There are special editions, and then there are statements of intent cast in carbon fibre and roaring V8 cadence. The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Special Edition belongs emphatically to the latter category. Confirmed by GM Specialty Vehicles, this strictly limited MY26 creation exists for a singular purpose: to celebrate the debut of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour.
And exclusivity, in this case, is not a marketing flourish but a mathematical certainty. Just 12 examples will be produced, each individually numbered from 01 to 12, and each reserved exclusively for Australia and New Zealand. In fact, this will be the only allocation of the MY26 Z06 available in the region this year. If you desire one, you are competing for a place in a club of twelve.
The Special Edition is conceived as the road legal counterpart to the GT3.R race car that will contest the Bathurst 12 Hour for the first time in February 2026. That race, held at the legendary Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, is no ordinary endurance event. It is a theatre of elevation changes, blind crests and high speed commitment, a circuit that rewards bravery and punishes hesitation.
Also Read: Audi Launches The New RS 5 Avant: Performance Meets Practicality
The GT3.R itself is Chevrolet’s first purpose built, track only race car designed for global GT3 competition, directly based on the road going Z06. Its Bathurst debut will mark the first time a Corvette GT3.R has competed in the event. The Special Edition has been crafted to offer customers the closest possible road going connection to that racing machine.
“There has been huge enthusiasm for the news that the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is coming to Bathurst, and we wanted to capture that excitement in a car our customers can own and drive on the road,” said Jess Bala, Managing Director of General Motors Australia and New Zealand. She describes it, without hyperbole, as the most focused and most exclusive Corvette offering yet for this part of the world.
The Bathurst 12 Hour Special Edition builds on the already formidable 3LZ Coupe fitted with the Z07 Performance Package. That means Z07 suspension with Magnetic Selective Ride Control, performance Brembo carbon ceramic antilock brakes, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres measuring a substantial 275 section at the front and 345 at the rear.
A comprehensive Carbon Fibre Aero Package brings ground effects, dive planes and a high wing spoiler into the equation. The result is not cosmetic aggression but functional downforce, the sort that feels entirely at home on Conrod Straight. Finished in Switchblade Silver, the car features Carbon Flash painted carbon ground effects and a matching high wing spoiler. A carbon fibre roof, Spider design black forged aluminium wheels in 20 inch front and 21 inch rear configuration, Corvette Racing Jake logo centre caps, blue brake calipers and the Jake C8.R graphics package on the bonnet and rear panels complete the exterior narrative. There is even a Mount Panorama track outline decal and exclusive Bathurst 12 Hour branding to ensure no one mistakes its allegiance.
