Photo: Fueler Inc. on YouTube / edited by autoevolution
Developed specifically to handle better than any Z06 before it, the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette in Z06 flavor is pretty fast in the quarter mile as well. General Motors quotes 10.6 seconds in ideal conditions, yet Emelia Hartford crushed the claimed time with 10.51 seconds at 130.11 miles per hour (209.4 kilometers per hour) last year, just after GM lifted the media embargo.
Pictured at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in less-than-ideal conditions, the convertible in the featured clip still managed to run 10.8 seconds. That’s two tenths off the manufacturer’s 10.6 seconds, which is extremely impressive given that the Z06 in question isn’t optioned with the Z07 go-faster package or carbon-fiber wheels.
We also have to remember that convertibles are heavier than coupes, and weight is always detrimental to how fast a car is in the quarter mile. The owner of the Z06 raced solo and against two European exotics, namely a Lamborghini Huracan Evo and a McLaren Artura. The Italian supercar is the only one of the three to boast all-wheel drive, and the best time it posted is 10.7 seconds.
The best performer is the rear-wheel drive Artura, clocking 10.4 seconds on its best run. There are multiple reasons why the McLaren bested both of its midship challengers, including its low curb weight and the instant torque of the plug-in system’s electric drive unit that replaces the reverse gear à la the Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
General Motors took a different approach with the 2024 model year Corvette E-Ray, which flaunts an electrified front axle. A hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid, the fastest-accelerating production Corvette ever serves as the indirect successor to the C7-generation Grand Sport.
Lamborghini has also confirmed a plug-in hybrid replacement for the Huracan, a ground-up redesign that’s rumored with a 10,000-rpm V8 of the twin-turbo variety. It’s pretty sad to see that naturally-aspirated V10 go out in favor of two fewer cylinders and forced induction, but then again, Lamborghini didn’t forget its roots. In this regard, the plug-in hybrid replacement for the Aventador packs a brand-new V12 engine devoid of turbochargers.
Currently priced at $105,300 for the Z06 and $102,900 for the E-Ray, the C8-generation Corvette still has plenty more to prove. A twin-turbocharged version of the Z06 is coming in the guise of the ZR1, and the grand finale will reportedly combine the twin-turbocharged V8 with an electrified front axle for 1,000 ponies or thereabout.
Expected to premiere in 2028 for the 2029 model year, the C9 is also expected to soldier on as a combustion-engined affair. GM’s recent investment in the Gen VI small block at Flint Engine Operations adds veracity to this rumor, but not everything about the Corvette’s future is fine. Hearsay further suggests an electric SUV and electric SUV with Corvette styling and branding, although both electric vehicles are said to be underpinned by the BEV platform rather than the C9’s Y2 platform.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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