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Watch: Engine Cold Start and Walkaround of a Weird 2023 Corvette Z06 Prototype

We’re months away from the Corvette Z06 official start of production, but we still find surprising things about the iconic sportscar. A YouTuber snaped a Torch Red 2023 Corvette Z06 with no camo and some weird features, while also recording the engine cold start in snowy Chicago.
A weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototype 8 photos
Photo: Reese Capone via YouTube
A weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototypeA weird 2023 Corvette Z06 prototype
The car parked outside a Leo’s Coney Island restaurant in the Detroit area features interesting details that tore the Internet apart. It has many of the Z06’s characteristics, including the wheels and the larger air vents under the rear lights, but it comes with a corner-mounted exhaust of the regular Stingray version.

The walkaround reveals there’s nothing special in terms of aerodynamics about this prototype either. It has no high-wing and no Aero Package, while the brake rotors are also smaller.

Most probably, the car was an early test mule prototype, from before Chevrolet penned the center-mounted four-pipe exhaust. Nevertheless, this is the first time we get to see one of those mules without the usual camo wrap, and we must say the Torch Red finish goes very well with the black accents of the car. Some viewers think it is an E-Ray hybrid version of the C8 Vette, but it would be highly unusual for Chevrolet to let a future model in the wild without the camo.

Camo or no camo, the best part of this video is the sound of the engine starting in the cold. If you had any doubts, this is the moment you know there’s no way this is a hybrid Corvette. Sorry, folks, no E-Ray this time, although our spy cameramen snapped such prototypes before while testing on the track, some even next to regular Z06s for sound comparison.

To make things even fuzzier, CorvetteBlogger mentions a rumor the European versions of the Corvette Z06 will feature corner-mounted exhausts, just like the regular Stingrays. The rumors are unverified, though, and we frankly hope they are not true, as the four-pipe center-mounted exhaust is part of the Z06’s personality. Nevertheless, there’s little time left before we will find out everything about the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, once the first customers will get to drive the car.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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