Corvette Z06 Details

World-class engineering and vision are making this Z06 the talk of the automotive world. It is about time for GM to release it's car-nut/engineers on other brands, such as the Pontiac GTO. That LS7 belongs in a special GTO Model, called, hmmm....let me see....a Judge?

C6 Z06 24 Hour Test

http://www.corvettequarterlymagazine.com/Media/MediaManager/SummerZ06Testing_5.pdf

Unleash the C6 boys on the GTO and keep the beancounters and out-of- touch GM execs out of it. So what if it costs 35-40k. The GTO should be in a class by itself, not another GM Rental car look alike.

I agree that the Z06 is an enginnering and technical triumph for GM. I think the C5 version Z06 and now the C6 version Z06 are fantastic performers at their price points. They are not for everyone. The trickle down phenomenon of offering some of their technology in more readily available and hence moderately priced vehicles is a good idea. The Pontiac GTO, and updated and modern version of the Buick GranSport or Chevrolet Chevelle with the engine and perhaps the 6 speed manual transmission would be a welcome fantasy come true for many car enthusiasts. I welcome the day when I can walk into a GM brand showroom and see legacy nameplates from the past with modern but clearly defined lineage exteriors, awesome interiors, and the performance minded drivetrains such as the C6 Z06 . These would be homeruns at every introduction. Just do it.

So the Z06 is what I'd buy if I had the money, hands down.

But can it do 200mph?

That's what I really want to know.

Another fantastic job by the Corvette Team. Congrats to Dave and crew on a job well done!

Excellent job Corvette team!! Now when can I drive one. :-)

Let's see how interested the public is in the Z06 when the dealers get finished adding "their price" onto the MSRP. It was the same with the Corvette C6 and the SSR. Now, the people they insulted have gone to other brands. The dealers are a big part of GMs current problems...

Diane –

I see GM sent a letter to Pontiac dealers reminding them not to ‘price gouge’ customers on the new Solstice, so hopefully Chevy dealers will get the message as well. Typically when a new Corvette model or pace car comes out Chevy dealers typically add $10,000 to $15,000 to the price of the car. Ridiculous!

I agree that many GM dealers are part of the current problem. There outdated business models, inability to attract and employ quality individuals – especially in service departments – is a huge problem.

Lack of product knowledge by the salesman is disappointing as well. On a recent trip to a Pontiac dealer to inquire about a Grand Prix GXP a salesman told me the car did not exist and insisted on showing me a Bonneville on the showroom floor. I walked him outside to show him the dealer had one in stock! How embarrassing for him.

Between that and some dealers selling Kia’s right next to Chevrolets… Enough said.

Ted

GM is not the only automaker with a mish mash dealer network. Consumer magazines have regularly rated Toyota as having rock bottom dealers.
Of course the stock answer is dealers are independent businessmen. Why do manufacturers sell cars to the bozo dealers? I have no idea and no one is talking.

One more time for the world: GM is making better cars. If they wish to set a high price for their best, so be it.

Now, GM, are you ever going explain what you are doing about the __rest__ of the GM experience?

I drove both the C5 Z06 and Z51 C6 at Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch. I felt the C6 may have been "over-engineered". It tried to correct for my mistakes. And the C5 did have several more hp and lb-ft of torque, so it was not a true apples-apples comparison. With the C6 Z06 it may be more like an apples-applesauce comparison. 95 more hp and about 90 more lb-ft of torque? That's sick. I'll have to go back when they get the C6 Z06.

Also, I strongly encourage GM to continue the support the Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch. It's probably the one place in America for the Corvette owner/enthusiast to get the "most of of his/her Corvette" and to "learn the product". It was an absolute thrill! Porsche owners can also learn a thing or two there.

Dear Everyone:
My dealer already has orders for the Z06 for $10k plus over sticker, or so he says. Z06 pricing is already a mistake. Maybe the next one will be Toyota or keep my old 02. $65k, they must be nuts. If you want something affordable from the American Revolution according to GM it will be made in China. Give me an American made and affordable high performance car. It looks like it will be Toyota, Nissan/Infiniti, or maybe even Kia/Hyundai.

