Callaway Corvette C7 GT3R: a brutal expression of beauty

Last weekend of the 2015 ADAC GT Masters season at Hockenheim, and a nice ‘surprise’ was revealed, as the new Callaway Corvette C7 GT3R finally saw the light, the camera lenses and the public. The new German-American machine is expected to be racing from the 2016 season, at least on Europe. The new C7 GT3R took two years from sketch to public showing, as expectations under a possible GT convergence and discussions over availability of the car in the United States halted its development.

As most of the manufacturers that race with FIA GT3 spec are in process of renovation, the guys of Callaway Competition couldn’t stay behind in the development fight. The currently used Corvette Z06R GT3 dates back from 2006 and had immense success on that time, but truth is that the teams that used the car decided to change to newer and fresher machinery, and even though updates were brought by Callaway Competition, the car clearly struggled to match the pace of new cars like the Bentley Continental GT3 as well cars from the previous generation, like the Audi R8 LMS ultra and the BMW Z4 GT3.

Compared to its old mate, the C7 GT3R continues its tradition of what can be described as ‘big loud American car’, as it retain a huge V8 engine under the hood, with a little displacement reduction, from 7 litres to 6.2 litres, but producing around 600 hp of monstrosity. The only other detail revealed is that like most of the GT3 cars, it will feature a six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters, but to be honest, these details and the aggressive looks of the car should lure a bunch of teams into a deal.

The very first cars will be campaigned by Callaway Competition themselves, as it was made with the Z06R GT3 in 2006, with no specific championships revealed, but given the current state of Callaway Competition, it may lead to the ADAC GT Masters with some international participation on the schedule. Given the fact that the Z06R GT3 got its first title a year after its birth, the C7 GT3R can achieve decent results and customer teams in no-time.

PHOTOS: Callaway Competition