C8 Corvette Z06 Spied on Track, Official Launch Possibly Coming in July

Corvette Z06 mule is heavily camouflaged, but they can’t hide the exhaust note at Willow Springs.

It is all-but-official that there is a C8 Corvette Z06 on the way. When the C8 was introduced, everyone expected that we would eventually see a higher performance model, presumably called the Z06. Leaked documents and insider information bolstered those expectations along with adding to the conversation with tidbits like the inclusion of a flat plane crankshaft V8 engine. When spyshots of a C8 being tested in full camouflage well after the Stingray had been revealed arrived online, we knew that not only is the Corvette Z06 on its way, but it could arrive soon.

A pair of reports, one from Motor 1 and the other from Motor Trend, provide us with our latest details on the Corvette Z06. The folks from Motor 1 believe that the next step in the evolution of the C8 will be introduced in July. Meanwhile, the team at Motor Trend have pictures and video footage of what they believe to be a Z06 working out at Willow Springs Raceway, including some excellent exhaust clips.

Corvette Z06 Debut

According to Motor 1, a Chevy salesman named Marcus Viega, who works at Estero Bay Chevrolet in Florida, posted on Facebook that the C8 Corvette Z06 will make its debut in July. He didn’t provide any details, so we don’t know if that is the debut of the car in concept or production form.

“To everyone who is interested on Z06, July 2021 will be able to tell you more about this amazing car. Z06 is not a project anymore!”

That is very vague and, frankly, it is hard to say whether this guy is providing trustworthy information. Estero Bay Chevrolet is one of the top Corvette-selling dealerships in the country, so it makes sense that they would have early information. However, information like that is typically not free to share on public forums and Facebook groups, so it is likely that Viega is not quoting any sort of official statement made to dealerships.

The good news is that a July 2021 introduction of the Z06 in any form would make sense. The C8 Stingray was introduced on July 18, so a mid-summer’s debut of the hotter model would follow suit. Also, keep in mind that the Detroit Auto Show was originally planned for this summer, but it has been canceled. It is a possibility that Chevrolet planned to debut the C8 Z06 at the Detroit show, but now that it has been canceled, the next Corvette is likely to be introduced at a standalone event.

Willow Springs Track Action

Next, the Motor Trend’s spy photographers recently stumbled across what they believe to be a C8 Corvette Z06 fueling up and working out at Willow Springs Raceway. The still photos are fairly unremarkable, as the car is completely covered head-to-toe, front-to-back. Because of this, it looks no different than a Stingray mule, but it is likely that this is a Z06 drivetrain mule, lacking the extreme aero bits that are expected to be part of the package.

You can listen to the Z06 roar around Willow Springs in the video from Motor Trend by clicking here. If you would rather sit through a Speed Phenom video, he has “borrowed” footage from Motor Trend and included it in the video below. In the footage, the C8 in action most certainly has a very different sound than that of the Stingray. It definitely isn’t an LT2 and it sounds like a flat-plane crank V8, which is expected to motivate the next generation Z06.

So, we could know everything that there is to know about the C8 Z06 in July, but in the meantime, check out the footage of the newest Corvette variant working out on the track.

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