- chevrolet racing will offer a z06 gt3.r customer race car starting in 2024.
- it uses the same aluminum chassis as the c8 z06 road car and a modified version of the 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank v-8.
- customers will be able to race in the imsa weathertech series and other gt3 racing series with the z06 gt3.r.
the chevrolet c8.r race car’s 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank v-8 engine laid the groundwork for the engine used in the new c8 corvette z06, which returns to its purist heritage for 2023. and things are only heating up for corvette racing because the c8.r will be replaced by this new z06 gt3.r starting for the 2024 season, and a customer racing version will be available, too, just like bmw, ferrari, mclaren, and porsche, to name a few, have done for years.
chevrolet’s new customer race car uses the same aluminum chassis as the c8 z06 road car, but it’s modified for track-only use. chevy says it has a similar aerodynamic silhouette as the road car—other than the large gt3 wing and other additional aerodynamic elements for gt3 racing, of course. the road car has an available z07 performance package that adds stickier tires, carbon wheels, and a larger wing. chevrolet racing has yet to announce details on the rest of the new race car's components.
the naturally aspirated 5.5-liter v-8 is modified for use in the z06 gt3.r, and due to series regulations, it will be limited to between 500 and 600 horsepower. the lt6 engine used in the production car, first used in the c8.r, is the most powerful naturally aspirated v-8 engine ever installed in a road car, making 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and it revs to 8600 rpm.
a chevrolet racing spokesperson told us that the z06 gt3.r is still undergoing testing and that final specs and details will likely be released next year along with pricing. the company hopes to start taking customer orders by the end of next year, too.
chevrolet also announced that it will enter in multiple endurance racing championships in the c8.r for the 2022 season including the imsa weathertech sportscar championship and the fia world endurance championship. it’s planning a two-car team for the 24 hours of le mans in june.