It might be the ludicrously wide-and-wavy carbon fibre rear wing that gets people. Cyclists give you the thumbs-up and high-school children jump in front of the car in slow traffic, asking nicely if they can take a picture; a full walkaround and then they thank you again. Children are very polite these days.
Any Corvette is an attention-grabber, but it’s clear the Z06 is on another level. Think of the Stingray as the, ahem, normal one, the E-Ray as the grand tourer and the Z06 as the track-capable machine. It's a supercar, really.
That rear wing is functional of course, as are the front winglets that stick out so far they’re begging to be snapped off on a kerb.
The suspension package necessitates a 90mm increase in width; so there’s revised bodywork (shared with the Corvette E-Ray) that also helps with the improved aerodynamics. Big wheels, big brakes. Big attitude.
The bits underneath are just as impressive. The engine bears no relationship to the 6.2-litre V8 you find in a Stingray or E-Ray. Instead, the Z06 has a race-derived 5.5-litre that also happens to be the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8.
That rear wing is functional of course, as are the front winglets that stick out so far they’re begging to be snapped off on a kerb.
Even more nerdily important is that it’s a flat-plane crank V8, as opposed to the cross-plane configuration of the 6.2-litre (and most other road-car V8s). Flat-what huh? While a cross-plane V8 fires a cylinder every 180 degrees of rotation, a flat-plane goes every 90deg because it’s essentially two 4-cylinder engines fused together. A flat-plane also fires symmetrically, left-to-right-to-left-to-right, whereas a cross-plane doesn’t.
Advantages: a flat-plane crank engine can spin faster and higher, and is easier to tune to extreme numbers, which is why it’s ideal for racing. Why don’t most V8 road cars have them? You lose low-down torque, you lose a lot of the cool soundtrack (at least until the flat-plane is really working) and durability can be compromised.
The Z06 is not as insane as it sounds on paper. The ride is hard, yes, but in Tour (the Corvette’s version of “comfort”) it’s tolerable.
So let’s save it for the crazy racing-car-for-the-road models. Like this one.
That should help explain why the Z06 costs a staggering $61k more than even the E-Ray (which happens to be a snip faster to 100km/h, by the way), at a start price of $346,000. With lots of optional carbon fibre bits, special wheels and track-appropriate carbon ceramic brakes, our car totalled $412,110.
It’s unique in the lineup, a true racer in character and chassis-ability that just happens to have number plates attached.
On first acquaintance, the Z06 is not as insane as it sounds on paper. The ride is hard, yes, but in Tour (the Corvette’s version of “comfort”) it’s tolerable. And while you don’t get that lovely woofly V8 sound at low speed, nor is the soundtrack from the 5.5-litre intrusive or unpleasant.
Aside from the standard drive settings there's also "Z Mode", reachable with a dedicated button on the steering wheel, that allows individualised customisation of the car's steering, powertrain and suspension.
You can even mount vehicle entrances without freaking out about all that front aero, thanks to the standard-issue Corvette front axle lifter: it’s quick and if you want it to, it will use GPS to remember where to deploy.
But the Z06 is not for tootling around town, of course. We’ve had it on track in Australia and it’s there you really see where the money goes. It’s unique in the lineup, a true racer in character and chassis-ability that just happens to have number plates attached.
And therein lies the problem as a road car. Where and how do you use it?
Docile as it might feel in gentle driving, it will storm up to 8600rpm (the redline is 2000rpm higher than the 6.2-litre) at ferocious speed with an incredible, wailing soundtrack; all the action is up the top, with peak power at 8400rpm and maximum torque at 6300rpm. Phenomenal.
It’s also a fact that even in second gear, you’ll be doing 100km/h-plus before the engine is even starting to hit its stride. Or more to the point, delivering what you paid all that money for.
Same goes for the chassis, which is really only showing you what it can do at ridiculous speeds. It feels like you’re risking a lot to even begin to explore what this car is capable of.
The Z06 is the pinnacle of Corvette powertrain and dynamic development in the local lineup (there’s an even crazier ZR1 in the US, believe it or not, but it’s turbocharged... so less of a purist machine) and it demands track use. The former might make it appealing as a thing to own and appreciate, and you’ll know whether the latter is something you’re into. But if neither apply to your potential Corvette purchase, we’d suggest you cast an eye the E-Ray’s way.
How much is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06?
The Z06 is the pinnacle of the Corvette range in NZ in many ways... especially price. It's $346,000 plus whatever accessories you can't resist. The as-tested total for our car was $412,110.
What are the key statistics for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06?
The race-derived 5.5-litre engine is the world's most powerful naturally aspirated V8, making 475kW/595Nm. It drives through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and being a purist performance/track car, it's rear-drive of course.
Is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 efficient?
Not in the least. What were you expecting? The official Rightcar figure is 20.2l/100km and during our test we were often into the mid-20l bracket.
Is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 good to drive?
It's a phenomenal machine in so many respects, as long as you accept that it's a long way towards being a racing car for the road. So its abilities go far beyond what's possible to use on public roads.
Is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 practical?
For a circuit-ready supercar, surprisingly so. There's storage front and rear (although the boot is mostly filled by the roof section if you choose to remove it), visibility is pretty good from the low-slung cabin and you need not fear aggressive driveway entrances, with a GPS-enabled front-axle lifter.
What do we like about the Chevrolet Corvette Z06?
It looks sensational, as an engineering exercise it's a thing to truly appreciate, and it's still useable in day-to-day driving.
What don’t we like about the Chevrolet Corvette Z06?
You can't truly enjoy what the engine and chassis have to offer on the road, the flat-plane crank V8 doesn't sound that great at low speed and while you could argue it's good value for those who can afford it, $400k-plus still seems like a crazy amount of money.
What kind of person would the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 suit?
Somebody who appreciates the engineering achievement and motorsport credentials, but also intends to actually use the Z06 on the track.
