Corvette C8.R Test Mule Spotted Testing at Road America

Spy shots of Corvette C8.R test car show massive side vents for cooling the mid-mounted engine.

Corvette Racing plans to continue running the C7.R at tracks around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard at work on developing a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R race car for future competitions. Just take a look at these spy photos snapped at Road America.

Although the development mule is covered in whirly swirly camouflage, its prominent lines are easy to make out. Its low nose, swoopy roof, and pronounced haunches scream out “mid-engined car.” The giant angular scoops cut into the sides make it clear that their job is to route a lot of air to a power plant behind the passenger compartment. Judging by the looks of the giant rear wing, the C8.R should be able to generate enough downforce to race its competitors in a tunnel upside down (given the C7.R’s string of successes, the eventual C8.R would probably win those races).

According to a recent post from Corvette Blogger, “Corvette Racing’s program manager Doug Fehan often talks about cascade engineering, meaning that each generation of street car improves the next race car, which in turn improves the next generation street car.”

We may be looking at a ‘roided-up race car version of the upcoming C8, but don’t let its tires and exaggerated add-ons fool you. The basic fast lines are there. Just as the fundamental design of the C7 didn’t look wildly different from that of the C7.R, the C8 should be a sculpted, taut stunner, just like its race car sibling. And based on these pics, we can also see the C8 turning out to be something else: compared to and pitted against the Acura NSX, both on the road and the track.

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*Images courtesy of Corvette Blogger.