2008 Daytona 500 Pace Car

2008 Corvette Daytona Pace Car

2008 Corvette Z06 Daytona 500 Pace Car Unveiled at Central Florida International Auto Show

‘Special anniversary gold design to commemorate the 50th running of “The Great American Race”

As if the 2008 Central Florida Intemational Auto Show didn’t already have enough eye candy, automotive aficionados were treated to something a little extra on Thursday November 15th.

With defending Daytona 500 Champion Kevin Harvick at the unveiling, surrounded by Chevrolet, General Motors and Daytona International Speedway officials, hundreds watched the much-anticipated unveiling of the 2008 Corvette Z06 Daytona 500 Pace Car ~ the Official Pace Car of The Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race. The 505-horsepower vehicle, which has more horsepower than the NASCAR Sprint Cup race cars it will pace, was unveiled with the pomp and circumstance worthy of ‘automotive royalty at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

“Chevrolet has been inextricably linked to NASCAR from its inception and we are honored to support the ‘golden anniversary of the sport’s premier race — the Daytona 500 — with a very special Corvette Z06 Pace Car,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “The Corvette Z06 has established a tradition in leading the pack at Daytona, which reflects Chevrolet’s commitment to racing and the fans.”

Its the fifth consecutive year that Chevrolet has chosen the Corvette to pace the iconic NASCAR event and the Corvette Z06’s special “anniversary gold” appearance represents one Chevy’s most uniquely designed pace cars. GM Design developed a striking paint scheme with an exotic array of stunning hues of Gold, Red, Blue and White. The graphics scheme is accented with unique, gold iridescent-coated wheels.

“Talk about a ‘wow-factor,” said Speedway President Robin Braig. Its the perfect piece of machinery to help pace a star-studded field at ‘The World Center of Racing for the historic 50th running of the Daytona 500.

Apart from its special paint and the addition of a GM-designed, integrated light bar and strobe system, the Z06 Pace Car is almost identical to the street version. A few of the Z06’s super car-challenging specs include: