2006 Corvette Z06 Prototype Is a Cool Yet Not Street Legal Collector’s Piece

This Corvette Z06 prototype is the very first of its kind, and it has lived a very interesting life, to boot.

As most are well aware, automakers build mules, then prototypes prior to launching production vehicles, which gives them a chance to test things out and ensure that a new model is sorted before it lands in the hands of the public. Most of the time, those vehicles are either crushed and destroyed, or stored in an automaker’s vault for years. However, once in a while, one of these test machines winds up in private hands, and that’s precisely the case with this ultra-cool 2006 Corvette Z06 prototype that’s going up for grabs at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction next month.

This particular C6 Corvette Z06 prototype was used at GM’s proving grounds and also as a press car, but perhaps more importantly, it was the very first Z06 built at the Bowling Green assembly plant back on February 4, 2005. It has a serial number in lieu of a VIN, and as such, is being sold on a bill of sale and cannot be titled in any U.S. state, as it isn’t certified to comply with applicable laws. Regardless, for someone who simply wants to say they own the very first C6 Z06 ever made, it’s a pretty cool display piece, at least.

This Corvette has a pretty fascinating history as well, having taken hot laps at Nurburgring, Autobahn, Spa-Fracorchamps, and Virginia International Raceway, with folks like Tony Rifici behind the wheel, who got the car up over 200 mph on the Autobahn during development. On the iconic Nurburgring, Jan Magnussen managed a best lap time of 7:42.99, while Patrick Herrmann averaged 198.6 mph in the car while going both directions at Papenberg, Germany.

Though it obviously lived a pretty hard life as any prototype does, this Z06 was treated to a refresh in 2008 with a new engine, transmission, axle, and torque tube, and it also comes with all of the original paperwork and historical documents to prove that it isn’t just any old ordinary C6. As for what it will ultimately sell for, well, that’s anyone’s guess, but we have to imagine that there’s at least one Corvette fan out there willing to take the plunge, even if they can’t drive the car on public roads.

#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
}
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Photos:Mecum Auctions

.