Photo: Chevrolet
After the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 made its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show and the convertible variant was unveiled a few months later in New York, the order guide of the most powerful Vette in history leaked on the Internet. Let's not beat around the bush, so here goes: 3,524 lbs (1,598 kgs) for the coupe, 3,582 lbs (1,625 kgs) for the drop-top.
Ladies and gents, both variants of the all-new Z06 aren't just the most potent Corvettes ever, but also the weightiest. But nevertheless, 1.6 tons isn't enough to make proper petrolheads worry about this car's driving dynamics and straight line speed. For starters, there's a big 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 under that long, vented bonnet, packing a rear tire-shredding 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque from as little as 3,600 revolutions.
This small block mill is a masterpiece all things considered. It even has a cylinder deactivation feature to improve fuel economy and save the polar ice cap… only just. And then there are the transmissions. As standard you get a stick shift with seven speeds, but the cream of the crop is the optional eight-speed 8L90 auto, which Chevrolet says it can swap cogs faster than the PDK of the Porsche 911 Turbo S.
So what about the extra lard? Well, don't worry about that. The manic Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 had a power-to-weight ratio of 5.26 pounds per horsepower and 5.55 pounds per lb-ft. The 2015 Corvette Z06 sits at 5.42 lbs per horsepower and 5.42 lbs per lb-ft of torque, so there's very little difference between the two. If you add the fast-shifting transmission and the highly capable traction control system into the equation, then the all-new Z06 is definitely the faster car between the two American legends.
As for other highlight features of the Z06 available in the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette order guide attached below, we'll mention that as standard, customers will get the OnStar 4G LTE system with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and three months of Internet access after which you have to buy a service plan or a one time package and a mysterious aesthetic pack dubbed "Carbon Flash Badge Package." The more spirited driver will be happy to find out that on the "as standard" menu there's also a 3.42 ratio electronic limited slip diff (eLSD), active handling stability control, Performance Traction Management and Performance Ride and Handling with Magnetic Selective Ride Control.
This small block mill is a masterpiece all things considered. It even has a cylinder deactivation feature to improve fuel economy and save the polar ice cap… only just. And then there are the transmissions. As standard you get a stick shift with seven speeds, but the cream of the crop is the optional eight-speed 8L90 auto, which Chevrolet says it can swap cogs faster than the PDK of the Porsche 911 Turbo S.
So what about the extra lard? Well, don't worry about that. The manic Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 had a power-to-weight ratio of 5.26 pounds per horsepower and 5.55 pounds per lb-ft. The 2015 Corvette Z06 sits at 5.42 lbs per horsepower and 5.42 lbs per lb-ft of torque, so there's very little difference between the two. If you add the fast-shifting transmission and the highly capable traction control system into the equation, then the all-new Z06 is definitely the faster car between the two American legends.
As for other highlight features of the Z06 available in the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette order guide attached below, we'll mention that as standard, customers will get the OnStar 4G LTE system with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and three months of Internet access after which you have to buy a service plan or a one time package and a mysterious aesthetic pack dubbed "Carbon Flash Badge Package." The more spirited driver will be happy to find out that on the "as standard" menu there's also a 3.42 ratio electronic limited slip diff (eLSD), active handling stability control, Performance Traction Management and Performance Ride and Handling with Magnetic Selective Ride Control.
Google News