Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From auto123.com:
July 4, 2005
Z06 will be the ''ultimate'' Corvette
by Alex Law , Auto123
For about a decade now, Chevrolet has been releasing a new model of its legendary Corvette model that they have quite rightly called the best or fastest Vette yet.
But now we are on the verge of the Z06 for 2006, and the folks at Chevrolet have deployed the word "ultimate" to describe the newest model in their two-seat sportscar line and, in fairness, it's hard to see how they -- or anyone else, come to that -- can create anything to beat it.
Powered by a 7-litre V-8 (the metric version of the 427 cubic-inch monster of song and story), the new Z06 will go from 0 to 96.5 kmh in 3.7 seconds while still in first gear. In first gear. This is what happens when you have a car developing 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.
If you get a chance to use your left foot to shift into sixth gear while your right foot is holding the gas pedal to the floor, the big V-8 will crank out 505 hp at 6,300 rpm and take you beyond the magical 300 kmh barrier. If you're in a car going that rate and pass a vehicle going 100 kmh an hour, the driver of the slower car will often reward you with a look that suggests that he didn't realize that his vehicle had come to a stop on the highway.
On top of that, since a lot of the new Z06's development was done in tandem with work on the C6.R race model rather than simply as a straight upgrade of the regular Vette, the upcoming model will be more proficient on a race track than any street-ready production model that's worn the Corvette insignia before.
There are other production cars that will cover that distance in about the same time and go as quick on a racetrack, but precious few of them and usually for two or three times what the Z06 will cost.
On the pricing point, the folks at GM of Canada say pricing for the newest Corvette will not be announced for a few weeks, but that doesn't preclude us from making an educated guess.
The U.S. has announced a sticker of US$65,800 for the Z06, compared with US$44,150 for a regular Corvette coupe. Since the regular coupe costs $67,395 in Canada, we can assume the 2006 Z06 will cost at least $90,000 and quite possibly as much $95,000. It could be more and it could be less, of course, but that's an educated guess using the current exchange rate.
This kind of pricing is supposed to be play up the fact that "Corvette is a global icon for world-class sports car performance at an incredible value," says Ed Peper, the general manager of Chevrolet, "and offering the fastest production Corvette ever at this price is another testament to that reputation. When you compare the Corvette Z06 performance stats to other supercars, you see numerous examples where you're getting better performance with Corvette for one-third the sticker price of the competition."
Because is was developed alongside the C6.R race car, which just finished first and second in the GT1 class at LeMans (making it four wins for Corvette), the new Z06 is almost 10 cm wider than a regular Vette and uses what Peper calls "advanced lightweight materials typically found only in the most exotic supercars."
Use of such as materials as carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium and magnesium give the a highly competitive weight-to-power ratio of 2.8 kg per horsepower. The regular coupe weighs only about 20 kg more than that Z06's 1415 kg, by the way.
According to Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer, the new Z06 "is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing."
Hill notes that previous Corvette Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. "The 2006 Corvette Z06 is more differentiated from the standard Corvette than any other Z06 in history," he points out, "with every design element serving a performance function."
Each Z06 will be hand-built at GM's new Performance Build Center and will have a unique style that includes a larger grille, a cold-air scoop and lower air splitter, wide-body front and rear fenders, and a taller rear spoiler.
Hill and his engineers also went to a lot of trouble to make sure that the Z06 was also "designed to be refined as a daily driver, with a sophisticated and comfortable interior and generous cargo volume."
When it goes on sale later this year, the Z06 can be ordered in Machine Silver Metallic, Victory Red, Daytona Sunset Orange, Le Mans Blue Metallic, Velocity Yellow Tintcoat and Black exterior colors.
July 4, 2005
Z06 will be the ''ultimate'' Corvette
by Alex Law , Auto123
For about a decade now, Chevrolet has been releasing a new model of its legendary Corvette model that they have quite rightly called the best or fastest Vette yet.
But now we are on the verge of the Z06 for 2006, and the folks at Chevrolet have deployed the word "ultimate" to describe the newest model in their two-seat sportscar line and, in fairness, it's hard to see how they -- or anyone else, come to that -- can create anything to beat it.
Powered by a 7-litre V-8 (the metric version of the 427 cubic-inch monster of song and story), the new Z06 will go from 0 to 96.5 kmh in 3.7 seconds while still in first gear. In first gear. This is what happens when you have a car developing 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.
If you get a chance to use your left foot to shift into sixth gear while your right foot is holding the gas pedal to the floor, the big V-8 will crank out 505 hp at 6,300 rpm and take you beyond the magical 300 kmh barrier. If you're in a car going that rate and pass a vehicle going 100 kmh an hour, the driver of the slower car will often reward you with a look that suggests that he didn't realize that his vehicle had come to a stop on the highway.
On top of that, since a lot of the new Z06's development was done in tandem with work on the C6.R race model rather than simply as a straight upgrade of the regular Vette, the upcoming model will be more proficient on a race track than any street-ready production model that's worn the Corvette insignia before.
There are other production cars that will cover that distance in about the same time and go as quick on a racetrack, but precious few of them and usually for two or three times what the Z06 will cost.
On the pricing point, the folks at GM of Canada say pricing for the newest Corvette will not be announced for a few weeks, but that doesn't preclude us from making an educated guess.
The U.S. has announced a sticker of US$65,800 for the Z06, compared with US$44,150 for a regular Corvette coupe. Since the regular coupe costs $67,395 in Canada, we can assume the 2006 Z06 will cost at least $90,000 and quite possibly as much $95,000. It could be more and it could be less, of course, but that's an educated guess using the current exchange rate.
This kind of pricing is supposed to be play up the fact that "Corvette is a global icon for world-class sports car performance at an incredible value," says Ed Peper, the general manager of Chevrolet, "and offering the fastest production Corvette ever at this price is another testament to that reputation. When you compare the Corvette Z06 performance stats to other supercars, you see numerous examples where you're getting better performance with Corvette for one-third the sticker price of the competition."
Because is was developed alongside the C6.R race car, which just finished first and second in the GT1 class at LeMans (making it four wins for Corvette), the new Z06 is almost 10 cm wider than a regular Vette and uses what Peper calls "advanced lightweight materials typically found only in the most exotic supercars."
Use of such as materials as carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium and magnesium give the a highly competitive weight-to-power ratio of 2.8 kg per horsepower. The regular coupe weighs only about 20 kg more than that Z06's 1415 kg, by the way.
According to Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer, the new Z06 "is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing."
Hill notes that previous Corvette Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. "The 2006 Corvette Z06 is more differentiated from the standard Corvette than any other Z06 in history," he points out, "with every design element serving a performance function."
Each Z06 will be hand-built at GM's new Performance Build Center and will have a unique style that includes a larger grille, a cold-air scoop and lower air splitter, wide-body front and rear fenders, and a taller rear spoiler.
Hill and his engineers also went to a lot of trouble to make sure that the Z06 was also "designed to be refined as a daily driver, with a sophisticated and comfortable interior and generous cargo volume."
When it goes on sale later this year, the Z06 can be ordered in Machine Silver Metallic, Victory Red, Daytona Sunset Orange, Le Mans Blue Metallic, Velocity Yellow Tintcoat and Black exterior colors.
RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!! Do not let them do this to you!! You can get one for sticker!! Tell them to :booty !!
