2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Brings the Track to the Street

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is here.

And on paper, it appears to be bad-ass in ways worthy of the Z06 designation.

The track-focused Z06 starts with wider front and rear fascias and a front splitter. The car shares its chassis with Corvette Racing’s C8.R, and the Z06 has a 3.6-inch wider stance than the Corvette Stingray. This allows for the use of 345mm rear tires. Additional side vents increase airflow.

The front fascia channels intake air to a central heat exchanger, which is one of five such units. Standard is a reconfigurable rear spoiler with an adjustable wickerbill.

Standard wheels are 20 inches in front and 21 in the rear, with carbon-fiber wheels available. The brakes are bigger than Stingray’s and get six-piston front calipers, and the suspension is specifically tuned. That includes the magnetic ride control.

Power gets to ground via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission and the final-drive ratio is 5.56. A Z07 Performance Package is optional and includes a carbon-fiber rear wing, ground effects, specific chassis tuning, specific magnetic ride control tuning, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, available carbon-fiber wheels, and Michelin Cup 2 R ZP tires. Chevy claims this package can give the car up to 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph.

By now you’re likely screaming at me to tell you about the engine, so I shall oblige. The LT6 5.5-liter dual-overhead-cam V8 is naturally aspirated, has a flat-plane crank and an 8,600-rpm redline, a dry-sump oil system, short strokes, aluminum cylinder block, aluminum pistons, forged titanium connecting rods, active split intake manifold with twin 87mm throttle bodies, four-to-two-to-one stainless steel exhaust headers, and a power output of 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.

An available carbon-fiber aero package adds a larger front splitter and underbody aero strakes, as well as a pedestal-based rear wing and front-corner dive planes.

Modern track-focused cars include electronic aids, and the Z06 is no exception, featuring launch control, an electronically limited-slip differential, and performance traction management.

Production is set to begin next summer in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and this ‘Vette is going global, as both left-hand and right-hand drive versions will be built.

Chevrolet didn’t list a price in the press release, but we’d wager that it will be close to, if not over, six figures to start.

[Images: Chevrolet]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • Ol Shel Ol Shel on Oct 27, 2021

    I still think that Corvette is supposed to be a sports car/muscle car hybrid, and that mid engine doesn't allow that. Very few people ever drive a Corvette hard through corners. I know that The magazines insist on comparing it to the 911 and Cayman, but it never really needed to compete with those cars. It could have remained the ornery, tire-smoking -and still fun in the twisties- American classic it was. Now it's a legit competitor with the best the world has to offer. How many extra sales will it get around the globe? Not enough to justify the expense and change. And an auto transmission?! Is recoding TikToks during your commute really that important?

    • See 5 previous
    • W126 W126 on Oct 29, 2021

      @ajla I think you would enjoy a Ferrari Roma.

  • Jeff S Jeff S on Oct 28, 2021

    Not interested in this so I will not praise it or criticize it. Appears to be more than capable for those who are desiring a car along the lines of a Lambo or Ferrari but at a more affordable price.

  • Varezhka Of all the countries to complain about WTO rules violation, especially that related to battery business…
  • Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
  • Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
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