The 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 has been making headlines everywhere since its big reveal, a year ago. It will dominate the record books for the next few years and has undoubtedly cemented itself as GM’s fastest and most capable Z06 of all time. Chevrolet has showcased the greatness of the Z06 with a new short video that highlights four generations of Z06 and its evolution over the years, hosted by former Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin.
Image Via GM.
The Z06 officially got its start as an option package in 1963, on the second-generation Corvette (C2). It was developed by Zora Arkus-Duntov, well regarded as “The Father Of Corvette.” He made the Corvette more track-oriented with the Z06 package and highly exclusive as there were only 199 made back then.
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The fifth-generation Corvette Z06 (2001-2004) also ran in limited quantity producing only 28,388 units. It was the fastest production vehicle of its time. It featured unique weight saving upgrades along with a better power plant, a small block LS6 that offered 405 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission.
The sixth-generation Z06 (2006-2013) was the first one to feature an exclusive aluminum frame that effectively shed nearly 140 pounds (136) from its steel bodied standard model. The C6 Z06 was powered by an LS7 engine, a 7.0L small block V8 that was capable of 505 horsepower, 100 horsepower better than the fifth generation. Production quantities for the sixth-generation Z06 were similar to its fifth-generation brother, only 27,979 units were built, 740 of which included the Z07 package that was attributed to better handling around the track.
The seventh generation Z06 (2015-2019) would be the first time a Z06 was offered, from the factory, with a supercharged engine and automatic transmission (seven speed manual was optional). Developed alongside the C7R race car, the C7 Z06 was more track focused than any other before it and more powerful producing 625 horsepower from its 6.2L V8.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 pushes the envelope even further, featuring a flat-plane crank naturally aspirated V8 that can punch out a whopping 670 horsepower, the most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever built. The accolades for the 2023 Z06 will continue to add up as production slowly tends to the rampant demand. The 2023 Z06 is by far the quickest and most track ready of any Z06, ever.
