# Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (1999–2004)

- Source: https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/chevrolet-corvette-c5-r/
- Publisher: Racing Car Network (racingcarnetwork.com), the race car marketplace
- Type: car · Brand: Chevrolet
- Discipline: gt-racing, historic-racing
- Series: gt1, le-mans
- Era: 2000s
- Last updated: 2026-11-06

The C5-R is the factory GTS/GT1 Corvette that Pratt & Miller built for Corvette Racing from 1998 to 2004. Only 11 chassis exist. It won Daytona outright in 2001 and took three Le Mans class wins. Buyers are collectors and historic racers, so each car's chassis number and race record set its value.

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | Katech-built V8 derived from the LS1; 6.0 L (5,997 cc) at the 1999 debut, 7.0 L (6,980 cc) from mid-1999 onwards [0] |
| Power | About 600–610 hp, depending on restrictor and engine build [0][6] |
| Weight | 1,277 kg (2,815 lb) [0] |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual (1999–2002), 6-speed manual (2002–2003), Xtrac 6-speed sequential (2004) [0] |
| Chassis | Steel structure, double wishbones front and rear, adjustable coil-over dampers [0] |
| Brakes | AP Racing discs, 15 in front and 14 in rear [0] |
| Years | 1999–2004 with the factory team; privateers raced the cars until at least 2008 [0][5] |
| Class | GTS (ALMS, Le Mans), GT1 (FIA GT, FFSA GT, Le Mans Series) [0][5] |
| Built | 11 chassis, C5R-001 to C5R-011 [0][1] |

## History

Chevrolet and Pratt & Miller started the C5-R programme to race the C5 Corvette in endurance GT racing. The car first raced at the 1999 Daytona 24 Hours [0]. Katech built the engines from LS1 parts. A 6.0 litre unit was used at first, and a 7.0 litre version replaced it during 1999 [0]. Chassis 001 and 002 raced through 1999 and ended their factory careers at Le Mans in June 2000 [1]. Chassis 002 finished that race 10th overall and third in GTS [3].

A second-generation car arrived at Mosport in August 2000. Chassis 003 used suspension and bodywork about three inches wider than the first two cars [1]. It won the 2001 Daytona 24 Hours outright, then won GTS at Le Mans in 2001 and 2002 [2]. In August 2001 GM announced a customer programme for up to five cars and said it held two deposits [13]. Pratt & Miller built 005, 006 and 007 during 2001 [1].

The last factory chassis, 008 to 011, appeared from 2003. Cars 008 and 009 made their debut at the 2003 Le Mans test day [1]. That year 008 finished second in GTS at Le Mans [6]. In 2004 the team fitted an Xtrac sequential gearbox and moved to Michelin tyres [0]. Chassis 010 won GTS at Le Mans in 2004 [5]. The factory career ended at Laguna Seca in October 2004, and the C6.R took over in 2005 [0][1].

The cars then went to private teams in Europe and North America. Selleslagh Racing in Belgium bought 007 in 2003 and later ran 005 as well [7][4]. GLPK-Carsport, Pacific Coast Motorsports, PSI Experience and Luc Alphand Aventures also raced ex-factory chassis [0]. Luc Alphand ran 010 in the Le Mans Series and at Le Mans in 2006 and 2007 [5]. Today the surviving cars appear in historic endurance events, and several have been restored to factory livery [6][7][8].

## Palmarès

Chassis 003 won the 2001 Daytona 24 Hours outright and took GTS wins at Le Mans in 2001 and 2002 [2]. Chassis 010 won GTS at Le Mans in 2004 [5]. In 2003 the Corvettes finished second and third in class behind a Ferrari [0][6]. Corvette Racing won the ALMS GTS title four years running up to 2004 [0]. Privateers added the 2005 Belcar title and FIA GT wins at Imola and Zhuhai in 2005 [0]. Chassis 005 won the 2006 Zolder 24 Hours [4].

## What to check before you buy

Read the chassis plate and match it to the claimed number: Palmeter's chassis history shows the serial plate sits in the same place on every C5-R. With only 11 cars, the number decides the value. Cross-check every claimed result against a chassis results database: Racing Sports Cars lists each chassis race by race. This is how the false Le Mans claim for 005 shows up. Ask for the factory paperwork package: The 2011 sale of 005 came with set-up data, supplier lists, FIA homologation papers and Pratt & Miller letters. A car without them is harder to sell and run. Ask which engine is fitted, who rebuilt it and when: Cars ran 6.0 L and 7.0 L engines, and restored cars often have fresh Katech 427 units. Hours since rebuild matter more than the original specification. List the spares in writing: The 2024 listing for 007 included an engine, gearbox, four corners, shafts, floor, diffuser, most bodywork and two wheel sets. Use that as a benchmark. Read the original bill of sale for use restrictions: The sale terms for 008 and 009 allowed track use but banned road use. Similar terms may pass to the next owner. Do not trust the name alone in auction databases: Price databases list cars sold as C5-R for $13,400 in 2009. No genuine Pratt & Miller chassis sells at that level, so these are road or club cars.

