The 2026Chevrolet Corvette Bathurst 12 Hour Special Edition was launched as a limited-edition road-going counterpart to the Ferocious Z06 GT3.R Racer who will make his local competition debut this weekend at Mount Panorama.
General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) confirmed that the unique Chevrolet model is the only delivery of the 2026 (MY26) Corvette Z06 to Australia and New Zealand and that it is a purely small-batch model.
It comes to market as part of an updated MY26 range, which will continue to include the Stingray and E-Ray.
The special edition celebrates the first official Corvette entries in the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hour race, which features a wide range of brands and international drivers and was won last year by BMW – previous winners have included McLaren, Ferrari, Audi, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.
Only a dozen of the Bathurst Corvettes are offered in Australia and New Zealand – a reasonable number given the entry into the Bathurst 12 Hour sports car endurance race – each individually numbered and capable of speeds in excess of 300km/h.
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Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be above the Z06 Coupe’s $336,000 before on-road costs when deliveries begin, currently scheduled for later this year.
Externally, the special edition is offered exclusively in Switchblade Silver with a Jake C8.R graphics package, a lightweight carbon fiber roof and carbon flash badges, trim and mirror caps.
Also included is a rare, officially approved map of the legendary 6.213km Mount Panorama race track and construction panels for the Bathurst 12 Hour race.
The limited-edition Corvette is in rare company, with the Bathurst name appearing on performance versions of the Holden Commodore in the 1980s and on road-going sports cars such as the Toyota MR2 and Mazda RX-7.
The Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition Corvette features the Z06 3LZ coupe – that is, a mid-mounted 475kW/595Nm 5.5-litre LT6 flat-crank V8 that revs to 8,600rpm and enables 0-100km/h acceleration in under 3.0 seconds – and adds the Z07 performance package.
This includes a carbon fiber aero kit with real aerodynamic gains in downforce, including a large rear spoiler as well as dive planes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Ultra Performance tires.
They feature staggered equipment with 20-inch 275/30 front tires and 345/25 tires on 21-inch black “spider-design” forged aluminum wheels with six-piston front and four-piston Brembo carbon-ceramic rear brakes with blue-painted calipers.
The interior features exclusive Jet Black and Santorini Blue Nappa leather with Competition seats and blue seatbelts, with “Stealth” and carbon fiber trim, while the V8 engine gets an “Appearance Package” and lighting.
Like the rest of the MY26 range, the special edition features a revised interior with three screens – a 12.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 14-inch digital instrument cluster and a 6.6-inch auxiliary screen – as well as other changes such as revised and repositioned switchgear and a new drive mode selector.
Buyers of the special edition will also receive a custom Bathurst 12 Hour Edition art print, an indoor car cover with a Corvette GT3.R graphic, and a Corvette Racing cap, polo shirt and jacket.
“As owners of Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, we are delighted to be involved in this project,” said Bathurst Council Mayor Cr Robert Taylor.
“The opportunity for the Mount Panorama brand to partner with General Motors on a special edition Corvette Z06 to celebrate its Bathurst 12 Hour debut was not to be missed.
“It underlines the importance of the circuit on the international stage and helps us to further expand our brand and reputation in the motorsport market together with an internationally recognized company.”
Two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will tackle Mount Panorama this weekend. 35 cars and 115 drivers from 22 nationalities are chasing victory in the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday, February 14th, and the race itself will begin on Sunday, February 15th, 2026 at 5:45 a.m. under lights.
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