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The return of the Z06? Yes, there was a Z06 in the past! If you are a Corvette fan (and I don’t know that many people who do not respect or who do not dream of owning a ‘Vette), you probably have heard about a very special Regular Production Option of the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray that bore the identification Z06. In those days, it almost corresponded to a full fledge race car. But the option did not last long! So Chevrolet has brought it back for 2001. But this time, the Corvette is a real street car. It can also be the ultimate street machine for someone who has the few bucks to own an incredible super car but does not have the time to build one to his own taste.
The Z06 is based on the regular 2001 Corvette coupe, not the hatchback nor the convertible. From the outside it is difficult to distinguish the car from a standard ‘Vette except for the air ducts just in front of the rear wheel wells. Then, there are the wheels and probably the exhaust tips. But under the hood lurks a very powerful 5.7 liter LS6 385 horsepower V8 Chevy small-block (should we say small wonder) engine. How did Chevrolet get even more horses out of the already fast 345 hp LS-1? Simply (can we use that word?) by giving it higher compression heads, better breathing and, naturally, new pistons, camshafts and injectors (real hot-rodding, isn’t it?). Hooked to this incredible mill is a six-speed manual transmission (sorry, no automatics here!) that sends all that power to the 3.42:1 rear end and to the huge P295/35ZR Goodyear Eagle F1 SC (Super Car) tires. Front ones are P265/40ZR-17 F1’s. Up to now, everything seems to be easy to understand. But this is a Corvette and nothing is regular on a modern ‘Vette. So add to the Z06 a FE4 suspension and the Second Generation Active Handling system. Not the usual engine killing Traction Control system, this new handling system monitors many inputs including the steering wheel turning angle, the throttle opening, braking effort speed and naturally, wheelspin. Add to this the slideslip angle of the wheels. Now, how does that influence the car’s behavior? You would not believe. A little like a Stability Control found on a Cadillac (and we are talking about a very efficient system), the Corvette’s new system helps the driver negotiates sharp curves without losing the car. More power than ever gets to the pavement. Though we drove it with respect, it is possible to use a lot more throttle in curves than before, The management system “calculates’’ the car’s behavior and monitors the whole system. Out of the curve, the driver can keep his or her foot buried in and regain full power!
A few words on the interiorIt is very similar to that of the standard ‘Vette but some equipment was deleted to keep the weight down. Among them were the passenger’s electric controls. There are now manual. And the especially embroided seats with the Z06 markings have stronger side bolster. The coupe also yields a very interesting trunk that can hold quite a few luggages. Since the Z06 can deliver good highway mileage (about 28 mpg), it then becomes an interesting tourism car ready for long trips.
The Z06 is only 38 pounds lighter than a standard hardtop and 99 pounds less than a coupe but these few pounds off help to gain more speed. Some of this weight reduction comes from the lighter tires (23 pounds less than a set of original tires) and the first mass-produced titanium exhaust system that saves another 18 pounds. At some 3,115 pounds, this ‘Vette is a very light one and a very fast one too. To reach the 100 km/h (61.1 mph) mark can be done under the four-second mark. My first experience with the car was around Detroit with a Chevrolet engineer who was not afraid of me driving it hard. But the street is not a race track. So I drove it like I’d own it. Still, a few acceleration passes convinced me that this was an incredible street machine. Later, a quick drive at the local St-Eustache race track convinced me I was dealing with a full fledge race car built for cruising on the street. By the way, the suspension is not as harsh as one would have thought.
Enough said. Go get one! The price? Ah…how about ( )$? Yes, it is a little expensive but if you want to own one of the world’s most impressive automobile, it is cheap. Compare it to a Viper, a Porsche or a Ferrari. And it is as fast (top speed is around the 170 mph or 275 km/h) but far more manageable and easy to service by your local Chevy dealer. By the way, the Z06 Corvette is not such a limited production car since some 20% of the total production 2001 ‘Vette run will be Z06’s. And could be roughly 6,000 of them. Is your checkbook ready?
This story was published in its integrity in the Fall-Winter issue of Canadian Automotive Performance, volume 2, issue 3. It can be reach at <a href="http://connect.to/cap" target=_"blank">http://connect.to/cap</a>
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