2023 Corvette Z06 Engine Fails With Just 621 Miles on the Clock

This 2023 Corvette Z06 suffered a fatal blow even after its owner followed break-in procedures, but he was able to get a new engine in record time.

With a handful of lucky customers taking delivery of their shiny new 2023 Corvette Z06 in recent weeks, we’ve been treated to some solid content on the high-revving, flat-plane crank-powered supercar as well. This has included some track action, a drag race or two, and even one that died on the highway while making the trek home from the dealership. Now, we have this Amplify Orange 2023 Corvette Z06 owned by YouTuber steelankles, which recently suffered a catastrophic engine failure, though thankfully, this particular story has a happy ending.

As one might imagine, this 2023 Corvette Z06 doesn’t exactly have a ton of miles on the clock – just 621, in fact, just barely past the street driving break-in period of 500 miles. As such, the owner was obviously excited to wring out his new acquisition, and strapped a GoPro to the back of the car before heading out to do precisely that. However, during one particular acceleration run, the car beings to exhibit the signs (and sounds) of severe rod knock.

Knowing that something had gone terribly wrong, the owner turned around and attempted to drive back to his buddy’s house, but it was too late – the Corvette’s LT6 died completely, leaving him stranded. Many will immediately assume that the owner might have driven the car a bit too hard, but oil temperature readings on the gauge cluster are within the normal range, and he notes in the video that he followed the break-in period diligently before cutting the car loose.

While this is obviously a terribly situation to face – particularly when you’re talking about a rather expensive, brand new vehicle – what happened next is nothing short of impressive. The owner took his Z06 to Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet in Charlotte, North Carolina, and GM went out of its way to expedite the shipping of a replacement engine to that dealer – amazingly, it took just two weeks for the new lump to arrive.

Clearly, the owner could have taken things a bit easy at least until the 1,500-mile mark – which is how far GM recommends going before heading to the track – but it’s still nice to see that the automaker responded with a sense of urgency and helped him get back on the road, even in these crazy, supply-constrained times.

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