By the mid 1980s, endurance racing was a proving ground for manufacturers chasing speed, technology, and prestige. General Motors wanted in and they didn’t come quietly. The result was the Corvette GTP program, a bold attempt to re-establish GM’s presence in IMSA with machinery unlike anything else on the grid. Between 1984 and 1988, Lola built just seven of these prototypes for GM, and only two carried V8 power. The T711-HU2 was one of them, and it remains one of the most radical “Corvettes” ever built.
On the surface, the GTP wore familiar cues: a nose inspired by the production Corvette C4 and taillights borrowed straight from the road car. But beneath those touches of Corvette DNA sat something far more advanced. Lola designed an aluminum honeycomb monocoque, draped in Kevlar bodywork that underwent multiple iterations during its short career. This wasn’t a Corvette for the street, it was a pure prototype, sculpted for speed.
Chassis T711-HU2 was the very first Corvette GTP delivered, sold new to Lee Racing in late 1984. It debuted at the 1985 24 Hours of Daytona, only to retire with mechanical trouble. Redemption came just weeks later at the Miami 3 Hours, where it finished 7th. Through the remainder of the season, HU2 managed two more top 10 finishes at the Watkins Glen 500KM and the Daytona Finale. Its 1986 season was brief, ending in retirements at Daytona and Sebring. Results aside, the car was a spectacle: loud, aggressive, and unmistakably ambitious.
Where the GTP truly stood apart was in its engineering. A venturi rising from the underbody created a low pressure zone between the rear wheels, effectively sucking the car into the track. The design produced nearly twice the downforce of other Lola based machines, giving the Corvette GTP a level of grip and stability far beyond its rivals. Pair that with Kevlar body panels and GM’s V8 power, and the T711 was an audacious mix of raw muscle and cutting-edge aerodynamics.
The Corvette GTP program never reached the dominance GM had envisioned, but it left a lasting impression. In just a handful of seasons, the T711 showcased a willingness to push boundaries, experiment with materials, and chase an idea of speed that was ahead of its time. Even in failure, it proved that factory-backed prototypes could be as daring as they were fast.
Today, the Corvette GTP remains a rare and fascinating chapter in GM’s motorsport history. Not just a prototype, but a statement. One that blended American horsepower with European engineering, and dared to dream big on the world stage.
