C7 ZR1 or C8 Z06? The C8 Z06 Is Getting All the Press, But Is the Older C7 ZR1 the Better Buy?

The C7 ZR1 has been out of production for several years now. But it holds several key advantages over the newer C8 Z06.

Much ink has already been spilled on the subject of the C8 Z06. No need to rehash everything again. It is simply the most anticipated Corvette in a very long time. And as great as it appears to be, it does come with some challenges that got us thinking. If we are spending this kind of money on a Corvette, does it make more sense to buy a C7 ZR1 instead of the C8 Z06? If you can swing both of them, then that is a no-brainer, get them both. But if your situation dictates that you can only have one high-end Corvette, do you get the latest and greatest C8 Z06? Or do you go a little old school and snag yourself a C7 ZR1?

Both are amazing cars so there is no wrong answer here. But with all the focus on the latest shiny object which is of course the Z06. Are we forgetting about the terrific C7 ZR1 and the many virtues it possesses? A quick online search shows that there are roughly fifty C7 ZR1 Corvettes for sale in the U.S. right now. They range in price from about $150,000 to a bit over $200,000. That is roughly where most well-equipped C8 Z06 Corvettes will land depending on the market adjustment you may be stuck with. So, let’s call the price a draw with perhaps a slight edge to the C8 Z06 if you are happy with only a couple of options and can avoid dealer markup.

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Power

The C7 ZR1 has bragging rights here. 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque far exceed the 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque in the Z06. The C7 ZR1 was proudly proclaimed to be the most powerful Corvette ever produced. At this time that remains the case as the C8 Z06, while being no slouch, can’t touch those numbers. Of course, power numbers rarely tell the whole story about a car but if having the biggest number matters, then you want the C7 ZR1.

Engine Configuration

The C7 ZR1 makes those big power numbers thanks to a big supercharger. The C8 Z06 is normally aspirated. NA versus forced induction always spurs a lively debate. Some prefer the way the NA engine sounds and delivers its power. Others love the big power numbers that forced induction can provide. But there is another aspect to consider when looking at these two cars. The C8 Z06 uses a flat plane crank architecture. That gives it a spine-tingling soundtrack. But the flip side of that is it raises some long-term reliability concerns. GM does not have much history building engines like this. I hate to use the F-word here, but Ford used a flat plane crank in the last Shelby GT350. It performed great but did suffer from some vibration and other issues. Will the LT6 suffer similar issues? Or worse? Of course, the C8 will have a full factory warranty.

Manual Transmission

Do you want a manual transmission in your C8 Z06? Too bad. Want a manual transmission in your C7 ZR1? There are several for sale right now. For many enthusiasts, the availability of a manual transmission makes all the difference. Some go so far as to swear they will never buy an automatic sportscar. If you are one of those folks, then you will be looking at the C7. End of story.

C8 Availability

As mentioned above there are several dozen C7 ZR1 Corvettes for sale right now. To be fair that is not an overwhelming amount, but they are out there. The C8 Z06 is not and, for many, it could be years before they are in driveways. The C8 Z06 is also dealing with supply constraints around things like the Z07 Package so even if you have an allocation, you may not be able to build the exact car you want. Do you want to spend $150K on something you don’t really want? Every C7 ZR1 is used at this point so you can’t figure those to your exact specs either. But you can have the car in your driveway tomorrow.

Performance

The C7 ZR1 could accelerate to 60 mph in about 3 seconds. The C8 Z06 is about half a second quicker. Does that matter all that much to you? The C7 ZR1 makes it up on the top end as it can hit 212 mph. There is no official top speed listed for the C8 Z06 yet, but it is possible it could touch 200 mph, but likely not touch 212. Again, does that matter to you? There are no lap times released yet for the Z06. The C7 ZR1 set a lap record at VIR that stood until the nearly $1 million McLaren Senna beat it. So, the C7 ZR1 is not exactly slow around the track. Will the C8 Z06 be faster? Maybe, but the C7 has enough speed to keep just about anyone entertained.

Long Term Value

The C7 ZR1 is the last, most powerful, and fastest front-engine Corvette ever. There are fewer than 3,000 on the road. They will be collectible forever. The C8 Z06 is hot now and will likely also be sought after for years as a special car. But if we break out our crystal ball, we see that the C7 ZR1 will be even more special and sought after one, two, three decades down the line. Many folks won’t care about long-term value but for some it is everything. We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but if we had to place our bets now we would say the C7 ZR1 would rank higher on the desirability chart for future generations.

No Losers

This is a situation where you can’t lose. No one is going to feel sorry for you if you get ‘stuck’ with the lower-powered C8 Z06. Or if you have to ‘make do’ with a C7 ZR1. Any real automotive enthusiast would be thrilled with either car. We are lucky to be living in an age when we have choices like this. But if you HAD to make the choice right now, in the late summer of 2022, what car do you buy? Or maybe you buy a C7 ZR1 now until your C8 Z06 is delivered. Chances are you won’t lose any money on the ZR1. Let us know your thoughts in the Corvette Forum forums.

Images: Chevrolet

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