The introduction of the latest eighth-generation Corvette C8 was a watershed moment for the Chevy Corvette nameplate thanks to its all-new mid-engine layout, and the 2023 Corvette Z06 ups the ante with even more race-inspired performance potential. Now, Chevrolet is providing a little insight into what makes the 2023 Corvette Z06 so agile with the following brief video.
The new video clocks in at about 2 minutes, 20 seconds, and is part of the Corvette Academy series, showing off the new 2023 Corvette Z06 as it does its thing on the track, while the brains behind the machine explain what makes it tick.
“We knew we wanted to raise the suspension tuning of the car to provide a platform that reacts to the highest aerodynamic downforce we’ve ever had on a Corvette,” says Lead Development Engineer Aaron Link. “And the mid-engine architecture really allows you to do that because you have less weight on the front.”
Interestingly, GM’s design team worked with engineers to develop the C8 chassis and maximize handling around things like steering ratios, per comments from Exterior Design Manager, Corvette, Kirk Bennion. The result was that the architecture itself was developed around the positioning of the wheels and tires, yielding crisp, intuitive handling dynamics.
The suspension components are also specific to the 2023 Corvette Z06, including stiffer spring rates than the C8 Corvette Stingray Z51. The optional Z07 Performance Package adds in suspension that’s an additional 10 percent stiffer, making it the perfect choice for those owners eager to hit the track.
Check out the full video right here:
As a reminder, the 2023 Corvette Z06 features the mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6 gasoline engine, rated at 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Under the skin, the C8 rides on the GM Y2 platform, while production takes place at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky.
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Comments
An awesome high performance supercar. GM’s market introduction isn’t that great though.
Absolutely fantastic car, for the 10% of its buyers that ordered one and will actually receive it. Electric CUV’s for the rest of us the plebs.
Love the car, BUT- pushing and pushing for the sake of marketing, a car that no one will get because it’s so limited..
I was planning to order one to replace my C7 Z06. But there’s none to be bought and the sticker plus price will be insane. I expected better from GM. I was wrong.
Interesting, sort of like “dangling a carrot out in front of you while you keep reaching for it”, and we all know how that ends.
I get it, GM has to keep the interest flowing even though very few (if anyone right now!) are actually going to get one of these cars, at any price due to “circumstances beyond their control” (sic) and that sort of tells the way GM has been doing things since Mary Barry took over the company, and that’s a shame cause as we’ve seen, the GM (Corvette) design and engineering group are an amazing group of people fully capable of putting a beautifully built Corvette “par excellence”, but sadly not for all of those who’d contemplate buying one and enjoying it. with in a reasonable amount of time.
Those days of walking into your local Chevy dealer and placing an order for any Corvette, having it “built to your specs” and delivered with 6 to 8 weeks are sadly over. GM has attained what most of us have feared would happen one day if they didn’t maintain their ability, through any means possible, to keep this car available, both on the production line and in a dealers stockpile when at one time, you actually could trade in your older Corvette and but one right off the dealers lot, with a “fair deal” usually ending in a signed contract and the new Corvette buyer driving home their new Corvette that day or evening, almost anyplace in the USA. I can remember those days, especially here in Southern California where the weather allowed you to almost buy your “New Model ‘Vette” any time of the year and drive it home, damn that was so cool!
Well GM, guess you’ve finally attained that once rare business modicum that said “it’s better to sell one product for a million dollars than a million products for one dollar”. Too bad, it was fun back in the day to go pick out a new ‘Vette on the dealers lot, test drive it and then tell the salesman “I’ll take it, wrap it up”, and the excitement and enjoyment never ended as you now were the proud owner of a new Chevy Corvette , and it was all done within a few hours sometimes, now that’s a day that’ll never come again this way. I’ll be keeping my C5 ‘Vette, with only 60k on the odo, it’s still got a lot life left in her but my dream of owning a new C8 I’ve been saving for (especially a Z06) someday is now gone. Such is life, eh GM?
Still hyping a vehicle that an extremely small percentage of prospective buyers will ever obtain. Seems to me that GM has created the precise scenario they desired – a huge huge demand for a vehicle in very very very limited supply.
The C8 is, regardless of what options or model you get is a great vehicle. The only problem with it is there are so many ugly colors that flatly do not fit good design it is hard to stomach some of them. I know, some of the buyers and owners think they are great! Ask them in five years what their opinion is then? If they still like the colors I will eat crow!!! Oh, GM has no corner on the ugly colors market either.
What are your favorite colors? Black, white or silver/gray?
IMO, black looks the best although it’s probably the hardest to keep clean. Of course I’m biased since I own a black, loaded 2022 2LT Z51 with the high wing. Wicked looking ride. 😎
GREEN! Good luck with that, huh??!!
In the 70s, lots of burnt orange C3 Halloween-looking cars were sold – not my preference. When I see burnt orange today – still not my preference. C8 cars have lots of contrasting styling detail features in the body. Black hides a lot of them. Too many reflections. For any C8, black would be my last choice. Black works better on some of the older generations. I like the yellow/green just fine but don’t want to see a lot of them out there.