The all-new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R broke cover at Daytona International Speedway last weekend and it could be coming to a racetrack near you in the not-too-distant future.
The Z06 GT3.R is the first GT3 racing entry that Chevrolet has developed in-house, with all previous examples having been produced by external third-parties. But with plans for GT3 to become a worldwide category from 2024, including the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24-hours, Chevrolet has stepped up to take a more active role.
Gallery: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Crucially, this includes plans for the new Corvette to compete in the biggest GT3 eligible races in the world and that will include the Bathurst 12-hour. Set for customer deliveries by the end of 2023, the Z06 GT3.R will make its racing debut at the 2024 Daytona 24-hours and will race in the US-based IMSA series and the global WEC and Le Mans next year too. But beyond that, Chevrolet has confirmed it is “evaluating opportunities” to compete in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, which includes the Bathurst race as its traditional opener.
Chevrolet will be looking for private teams to run the new car and that will include Australian-based organisations and international teams that will use the car in the US and Europe.
Laura Wontrop Klauser, General Motors sports car racing program manager, said the car has already attracted huge customer interest.
“This has been an intense but very rewarding process,” Klauser said. “From the time we announced a Corvette GT3 car, I’ve received more inquiries than I can count. It’s a testament to a known product like Corvette, the minds behind design, development and build, and the quarter-century success of Corvette Racing.”
The new car features the same 5.5-litre V8 as the road-going Corvette Z06 as well as the same suspension configuration but has been modified for racing with a new aerodynamic package and other racing upgrades thanks to long-time motorsport partner Pratt Miller Engineering.
Track testing began in September 2022 and will continue throughout 2023 until customer cars begin production.
“We’re all very pleased with the results from the track testing program so far,” Klauser said. “What’s even more encouraging is the correlation between simulator sessions and what we’re finding in the real-world track testing. It’s another level of validation that gives us confidence in the development process.”
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