The new Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005. Officially certified output is 505 hp . Its performance is similar to the Ford GT and the Dodge Viper SRT-10. Official performance figures indicate that the Z06 can reach 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds from a standing start in first gear. In the summer of 2005, GM and Corvette Racing driver Jan Magnussen brought the new Z06 to the Nürburgring in Germany. Magnussen drove the Z06 to a time of 7:42.99; few production cars have posted faster times. In their March 2007 comparison, Car and Driver selected the Corvette Z06 as the winner of their three-way comparison test of performance cars, with the Porsche 911 GT3 finishing second and the Lotus Exige S third. T

Altogether, the Z06 model not only produces more power, it revs higher than any other Chevrolet LS-motor.

In a radical departure from anything Chevrolet has ever done before, the primary structural element of the C6 Z06 is aluminum instead of steel as on the non-Z06 cars. The hydroformed aluminum frame remains dimensionally identical to its steel brethren but is significantly lighter. The front fenders are made of carbon fiber by Plasan USA to reduce weight, while wider rear fenders allow for the wider tires necessary to deal with the engine's increased power. The C6 Corvette Z06 is the first 500+ hp production car to avoid the US government Gas Guzzler tax.

With an official list price of US$70,000 per unit, it will likely be the only such vehicle in existence with a price tag under US$85,000. Proof that the car was priced aggressively, dealers in the United States have successfully marked the Z06 up to anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000, due to strong sales and low inventories [in 2006].

The Z06 ($69K) is known by enthusiasts as "The Supercar Killer", a term often used on any relatively inexpensive but very fast sportscar, due to its ability to out-pace many Italian exotics like the Ferrari F430 (Price $168K-$227K) and the Lamborghini Gallardo (Price $175K-$195K) that cost two to three times as much.

Shout out to Johnny Wasnock for the Tip & Rocking the "Always Business" PimpWiz Tee.

Labels: Cars