Bring It On!

Corvette history, though generally the story of a powerful yet easy-driving cruiser, is punctuated with standout examples of brawn and breakout imagery. Engines like the L-71 435/435, circa 1967, or the 430hp L-88 of 1968 are staples in the minds of Chevy performance enthusiasts.

Then, of course, there was the 1990-95 ZR-1. Dubbed the King of the Hill, it re-established Corvette as a serious sports car and bolstered a legacy of technological innovation that continues today.

But it's the 2006 Corvette Z06 that is set to obliterate previous notions of what a Corvette is, what it can be, and what is considered its competition. Simply put, it is the fastest Corvette production car ever built--with internal numbers showing sub-12-second ETs and a top speed of nearly 200 mph.

Yes, you've heard the hyperbole before about a new car, especially a sports car. And to be honest, we've heard it a million times ourselves, but the Z06 definitely is a groundbreaker. "Performance unlike anything else," reads the copy. "Able to warp time and space," says the press release of the next car. This time, however, it all appears to be the real deal.

Take a look at the car's bulging bodywork and hunkered-down stance. It's not a friendly looking car and that's part of its charisma. The Z06's performance is derived from a beefed-up, 7.0-liter Gen IV small-block called the LS7. It is the rough equivalent of 427 cubic inches--a magic number for the Corvette--and is rated at 500 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque.

The engine is filled with racing technology, including five-axis-milled, CNC-ported cylinder heads and a dry-sump oiling system. We've seen the heads in person. The intake runners are straight and wide enough to view the top of the valves. They are finely crafted pieces of art that push tremendous amounts of air past titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves.

The valves are huge, too--measuring 2.20 inches on the intake side and 1.61 inches on the exhaust side. To accommodate the width of the valves, the valve seats are siamesed. Actuating the valves is a hydraulic roller cam with an impressive 0.591-inch of lift.

Compression of the LS7 is a lofty 11:1, so we don't imagine anyone will be bolting a blower to the engine right away. The cam is driven via the timing chain by a forged steel crankshaft that gives a set of forged titanium con rods a 4-inch stroke. The titanium rods are not only super strong, they're almost 30 percent lighter than the rods in the LS2 engine. Titanium also is used in some valvetrain components.

The unique dry-sump oiling system was designed to solve previous-generation issues of oil starvation in high-load cornering maneuvers. The LS7's 8-quart system uses an engine compartment-mounted reservoir to circulate pressurized oil throughout the engine, with a scavenge pump sending oil back to the reservoir. This system not only keeps the engine fed with oil, it keeps the oil cooler.

But wait, there's more
The impressive and powerful LS7 is merely the tip of the Z06's performance iceberg. We simply don't have the space to detail every new nut and bolt, so here's a rundown of all the other new parts:
* Aluminum chassis "backbone" with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle
* Fixed roof design--no removable panels, no convertible
* Carbon-fiber front fenders
* Front end styling with larger air intake and cold-air scoop
* Wide-body rear fenders help make the car 3 inches wider than standard Vettes
* Humongous 14-inch cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
* 18x9.5-inch 10-spoke front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19x12-inch 10-spoke rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires
* 3-inch exhaust with "bi-mode" mufflers--quiet at low rpm, but an internal flap opens at full throttle for increased flow and sound
*Coolers for engine oil, trans fluid, differential fluid and power steering system
*Transaxle with single-mass flywheel, strengthened half-shafts and larger ring-and-pinion gears
*Rear-mounted battery improves weight distribution

With all the new stuff on the Z06, you may have missed a few things, especially that part about the aluminum chassis. This is big, real big. Besides a monster new engine and fatter tires, Chevy saw fit to-replace the frame in an effort to lighten the car and bolster its stiffness.

We're told the aluminum-intensive body structure, with an even lighter-weight magnesium front cradle, helps offset the weight of added items, like the beefier axles, all those oil coolers, the dry-sump system, etc. Those steam roller wheels and tires are heavier than standard Vette wheels, too.

The Z06 retains the 106-inch wheelbase of other Corvette models, as well as the short-long arm suspension and transverse leaf spring design, but it rides on all-new wheels, tires, brakes, as well as its own rear spring and roll stabilizer.

The firmer suspension works with the largest wheel-and-tire combination ever offered on a Corvette. Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an equally capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch vented and cross-drilled rear rotors.

The front rotors feature six-piston calipers that use six individual brake pads, because six pads deliver more equalized wear compared to what would otherwise be very long single-piece pads. Four-piston calipers with four individual brake pads are used at the rear.

Driving a hard--and fast--bargain?
The Z06 comes with a host of comfort and convenience items, including HID lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and Head-Up Display (HUD) with track mode and g-meter are standard. It also has a revised gauge cluster that displays a new readout on the oil pressure gauge to reflect the higher standard pressure of the dry-sump oiling system.

But for all its comfort, a few comfort items were sacrificed for performance and lower overall weight, including fixed rather than adjustable seat side bolsters and a change to a manually adjustable passenger seat (saving the weight of the power adjuster motor). Listen closely and you might even notice that there is less sound-deadening material.

With all its performance capability and luxurious appointments, questions regarding price are inevitable. At the time our story was written, the numbers hadn't been released, but we understand the Z06 will likely sticker at less than $80,000.

If that seems pricey for a Corvette, considering the standard LS2-powered models start at $44,500, keep in mind the Z06 brings to the table a comprehensive list of new or upgraded components. In other words, it's not just an expensive engine option, as was the case with the ZR-1.

Look at it this way: A new Viper starts at $85,000, and though it has a few lb-ft on the Z06, it's a barge in comparison--weighing almost 1,000 pounds more than the Vette. No, the real competitors are from across the pond--the new Porsche 911 or even the Ferrari.

The '05 non-Turbo 911 has a base price of around $71,000, but offers up only 321 horsepower; the next 911 Turbo will be closer to the Vette's performance, but the '04 model started at $120,000 or so and the '05 isn't here yet. As for Ferrari, well, the only new Ferrari model you can buy for less than $80K is made by BBurago or Hot Wheels.

Without a doubt, the new Z06 rewrites the history books and pushes the Corvette further up the ladder toward the world stage. When all the road tests start pouring in this summer, you can bet they'll all say the same thing: For the money, the Z06 can't be touched on the racetrack or the street.

It's no punk and it'll prove it.