2007 Chevrolet Z06 Corvette
Hammering down the wispy blacktop byway threading its way among the sheer rock walls and thousand-foot dropoffs through California's Vallecito Mountains, I saw the built-in G-meter in the new Z06 Corvette peak at 1.22 lateral Gs. The occasion was marked only by a growing howl from the steamroller rear Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, letting me know they'd reached the limit of adhesion and were beginning to slide. Yet there was no lurid broadslide, no snap-oversteer with a need for huge steering corrections to avoid disaster, very little drama. Can any 65-grand sports car be this good? In a word, yes.
While the base car now sports the 400 hp LS2 engine from the last generation ZO6, the C6 Z06 gets a unique 427-cubic-inch LS7 engine: 7.0 liters, a rousing 505 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque. Redlined at 7000 rpm, its crankshaft and main bearing caps are forged steel; connecting rods are magnesium. A dry-sump oiling system with a two-gallon reservoir ensures a reliable flow of lubricant under high-G cornering.
The lofty specific output is achieved through the liberal application of premium materials and careful attention to airflow management. A big front air scoop feeds high-pressure, cool air to aluminum heads that feature straight intake runners, big titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhausts. A high 11:1 compression ratio helps squeeze maximum energy out of every hydrocarbon molecule. Tubular headers dump the spent exhaust into dual-path mufflers, each with a primary chamber to keep things quiet at low revs; a vacuum-controlled valve opens a second, low-restriction chamber for maximum power at higher engine speeds.
Significant chassis tweaks were made to the Z06 in the quest for optimal handling. The engine cradle and roof support are made of weight-saving magnesium. Hydroformed aluminum perimeter frame rails and carbon fiber wheelhouses and front fenders shave off additional pounds. The battery is relocated to the trunk to further improve weight distribution.
Stopping power is augmented by big 14-inch-diameter front brake rotors clamped by six-piston calipers wearing six pads each. Revised shock valving and thicker anti-roll bars complete the package.
Wider fenders wrap around the largest wheel/tire combinations ever offered on a Corvette-18x9.5-inch 10-spoke aluminum fronts are shod with 275/35 footwear; 19x12-inch rears wear 325/30 Z-rated rubber. Despite the wider bodywork and rolling stock, drag increases only to 0.31.
If an observer somehow manages to overlook the enormous tires and wheels, there are enough extra scoops, air inlets and bodywork tweaks to optimize airflow management for aerodynamics and powerplant, that the knowledgeable will instantly identify this as the ultimate Corvette. I expect traffic cops will quickly name this model as one of their all-time favorites among most-watched vehicles.
Inside, the Z06 shares the significantly improved interior of all C6 Corvettes. Materials are noticeably higher in quality and appearance. Instrument panel and door coverings are leather-like and seats are swathed in the real stuff. A smaller, three-spoke wheel is both attractive and allows more-precise corrections. ZO6 seats receive fixed side bolsters rather than power-adjustable and the passenger seat adjusts manually--more weight-saving measures. A navigation system and satellite radio with premium Bose sound system are available. Clearly the Corvette has grown up.
Handling is generally benign and shows few of the twitchy hallmarks that might be expected from a vehicle with very nearly a 6:1 power-weight ratio. Steering weighting is extremely good; perhaps not quite as scalpel-precise as, say, a Modena 360, but good nonetheless. Steering feel is also above average although I'd prefer more information about exactly what the front tires are doing at any given moment. Turn-in is crisp, body roll is negligible and this is one of the very few production street cars that feels equally at home on a race track.
When pushing hard, a savvy driver won't allow himself to become complacent. Up to about 7/10s, the car's so capable that even moderately talented drivers will feel like heroes. Lateral grip is so high that very few will ever experience more than a portion of the car's capabilities, at least on public roads. But driven at its admittedly substantial limits, the ZO6 always imparts the feeling that truly egregious errors won't necessarily be penalty-free.
Fortunately, a sophisticated stability-control system and traction control are on hand to lend assistance. Traction control can be shut off and SC system threshold is adjustable: normal. competition and it too can be shut off. Even with traction control engaged, it's possible to light the rear tires. With it off, you can spin the tires until the cords are showing. This would please Goodyear dealers no end.
The stability-control system is so capable that when test-driving a last-generation ZO6, it helped avert disaster when I rounded a narrow mountain curve on the Angeles Crest Highway north of Pasadena at retina-detaching speed--and found ourselves atop a vast sheet of solid ice. That kind of helpful electronic intervention isn't available on the $160,000 Ferrari, either.
The Slim Fast approach to car construction pays dividends, not that 505 hp isn't helpful. From rest, 60 mph is achieved in 3.7 seconds in first gear. Second is good for 90 mph, third for 120 and I saw 150 mph in fourth at redline before running out of room. The quarter mile is dispatched in 12.2 seconds at 122 mph. Massive torque makes shifting almost optional; the car will pull from just off idle to 150 mph in a seamless rush of acceleration--in fourth gear. In sixth I saw 24 mpg at a steady 85 mph, a remarkable achievement and due entirely to engine efficiency, low drag and an ultra-long top gear. A claimed 198 mph is available at redline in fifth gear, and I've no inclination to doubt it.
Aside from almost imperceptibly higher interior noise levels, in ride quality and tractability the ZO6 displays none of the temperamental behavior commonly found in 200 mph sports cars. There's enough suspension compliance that I managed to bottom-out the test car twice on an undulating desert two-lane, but only by flogging it at go-directly-to-jail velocities. Driven with restraint, it's little different in character than the base Corvette and I actually found ride quality superior to that of a Z51 coupe I also sampled at the Chevrolet press launch near Borrego Springs, east of San Diego. This is one of the few supercars that can actually be driven to the office each day. And the enormous 22 cubic feet of cargo room can easily swallow enough luggage for a cross-country jaunt with two aboard.
The sole complaint I have of the car is the awkwardly high placement of the brake pedal, making it impossible for average-size feet to heel-and-toe without contortions. A small point perhaps, but noticeable and irritating to find in a sports car billing itself as a world-class ride. John Heinricy and the development crew that tuned the suspension at the Nurburgring probably didn't notice this since it likely doesn't exist when the brakes are superheated and the pedal rides lower. But you'll spot it on the street, which is where most of these cars will spend their lives.
Still, with a base price of $65,000, the Corvette ZO6 is the performance bargain of the decade. There's literally nothing out there priced within 50 large that's remotely close. If you don't have that much to spend, I might suggest holding a fund raiser. Sell the house, if necessary.
