First Look: 2023 Corvette Z06 is Even More Perfect in Person!

Like anything man-made, it’s not literally perfect, but I’m boarding the hype train for what might be the last great n/a V8 supercar…. made right here in America.

The C8 Corvette Stingray perfectly blends performance and power with styling and the best Corvette interior ever. But, in my humblest opinion, despite delivering all the smiles per gallon possible (at $60 grand, no less), the driving experience occasionally feels odd because it cries out for a higher-revving engine. This is especially true after driving a Shelby GT350 or anything with a flat-plane crank. So GM delivered exactly that experience with the 2023 Corvette Z06. 5.5-liters of naturally aspirated glory pumping out 670 ponies with an 8,600 RPM redline. It’s been a week since I first saw (and heard) the new Z06… And I can’t stop thinking about it.

Friends, welcome to the promised land.

Yes, the LT4 and LT5 are heart-pounding powerplants and I don’t mean to knock them. And Chevy ain’t stopping with the Z06. They’re (most likely) going to twin-turbo this drivetrain and call it a ZR1. And most likely going even further with a ZORA edition. But let’s take a moment to revel in the glory of GM building the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine of all time.

This is The One.

Naturally aspirated. Bread for the track. Comfortable enough for the streets. All the Z06 history and lineage reimagined in the most advanced platform and engine Corvette has ever dared dream. It won’t be the most powerful Corvette ever. Nor the best dragstrip Corvette. But it’s the first, and most likely last of its kind for an American (say it with me) SUPERCAR.

Wishbone, Smishbone, the Z06 is Gorgeous!

I get that some folks aren’t on board for the looks. I too was leery when the first picture dropped. But now that I’ve circled the widebody beast in person, the wishbone-style trim pieces adorning its side vents don’t ruin the car. Subjectively speaking, the Z06 is a stunner, like every other Z06 before it.

Wider. Meaner. And more capable.

I’m also a huge fan of the “flower” wheels. They look great in polished aluminum and are my current C8 Corvette OEM favorites. And if the 2023 Corvette Z06 Visualizer is accurate, they may also come in black, which would be killer. And those carbon fiber wheels? The widest ever on a production car. They look good too, a fairly classic five-spoke design.

The interior is lovely as well. I didn’t note anything crazy-different from my 2LT and 3LT Stingray experiences. That said, the new carbon fiber package is awesome. And I can’t wait to see the dipped-in Adrenaline Red interior (ITS. ALL. RED!!!!) that’s available with the 3LZ trim.

In short, go see this beauty in person. The C8 is a stunning car all by itself, but as with most Z06s, wider tends to accentuate and amplify all the wonderful design work.

LT6 For Life

I don’t know what it is about revving past seven grand… The tone? The resonance? The constant (seemingly) ever-building power? But it’s experientially next level. And with the LT6, the 2023 Z06 delivers the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine ever.

I’ll toss a few GM-provided specs below, but know this hand-built motor was designed from the ground up with two goals… efficiency (aka power) and reducing vibrations. In that sense, the oil filter is a cartridge style that tucks into the block itself. There’s very little hanging off the sides.

GM also plans to dyno test each LT6 at the Performance Build Center within the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Over the course of 20 minutes, engineers will break-in the engine where it’ll see 7,600 RPMs at full load. The goal here is to make sure to find any problems before delivering to customers.

However, the engine testing, the 2023 Z06 will still feature a 500-mile break-in period for the whole vehicle with limited torque availability. This is mainly for the Tremec Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). Speaking of which, GM hasn’t changed too much with the C8’s DCT for the Z06. You can expect a different final drive ratio and a few upgraded clutches, but otherwise, it’s the same DCT and gearing from the C8 Stingray.

Here are a few more fun LT6 facts, courtesy of GM:

• All-new aluminum cylinder block casting with the Small Block engine family’s signature 4.4-inch (111.76 mm) bore spacing
• All-new dual-overhead-camshaft cylinder head design with fully CNC-machined combustion chambers and intake ports, supporting a mechanical “finger follower” valvetrain
• Dual-coil valve springs to support titanium intake and sodium filled exhaust valves
• Forged aluminum pistons and forged titanium connecting rods for low mass and high strength
• Distinctive Edge Red camshaft covers
• All-new active split intake manifold with twin 87 mm throttle bodies
• All-new six-stage dry-sump oiling system with individual crank bay scavenging
• Four-into-two-into-one stainless steel exhaust headers
• 670 hp at 8,400 rpm (GM tested per SAE J1349)
• 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque @ 6300 rpm (GM tested per SAE J1349)

2023 Z06 Final First Impressions

The 2023 Z06 won’t slide into the history books as the pinnacle of Corvette performance, but I don’t see another, better naturally aspirated V8 engine following in its wake. It will likely be the first and last of its kind in one deafening encore. A love letter penned to the mighty eight-cylinder internal combustion engine. An engineering coup de grace blending the best of the 20th and 21st centuries.

In that sense, when I look at the new Z06… When I hear its LT6 spin to life… I see the perfect Corvette.

What about you?
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