2006 Chevrolet Corvette Preview

Chevy Outdoes Itself

The Z06 variant of the all-new 2006 Chevrolet Corvette is the most potent production car GM has ever produced. It promises to shame exotic cars costing much more.

Anatomy of a Beast

On its own, the new Z06 looks like a standard Corvette coupe. But put the two side by side and differences emerge. The Z06 is 3 inches wider than the base coupe and convertible — mostly because of its wider wheels, which call for wider fenders than the standard Corvette has. There are more and larger scoops and air dams for improved cooling of mechanical components, while spoilers increase down force at high speeds.

The Z06 uses an aluminum frame with a magnesium "cradle" up front — a structure to which the engine and some suspension components attach. Passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood core. These materials make for a lighter and stiffer structure than the steel frame on standard Corvettes. Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and wheelhouses further reduce weight and even out the distribution front-to-back, as does moving the battery to the trunk.

The Z06's super-light structure is made of aluminum and magnesium. + enlarge image  |  view slideshow >

The reduced structural weight helps offset added mechanicals needed for high-speed performance. The Z06 has larger brakes, along with engine, transmission and differential oil coolers, steering fluid cooler, beefed-up suspension bits and more. Despite all of this added hardware, the Z06 actually weighs 49 pounds less than standard Corvette coupes, with a total curb weight of 3,130 pounds. By comparison, Aston Martin's DB9 weighs 3,770 pounds, and Maserati GranSport weighs 3,725 pounds. (Both are admittedly more luxurious, but 600 pounds' worth?)

Like many expensive exotic cars and race cars, the Z06's 7-liter small-block V8 is hand-built and uses racing-inspired technology like titanium connecting rods and a dry-sump lubrication system, which ensures that oil pressure remains constant even during sharp cornering and high-speed curves. The potent motor cranks out 100 horsepower more than the standard Corvette, for a total of 505 hp peaking at 6,000 rpm, and 75 additional pound-feet of torque, for a total of 475 at a peak of 4,800 rpm.