Better known to the online community under the Speed Phenom handle, Austin Everett is the happy owner of 2023 model year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 chassis number 34. It’s a well-specified car, as it features the 3LZ equipment group, Z07 Performance Package, and carbon-fiber wheels.
Rightfully considered the most track-oriented Corvette yet, the Z07-equipped Z06 has been compared at Big Willow against the Z51-equipped Stingray and a far more exotic machine. As the headline implies, the McLaren 600LT is the contender in question. The long-tailed supercar doesn’t have as much drag as the Z06, thus enabling a higher top speed on the long straight. It’s not dramatically higher, though, not by a long shot.
Austin clocked 153 miles per hour (246 kilometers per hour) in the limited-run supercar from Woking, 149 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) in the Z06, and 138 miles per hour (222 kilometers per hour) in the Stingray. It should also be highlighted the Z06 wasn’t up to snuff because those Cup 2s had already racked up a few miles on a previous track day.
Two years ago, he lapped the road course in 1 minute and 27 seconds in the 600LT with a passenger onboard, which is worth approximately 2 seconds. “I think the best we could have done would be around a 1:27 lap with these [used] tires and in these [cold] conditions,” said the car vlogger. “I think the car - without a doubt - can pull about a 1:23 to 1:24 lap time,” added the young man, putting the Z06 “right there next to a ZR1.” He is, of course, referring to the previous-generation Corvette ZR1, the last hurrah of the C7, which featured a dual-injected supercharged V8.
The LT5 still is the only Gen V small block to feature both direct and port fuel injection. In combination with the Eaton-supplied supercharger, the 6.2-liter pushrod V8 develops a staggering 755 horsepower at 6,300 revolutions per minute and 715 pound-feet (969 Nm) of torque at 4,400 revolutions per minute, making it the most powerful series-production Corvette of all time. The C8 Z06, by comparison, rocks a motorsport-derived engine that features a DOHC valvetrain and a flat-plane crankshaft.
The naturally-aspirated LT6 displaces 5.5 liters, but produces 670 horsepower at an ear-piercing 8,400 revolutions per minute. This bad boy certainly likes to rev, being capped at 8,600 revolutions per minute. Torque doesn’t impress, at 460 pound-feet (623 Nm) at 6,300 revolutions per minute, making the LT2 in the Stingray the torquier engine. Still, the superb aural qualities and willingness to rev more than make up for it.
Arguably the most ambitious Corvette to date, the C8 Z06 will be a rare sight throughout the 2023 model year due to supply chain issues. More specifically, only 10 percent of the total run will be allocated to the Z06. 3 percent will be allocated to big-aero cars, namely those cars equipped with T0F Carbon Flash carbon goodies or T0G visible carbon bits and bobs.
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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