2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Can Hold Its Own, Doesn't Need Influencer Star Power

Alas, we live in a (sometimes obsessed) social media world, so General Motors could not just throw in a few glory shots of the car, a couple of Z06s, and some executives in the mix before calling it a day. But they did keep it light and simple as far as influencers are concerned, putting front and center just a couple of them.

One is Emelia Hartford, that sweet young lady that has managed to sweep the twin-turbocharged C8 Corvette Stingray world by storm and at one time even held the record for fastest example at the dragstrip. The other is Devin Booker.

And no, he’s not just Kendall Jenner’s boyfriend. Instead, we are dealing with the professional NBA basketball player that also rolls on the street in a lengthy list of cool rides from the 1950s through the 1990s. All of them belong to his collection.

Thus, one can say that GM did its homework, showing off with a lady gearhead as well as a celebrity that’s also well into cars. Nice, but I want to argue that even a single 2023 Corvette Z06 – let alone both the HTC and Convertible – could have easily held it on their own. Though I do understand that Chevy had to abide by the current way of doing things. And I also applaud them for not exaggerating.

First of all, the hype surrounding the C8 Z06 has been tremendous. And it was only logical, considering the success and popularity of the regular C8 Stingray. Without a doubt, the Z06 has been spied, preyed upon, teased, and virtually imagined on par with the 2021 Bronco – which clearly counted as 2020’s hottest North American automotive commodity.

So, even before its release, the 2023 Corvette Z06 turned out to be the star introduction of 2021. Now, notice the attached model year. That means we need to gear up with even more patience exercises on our smartphones... because the first deliveries are not coming soon.

Showcased a couple of years after the introduction of the first mid-engine Corvette, the C8 Z06 turns a new chapter in the legend-in-the-making saga. It’s the version that was “designed and engineered to act as a precision tool for the track.” And even the well-known for being picky virtual artists seem to agree that Chevy nailed the design of the Z06 (at least for the most part). But as always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

My own two cents go toward the cool and contemporary widebody appearance, though don’t count on seeing me anytime soon inside the C8 Z06 with the crimson interior (check out the gallery to see if that’s your cup of tea). Styling is always subjective, so let’s cut right down to the mid-engine part.

There, GM’s team of engineers somehow devised a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated FPC (flat-plane crankshaft) V8 engine that propels the C8 right into supercar territory. It’s not exactly on par with the mighty Shelby Mustang GT500, but we feel that some GT350(R) owners are biting their nails hard because of upcoming track and quarter-mile nightmares.

Much ink is going to drip around the 670-horsepower powertrain (Emelia is already dreaming of cool mods to come), so it suffices to paraphrase Chevy: “the all-new LT6 (is) the highest horsepower, naturally-aspirated V8 to hit the market in any production car, ever.” Performance should be plentiful, mighty... but also thrilling, thanks to the advertised 8,600 rpm redline.

So, not much is left to do, save for admiring the C8 Corvette Z06 in all its glory in the gallery and all the presentation videos embedded below, so enjoy!

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