For the first time in the history of the Indy 500, a 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible will serve as the pace car for the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
This year’s Corvette Z06 Convertible pace car was designed by the Chevy Performance Design Studio. Special lighting elements have been integrated into the aggressive bodywork of the C8 Z06, most notably into the Carbon Flash-painted nacelles (RPO code D84) behind the passenger compartment. The intention was to give the pace car a tasteful and premium appearance while it fulfills its responsibilities both on-and-off the racetrack. Of course, this model is also equipped with the high-performance Z07 track package.
“We are honored to be pacing the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 with the Corvette Z06 convertible,” Global Chevrolet vice president Scott Bell was quoted as saying. “Chevy and Indycar share the same spirit of competition, and we are proud Z06 will lead the pack across the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
This particular pace car is finished in Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat (color code GPH) paint, paired with a two-tone Jet Black and Sky Cool Gray interior colorway with Torch Red accents and seat belts. Bespoke dual Black racing stripes with Bronze accenting run the length of the body, while spider-design forged aluminum wheels finished in Tech Bronze (RPO code 5DK) round out the design.
“As we celebrate the rich history of the Corvette Pace Car at IMS, it’s amazing to see the evolution of these cars on and off the track,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles was quoted as saying. “The hardtop convertible on the 2023 Corvette Z06 is just another example of the Chevrolet innovation that translates from track to street.”
It’s worth noting that the Corvette and the Indy 500 have a long history together. In fact, the last Vette to be featured as the official pace car was another 2023 Corvette Z06 equipped with the 70th Anniversary Edition for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500.
The 107th Indy 500 will go green on Sunday, May 28th.
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Comments
Why did Chevy show 50 Sharkskin color Camaro festival cars last week and then use an ugly Red Mist colored Corvette? Chevy should have let Camaro Enjoy the honor one last time as the official Pace Car. They could have at least have both cars share the same paint scheme.
will then engine fail on the pace laps?
will we ever see a non corvette pace car? or bring back off the wall paint schemes like 95 & 98 corvette
There were Pontiacs and Oldsmobile pace cars in the past. Do a search.
MSRP on a (official) Pace Car replica? Ya know you want one!
Another year of no Pace Car replicas available for the public to purchase. What an injustice to those of us who collected these vehicles over the years. The last one made available for purchase was 2008. The last excuse I had heard from GM insiders was the cost to transport the vehicles by train to and from wherever for special graphics was too much to justify. Ugh, you can pass that cost on to the customer if you like. You can also keep that work in-house. Look at what you allowed dealerships to do now with the current generation. The markup has been astronomical since the first 2020’s to the current ZO6. Without getting into arguments on whether they are justified or not, I just want to see Pace Cars make a reappearance for the public to buy again.
I like it.