On July 18th, 2019, I felt sad for Dave Hill, the Chief Designer of the all-new Corvette. He was at the Kennedy Space Center in Tustin, California, and G.M. had just pulled the cover off the eighth-generation Corvette.
I felt sad because it didn’t take 15 minutes before a reporter asked Dave when a Z06 version might be coming to showrooms.
Dave and his team had spent years developing a world-class sports car, and he only got a few minutes to revel in the accomplishment before they were pressing him for more.
Such is the power of the Z06 moniker in the automotive world. Such are the visceral emotions and high esteem the Z06 badge brings to the table.
On Monday, March 7th, 2022, the Corvette faithful descended on Rick Hendrick Chevrolet to get their first glimpse of the much-heralded 2023 Z06. For the record, many left the showroom that day with a smile.
Deja Vu. . . But Different
In many ways, it seemed like deja vu as we stood there at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth, looking at another new offering from Bowling Green.
The last time was October 14th, 2019, when we were there covering the unveiling of the all-new 2020 eighth-generation Corvette. It turned out to be a great experience that we chronicled in: Was The Atlanta C8 Corvette Reveal Pivotal?
Surprisingly, the attendees of the Z06 reveal in 2022 were night and day different than those who attended in 2019. Back then, the Corvette faithful and a shocking number of Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini owners made up the crowd.
Hendrick’s parking lot at that time looked like a centerfold advertisement for the Robb Report. Premier sports cars of every ilk and name badge made even the most jaded car enthusiast drool incessantly.
For most of us back then, the 90-minute wait outside under the unrelenting Georgia sun seemed like a small price to pay to see the glistening Sebring Orange coupe. So, fast forward to March 2022, and the ethos has dramatically changed.
Gone are the six-figure European sportscars. Gone, too, are the long queueing lines which had snaked around the outside of the building.
Instead, we walked right in and joined a couple of dozen people meandering around the 2023 Torch Red coupe. By 3 pm, the “crowd” was down to one or two lookie-loos who wandered over from the service department.
The other key difference was that most of the people we spoke to already had at least one C8 in their collection. In addition, some had already flipped their first C8 for a tidy profit in anticipation of the upcoming flat-plane crank Z06.
Driving In From South Carolina
Corvette enthusiasts came from far and wide to feast their eyes on the latest fiberglass creation from Bowling Green, KY. How far, you might ask?
Well, we spoke to Larry and Al from the Capitol City Corvette Club based in South Carolina. Their trek over to Hendrick Chevrolet was about 3.5 hours one-way.
Though talking to them, it seems the journey was well worth it to get a glimpse of this special Vette. If you find yourself in Columbia, South Carolina, on the third Sunday of the month, be sure to stop by their monthly club meeting.
It’s held at 4:00 pm at Love Chevrolet at 100 Parkridge Drive in Columbia, SC 29212. They say visitors are always welcome.
OutKast Corvette Club
Among the Atlanta Corvette faithful that stopped by were members of OutKast Corvette Club and their President, Keith. Whenever you talk about OutKast, you’re talking about food, fellowship, and fun times.
This is a social club at its core. From sponsoring cruise-ins to networking events to Christmas Kids Giveaways, this club stays active and engaged in the community.
They are in the community with goodwill. And, of course, this club cruises.
Whether a planned cruise-in to support others or an impromptu gathering amongst themselves, they make time to drive.
Most Track-Capable Corvette Ever?
Of course, there is a lot to like about the latest track-beast from 600 Corvette Drive. However, the casual car enthusiast couldn’t be faulted for mistaking the Z06 edition for just another base C8 Stingray at a glance.
Being true to form, Chevrolet has opted for only subtle visual differences between these two models.
Clearly, the clean-sheet-designed LT6 powerplant was the star of the show, as it rightfully should be. And, yes, it was something to behold in person, and no, they wouldn’t start it for us.
The four center black exhaust tips and the slightly wider stance were among the other aesthetics that worked. In our opinion, the rear spoiler is spot on and bestows an exotic European vibe to the back deck area.
The one aspect that most would miss is the serious Michelins this mechanical missile uses to grip the asphalt.
The C8 Corvette Z06 features 20-inch wheels up front and 21-inch wheels in the rear. The standard wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP tires, while the carbon fiber wheels come with stickier Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP bespoke rubber.
Chevrolet has said all models feature a size 275/30ZR20 tire upfront and 345/25ZR21 in the rear, regardless of the tire. Many experts believe the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tire compound is the most serious, hardcore, track-focused street tire in production.
As we walked away from the event, we couldn’t help but feel this new super Vette could be the closest thing to a race car for the road we’ve seen from General Motors.
The broad smiles and frequent head nods from others at the Hendrick Z06 event let us know we weren’t alone in those thoughts.
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