For the first time ever, Chevrolet brings a racecar which fully meets FIA's technical regulations for GT3 cars. Chevrolet reveals Corvette Z06 GT3.R for 2024 competition debut at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The new Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecar will compete for the first time in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category at the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway to open next year’s IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championship. The Z06 GT3.R is a landmark racing vehicle for Chevrolet. Based on the highly acclaimed mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Z06 supercar.

Highlights of the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R Race car

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R has been designed and developed in collaboration between GM’s Competition Motorsports Engineering division and Pratt Miller Engineering. With a high level of parts and technical support available for its customers, the Z06 GT3.R will be eligible for several championships in North America and across the world with a focus primarily towards customer racing.
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R for 2024 gets an aluminium chassis frame, that provides a lightweight yet strong and durable underpinning for both Z06 and Z06 GT3.R, and gets a purpose-built steel roll cage, slightly modified from the current racing Corvette to provide easier entrance and exit welded onto a base plate and secured to the chassis. The marque has also given a number of safety features into the GT3.R.
It comes with a double-wishbone suspension at the front and rear and 18-inch wheels, same as the Z06 production car. Chevrolet's goal was to design a GT3-spec Corvette that is suitable across different tyre specifications, balance-of-performance settings and other customer preferences without compromising with performance or drivability on a variety of tracks and racing surfaces.
Gets a special aero package to optimize levels of downforce, stability, drag reduction and cooling. Both the Z06 and Z06 GT3.R uses similar carbon fibre splitters for optimal downforce. The underside of the Z06 GT3.R gets a new carbon fibre diffuser.
The reveal of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R follows a two-year testing program. The car was first tested on track in September 2022, which means the Z06 GT3.R will have a full year of on-track development before it is handed to customers in the third quarter of 2023.

LT6 Engine of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R

The LT6 engine for the Z06 GT3.R begins its life from the Performance Build Center in Bowling Green, the same line on which all production Corvette Z06 engines are built.
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will feature a 5.5-litre, flat-plane crankshaft DOHC V8 engine derived from the production Z06. This engine began on-track development in 2019 and has been tested on the C8.R, ahead of its use in the Z06. The 5.5-litre engine shares more than 70 per cent of its parts with the production Z06 engine, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and various other sensors.

The 2024 Championships for Chevrolet

For 2024, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing will continue targeting sports car racing championships in North America and around the world. The Car will race for the first time as part of the GT Daytona, the IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championship will witness up to four Corvette Z06 GT3.R entries with a mix of GTD PRO and GTD teams starting with the Rolex 24.
Two Corvette chassis will be headed for the FIA WEC in hopes of a double entry in the yet-to-be-named GT category, which would include the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chevrolet Motorsports will also look out for opportunities to represent itself in SRO Motorsports including the SRO America and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Specific team announcements including drivers will be announced at a later date.

A word from the Chevrolet Officials

Mark Stielow, Director of GM Motorsports Engineering Competition said, “The 2024 Corvette Z06 GT3.R breaks new ground for Chevrolet and the Corvette Racing program, This customer-focused racecar leverages learnings from throughout Corvette Racing’s lengthy and successful history, plus the expertise of our Corvette production design, engineering and powertrain teams.”
Tadge Juechter, Executive chief engineer at Corvette said, “Corvette Racing has been an important influence on the design of Corvette production cars for 25 years, “Corvette production and racing teams worked together closely in development to maximize the benefits of a mid-engine design, sharing lessons learned that set both programs up for all-out performance on the track.”
Laura Wontrop Klauser, Manager of the GM sports car racing program said, “This has been an intense but very rewarding process, 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.”