Chevrolet and Pratt & Miller Engineering have debuted their latest factory racecar, the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R, at Daytona International Speedway, prior to the 2023 IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona. Their new C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R is a factory-built FIA-compliant GT3 class racecar that will be available to both professional and amateur racing teams and is designed to compete in a global variety of GT sports car racing series, beginning with the 2024 racing season.
Based on the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 and sharing the road car’s aluminum chassis, the Corvette GT3.R is powered by a version of the Z06’s 5.5L DOHC LT6 V8 engine mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission. It rides on a motorsports-specific double-wishbone suspension system that was engineered for optimal performance at lower racing ride heights and a motorsports-specific 6-piston front/4-piston rear braking system with unique cooling and quick-change capabilities.
The Corvette GT3.R’s mid-engine architecture and wind tunnel-developed lightweight carbon body work contribute to a massive amount of grip potential, so the Chevrolet and Pratt & Miller engineers who contributed to the GT3.R were especially concerned about wheel deflection, strength, and durability. They worked with the team at Forgeline Motorsports to develop an application-specific version of Forgeline’s center-locking one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheel that was engineered to deliver optimized performance metrics (in terms of mass, deflection, strength, and durability) specifically for the new Corvette GT3.R. Each Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R will compete on 18×12.5/18×13 Forgeline one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels finished in Gloss Black.
The Corvette GT3.R is the latest project in a long history of collaboration between Forgeline, Chevrolet, and Pratt & Miller Engineering. Similar previous efforts produced the championship-winning Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock GS1R wheels, in 2017, and the championship-winning Pontiac G6 GXP.R on Forgeline forged three piece GA3R wheels, in 2007.
“It’s literally been a lifelong dream to build wheels for the Corvette racing team, one of the most successful racing programs in history,” said Forgeline global sales manager Steve Schardt. “My brother Dave and I grew up together within the racing community and have been huge motorsport fans, since childhood. So yes, we’re extremely proud to have earned the trust of Chevrolet, Pratt and Miller, and the racing industry and to be presented with the opportunity to manufacture the wheels for the Corvette GT3.R.”
“The new Corvette GT3.R is another racing milestone, both for competitive motorsports and for Forgeline,” added Forgeline president Dave Schardt. “Engineering a wheel to meet the demanding specifications for the Corvette GT3.R was a big challenge. I’m extremely proud of the entire Forgeline team for rising to the task, and I’m excited to see what the SS1R-GT and the GT3.R can accomplish together, on track.”
The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is expected to be delivered to customers in 2023 and to take the green flag for the first time at the 2024 IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona.
