The Z06 GT3.R was launched on 27 January 2023, on the eve of the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. The car's development had begun approximately two years earlier, with virtual simulations running in Chevrolet's Driver in the Loop simulator from early 2021. The first on-track test took place in September 2022, initiating a full twelve months of circuit development before customer deliveries commenced in the third quarter of 2023. Additional public testing was observed at Sebring International Raceway in March 2023.
The Z06 GT3.R uses the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette C8 as its base, the same foundation as the outgoing C8.R GTE car. Built to FIA GT3 specifications, the car is intended for both factory-supported and customer racing programs, opening Corvette Racing's participation beyond the single class structures that had defined the GTE era.
Three distinct racing programs were announced for the Z06 GT3.R's debut season:
On 23 June 2023, Chevrolet announced a factory-supported two-car effort in the IMSA GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) category, operated under the Corvette Racing with Pratt Miller Motorsports banner.
Five days later, British team TF Sport confirmed it would switch from Aston Martin to Corvette for the inaugural FIA WEC LMGT3 category, fielding two cars in the new class that replaced GTE-Am.
On 3 August 2023, Canadian outfit AWA announced it would transition from the LMP3 class to a two-car GTD program in IMSA for 2024 and 2025.
A fourth program in the GT World Challenge America series for 2024 was also planned.
The Z06 GT3.R made its competitive debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona. The car subsequently competed across multiple championships in its first and second seasons, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 class, European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe, and the 24-hour events at Daytona, Le Mans, and Spa.
The Z06 GT3.R won the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, marking a significant result in the car's still-young international career.
The Z06 GT3.R represents a strategic shift for Corvette Racing. Where the factory program had long operated within the GTE framework — a class mandating close-to-production GT cars with factory homologation — the move to GT3 regulations opens competition to a wider range of circuits, series, and customer teams. GT3 cars are typically built in greater numbers and sold to a broader pool of privateer operators than GTE entries. The Z06 GT3.R therefore simultaneously maintains Corvette's factory-racing heritage and expands the commercial reach of the program into a market dominated by established European manufacturers.