The sports car of the moment is – hand down – the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. An evolution in the right direction for America’s sports car, the flat-plane crankshaft V8 land missile is much obliged to show its mettle in a straight line against a couple of extremely desirable machines from Italy.
Emelia Hartford had the opportunity of testing a Z07-equipped model against a 600-horsepower Huracan and a 570-horsepower 458 Italia, thoroughbred machines that pack ten and eight cylinders, respectively. It’s also worth noting that both are lighter than the ‘Vette at 3,400 and 3,200 pounds compared to 3,700 pounds for the newcomer from Bowling Green.
If you prefer the metric system, those numbers convert to 1,542, 1,451, and 1,678 kilograms. We also have to remember that all three are rear-wheel drive and all three feature dual-clutch automatics. The eight-speed box in the Corvette is the most specialized transmission of the bunch, an evolution of the Tremec TR-9080 DCT used in the C8 Stingray and Maserati MC20.
Clever launch control, sticky tires, and carbon-fiber wheels give the Z06 even more of an advantage over its exotic rivals, but can it really keep the Lamborghini and Ferrari at bay? As the headline implies, that’s a hell yes!
The Z07-equipped Z06 is hellishly quick off the line against the 458 Italia. The Huracan puts up a better performance, but it also fails to assert dominance in the quarter mile. Both exotics are outgunned from a roll, and adding insult to injury, the A/C was blasting cold in every single dig race.
Even with plenty of car lengths in the favor of the Italian supercars, the Z06 walks them like it’s business as usual. It boggles the mind how fast this fellow is, which is all the more impressive given that Chevrolet developed it – first and foremost – as a corner carver instead of a good ol’ strip slayer.
If you prefer the metric system, those numbers convert to 1,542, 1,451, and 1,678 kilograms. We also have to remember that all three are rear-wheel drive and all three feature dual-clutch automatics. The eight-speed box in the Corvette is the most specialized transmission of the bunch, an evolution of the Tremec TR-9080 DCT used in the C8 Stingray and Maserati MC20.
Clever launch control, sticky tires, and carbon-fiber wheels give the Z06 even more of an advantage over its exotic rivals, but can it really keep the Lamborghini and Ferrari at bay? As the headline implies, that’s a hell yes!
The Z07-equipped Z06 is hellishly quick off the line against the 458 Italia. The Huracan puts up a better performance, but it also fails to assert dominance in the quarter mile. Both exotics are outgunned from a roll, and adding insult to injury, the A/C was blasting cold in every single dig race.
Even with plenty of car lengths in the favor of the Italian supercars, the Z06 walks them like it’s business as usual. It boggles the mind how fast this fellow is, which is all the more impressive given that Chevrolet developed it – first and foremost – as a corner carver instead of a good ol’ strip slayer.