Now that we have the C8 Corvette Stingray and the Bugatti Chiron, I hope we get Gr. 3 versions of them.
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Bugatti Chiron Gr. 3
Bugatti's long-awaited contender in the GT World Series' Manufacturers' Cup.
The Chiron was based on the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept machine that was essentially a race-inspired pre-production prototype of this car, being inspired by LMP1 machines, which even spawned a Gr. 1 version ever since the release of Gran Turismo Sport. For several years, Bugatti have been missing out on the action in the Gran Turismo World Series' Manufacturers Cup after only having the Veyron Gr. 4 in its fleet of race cars. Originally, the Vision Gran Turismo was to have a Gr. 3 version, before it was reconsidered for Gr. 1.
While Bugatti have been a fearsome name in motorsport in the pre-war era, in its native France and the rest of Europe, the company have participated in grand touring races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994 with the EB110, although the car did not see much success.
That wait is finally over with the new Chiron Gr. 3. In order to meet Gr. 3 regulations, the car had to be reimagined as a grand tourer race car as opposed to the almost prototype-like design and purpose of the Vision Gran Turismo in the Gr. 1 class, taking inspiration from the Chiron Pur Sport and the EB110 LM. This meant that the car had to be converted to rear-wheel drive, with a new MR layout, and that the quad-turbocharged W16 engine was considerably detuned, yet powerful enough to hold its own against its rivals within the category.
The car also went through serious weight reduction through means of cutting out every bit of luxury without remorse, and also by giving it a race-ready interior, as well as a variety of other performance parts and upgrades which were permitted to make it competitive in the Gr. 3 class.
One can dream of Bugatti reclaiming their glory days of racing in the modern age, and this machine will help make this dream come true in Sport mode races and the Manufacturers Cup.
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R '20
The Corvette C8.R marks the end of an era as it is one of the last few surviving GTE cars in the IMSA and FIA WEC.
As soon as the Corvette C8 Stingray was unveiled to the world in 2019, Corvette Racing, with the assistance of Pratt & Miller, were also hard at work creating what would be the successor to the aging Corvette C7.R which was a staple in FIA WEC and IMSA racing in the LM GTE Pro and GTLM class. As the C8 was the first Corvette generation to break away completely from tradition with a new mid-engined layout, this meant that the new race car followed the same principles.
The end result is the Corvette C8.R. As opposed to the 6.2-litre V8 OHV from the original car, a new 5.5-litre V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft was used in place, producing more than 500 horsepower. While it had a strong showing on home soil in IMSA races in its inaugural year of competition, taking the constructors' title that year, the global pandemic stopped it from competing overseas in the FIA WEC (especially at Le Mans), and only raced at Circuit of the Americas that year.
The following year saw the C8.R's repeated success in IMSA yet again but with it being a very subtle runner in the FIA WEC, only being able to run in the 6 Hours of Spa and ended up being the runner-up at Le Mans that year.
2022 was a severe blow to the C8.R as in IMSA, the GTLM class was abolished altogether in favor of the GTD (Grand Touring Daytona) category for GT3 cars, which meant that while there were no factory Corvettes that raced in the GT3 class other than those created by Callaway back then, the car was easily converted into a GTD model, which hampered its performance due to BoP adjustments. The C8.R would see its only victory in the FIA WEC at the 6 Hours of Monza after a heartbreaking accident at Le Mans which cost the C8.R its potential class win, after it was rammed by an oncoming LMP2.
As many more racing series are shifting to FIA GT3 vehicles, the Corvette C8.R will be remembered as one of the last few surviving cars in the category, but also one of the most iconic as well.
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