General FeatureTo a corvette enthusiast there are few thrills greater than riding shotgun with Ron Fellows as he hot-laps Pratt & Miller's new C6RS. I had this pleasure at the Katech Track Attack back in May at the Autobahn Country Club. As we whipped through Turn 3 ("the-million-dollar corner") of the South Circuit on a set of cold tires I remember thinking: "I'd probably be sweating bullets right now in this six-figure, carbon-fiber work of art if I were behind the wheel." But with one of the most successful drivers in ALMS history minding the tiller of his all-too-familiar signature Corvette, all I had to do was sit back and feel the g-forces. As all 600 hp came alive during the series of 567- to 851-foot straightaways and the hellacious 1,850-foot back straight, it wasn't what I did feel that was so remarkable, but what I didn't. The powerband was smooth and linear, though obviously not entirely rev happy as it maxed at only 5,800 rpm due to the small, emissions-friendly cam and 4.500-inch stroke. Meanwhile, the chassis was stable, reassuring, quiet, and perfectly at ease. The C6RS feels just as at home going 140 mph as it does 30 mph. Even on the slightly bumpy 2.1-mile Autobahn course, the C6RS still rode like a Cadillac.
At corner exit it didn't seem to take long before we were hitting the tire-shredding 600 lb-ft torque maximum at 4,600 rpm. Thankfully, the monstrous 345/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sport rear tires seemed to keep traction in check. Meanwhile, a matched set of 295/30/18 rubber up front seemed to give the car a nice balance-though with Ron behind the wheel, just about any car feels like a finely tuned race car. Matter of fact, this was the most challenging thing about making any sort of qualitative assessment of the car. As smooth as the air-spring suspension rode and as aerodynamic as the body, Ron's silky inputs were not to be matched. Though his actions were assertive, there was a calmness that made you think you were on a Sunday drive around town and not on the ragged edge of traction. Whereas your average driver would have been sweaty-palmed, white-knuckled, overcorrecting, and undercorrecting, Fellows was as cool and confident as a model in a cigarette ad.
Why, you might ask, was Ron Fellows flogging the C6RS at the Katech Track Attack? His connection to the Corvette, as well as to C5R and C6.R builder Pratt & Miller is obvious. However, what you might not have known was that he was actively involved in developing the car. Fellows was the official test driver, enlisted by Pratt & Miller for the purposes of paying proper homage to the race car it was made to resemble (see sidebar). While on the track the C6RS is meant to feel as close as possible to the racer-the builder went to great lengths to ensure the opposite was true on the street. Since the supercar's inception, via GM's involvement and the request of one of its most famous customers, the crew at Pratt & Miller decided that if they were to build the ultimate Corvette, it would have to equal or surpass its high-dollar European competitors in every way. In short, it would have to be a complete package-meaning no stone would be unturned.
The first key ingredient was mimicking the C6.R's carbon-fiber body panels, which required hours upon hours of clay modeling on a Z06. Carbon-fiber fenders with louvers (a la the C6.R) for extracting underhood heat, and rear quarter-panels were created from the clay molds to widen the body by 1.6 inches. In combination with carbon-fiber fender liners, the new body panels also allow for a wheel combo seldom seen on any streetcar. Massive 18x11-inch front and 19x13.6 rear center-nut wheels in black chrome were forged by BBS exclusively for the C6RS. The trademark Waterfall hood from the race car was recreated and mated to a reshaped nose with a 1.5-inch underwing, integrated brake ducts, and enlarged ram air induction-all constructed with carbon fiber, of course. Naturally the same material was used for the rear fascia, which (like the front) borrows from the race car's aerodynamics with a rear diffuser.
This Ron Fellows Edition C6RS may be the only one ever made, and it belongs to the owner of Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, which hosts a Corvette racing school. New C6RS owners will be required to attend the school, in a special class taught by Ron Fellows. | 
Katech Performance, who also builds the engines for the C6.R, was the natural choice for putting together the motor combo. And they came through in spades with this 500ci, LS7-headed monster that produces 600 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque through stock exhaust manifolds and cats. Pending official testing, this motor should be emissions legal in all 50 states. | 
These specially designed two-tone leather seats are every bit as comfortable as they look, providing excellent support for spirited driving. |