Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
Introduced in 2019 as a 2020 model, the mid-engined Stingray will be joined by the performance-oriented Z06 for the 2022 model year. In addition to the flat-plane crankshaft engine and DOHC valvetrain, the newcomer will also differ from its small-block sibling in terms of width.
Time and time again, prototypes of the Z06 were photographed and filmed with extremely wide tires. The rear axle, for example, is rocking 345/25 by 21-inch rubber from Michelin, namely the Pilot Sport Cup 2 R compound.
A wider Corvette than the Stingray means that Bowling Green has to be upgraded with new robots and tools. This brings us to the NCM e-mail posted by David Roth on the C8 Corvette Facebook group, which highlights that “visitor access is being suspended at the plant for the remainder of the 2021 model year.” The final week of production is believed to be July 19th, and it juxtaposes with the rumored unveiling date of the brand-new Z06 variant.
The National Corvette Museum’s photographers are not allowed to enter the Bowling Green assembly complex either, suggesting that GM is doing behind-the-scene preparations for the C8.R-inspired model. Just like the endurance racecar, the Z06 will take its mojo from a 5.5-liter V8 believed to be the most powerful aspirated V8 in the world for the 2022 model year.
Estimated to produce 617 free-breathing horsepower, the LT6 is capable of spinning beyond 8,000 rpm. For the sake of reference, the Voodoo that Ford uses in the Shelby GT350 is limited to 8,000 rpm until the oil temperature exceeds 190 degrees Fahrenheit, then increases to 8,250 rpm.
The flat-plane crankshaft will help the Z06 sound very different from the Stingray and the previous-generation Z06, more so if you compare the high-pitched sounds of the C8.R to the bellowing exhaust of the pushrod V8-engined C7.R endurance racecar. The road-going model is further expected with carbon-fiber wheels and three options for the rear wing, including an active aero setup that may roll out at the same time as the ZR1 variant.
A wider Corvette than the Stingray means that Bowling Green has to be upgraded with new robots and tools. This brings us to the NCM e-mail posted by David Roth on the C8 Corvette Facebook group, which highlights that “visitor access is being suspended at the plant for the remainder of the 2021 model year.” The final week of production is believed to be July 19th, and it juxtaposes with the rumored unveiling date of the brand-new Z06 variant.
The National Corvette Museum’s photographers are not allowed to enter the Bowling Green assembly complex either, suggesting that GM is doing behind-the-scene preparations for the C8.R-inspired model. Just like the endurance racecar, the Z06 will take its mojo from a 5.5-liter V8 believed to be the most powerful aspirated V8 in the world for the 2022 model year.
Estimated to produce 617 free-breathing horsepower, the LT6 is capable of spinning beyond 8,000 rpm. For the sake of reference, the Voodoo that Ford uses in the Shelby GT350 is limited to 8,000 rpm until the oil temperature exceeds 190 degrees Fahrenheit, then increases to 8,250 rpm.
The flat-plane crankshaft will help the Z06 sound very different from the Stingray and the previous-generation Z06, more so if you compare the high-pitched sounds of the C8.R to the bellowing exhaust of the pushrod V8-engined C7.R endurance racecar. The road-going model is further expected with carbon-fiber wheels and three options for the rear wing, including an active aero setup that may roll out at the same time as the ZR1 variant.
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