Chevrolet is paying homage to the Bathurst 12 Hour with a new limited-run C8 Corvette Z06, with as many examples of the road car as hours in the endurance race coming to Australia.
Billed as a road legal version of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car taking on Mount Panorama for the first time this weekend, the Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition is limited to just 12 cars - and will be the only 2026 model year versions of the Z06 coming to Australia.
Based on the Corvette Z06 with Chevrolet’s Z07 Performance Package, the Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition gets unique features such as a specific Mount Panorama circuit decal on its rear guards, a Jet Black and Santorini Blue Napa Leather upholstery, and numbered build plates on its door jambs.
All Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Editions of the Corvette Z06 will also be finished in Switchblade Silver, and fitted with black forged aluminium wheels featuring Corvette Racing’s ‘Jake’ mascot logo on the centre caps - something which carries across to the bonnet and rear panels.
Standard equipment on the Z07-eqiupped Corvette Z06 includes more track-focused suspension with magnetic dampers, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, a carbon fibre aerodynamic package, and carbon flash exterior badging.
On top of this, buyers get a custom Bathurst 12 Hour Edition artwork print, an indoor car cover with a Corvette Z06 GT3.R graphic, as well as a Corvette Racing merchandise pack, which includes a cap, polo and jacket.
There’s no extra power for the Corvette Z06, which features a 5.5-litre flat-plane crank V8 engine, producing 475kW and 595Nm, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
GMSV is yet to confirm how much the Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition costs, though expect an increase on the $336,000 base price of the Z06, prior to its recent interior update.
In May 2025, Chevrolet announced the Corvette would get a reworked cabin, with its climate controls moving to a far more compact panel, situated underneath the infotainment screen, while its central divider has adopted a semi-floating element, giving the interior slightly more light between the occupants.
The Corvette’s drive mode selector has been changed from a knob to a simpler toggle switch, and is no longer partially obstructed.
The central infotainment screen has grown to 12.7 inches from 8.0 inches, and the digital instrument cluster has also increased in size from 12 to 14 inches, while a new 6.6-inch touchscreen closest to the door displays additional vehicle information.
