A new American hero is preparing to emerge, and it sounds like it hails from Italy.
On Monday, General Motors released the first teaser for the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and said the car will debut this fall.
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The teaser video reveals the soundtrack of the new Z06’s powertrain, but doesn’t show the car. Based on sound we hear in the video, the Z06 will indeed be powered by a flat-plane crank V-8 (like a Ferrari), and it sounds nothing like any street-legal Corvette in history.
The engine will likely be the 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V-8 that powers Chevy’s Corvette C8.R race car. In the C8.R, the engine produces 500 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, but it’s limited by regulations. It’s mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission. Uncorked in the Z06 street car, expect the engine to produce around 625 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic or a dual-clutch automatic transmission will send power to the rear wheels, and a manual transmission will not be on the options sheet.
The redline is expected to be 9,000 rpm, which will make that sound even more intoxicating.
Expect a wider overall stance with punched-out rear fenders covering massive 345 mm rear tires (the standard C8 Corvette’s rear tires max out at 305 mm). Prototypes have been spotted sporting 275 mm tires up front, and some had sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 R tires.
The Z06’s interior was teased in 2019 with a sketch featuring two big red buttons on the steering wheel marked “Spec Mode” and carbon fiber instead of leather on some surfaces. The digital gauge cluster in the sketch also showed a racetrack layout, which could be a performance feature for use at various tracks.
Stay tuned for more news regarding the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 as we near the American supercar’s debut this fall.