The 2020 Corvette C8 has been met with
rave reviews, but everyone is looking forward to the hotter Z06 variant.
There’s good reason for this as Chevrolet twins the development of the
high-performance model with their Corvette race car. In this case, it’s the
C8.R which was introduced last fall.
When Chevrolet unveiled the C7.R, they
noted it was “co-developed” with the C7 Z06 and represented the “closest link
in modern times between Corvettes built for racing and the road, sharing
unprecedented levels of engineering and components including chassis
architecture, engine technologies and aerodynamic strategies.”
That trend will continue for the C8 Z06
and the connection to the racer will be even more pronounced as they’ll both
feature a 5.5-liter V8 engine. While the C7.R also had a displacement of
5.5-liters, the new model has a flat-plane crank V8 which is naturally
aspirated and produces 500 hp and 650 Nm of
torque.
That engine will also show up in the
road-going Z06, but there it won’t have to be detuned to meet regulations.
Chevrolet has been tight-lipped about the upcoming model, but Car & Driver
says the C8 Z06 will produce more than 600 hp and have a red
line that could go up to 9,000 rpm. The
model is also slated to eschew a manual and be equipped exclusively with an
eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
While the final numbers remain the topic
of much debate, the C7 Z06 had a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that developed 650
hp and 980 Nm of torque. This enabled the model
to rocket from 0-96 km/h in 2.95 seconds when equipped with the
optional eight-speed automatic transmission and Z07 Performance package.
The Corvette Z06 is expected to be introduced
next year as a 2022 model and the publication says it should cost around US$ 85,000. If that pans out, it would be slightly more expensive than the C7 Z06
which began at US$ 80,900.
