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C8 Corvette Z06 vs. C8 Corvette Stingray Sound Comparison Is V8 Wonderland

Redesigned from the ground up for the 2020 model year, the Corvette still features a pushrod engine. Now located right behind the driver, the small-block V8 relies on direct injection, an 87-millimeter throttle body and dual VVT to belt out up to 495 ponies and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm).
Corvette C8 ZO6 vs. Corvette C8 Stingray | Sound Comparison at the Nurburgring 14 photos
Photo: Carspotter Jeroen on YouTube
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spy shots on the Nurburgring Nordschleife
Those numbers are more than adequate for the Stingray, which is the base variant of the current-generation Corvette. But going forward, General Motors will switch to dual overhead cams and a flat-plane crankshaft for the first performance-oriented variant of the C8. Scheduled to premiere on the 26th of October, the upcoming Z06 sounds like no other ‘Vette before it.

Spied by Carspotter Jeroen, the Z06 is all the more thrilling if you compare the induction and exhaust noises of the LT6 engine to the rumble of the LT2 that powers the Stingray. I’ve previously stated that it’s the American equivalent to the Ferrari 458 Italia, the last free-breathing V8 supercar produced by the Prancing Horse of Maranello, and I stand by this assertion.

Rumored to have lapped the Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 12 seconds earlier this month, the Z06 is expected to develop in excess of 600 horsepower and somewhere in the ballpark of 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of torque. The high-revving plant has been confirmed with a dual-clutch transmission featuring a magnesium case, most likely the Stingray’s Tremec-developed box with a few small upgrades to sustain the higher revs of the aspirated mill.

The motorsport-derived engine, based on the LT5.5 of the C8.R endurance racecar, is complemented by a central-exit quad exhaust system, wider tracks, muscled-up wheel arches, better aerodynamic trickery, as well as grippy summer-only tires. More to the point, the most extreme variant of the Z06 flaunts 345/25 by 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs out back.

Estimated to start around $85,000 – if not $90,000 – before options, the Z06 shapes up to be the next best American driver’s car after the FPC V8-engined Shelby GT350 that FoMoCo discontinued in favor of the Mach 1.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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