For the 11th time in the 101-year history of the Indianapolis 500, a Chevrolet Corvette will lead the field of 33 to the green flag on May 27. Not just any Corvette but a 2013 ZR1.
With a supercharged, 6.2-litre LS9 engine rated at 638 horsepower, the ZR1 is not only the most powerful production Corvette ever, it's the most powerful production car ever to pace the race.
With a projected top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), it's also potentially the fastest production pace car ever.
General Motors says the ZR1 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds. It has lapped the famed Nurburgring’ Nordschleife ("north loop") in 7:19.63 (minutes:seconds).
The 2013 model year is the 60th anniversary of the Corvette's introduction as well as the final year of production for the current generation (C6) model. An all-new C7 model is scheduled for model-year 2014.
"Chevrolet is a great partner of the Speedway, and we share in the excitement of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the iconic Corvette brand," said said Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It’s even more meaningful to see a Chevrolet pacing the field at Indy since Chevy has returned as an engine supplier for the IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time since 2005," he added.
Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus engines are all competing in the IndyCar series in 2012. Chevrolet-powered cars have won all the first four races.
"This is a truly momentous year for Chevrolet when it comes to performance, with our continued success on and off track, and especially with our return to the IndyCar Series, powering some of the fastest cars on the circuit," said Jim Campbell, GM vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.
This will be the 23rd time a Chevrolet has paced "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The first Chevrolet selected as the Indianapolis 500 pace car was the 1948 Fleetmaster Six.
The brand would subsequently supply the pace car for the 500 more than any other manufacturer. In addition to the Fleetmaster Six, the list of Chevy pace cars includes:
1955 Bel Air
1967 Camaro
1969 Camaro
1978 Corvette
1982 Camaro
1986 Corvette
1990 Beretta
1993 Camaro
1995 Corvette
1998 Corvette
1999 Monte Carlo
2002 Corvette
2003 SSR
2004 Corvette
2005 Corvette
2006 Corvette
2007 Corvette
2008 Corvette
2009 Camaro
2010 Camaro
2011 Camaro
2013 Corvette
Corvette 60th Anniversary Package
The Corvette Pace Car features an exterior paint scheme and full body length stripe similar to that of the 60th Anniversary Package being made available on all 2013 Corvette models.
The 60th Anniversary Package features an Arctic White exterior with a Blue Diamond leather-wrapped interior with suede accents. Convertible models will have a blue top.
Additional content includes a ZR1-style rear spoiler, special badging, gray-painted brake calipers and the "60th" logo on the wheel center caps, steering wheel and seat headrests.
An optional graphics package adds full-length racing stripes in Pearl Silver Blue, including a tonal stripe stitched into the convertible top, extending the graphic theme over the roof.
For 2013, all Corvettes will feature 60th Anniversary badges on the fascias and the "waterfall" panel on convertible models, as well as 60th logos in the instrument panel guage cluster and on the sill plates.