2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Drag Races McLaren 765LT, It’s Not Even Close

Edmunds recently tested a Z07-equipped coupe against a McLaren 765LT on their U-Drags course, which deserves an explanation before we get rolling. As opposed to a conventional race at the drag strip, a u-drag starts with a quarter-mile run. It’s followed by hard braking, then a 180-degree turn for the rolling race back to the start/finish line. Otherwise said, it tells more about a car than a good ol’ drag race on a prepped surface.

The cited publication raced the Corvette and Macca twice, with the drivers taking turns in each car. Even though it’s not as powerful and not as torquey as the 765LT, the Z07-equipped coupe clocked 3.2 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) off the line, two tenths quicker than the limited-edition McLaren.

But alas, by the quarter-mile mark, the British supercar leaves the American supercar for dead, posting 10.4 seconds as opposed to 10.9 seconds. The Corvette recorded 1.14 Gs as it turned hard to race back to the start/finish line, whereas the Macca recorded 1.09 Gs.

Despite traveling 27 more feet (8.2 more meters) than the Corvette in the first race, the McLaren completely obliterates its naturally-aspirated rival with a total time of 30 seconds on the nose at 160.3 miles per hour (258 kilometers per hour), compared to 31.6 seconds at 144.9 miles per hour (233.2 kilometers per hour) for the Z06.

It's a scarcely believable difference, as expected of supercars so different in nature and pricing. Speaking of which, the as-tested prices are $160,505 for the Corvette and an eye-watering $489,110 for the 765LT.

Limited to 765 units worldwide, the long-tailed machine from Woking shoots to 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds in the second race, three tenths better than the Corvette’s 3.4 seconds. It also improves in the quarter mile with a staggering 10.2 seconds, and turns slightly harder as well.

As if the previous race’s total time wasn’t impressive enough, the 765LT finished the U-Drags course in 29.6 seconds at 158.8 miles per hour (255.6 kilometers per hour), compared to 32.1 seconds at 145.3 (233.8) for the Z06.

Senior vehicle test editor Kurt Niebuhr sums up the Corvette as a very capable yet very intimidating car. Vehicle test editor Reese Counts is most impressed by the McLaren’s stability and relentless acceleration.

It’s easy to pick a winner and a loser given the information presented above, but remember how different these cars are, and how different their customers are. The Corvette, however, will have the last laugh because there’s a twin-turbo V8 in the offing for the ZR1.

Later on, the Zora will combine the force-fed engine of the ZR1 with an electrified front axle à la the E-Ray for a total system output of 1,000-ish ponies. I am afraid to guesstimate how much the Zora will cost, yet I’m certain that it will be noticeably cheaper than the 1,036-horsepower McLaren Speedtail hybrid hypercar.