It’s refreshing when a car that screams for attention like the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 actually delivers the goods.
With an exterior that competes with the bikini-laden curves gracing the beaches of Lake Chelan in summer, and a Velocity Yellow paint job to match, the Corvette Z06 certainly doesn’t get lost in the crowd.
But, like Mom always said, “It’s not what’s on the outside that’s important, it’s what’s on the inside that truly matters,” or something like that.
What’s on the inside of the Z06 makes it the fastest, most powerful and most technologically-advanced production model in Corvette’s long, storied history.
The Z06’s LS7 7.0-liter engine delivers 505 horsepower in a 3,132-pound package – a combination that delivers a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds in first gear, quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds at 125 mph, and a top speed of 198 mph (as recorded on Germany’s Autobahn). It circuited Germany’s famed Nurburgring testing course in a time of 7:43.
Z06 delivers head-snapping power, razor-sharp handling, and low- and high-end torque, along with a deep, throaty roar and pulsating cockpit that get the juices flowing with the push of this Corvette’s start button.
Let’s just say this baby was thoroughly put through its paces on the Mountain Loop Highway.
With a sticker price of more than 70 large, the Z06 is not for everyone – nor for the mild of heart. Confirming that fact, General Motors is limiting production to 3,000 of these gems.
Rumor has it that GM will be manufacturing an even bigger, badder ’Vette next year that will generate at least another 100 horsepower, dethroning the Dodge Viper as America’s new king of testosterone. One of the names being bandied about is “Blue Devil.”
For all its race-inspired functionality, the Z06 is designed to be a daily-drivable, high-performance vehicle. To that end, comfort and convenience are held to a very high standard. Xenon high-intensity discharge lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and a heads-up display with track mode and g-meter are standard.
The gauge cluster displays the Z06 logo on the 7,000-redline tachometer and has a readout on the oil pressure gauge to reflect the higher standard pressure of the dry-sump oiling system. Seats have two-tone leather surfaces, with Z06-logo embroidery and contrasting stitching.
My tester included polished 18-inch front and 19-inch rear chrome wheels, a telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, side-impact airbags, a navigation system with GPS, universal home remote, and a Bose audio system with in-dash six-CD changer.
Improvements to the short-throw, six-speed manual transmission include a more positive and direct feel during shifts, with better gate-to-gate location. I must say sixth gear is strictly for show, unless one is looking to challenge Mach 1.
The Z06 rides on all-new wheels, tires and brakes, a Z06-specific rear spring and roll stabilizer.
Its wheels and tires are the largest ever offered on a Corvette.
Complementing the suspension system is a four-wheel disc brake system consisting of 14-inch vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch vented and cross-drilled rear rotors.
To summarize my test week: It was summer, it was sunny and the living was easy.
This over-50 old guy frequently flashed back to the good ol’ days while behind the wheel of this great American institution.
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