Hands down the C6 Z06 is outstanding. I sold my C5 just to buy the new Z06 when it becomes available. Now if the dealers put mark-ups on the msrp i will be waiting alittle longer because i refuse to pay over msrp for any car. Some will pay over sticker but hopefully not to many which will stop that dealer mark-up. Look what happened to the Ford-GT,,first dealers wanted 250k now you can find them for 190's. By next year they will be at msrp for below. Dodge did the same with the Viper. Only time will tell.

Finally, they've got the steering wheel design right. Those ugly 4 spoke steering wheel just ain't gonna cut it. IHMO.

Now if they would only fix the front end to give it more of a sinister Vette-look (i.e. concealed headlights), make the body design sleeker/less tall, and get rid of the faux aluminum plastic interior components, I might be interested.

I'm ready for a ZO6, but only if GM offers it with a removeable roof. Alternatively, and I think a better idea, offer the ZO6 drivetrain in the coupe and convertible with the Z51. It will do fine for those of us who don't need the carbon fiber fenders, but do need something to soon to counteract the soon to arrive 450-500 hp Shelby Cobra.

Michael Guy would you pay the same price for a standard C-6 with the ZO-6 power train as the ZO-6 costs? If not how many Z0-6s would they sell if the ZO-6 power train was available at a lower price in a standard C-6,not many i would guess.

I asked this question of Dave Hill personally prior to the 50th anniversary release, and I still don't understand why there are "no plans." I don't think anyone would mind if the Z06 had a targa roof for the same price. ZR-1 owners still have this advantage over their Z06 counterparts, yet despite a 450% improvement in structural rigidity from C4 to C5 we only get a fixed roof for the top dog?

Would people pay another $10k-$15k for the LS7 in a convertible? Oh yes. Would it overshadow the Z06 targa? No more than the current convertible overshadows the coupe.

My 2001 convertible puts 405hp to the rear wheels, close to the new Z06's output (which should be around 430rwhp). It's too bad I couldn't get it from GM that way, but Corvette enthusiasts will get the power we want one way or another. For now, I'm not even giving the Z06 a second thought until it's available in an alternate top configuration.

I dont know if anyone on this blog caught it, but the Vette TROUNCED the competition at Lemans one week ago.

Ferrari, and Aston Martin were NO match!
Other comments?
Brian

Dave Sweet, just so you know it's not always about horsepower. The new Z06 has SO many advantages over the coupe or convertible all meant to work together in harmony. One of the primary things are the brakes, which are much better than the standard car with a Z51 pkg. Handling (shocks, bars, etc.) is something else. If you want to go fast in a straight line that's okay, but the Z06 is a pure road racing car, built to be structurally the stiffest and lightest it can be within reason. Dave and the boys don't want to compromise by giving people a whole lot of HP but not the rest of the package. If you want that then buy and install the aftermarket mods on your coupe/vert which appears to be what you have done. Congrats on the RWHP but a 2001 Z06 will still take you any day on a road course!

Bill,

I didn't intend to suggest that the coupes and convertibles get ONLY the LS7 engine. Whatever components of the Z06 package can be squeezed in within the mass and packaging constraints is okay with me, and you betcha I'd want those bad-boy binders and suspension with it too. I figured those were a given. The aluminum chassis would be a huge plus but it isn't essential.

Not everybody wants a hardtop, lightweight racer with their 505hp 427's, and not everybody plans to campaign their cars on a road course, though it is arguably where you can put the Z06's abilities to best use. But would I, and would others still buy a Z06 convertible if it cost $10k more than a Z06 hardtop, weighed 200lbs more, was 0.2 seconds slower in the quarter, 0.5 seconds slower around a road course, and stopped 5 feet longer than a Z06 hardtop? Oh yes! When you want a convertible those things are insignificant. The pieces are all there in the Bowling Green bin, and how rare, exquisite and awesome would a Z06 427 convertible be? A ragtop that'll do 11.8 from the factory! Sign me up please! Of course, it probably won't happen and it'll be left to guys like Lingenfelter, MTI and Callaway to deliver it to us at much lower volumes and much higher prices. It also won't have the long-term value that it would have had if GM had done it.

