Not too many years ago, even purists began to wonder. What was up with their beloved Chevrolet Corvette Stingray? The styling was off, a conspicuous look like General Motors’ designers ran out of time.
Was the Corvette’s label as “America’s Sports Car” no longer valid? Could the many-time Indianapolis 500 pace car have become an also-ran?
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2023 Corvette Z06: More power, better style
Annual sales were down for several years, dipping below 20,000 for the first time in 2018. Ah, but just in time, the mid-engine C8 arrived in 2020 after years of planning. The brand was revived. Automotive industry honors flowed.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 gets more power.
And now it’s happened again with the recently announced, much-ballyhooed and coming-to-a-dealership soon 2023 Corvette Z06.
Like its recent sibling star, power reigns again. The new 5.5-liter V8 Z06 will produce 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 6,300 rpm. It will advance with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The sand-cast aluminum block will feature pressed-in iron cylinder liners and four-bolt main bearing caps and joined by A356 T6 cast aluminum heads.
2023 Corvette Z06: Longer, Wider, Taller
All Corvettes, regardless of their level of beauty, have a presence unlike any sports car. The new Z06 will extend the car’s singularity. It’s wider than the C8 Corvette Stingray, 79.7 inches overall with front and rear track widths of 66.3 and 66.1 inches. The new beast is 184.6 inches long (wheelbase 107.2 inches) and 48.6 inches tall. Standard are 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminum wheels. Lighter and stronger carbon-fiber rollers are optional.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 has modern, plush interior and top-line infotainment features.
Manufacturers using art terms while promoting their vehicles must expect a lot. The Z06 is touted as “Sculpted To Soar.” Besides its increased engine statistics, the vehicles’ craftspeople are back in the spotlight, but not for dubious reasons.
New are replaceable spoiler wickerbills, rear brake cooling ducts, a removable front fascia panel and front underwing stall gurneys increase downforce. Artwork? No doubt.
Trims are the 1LZ, 2LZ and 3LZ coupes. Preferences range from a removable roof panel to eight interior color options. And there are rear park assist and a rear vision camera to carbon fiber trim on the steering wheel and paddle shifters.
2023 Corvette Z06: Strong Technology
Standard features include a digital gauge cluster, head-up display, heated and ventilated seats and wireless phone charging. The 8.0 touchscreen infotainment system is generous with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hotspot. A Performance Data Recorder is also standard as is a 10-speaker Bose stereo system. A 14-speaker Bose setup is optional.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 has new exterior styling.
The new Corvette also has a surprisingly useful trunk. Two golf bags will fit, just in case there’s a country club near the racetrack of your choice or a layout that arises unexpectedly while the Z06 has taken over maneuvering along a country road. The choices are yours beginning in June.
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
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