Car and Driver Classic Review of C5 Corvette Z06

Car and Driver Television picks up where MotorWeek leaves off, telling us the good news about the baddest C5 there ever was.

We love MotorWeek retro reviews for ’80s and ’90s cars, but what happens when we want to take a look back at the new classics? We hit up YouTube in search of Car and Driver TV.

Back when Spike TV was TNN (The Nashville Network), weekend mornings meant car shows. Hot rod shows, 4×4 shows, NHRA drag racing, and Car and Driver TV giving us the scoop on new cars.

As soon as we saw the old TNN logo in the bottom corner of the video, we were hit with waves of nostalgia. After we grew out of cartoons, but before we were old enough for summer jobs, we sat cross-legged in front of the TV, still in our pajamas, eating cereal and checking out the cars we wished our parents would buy.

While there’s no huge archive of this stuff like there is for MotorWeek, it’s still out there on YouTube with varying quality. Despite the grainy video quality and so-so sound, we applaud the uploader, as it took us on a trip down memory lane.

While the C5 was an evolutionary step beyond the C4 — a big step — many still had the C4 ZR-1 in mind as the ultimate Corvette when the C5 debuted. That all changed with the introduction of the Z06. In every measurable metric of performance, the Z06 absolutely blew away the old ZR-1, and it did it with pushrods.

ALSO SEE: What the Forum Has to Say About this C5 Corvette Z06 Nostalgia

The abbreviated notchback coupe styling, charcoal split five-spoke wheels offering a great view of the big brakes, and the cooling ducts on the rockers were all subtle signs that the Z06 was a race-bred machine for the street. For those who knew what to look for, seeing a Z06 on the street was a real thrill back in those days. It still is for us.

We still remember when the C5 Corvette Z06 was the king of the hill; the absolute best Corvette available with performance unmatched by cars that cost thousands more. What’s even better is that today, C5 Z06s represent one of the best used car values available.

For less than $20,000 you get a race-bred track toy that also makes a great, reliable daily driver that’s relatively cheap and easy to maintain. But don’t take our word for it. Watch the video and decide for yourself.