## Did you know

- In August 2001 GM said it would sell up to five C5-Rs to customers and had already taken two deposits [13].
- Chassis 008 and 009 raced at Le Mans in 2003 in a blue livery marking the Corvette's 50th anniversary [6].
- Chassis 007 was completed in 2001 but never raced for the factory before its sale to a Belgian team in 2003 [18].

## Frequently asked questions

**How many genuine Corvette C5-Rs were built?** Pratt & Miller built 11 chassis between 1998 and 2004, numbered C5R-001 to C5R-011. Ten served the factory Corvette Racing team and one was built for customer use. A further frame became a C6.R test car and is not counted as a C5-R.

**Which chassis are the most valuable?** Value follows the race record. Chassis 003 won Daytona outright in 2001 and Le Mans GTS in 2001 and 2002. Chassis 010 won GTS at Le Mans in 2004. Cars like 007, which never raced for the factory, rely on their privateer results instead.

**Is the C5-R a road-legal car?** No. It is a pure race car built on a GT racing chassis. The sale terms for chassis 008 and 009 even banned road use. Do not confuse it with C5 road cars or club racers that sellers sometimes label C5-R.

**Where can I race a C5-R today?** The 2026 Masters Endurance Legends list includes the Corvette C5 GT1. Owners also run the cars at Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Members' Meetings. Peter Auto's Endurance Racing Legends grid covers GT1 cars of the period, but confirm acceptance with the organiser first.

**Can I still get parts and engine rebuilds?** Katech has rebuilt C5-R engines for private owners, and Pratt & Miller has restored cars to factory specification. Body parts are the weak point. In 2016 one team had to make its own moulds to widen a new hood for a later wide-body car.

## Sources

- Chevrolet Corvette C5-R — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_C5-R
- C5-R Chassis Serial Number History — https://palmeter.com/c5rchassnhist/
- C5R-003 chassis archive — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/C5R-003.html
- C5R-002 chassis archive — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/C5R-002.html
- C5R-005 chassis archive — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/C5R-005.html
- C5R-010 chassis archive — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/C5R-010.html
- 2003 Pratt & Miller C5-R Le Mans Racers — https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/2003-pratt-miller-c5-r-le-mans-racers
- 2001 Corvette C5-R by Pratt & Miller (C5R-007) — https://fantasyjunction.com/inventory/2001-corvette-c5-r-by-pratt-miller/overview
- Chevrolet Corvette C5R (chassis 002) — https://en.ascottcollection.com/chevrolet-corvette-c5r
- Team RaceArt And Their Number 006 Pratt & Miller C5.R — https://www.lsxmag.com/?p=5084
- Corvettes on eBay: 2003 Sebring Winning Corvette C5R — https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2011/01/13/corvettes-on-ebay-2003-sebring-winning-corvette-c5r/
- Masters Endurance Legends Eligibility List 2026 — https://cms.mastershistoricracing.com/files/uploads/2026/04/masters-mel1-eligibility-list-2026-1.pdf
- Endurance Racing Legends — https://www.peterauto.fr/en/competition/endurance-racing-legends
- General Motors to sell Corvette C5-R racecars to customers — https://www.auto123.com/en/news/general-motors-to-sell-corvette-c5-r-racecars-to-customers/21549/
- Corvette Racing Success Started With C5-R-001 — https://www.motorious.com/articles/sports/corvette-racing-success-started-with-c5-r-001
- You Need A Race Ready Corvette C5-R In Your Garage — https://jalopnik.com/you-need-a-race-ready-corvette-c5-r-in-your-garage-1851464040
- Corvette C5 Racing History (C5R-005) — https://palmeter.com/?p=625
- Chevrolet Corvette C5-R vehicle valuation — https://www.conceptcarz.com/valuation/3917/Chevrolet-Corvette-C5-R.aspx
- Corvette C5R GT1 restoration — https://www.artandrevs.com/car-restoration.php?id=537

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