The 2026 Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour entry list has pushed beyond the 30-car mark for the first time since 2020, with the field now featuring GT3, GT4 and Invitational entries and more than ten brands expected on the grid. Eight GT3 manufacturers are already confirmed: BMW, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren and Corvette are all set to take the start on the early morning of 15 February 2026.

International GT3 depth grows

Corvette will finally make its Bathurst debut with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, entered by General Motors Australia and New Zealand together with Corvette Racing. It will be the first appearance for the Z06 GT3.R at Mount Panorama and indeed on Australian soil, adding a major new factory-backed brand to the outright fight.

McLaren returns to the outright battle for the first time since 2020 via Optimum Motorsport, which brings a full-Pro line-up of Garnet Patterson, Ben Barnicoat and Marvin Kirchhöfer. All three have prior Bathurst experience and recent GT success, and the British squad is targeting a follow-up to their only Bathurst 12 Hour victory in 2016.

Porsche’s ranks have been boosted by two European teams making their Bathurst debuts. Italian-Ukrainian outfit Tsunami RT will field a Porsche 911 GT3R in the Bronze class, building on recent Asian Le Mans Series and International GT Open campaigns. Danish squad High Class Racing has also confirmed a Porsche 911 GT3R, likewise entered in Bronze and carrying a red-and-white livery that nods to classic Porsche designs. Chinese driver Kerong Li is the first named in their line-up.

Chinese outfit KRC has added further international strength with its BMW M4 GT3. The team joins a growing list of overseas entries heading for the Mountain.

Local contenders lock in programmes

Among the Australian squads, Scott Taylor Motorsport has lodged one of the headline Pro entries with its #222 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Prepared by Ash Seward Motorsport, the car will be driven by an all-Supercars trio of Chaz Mostert, Cameron Waters and Thomas Randle as STM chases an outright win on home soil after several strong previous campaigns.

GWR/RAM Motorsport’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 programme returns to the Mountain for the first time in four years, adding to the depth of local GT3 entries and expanding GWR’s footprint alongside their Vantage Racing KTM X-Bow GT2 project.

Wall Racing will be back with its much-loved Lamborghini Huracán GT3, aiming for a rare Bathurst three-peat in the Silver class after victories in both 2024 and 2025. The Adrian Deitz-owned car finished ninth outright this year to go with class honours, and the Sydney squad is already working on refining the package further for 2026.

Ferrari’s charge continues with Arise Racing GT, which returns after a spectacular 2025 debut for the Ferrari 296 GT3. The Perth team claimed Pro-Am class victory – and ran in overall contention late in the race – and will come back next February looking to build on that performance and bring Ferrari its third Bathurst win.

Hong-Kong-based Craft-Bamboo Racing has also confirmed its return with a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries. The team is still finalising its driver line-ups but has made clear that its target is nothing short of an outright Bathurst victory.

Family entry headlines Bronze and Pro-Am intrigue

One of the most talked-about additions is a unique all-family Audi R8 LMS GT3 entry for Tony, Kent, Klark and Ryder Quinn. Run by Melbourne Performance Centre, the car will see three generations sharing driving duties in what is believed to be a first for Bathurst, with the focus firmly on finishing rather than outright result.

Together with the Tsunami RT and High Class Racing Porsches, Craft-Bamboo’s Pro-Am Mercedes-AMG effort, and the expanding local programmes, the Bronze and Pro-Am sub-classes within GT3 are shaping up as intensely competitive races within the race, adding extra depth behind the outright Pro contenders.

Invitational class with returning winner

The first 2026 entry in the Invitational class is Vantage Racing, as the local team returns with its KTM X-Bow GT2. After three years of frustration, the David Crampton-owned car finally broke through for an emotional class victory in 2025. Crampton will be back alongside regular team-mates Glen Wood and Trent Harrison as they chase back-to-back Invitational wins, once again running with GWR Australia.

GWR will double up by also preparing the RAM Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 for its first Bathurst start since 2022.

GT4 entries add further depth

While no specific GT4 teams or driver line-ups have yet been confirmed, GT4 entries from ten different manufacturers are expected to further broaden the grid.

With more announcements expected before Christmas and entries not closing until early January, the 2026 grid is already on course to be the biggest and most diverse Bathurst 12 Hour field since 2020 – and it is still growing.

Click here for the full 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour entry list.