Strictly track-worthy cars for auto enthusiasts.

2023 Corvette Z06 Revealed

by Trackworthy,

Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The first-ever mid-engine Corvette Z06 promises to be the best performing Corvette ever offered to the general public. Powering the 2023 Z06 is the all-new LT6 5.5 litre naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V-8 engine. Horsepower is rated at 670 @ 8400 rpm and 460 lb/ft of torque @ 6300 rpm.

“Corvette has always brought a discerning customer to the Chevy family,” said Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet. “This new Z06 was designed and engineered to set a higher bar with increased levels of craftsmanship, personalization and performance so customers can truly have their own bespoke performance car.”

The LT6 engine is hand assembled at the Performance Build Center at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Each engine features a plaque on the intake manifold with the signature of the technician who built the engine from start to finish.

“The new Corvette Z06 defines the American supercar,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss. “It builds on the distinctive design and groundbreaking dynamics introduced with the mid-engine Corvette and elevates them to deliver refined but uncompromising track capability with world-class performance.”

The LT6 engine is hand assembled at the Performance Build Center at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Each engine features a plaque on the intake manifold with the signature of the technician who built the engine from start to finish.

“The new Corvette Z06 defines the American supercar,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss. “It builds on the distinctive design and groundbreaking dynamics introduced with the mid-engine Corvette and elevates them to deliver refined but uncompromising track capability with world-class performance.”

Like the Stingray, the Driver Mode Selector adjusts more than a dozen features of the Z06. The modes include:

  • Launch control: Available in Track mode for maximum off-the-line acceleration
  • Active handling (StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control)
  • Traction control: Weather mode tailors traction control and engine torque for driving in inclement conditions
  • Performance Traction Management: Available in Track mode, this offers five settings of torque reduction and brake intervention for track driving
  • Electronic Limited Slip Differential: Adjusts the rate at which the limited slip engages to balance between steering response and stability in different driving condition
“Racing was the reason the Z06 was developed in 1963, and it continues to support development of the road models that make them better on the street and the track,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “It also means we’ve tested the Z06 on the best tracks around the world, from Circuit of the Americas here in the United States, to the Nürburgring in Germany.”

2023 Corvette Z06 highlights include:

  • 3.6 inches (9.4 cm) wider than the Stingray
  • Unique front and rear fascias, a first for Z06
  • Standard reconfigurable rear spoiler with an adjustable wickerbill designed to improve high-speed stability and cornering capability on a racetrack
  • 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminum “spider” wheels with five available finishes, the largest wheels ever available on a production Corvette
  • Available lightweight carbon fiber wheels that reduce unsprung weight by 41 pounds (18.6-kg)
  • Specific suspension tuning, including Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, and larger brakes, six-piston front, than the Stingray
  • 8-speed dual-clutch transmission with shorter 5.56 final drive ratio compared to the Corvette Stingray, which improves acceleration
  • Available Z07 performance package that provides 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph, more than any previous Corvette. Included are carbon fiber high rear wing and ground effects, specific chassis tuning, specific Magnetic Ride Control calibration and unique Michelin Cup 2 R ZP tires with Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and optional carbon fiber wheels.
  • Dual-coil valve springs to support titanium intake and sodium filled exhaust valves
  • All-new six-stage dry-sump oiling system with individual crank bay scavenging
  • Four-into-two-into-one stainless steel exhaust headers
“Virtually every component that distinguishes the Z06 was developed to support or enhance its capability,” said Juechter. “By leveraging the mid-engine architecture’s inherent advantages, we are able to achieve six percent more downforce than a seventh-gen ZR1 at eight percent lower drag.”

Additional features of the Z07 Performance Package include:

  • Carbon fiber aero package with larger front splitter, front-corner dive planes, a rear wing and underbody strakes that enhance downforce
  • Unique FE7 suspension with specific Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 calibrations
  • Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP tires developed specifically for the Z06
  • Available carbon fiber wheels that deliver a 41-pound (18.6 kg) reduction in unsprung mass
  • Brembo carbon ceramic brake system featuring larger, 15.7-inch-diameter (398 mm) front rotors and 15.4-inch-diameter (391 mm) rear rotors
When equipped with the Z07 performance package in the track-prepared configuration on a 300-foot diameter circle, the Z06 is capable of 1.22 g’s of cornering grip.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

“To match its performance, the Z06 is an elevated execution of the eighth-generation design,” said Phil Zak, executive design director, Chevrolet. “From its wide planted stance with sculpted surfaces to its premium and carbon fiber materials, the Z06 instills an aura of raw power and performance with bespoke craftsmanship.”
Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Production of the 2023 Corvette Z06 is scheduled for the summer of 2022.

Leave a comment