You should finally start seeing the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on the road soon, and Chevy is maintaining excitement for the model by releasing a video of it on the track. The new model isn't alone. The C5, C6, and C7 generations of the Z06 are part of the pack, too. The original C2 is missing, but there's some archival footage of that model.
Racing driver Oliver Gavin is the video's host. The guy is quite familiar with Corvettes on the track. In his competition career, he recorded five class wins in the 'Vette, including in the C5, C6, and C7 generations at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Gallery: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: First Drive
Gavin is at the wheel of the C8 Z06 but gives his brief feelings about the previous models. He said the C5 felt "in touch with the road." The C6 "clicked" with him, and the C7 had an amazing sound. He just wanted to "keep doing lap after lap after lap" in the latest one.
Unfortunately, it's less of a race and more of a parade when these cars lap the track at the same time. No one appears to be pushing too hard. Even with a five-second gap between them starting off, the C8 Z06 takes an easy win.
This result is understandable because Chevy is promoting the new model, not doing an actual comparison between the latest Z06 and the previous ones. The company wants to sell the new vehicle with this clip.
According to Motor1.com's Brandon Turkus, the C8 Z06 is a very special machine. In his First Drive, he wrote:
And while I’ve driven things that are more powerful and more capable in that time, only the 2023 Z06 has captured that combination of absolute purpose, massive indulgence, and accessible capability that I experienced that day in the [Ferrari] 458.
The new Z06 boasts a 5.5-liter dual-overhead-cam V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. The engine pumps out 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and 460 pound-feet (624 Newton-meters) of torque. The only gearbox available is an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This is enough to reach 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 2.6 seconds. The standard top speed is 195 mph (314 kph). The high-downforce Carbon Aero package drops this to 189 mph (304 kph).
