Although the Chevrolet Corvette has always had great competition potential, it has only been rarely been raced by the factory during the last sixty years. General Motors instead opted to help willing privateers, usually through the backdoor. This has resulted in some fantastic machine, like the Greenwood IMSA Corvette raced during the mid-1970s. This endurance racer combined a modified chassis with an ultra-wide body and a 700+ bhp big block V8. Twelve chassis were built and among the most famous were the 'Spirit of Sebring' and 'Spirit of Le Mans' liveried examples. The latter was raced at Le Mans in 1976 and topped the speed chart on the Mulssane with 220 mph. This particular car will be offered by RM Auctions in their Monterey sale and judging from the $900,000 - $1.4 million estimate, it looks set to become one of the most expensive Corvettes ever sold at auction. Our detailed article is illustrated by a 22-shot gallery of three different examples including the Spirit of Le Mans car, which today boasts a 1,000 bhp engine.
One of today's best known independent Corvette builders is Callaway. They announced the development of a GT3-version of the all-new C7 Corvette. This will be available from 2014 onwards and is eligible for national and international championships around the world.
At next month's IAA in Frankfurt, Lamborghini will debut this Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse. Stripped from all unnecessary luxuries and fitted with a 570 hp engine, it is effectively a road-going version of the Super Trofeo racing car. At 1,340 kg, the Squadra Corse is a full 70 kg lighter than the production Gallardo.

Enjoy the links:

2013 Chevrolet Callaway Corvette GT3 - Images, Specifications and Information

1974 - 1976 Chevrolet Greenwood IMSA Corvette - Images, Specifications and Information

2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse - Images, Specifications and Information