Bam. The gearbox instantly drops into second and the revs shoot up in anticipation of the corner. Minimal movement of the wrists is required to thread the Corvette Z06 through the relatively tight right hander. The naturally aspirated V8 races towards its impressive crescendo as you plant your right foot on exiting the turn. A quick pull of the right-hand leaver and it instantly hits third gear, 4500rpm and rising quickly to the 8600rpm redline as you chase the horizon. Fourth; fifth. A left hand turn quickly approaches, the carbon ceramics pull the Z06 to heel, again down into second with the addictive explosion of each downshift, ready to repeat the trick. Minimal input, thread the steering, find the point at which you dare to get back onto the throttle.
We’re in Germany, zigzagging through hillside towns and passes near the Moselle River. There wasn’t a Corvette Z06 available in the UK, so I took the tough decision to jump on a plane to Frankfurt and drive across to Trier and back. Scenic countryside and plenty of Autobahn. The things you have to do…
Corvette Z06 power and performance
The sands of time stand still for no car and increasingly stringent emissions regulations have necessitated the deployment of turbo chargers and gas particulate filters (GPFs). Already in Europe, the power available from this, the C8 generation Corvette Z06, is down on what’s available to US customers. Not that it leaves you short changed. You get 650bhp in Europe, down from 670bhp in the US. There’s also 595Nm of torque available.
So, it’s not slow. A claimed 0-62mph time of 3.1secs wasn’t tested here. A top speed of 196mph was pursued if not conquered. Mid-February in Europe necessitated winter tyres and they’re not the best companions for the Corvette Z06 – more on them in the driving section.
This C8 generation of Corvette is the first to go mid-engined and that undoubtedly improves the balance of the car. At 1800Kg it isn’t lightweight, but nor is it overly bloated by today’s standards.
The engine is very much the centrepiece of the Corvette Z06 and the experience. Corvette made no secret of its benchmarking of the naturally aspirated V8 deployed by Ferrari in the 458. The 458 was Ferrari’s last naturally aspirated V8 and is widely considered one of its best. As part of the R&D process with the Z06, the folks at Chevrolet examined the 458’s unit closely. They found one for sale in Eastern Europe, gambled $20,000 on it being shipped over and waited. The engine turned up, the research got underway and here we are. A final hurrah for the naturally aspirated V8? Chevrolet did all they could to go out all guns blazing.
Living with the Corvette Z06
If you want to go quietly about your business, I suggest that the Corvette Z06 isn’t for you. If you don’t see it coming, you’ll certainly hear it. There was carbon everywhere on the model tested, from the splitters to the wheels. The carbon rear wing makes an incredibly bold statement, too. This isn’t a car for the faint of heart.
Yet, like all modern sports/super cars (I don’t really know where the line between the two is these days), it offers a slice of GT comfort and practicality. Across 650km of driving, the seats proved to be supremely comfortable, without so much as a hint of a backache. 90mins in a plane seat on the way home underlined this; my back couldn’t wait to get off.
The only hindrance is the lack of storage space in the cabin. There are two cupholders and a shallow centre console storage space, then small door bins. With the various bottles and sweet packets necessary for a grand tour of Germany, it soon became cluttered.
The cabin is also exclusively driver focussed. As a passenger, reaching across to input sat nav instructions requires a fair bit of effort. I quite like it, though. Driving is certainly more important a task than being driven, so having everything within easy reach feels like a sensible way to go.
Given the plethora of exterior carbon, the Corvette Z06 thankfully does the driver assistance stuff well. The front overview camera is particularly useful when parking, helping to avoid any expensive repair bills.
So, we have a car with serious intent which can tick off the daily work surprisingly well. This, however, isn’t why anyone would buy a Corvette Z06.
What’s the Corvette Z06 like to drive?
From the pleasingly baritone grumble upon startup to the howling crescendo at the redline, the Corvette Z06 doesn’t disappoint. You can’t help but pop it manual mode and use the (carbon, obviously) paddles to dance between the gears. The gearbox is a real standout feature of the driving experience, giving instant shifts on demand and encouraging you to interact with the car.
