2006 ZO6 Corvette

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2006 ZO6 Corvette

Corvette Production

1972 - 27,004
1971 - 21,801
1970 - 17,316
1969 - 38,762
1968 - 28,566
1967 - 22,940
1966 - 27,720
1965 - 23,564
1964 - 22,229
1963 - 21,513
1962 - 14,531
1961 - 10,939
1960 - 10,261
1959 - 9,670
1958 - 9,168
1957 - 6,339
1956 - 3,467
1955 - 700
1954 - 3,640
1953 - 300

2006 ZO6 Corvette

Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
Estimated base price: $62,500
Engine type: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 427 cu in, 7008cc
Power (SAE net): 500 bhp @ 6200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 475 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm

• 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers
• Cross-drilled rotors
• Aluminum engine block with 104.8-mm bores and pressed-in liners
• Forged steel crankshaft with 101.6-mm stroke
• 6-bolt, forged steel main bearing caps
• Titanium connecting rods
• Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
• Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with 70-cc chambers
• 56mm titanium intake valves
• 41mm sodium-filled exhaust valves
• 11.0:1 compression ratio
• Composite manifold with 90 mm single-bore throttle body
• Camshaft with 15-mm (.591-inch) lift
• Dry-sump oiling system
• 7000-rpm redline
• WEIGHT: 3130lbs/1420kg

• 500hp/475lb-ft torque

This power is turned into thrust via 12.0-by-19-inch rear wheels fitted with 325/30ZR Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar run-flat tires. The base Corvette makes do with 285/35-19s on 10.0-inch wheels. In front, the Z06 has 275/35-18s on 9.5s-up from 245/40-18s on 8.5s. All four fenders are flared to accommodate the wider rubber. The ones in the rear increase the width of the Z06 by three inches over the base car.

Stiffer monotube shocks and larger anti-roll bars make the most of the upgraded rubber. The signature transverse fiberglass leaf springs are retained. The front spring is stiffer than the one in the last-generation Z06, and the rear spring is a bit softer, thanks to the C6's greater suspension travel.

In keeping with the enhanced power and grip, the Z06 gets bigger brakes all around. Front rotors have grown from the base C6's 12.8 inches in diameter by 1.2 inches thick to 14.0-inch rotors of equal thickness. In the rear, the rotors have increased from 12.0 by 1.0 to 13.4 by 1.0 inches. Moreover, these larger rotors are clamped by one-piece calipers in place of the sliding units on the base car. The fronts have six pistons and six individual brake pads; the rears have four pistons with four pads. The individual pad design reduces taper wear during severe track usage.

The bigger brakes, wheels, and tires; the dry-sump lubrication system; the various cooling upgrades; and the big-bore exhaust all add weight to the car. Offsetting these increases required several exotic measures.

The most elaborate of these is an all-new frame with aluminum replacing the steel components in the base C6 and a magnesium front cradle replacing the aluminum one. Making the normally removable roof panel a permanent part of the car's construction greatly improves structural efficiency. Together, these measures reduce the frame's weight from 419 to 287 pounds.

In addition, the Z06's front fenders are now molded with carbon fiber rather than fiberglass, cutting their weight from 9.2 to 2.8 pounds apiece. The balsa-core composite floorboard also uses carbon fiber, saving five more pounds.

Thanks to these changes, the Z06 will weigh a mere 3130 pounds, according to the engineers. That's 12 pounds more than the claimed weight of the previous Z06 but about 40 pounds less than a base C6, and lighter than exotic, carbon-fiber megamobiles such as the Ferrari Enzo and Mercedes SLR McLaren.

0502_vette_gauge.jpgCombined with 500 horsepower, this modest weight endows the Z06 with a power-to-weight ratio similar to the Ford GT's. Chevy is predicting a 0-to-60 sprint in less than four seconds, 100 mph arriving less than four seconds later, a quarter-mile well into the 11s, and a top speed above 190 mph. We don't doubt these claims and look forward to confirming them when we drive the car this summer.

Chevrolet won't talk about Z06 pricing for now, but the new car will certainly be dearer than the old one, which started at $52,985. With so many upgrades, some observers expect a price of $75,000 to $80,000, but we think Chevrolet is too smart to repeat the ZR-1 overpricing mistake. Our prediction: between 60 and 65 large.

This Z06 would be remarkable for its thorough engineering and comprehensive attention to detail, even if it weren't the fastest production Corvette ever built.

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