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Coupe New Car Review 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Absolutely spellbinding power, faster, more control and comfort defies its incredible low cost compared to the Ferrari 360. The engineers at GM truly deserve world wide acclaim and praise for designing this car.

The production workers at Bowling Green are perfectionist and master craftsmen and deliver to the Average Joe a Supercar that is actually attainable - pending availability!! The 2006 Corvette is the fruition of why human must continue to dream big, aim high, and never quit in the face of competition - because you can prevail, and this car does. The 505HP engine is simply the heart of this electrifying car. Whooo-EEEE!



Car and Driver magazine has also named the Chevrolet Corvette as the "Best Performance Car" for 2006 in its 24th annual roundup of the 10 best cars sold in America. It’s no wonder that the Corvette is America’s favorite sports car! The 2006 Corvette Z06 has an endurance-racing-inspired 7.0-liter power plant under the hood. It boasts 470 lb.-ft. of torque and goes from 0-to-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. At 80 mph, the massive brakes on the new Z06 stop the car in a short 109 feet. It delivers a top speed of 198 mph.

Whats New for the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette?

The new Corvette Z06 is the big news, but the standard 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe and Convertible also see upgrades this year. Foremost among them is the new six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, which features Drive, Sport, and Manual shift modes.

Drive works like a regular automatic; Sport engages the Corvettes Performance Algorithm Shift software; and Manual works with the paddle shifters for complete driver control. The paddles are mounted to a new, smaller-diameter steering wheel this year, and the dual-stage front airbags are upgraded with an occupant sensing system for the passengers side. Order the upgraded Bose audio system in 2006, and XM satellite radio is included (though the subscription is extra). New exterior colors include Velocity Yellow Tintcoat and Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat, while the interior is offered in a new Titanium Gray color. On convertibles, the top is newly available in Storm Gray.

THE ENGINE

With 505 horsepower making the Corvette the fastest Vette ever! The Corvette looks great and rides great. The Jack LaLanne of the engine world, GMs small-block V-8, ripples with newfound muscle thanks to a fatter bore and a longer stroke that yield 428 cubic inches or 7.0 liters of piston displacement. Coded LS7 (in 1970, GM advertised a 460-hp LS7 big-block V-8 that was never bolted into a production car), the latest Z06s engine consists of a new aluminum-block casting liberally loaded with go-fast goodies.

A forged-steel crankshaft is supported by six-bolt forged-steel main-bearing caps and is twisted by forged-titanium connecting rods that are 25 percent lighter than the ferrous-metal rods used in the standard 6.0-liter V-8. Lighter cast-aluminum pistons sliding inside pressed-in cast-iron cylinder liners hammer the incoming charge with an 11.0:1 compression ratio. Intake and exhaust valves are lined up edge-to-edge, wall-to-wall. The 2.20-inch-diameter intakes are titanium for weight savings, and the 1.61-inch exhausts are sodium-filled for rapid heat transfer. An aggressive roller-follower camshaft kicks the valves open 13 percent wider than in the 6.0-liter V-8. All critical cylinder-head surfaces-intake and exhaust ports, combustion chambers-are fully machined to surpass the 6.0-liter engines airflow by 18 percent.

An electronically controlled 3.5-inch (90-millimeter) throttle meters air to the composite-plastic, tuned-length intake manifold, which is fed fuel by high-capacity solenoid injectors. On the exhaust side, four hydroformed stainless-steel tubes merge into one wide-mouth catalytic converter per bank. The pièce de résistance is a bona fide dry-sump lubrication system-a feature Porsche eliminated from its flat-sixes to save cost. A gerotor-type pump driven by the crankshaft evacuates oil that drains to the bottom of the block for storage in a cylindrical reservoir positioned in the right rear corner of the engine bay. A second pressure pump draws lubricant from the tank for delivery to the engines oil galleries.

The key benefit with this arrangement is that theres no chance of oil starvation when high revs mix with high-g cornering and braking. Oil capacity is greater by 2.5 quarts (8.0 versus 5.5 in regular Corvettes), and the remote reservoir helps remove trapped air from the lubricant. To clear a spot for the tank, the battery has been relocated behind the right rear wheel. The LS7 generates a husky 500 hp at 6200 rpm, with a torque curve humped up to 475 lb-ft at 4800 rpm. Thats 3.6 times the output of the original "Turbo-Fire V-8" engine that debuted in 55 Chevys, showing just how far a sound idea can go with half a century of development.

THE BODY

With an additional 100 hp available for beating back the wind, aerodynamic emphasis shifts from minimal drag to additional downforce. The Z06 has a taller front fascia slot to ram extra cooling air through the radiator plus a central nostril dedicated to engine air. A horizontal surface, called a splitter, extends forward of the fascia to help neutralize front-end lift at speed. The rear portion of the front wheel opening is reshaped, and the side vents are larger to relieve underhood pressure. The rear tires are shrouded by meatier fender flares, and forward-facing slits duct air to the rear brakes. The black spoiler affixed to the center portion of the fascia is more than twice as tall as the one used on standard Corvettes. Wind-tunnel testing is ongoing, but its clear that frontal area, drag coefficient, and wheel loadings will be increased over C6 figures.

Other features of the 2006 Z06 listed by General Motors include:

• LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 engine with lightweight reciprocating components
• 505 horsepower (373 kw) @ 6300 rpm
• 470 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) @ 4800 rpm
• 6-speed manual transmission
• 7000 rpm redline
• Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rail frame and magnesium engine cradle
• Carbon-fiber composite front fenders, front wheelhouses and floors • Dry-sump engine lubrication system
• Hand-built engine at GM’s new Performance Build Center
• Unique design styling that includes a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter, wide-body front and rear fenders and a taller rear spoiler

• Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers and steering cooler

The new Z06 is the fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors. It was developed alongside the Corvette C6.R race car.

Corvette’s chief engineer Dave Hill attributes the superior performance of the 2006 Z06 to the technology and know-how from the race program.

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The thrill of open-air motoring was a part of the original allure when the Chevrolet Corvette roadster was born in 1953, and the sixth-generation Corvette (C6) builds on its icon status with technical sophistication and expressive style. Todays Corvette cuts a tighter, tauter profile than the C5 it replaced - with virtually no loss of usable space. These smaller dimensions make the car more agile and tossable, with upgrades in handling, acceleration and braking.

Thanks to its strong and lightweight body structure and a 400-horsepower, 6.0-liter LS2 engine, the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette raises the bar for performance, with impressive handling, yet supple ride quality. The Corvette convertible features an optional power-operated soft top, a feature that last appeared in 1962. The power top features single-button control and completes its cycle in 18 seconds. With a near perfect blend of performance, handling and stunning looks, the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette keeps itself at the top of the American muscle car list, with Fords new Mustang bobbing in its wake. Drive one, and you wont want to relinquish the keys.