2006 Corvette Illustrated Series No.124

Unless you were into road racing in 1963, you probably overlooked the original Z06-optioned Corvette. Back then, Zora Arkus-Duntov became a hero for providing Corvette racing parts that could be ordered from any Chevy dealer. But compared with today’s 400-horsepower base Vette, the 250hp ’63 entry model was pretty tame. And the further up the performance ladder you went, the less streetable the cars became. The solid-lifter big-blocks were tricky to live with, and hot performance options such as the L88 were ill-suited to street use. If you wanted a really fast Vette with eye-popping braking performance, you had to endure harsh, race-car driving characteristics. No one ever imagined that one day in the distant future, a production Corvette would perform like the ‘06 Z06.

Dave Hill and his team took the ’01-‘04 Z06 cars as far as they could on the C5 platform. The C6 Z06 catapulted all aspects of the Corvette’s performance into supercar territory. Vette followers hadn’t seen a technologically advanced performance leap of this magnitude since the arrival of the ‘90 ZR-1. Sixteen years later, the Z06 could outperform the ZR-1 in every respect, for almost the same price.

If ever there was an example of a performance car receiving the fruits of racing, it was the ‘06 Z06. Many of the lessons learned in the C5-R program were poured directly into the new Z. But perhaps the most significant difference between this high-performance Corvette and the muscle Vettes of old was the livability factor. Even with 505 hp on tap, a new Z06 is a car you can drive and be happy with every day.

Not only did the C6 Z have 105 more hp than the stock ’06 Vette, it weighed 50 pounds less as well. Adding bigger wheels, tires, brakes, and other heavy-duty parts is relatively easy, but it adds weight to the car. To counter the additional poundage these parts brought, many advanced weight-saving parts were created, including an aluminum body substructure, a magnesium engine cradle, carbon-fiber front fenders and wheelhouses, and hydroformed aluminum frame rails. Exotic, racing-inspired features included a dry-sump oiling system; a hand-built engine; power-steering, transmission, and differential coolers; and a rear-mounted battery.

The new LS7 427 engine was a racer’s dream. The all-aluminum small-block made 505 hp at 7,000 rpm and 475 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. Trick parts included titanium connecting rods, pushrods, and valve springs; forged aluminum pistons with 11:1 compression; a forged steel crankshaft; a low-restriction air-intake system; and hydroformed exhaust headers.

The car’s revised bodywork included a new front fascia with a larger grille opening, a cold-air scoop in the hood, a pair of side vents, aggressive rear-wheel flares with built-in brake scoops, 10-spoke aluminum wheels, a larger third brake light, and stainless steel exhaust tips. The interior came with every comfort item imaginable, except for an automatic transmission.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the C6 Z06 was a quantum leap for Corvette. It was also a great platform for even more performance.