NEW CORVETTE C5-R BREAKS COVER.(Competition)(multiple race car news briefs)

General Motors, while keeping a close eye on its American Le Mans Series GTS competition, is updating the Corvette C5-R for Le Mans in an attempt to secure three-straight victories at La Sarthe.

Besides a new and obvious red, white and blue paint scheme (changed from yellow), technically speaking the two cars get a sequential Hewland gearbox for the first time.

Other changes include a new engine intake and air box, new cams with a higher lift and shorter duration, all-aluminum cylinder liners and main caps, and revised aerodynamics. And the cars will carry the numbers 50 and 53 (for the Corvette's 50th anniversary and to commemorate its first year of production, 1953).

Meanwhile, the Corvette race car gets an all-new look for the 2005 season. The next-generation Corvette (the C6 that goes on sale at the end of next year) and the following season's GTS racers take styling from those new vehicles.

Underneath, however, Chevrolet's race car will be little altered from today's racer. ``It will be a facelift,'' said Corvette program manager Doug Fehan. ``We will run the same chassis and running gear, but the body will be different.''

Chevrolet, meanwhile, firmed up its intent to continue racing the Corvette for the next three years.

FIA changes its mind