Doug DeMuro Reviews the C5 Corvette Z06…and He Doesn’t Hold Back!

While the review may not be all sunshine and roses, auto influencer comes away with a real appreciation for the best performance bargain out there right now.

YouTube car personality Doug DeMuro is well known for reviewing cars, new and old, on his YouTube channel. He has an impressive eye for detail, spending vast amounts of time poring over each and every feature before we even see him drive the car.

This video is no different. This time, DeMuro is reviewing a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, a car that he calls “just about the best sports car bargain in existence.” We wholeheartedly agree.

To prove his point, Doug shows us that there are over 120 C5 Corvette Z06s on AutoTrader right now for under $25,000. In fact, these cars regularly change hands for less that $20,000.

There’s a lot to love when it comes to the C5 Corvette Z06. The Z06 debuted in 2001, making 385 horsepower from its tuned LS6 engine. The following year, power was bumped to 405, indicated by special Z06 fender badging with “405 HP” callouts.

The C5 Corvette Z06 can go from zero to 60 in four seconds, and runs the quarter mile in the 12 second range. In addition to adding power, GM also made the Z06 handle and stop better, and reduced weight wherever possible. A substantial amount of that weight reduction comes from the Z06’s titanium exhaust system.

Speaking of stopping better, DeMuro shows off the C5 Z06’s defining feature, the rear brake cooling ducts. While there are non-Z06 C5 Corvette coupes out there, none of them have these Z06-exclusive ducts.

Before he goes for a drive, DeMuro spends several minutes going over the interior. The C5 Z06’s interior is perhaps its most controversial feature. As DeMuro says, “Probably the biggest reason that some people don’t buy these cars is because of the interior quality. But if you can get past that, there’s a lot to like.”

He’s not wrong. The C5 Z06, like all C5 Corvettes, uses a lot of cheap plastic, with wide gaps between panels. The traditional grab handle is in an odd location, and the center console features the world’s least useful cupholder. Many of the buttons come from the corporate parts bin, and are seen in lesser GM cars and trucks of the era.

One notable exception is the active handling/traction control button. The button itself features a representation of a C5 Corvette breaking traction. Pressing it will turn off the traction control and active handling; holding it will enable a special competitive driving mode that disables traction control while maintaining some aspects of the active handling system. There’s also a cool heads-up display projected onto the windshield.

With all of that said, the Z06 is incredible to drive, and you don’t really pay attention to the cheap interior once you’re underway. While DeMuro has driven more modern, more refined Z06s, but he has a real soft spot for the C5 Z06, saying that “The rawness, I think, is one one of the cool things about this car.”

While describing the brutally rough ride and effortless torque, DeMuro states that “it’s about performance above all else.” What more could you ask of such a car? It sounds just about perfect to us.

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