You can leave it in tour mode and, with everything slackened off, roadside manner is good. This is highlighted by a foray through the driving modes; in sport and track everything can get a little too jiggly on imperfect surfaces. On track, these would no doubt elevate the experience.
One advantage of Germany is its derestricted sections of Autobahn. Too often in the UK you plant your right foot only to immediately back off in order to protect your licence. Cars such as the Corvette Z06 can then resemble caged animals, determined but unable to offer more.
The way it kept pulling was deeply impressive. This is a car with a seemingly bottomless well of power to call upon. The revs and the speed rising with alarming haste, the only constraints were my nerves and the road surface.
At high speeds you notice a lot of movement, even in tour mode. The model tested was on winter tyres (February in Europe) which I’m sure played a part in compromising the overall stability. You could feel the car searching for grip. How relevant the car performing well at north of 165mph is, however, a moot point.
What is relevant is the consistency and ease of its power delivery. Even in that rarefied air, there was a sense of a car at ease in what it was doing. The only limitations existed beyond the boundaries of its control.
What’s the Corvette Z06 like to drive on the twisty stuff?
The old cliché has it that US cars come undone on B-roads. I think we can probably consign that to history now. I was impressed with the standard C8 Corvette in this respect and the Corvette Z06 is even better balanced. The way it shifts its weight through corners is impressive; there’s barely a hint of body roll.
We’re back to the tyres, though. As with the C8 Stingray, there remains a suspicion that warm, dry roads and summer tyres would absolutely transform the driving experience. On switchback hillside roads, which were mostly damp, the Corvette Z06 was quick to break traction at the rear. Nothing unruly or unmanageable, but with all that power it encouraged circumspection in me, an ordinary driver.
There were times, too, when it felt like falling prey to understeer. Given the time of year and the conditions, you’d have been mad to opt for summer tyres, but the patches of dry tarmac left you yearning for them. The way you could power out of corners and trust the balance inherent in the Z06 would only be amplified. The setup is clearly there for it. The brakes possess almighty stopping power (carbon ceramics as tested) although can be a touch aggressive in town. The steering, whilst sharp, doesn’t provide much feedback, that being communicated to you via the seat of your pants instead.
The Corvette Z06 is also a refined cruising companion. You don’t need to drive it all out to enjoy it. Take the roof off (there was a bit of sunshine!) and it’s a wonderful seat from which to enjoy the spectacular views afforded by the Rhine and Moselle. It’s only when you notice the inhabitants of the next picturesque town gawping at it that you remember what you’re driving.
Conclusion
Whilst I don’t have the specific price for this Z06, looking at other examples in the dealership we collected it from, it was most likely north of £180,000. The standard car was around £110,000 when we tested it two years ago.
At £110,000 it’s something of a bargain. You can get it in right hand drive and I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of them. To pick Porsche and its 911 range as the barometer of European sports cars, opting for the C8 over a base 911 Carrera feels like an option well worth considering.
Taking things up to c.£180,000 brings the Corvette Z06 in line with some seriously stiff competition. You can get a 911 GTS or GT3 for that sort of money (I’m including options here because Porsche). At this point, the choice becomes hard. Is the Corvette Z06, then, a car that you’d really have to want in order to justify buying?
Probably. But then, it’s a car you should really want. That this will all but certainly live on as the most powerful production naturally aspirated V8 of all time speaks to the shifting sands of the automotive industry. Simply, they won’t make cars like this again. We should rejoice in the fact that a car like the Corvette Z06 exists at all.
It’s a wonderful machine, brimming with purpose and intent. It’s showy up to the right point, with no manufactured pops and bangs, just visual shock and awe and a basic delight in chasing the redline.
I enjoyed the attention, the aesthetics and the noise. Running it down the Autobahn was a delight, being able to explore Germany in it was a treat. And, if you want one in the UK, you can have one. Lumen Automotive and Arnold Clark are offering them now.