New Corvette USC/Le Mans GT car biggest step yet, says Oliver Gavin

The Briton explained that the gains made with the new GTE/GTLM contender, which is officially launched on Monday (live video below), are even bigger than those made by Corvette Racing when it went from the C5-R to the original GT1 class C6.R ahead of the 2005 season.

"The step from the C5-R to the C6.R GT1 car was big, but this is even bigger," said Gavin, who is entering his 13th season with the Pratt & Miller-run Corvette Racing squad.

"It is another step entirely in the evolution of the cars Pratt & Miller has done for Corvette Racing."

Gavin, who will contest this season's United SportsCar Championship alongside Tommy Milner, explained that the two key ingredients that have resulted in the gains for 2014 are a stiffer chassis and the switch to a direct-injection engine.

"In terms of set-up, we are seeing that things that we do to the car have a much greater influence: it is much more sensitive to changes," he said.

Gavin said that technology transfer between Pratt & Miller and Chevrolet's design staff had been important.

"This is the first Corvette that has designed with racing in mind," he continued.

"You can see how some of the styling has been driven by the race programme."

The new Corvette, which has been testing since last summer, makes its debut in the USC-opening Daytona 24 Hours on January 25-26.

Gavin and Milner are joined by Brit Robin Liddell, while IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe has been brought in to drive alongside 2013 American Le Mans Series GT champions Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia.

VIDEO: 2014 Corvette unveiling

TIME LINE: PRATT & MILLER CORVETTES
1999-2004 GTS/GT1 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
2005-2009 GT1 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
2009-2013 GT2/GTE/GT Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
2014- Chevrolet Corvette C7.R