I have a convertable C6 with the Z51 package. All I can say is I hope the C6-ZO6 sounds better! Can anyone tell me if the factory claim on the C6 of 400 HP/400 torque is really what you get? Has anyone found a different number on a dyno?

On an on... Still no price release on the Z06. What is GM's strategy for the Corvette? I watched three Cadillacs whoop the C6 on the speedvision GT race. Next the GTO's will be running them into the weeds. So which car will be GM's world class sports cars. Had a kid come up to me as I got out of my 2004 c5 and tell me his dads cadillac is faster. Been number 4 on the local list for the new Z06. Waiting for 6 months for a price release??? Then they say coupe only... You only live once and I personally want an open car. so traded my C5 in on a 2004 Viper. Its like a big go kart. Unbelieveable turn in, extremely light steering response, top down. Needed something to keep up with the porsche GT1, GT2, GT3, twin turbo's, Ferrari F40, Bentley GT etc... all in my neighborhood. guess I'll buy a C6 Z06 when the used ones are selling for
21,000$ Yow...

One thing that i think all GM cars could benifit from is more engine choices. I recall that cars accross the board in the 60s had many, in some cases more than 6, different engine options. For the corvette (if memory serves), options ranged from the base 250 hp 327, to the monsterous, L88 427. I think some range of choices should be offered today.

For the corvette, how about an entry level LS4 or LS1 derivative engine in the low-mid 300 hp range. Sell it for under $40,000, and you've still got an awesome handling, 5 second 0-60 car.

Next should be the current base model, with the 400 hp LS2.

Next up from that, a 427 small block. Instead of being a hyper-exotic race engine, though, it would just be a bored and stroked version of the LS2, rated in the mid-high 400 hp range, and sell for around 50k for the hardtop.

All three previous models would be available in hardtop, removable hardtop, and convertible form.

Finally, comes the Z06, a firebreathing monster, pretty much as it is right now, except a bit more stripped down. Some might remember that the corvette L88 of the late 60's wasnt even available with a heater or radio, to discourage the poseurs who had no intent of doing any serious racing from buying the car just because they had the money.

There you have it, my gameplan for the corvette. Im pretty sure its all workable, and would let the average joe, who doesnt neccessarily need 400 hp, but still wants a sporty, extremely competant ride to have one for under 40k, by going with the entry model. The guys who want to go blindingly fast while keeping their power seats and convertable top to get a 427, and the hardcore racers out there to have something that can eat anyone alive with the Z06. Thanks for taking the time to read my opinions.

To Dave Hill---When will the six(6) speed automatic be available? Will it be on the console(Paddle-Shift) or on the steering wheel?

Amen to a 2006 Z06 CONVERTIBLE!!! GM, please listen to your customers!

oooh, a '06 C6 Z06
666 sounds a little devilish to me.. now if I could only get the 666th build in red or one built on June 6th, 06
I will take either black or red....mu-hahahaa

Hi, I just wanted to know if I can buy a Corvette Z06 2006 engine, to install it in my Camaro Z28 1998? Is it possible?
If possible, will my Camaro run as fast as a Z06? Will it be street legal? How much will it cost to buy it and istall it?
If you know the answer to these questions please e-mail me to
villar-1@hotmail.com
Thanks a lot.

this car is b

I love the 2006 ZO6 Corvette, I can't wait to see what the second generatrion brings, hopefully more production numbers, I would love to buy one.

I'm in the process of buying a 1969 Corvette roght now, hopefully, I think that the new ZO6 is such a cool car, that it will be hard to out do with the next generation.

But Chevrolet is so good at doing that, I think it will happen, and I for one just can't wait.

Z06 is certainly a fantastic car, but if GM let dealers do their prices on it and doesn't even talk to a serious buyer who DO NOT WANT to pay over sticker just because there is absolutely no justification for that, they are once again losing ground under their feet. GM dealers are acting like come little street cracks vendors and it just sucks. Give them a lesson before it's too late

Tuesday November 1st 2006:
Jericho Long Island New York
A 2006 Corvette Z-06 went on fire while the owner was driving it south on North Broadway in Jericho about 3:00pm
The driver was not hurt.
The fire seems to have started from a fuel leak above the transaxle.
The owner claimed he had the dealer install a $5,400. custom exhaust system recently ?