MotorTrend Explores The Z06 Corvette At The Racetrack

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is an impressive machine. Not only is it fast in a straight line, but it’s also ridiculously fast around corners. It commands a price that is fractions of what a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, or McLaren will cost while being American-made, just as fast, and realistically less temperamental than the Italian and British exotic competition. 

MotorTrend Head2Head

As one of the oldest surviving car magazines, MotorTrend often finds ways to buck the norm. Recently, they had the great pleasure of taking the most powerful Chevrolet currently made to the Radford Racing School track to be pitted against a race-prepped Lotus Elise with a Honda K20 engine driven by its owner, National Time Attack Champion Amir Bentatou. 

Z07 Package

MotorTrend’s Z06 has the Z07 package, which gives it an aggressive aerodynamics package, carbon ceramic brakes, and Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tires. The aero package contributes to an extra 734 lbs of downforce at 186 mph. After taking it to their local dealer to have it prepared for the race track, it was ready to take on the best that anyone could bring. 

What MotorTrend Said

“Part of what I love about GM performance vehicles is its Performance Traction Management (PTM) system. Not to be confused with the Corvette’s standard chassis/damper settings (Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, and Z-Mode), PTM offers five preconfigured settings for the traction and stability control, electronic limited-slip diff (eLSD), transmission, brakes, and engine output. PTM in the Z06 consists of Wet, Dry, Sport, Race I, and Race II, or you can of course always choose to run everything off.”

Power & Performance

The latest generation Corvette Z06 is powered by a unique 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 that makes 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque and puts the power down via an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The current generation Z06 can hustle to 60 mph in a staggering 2.6 seconds while flying through the ¼-mile in 10.5 seconds at 131 mph. 

How It Feels

“… power delivery is exceptional. It’s just so responsive and free revving. Even on a relatively small track like Radford I could hit triple digits in a spot or two when the track configuration allowed. Thankfully, the Z06 is outfitted with what have to be among the top three best braking systems ever fit to a production car, so stopping was never even sort of an issue.”

The Competition

The Lotus Elise in question has had a Honda K20 swapped into it, displacing roughly 400 horsepower and weighing approximately 2,200 lbs, which is nearly 1,500 lbs lighter than the Z06. On the race track, weight is everything. For instance, a Formula One driver who is just 2 lbs overweight can lose two or more seconds on the race track. The prepped Lotus is also not a street car in its current configuration. MotorTrend did the math, and the Lotus, even with less horsepower, had 5 lbs per horsepower, whereas the Z06, even with its massive power and torque advantage, has 5.5 lbs per horsepower. So, it is at a disadvantage there. 

Suspension & Traction

“Like every vehicle equipped with GM’s eLSD, the traction the Corvette Z06 can put down from just two wheels is near magic. It simply bounces off corners—an instance where many other cars would be caught out. What’s also fantastic is that the latest and greatest iteration of GM’s Magnetic Ride Control is so damn dialed in that when you do blast off rumble strips, there’s almost no drama. Yes, you feel the wheels moving about, but the Corvette itself never feels unsettled. Our Z06/Z07 has the optional FE7 suspension, which means thicker front and rear anti-roll bars, plus stiffer springs front and rear. The results are wonderful and great fun to drive.”

The Final Times

After multiple laps to get comfortable with the track and then a few more to set an official lap time, how well did the Z06 do against a fully prepared Time Attack race car? Well, the Lotus’s best time was 52.96 seconds, while the best time for the Z06 was 54.69. Less than 2 seconds, which is remarkable when you realize that the Corvette has heated and ventilated seats, a removable top, cup holders, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, modern safety features, and is one of the finest sounding machines ever engineered. I’d say that’s a win for the Corvette. 

At McFarland Chevrolet, we work hard to be the best dealer for your needs. Whether you are looking for a new or used car, our sales team and finance department will work hard to ensure you are getting the best possible price. Our service department will be up to the task of taking care of your vehicle to keep it in the best possible condition. We look forward to serving you.