Looks Like a Hot Wheels Toy

Here’s a story about Jay Leno driving a 2006 Corvette Z06 as the Daytona 500 Pace Car.

Corvette has been selected as pace cars for races more than any other model, and for a mere $60K, it’s nice to know it could win the race as well:

Interestingly, the Corvette Z06’s 505-horsepower (377 kw) output is actually more than the power produced by the race cars that will compete in the Daytona 500 – a first for a pace car. This is because of the unique "restrictor plate" rule established for the Daytona and Talladega , Ala. racetracks. On these 2.5-mile-long super speedways, the restrictor plate reduces airflow into the engine to limit horsepower and keep race car speeds below 200 mph. With a restrictor plate, racing engine power is reduced from about 750 horsepower to about 450 horsepower.

As I always say, you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much horsepower…

Regarding that paint job:

The Corvette Z06 Daytona 500 wears a unique paint scheme, inspired by the hot-to-cool color transition of a space capsule entering Earth’s atmosphere at a high rate of speed. The paint scheme is carried out with an elaborate, interlocking scallops design – a twist on hot rod-style flames – that blends "hot" Lemon Drop yellow at the nose of the Corvette with Lemon Glow, Amber Ecstasy, Blazing Copper and Hot Poppy. The colors culminate with a cool Sapphire Trance blue color at the rear of the vehicle. DuPont, the sponsor of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Monte Carlo, supplied the colors, which are from the company’s "Hot Hues" line of automotive paint.