically significant vehicle.
Specifications
1957 Stingray Racer- Frame:Space frame
- Body: Fiberglass
- Engine location: Front
- Drive type: Rear wheel
- Weight: 2,200 lb (1,000 kg)
- Engine
- Engine configuration: V
- Cylinders: 8
- Aspiration/Induction: Normal
- Displacement: 283.00 in³ | 4638 cc
- Valvetrain: OHV
- Power: 315 hp @ 6200 rpm
- Torque: 295.00 ft·lbf (400 N·m) @ 4700 rpm
- Power-to-weight ratio: 7.0 lb/hp
- Power-to-volume ratio: 68.5 bhp/L
- Bore: 3.87 in | 98.3 mm
- Stroke: 3.00 in | 76.2 mm
- Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
2009 Stingray Concept
Also referred to as the Corvette Centennial, the 50th Anniversary Stingray show car debuted at the Chicago Auto ShowChicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. It is among the largest auto shows in North America....
February 2009. Design and technology came together to celebrate Corvette's past, present and future.
DETROIT – Chevrolet delivers a futuristic vision of technology and design with the 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept. A version of the model was first shown at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and stars as "Sideswipe" in Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
: Revenge of the Fallen. The Corvette Stingray Concept represents both the icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
ic legacy and an exciting future for Corvette.
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.It has been rumored to be the basis of the C7 corvette.