General Motors Specialty Vehicles has launched the new 2026 Corvette Stingray R, a limited-run version of the brand’s coupe for Australia and New Zealand.
Priced from $235,000 before on-road costs, it’s almost $33,000 dearer than the Stingray 3LT coupe upon which it’s based, but the Stingray R has exclusivity – and unique features – on its side.
Limited to 50 examples with deliveries set to begin in January 2026, the Stingray R features a number of cosmetic changes inspired by the race-winning C8.R GT3 car, such as a carbon fibre roof, black side skirt extensions, 20-spoke gloss black forged aluminium wheels (19-inch front, 20-inch rear) with a red lip stripe, red brake calipers, and black exhaust tips.
There’s also a Stingray R-specific vinyl graphics package, while the Stingray R badge adorns the wheel centre caps. Carbon Flash badges, trim, mirrors and a spoiler can also be found, while buyers can choose between three exterior colours: Arctic White, Torch Red, and Blade Silver Metallic.
Under the bonnet there’s now an ‘engine appearance package’, which adds an edge red cover to the 6.2-litre V8, which continues to make 369kW and 673Nm, good enough to complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.9 seconds.
Inside the cabin, the interior is upholstered in Jet Black Nappa leather, while occupants get the racing-style GT2 seats, Torch Red seat belts, Stealth and carbon-fibre trim, plus a unique Stingray R build plate.
The Stingray R will be the first Corvette in Australia to adopt the new cabin design, which has seen a radical change to the dashboard and centre console, resulting in its unique vertical button arrangement moving to a far more compact panel, situated underneath the infotainment screen.
This has also allowed the central divider to adopt a semi-floating element, giving the interior slightly more light between the occupants. The central infotainment screen has grown to 12.7 inches from 8.0 inches, and gains Google built-in, allowing the direct download of multiple applications via the Google Play store.
In front of the driver, 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 now features, displaying additional vehicle information.
These updates will come to the core Corvette range – comprising the Stingray, E-Ray and Z06 – at a later time. It’s not yet known whether the updated model will cop a price increase alongside the new equipment.
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