A racecar in street clothes
If you're really serious about the ''fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors,'' this report about the Corvette Z06 will probably be old hat to you, even though it's supposed to have been a secret until just now.
For various confusing reasons the Z06 has been splashed around the digital and print world quite a bit already without Chevrolet's permission (unless you're an American who loves conspiracy theories), though some people have been wondering if they're getting the straight goods. Well, let us put your mind to rest by presenting the straight goods on the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
Generally speaking, the Z06 is more of a toned-down version of the next Corvette race car than a souped-up version of the new Corvette street car. That ought to help you understand why Z06 is indeed the fastest and most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors, using an ''unprecedented level of capability and technology'' and turning into ''one of the greatest performance values on the market.''
Furthermore, the car has ''an unmistakably muscular appearance,'' which gives the '06 Z06 a ''visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette's winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.''
Chevrolet took a lot of what it learned from its hugely successful Corvette racing team and jammed it into the new Z06. ''The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing,'' says Hill. ''It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials.''
The new Z06 uses a 7-litre V-8 to generate 500 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque in a package that weighs about 1,420 kg and is therefore expected to deliver a 0-100 kmh time of less -- LESS -- than four seconds. It will also do a quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds, and should deliver a top speed of more than 300 kmh on a racetrack.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, Hill explains, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, ''but they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing -- everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics.''
What the engineers developed was a totally unique vehicle that has its own powertrain, body structure and chassis system which are distinct from other Corvette models. In fact, the Z06 has a different body structure compared to other production Corvette models.
Hill says that the technical specifications for the '06 Z06 ''read like the blueprint of a champion.'' They include:
If you're really serious about the ''fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors,'' this report about the Corvette Z06 will probably be old hat to you, even though it's supposed to have been a secret until just now.
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Generally speaking, the Z06 is more of a toned-down version of the next Corvette race car than a souped-up version of the new Corvette street car. That ought to help you understand why Z06 is indeed the fastest and most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors, using an ''unprecedented level of capability and technology'' and turning into ''one of the greatest performance values on the market.''
Furthermore, the car has ''an unmistakably muscular appearance,'' which gives the '06 Z06 a ''visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette's winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.''
Chevrolet took a lot of what it learned from its hugely successful Corvette racing team and jammed it into the new Z06. ''The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing,'' says Hill. ''It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials.''
The new Z06 uses a 7-litre V-8 to generate 500 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque in a package that weighs about 1,420 kg and is therefore expected to deliver a 0-100 kmh time of less -- LESS -- than four seconds. It will also do a quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds, and should deliver a top speed of more than 300 kmh on a racetrack.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, Hill explains, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, ''but they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing -- everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics.''
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Hill says that the technical specifications for the '06 Z06 ''read like the blueprint of a champion.'' They include:
- an LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components
- 500 hp at 6200 rpm
- 475 lb.-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm
- a 7000-rpm redline
- titanium connecting rods and intake valves
- a dry-sump engine lubrication system
- an engine hand-built at GM's new Performance Build Center
- aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle
- fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
- carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
- unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter
- wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
- 355-mm cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 340-mm cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
- 18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires
- 76-mm-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips
- engine, transmission and differential oil coolers, and a steering cooler
- rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
- unique interior features including revised gauge cluster, lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
- 76 mm wider than other Corvette models