Chevrolet recently unveiled their all-new track-legal-only race car which looks absolutely outrageous. GM's internal racing division and Pratt Miller Engineering, the company in charge of creating all previous iterations of OEM Corvette race cars have collaborated to design this serious track-ready piece of engineering.
While the previous Corvette race cars are standalone models, the Z06 GT3.R gets most of its components from the road-going version with better levels of refinement and durability. The majority of the new 5.5L V-8 engine's components are derived from the Z06 road car. The crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, and gaskets, and 70% of the parts are directly from the same assembly line as the Corvette Z06.
Currently, the Z06.R is going through two-year testing. The first on-track test was completed in September 2022. It is not over yet, it still has plenty of tests coming up and is set to roll off in the third quarter of 2023 and is going to make its debut at the 2024 24 hours of Daytona. This Z06.R is certainly going to be the origin of the next generation of road-going Corvettes.
Being a race car, it does receive a few upgrades like the steel roll cage, dampers, racing-specific wheels, track tires, brakes, and stiffer springs. That said, the aerodynamics are further tweaked to improve the downforce as well as cooling of the engine and brakes. This is as hardcore as a Corvette gets. This is pure adrenaline on four wheels, there’s no doubt about it.
Just like the road-going version, it gets a double wishbone suspension in the front as well as rear, solely tuned for the race track and this tweak makes a whole difference on the track. The speeds it can carry around corners are unbelievable even by supercar standards. Speaking of power figures, it is expected to develop around 500-600 horsepower from the 5.5L naturally aspirated V8 engine that sounds close to a Formula 1 car.
This engine works in conjunction with a 6-speed sequential gearbox. Moreover, it gets race-tuned 6-piston front and 4-piston rear brakes with a better cooling system. Inside, most parts are made out of carbon fiber along with a roll cage for improved safety.
