Haute Auto of the Week: Chevy Corvette Z06

General Motors recently declared that its 2015 Corvette Z06 is among the most powerful production cars available in the USA.

The American automaker also proclaimed that the 2015 Z06 is the “most capable model in the iconic car’s 62-year history.”

The newest version of  America’s first and most-renowned sports car is the first to feature a new supercharged engine and an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. Additionally, this is the first Corvette since 1963 to be offered in both a coupe and a convertible model.

“Simply put, until recently it was not possible to create an open-roof structure strong enough to meet Corvette’s highest performance levels,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette’s chief engineer, in a prepared statement for the media.  “It required advancements in computer-aided engineering, metallurgy and manufacturing – many of which did not exist five years ago – to make a frame strong enough for a Z06 Convertible.”

Delivering 650 horsepower with its LT4 supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine, the 2015 Z06 houses the seventh powerful production engine in the U.S., according to Road & Track magazine. It sets in fast company, parked between the Ferrari FF (651 hp) and the McClaren 650S (641 hp). 

Tadge Juechter also went on to say that the Corvette Z06 is a great example of the technology transfer between the racing and the production Corvettes.

“First, we took what we learned on the Corvette Racing C6.R and applied that to the all-new Corvette Stingray, said Mr. Juechter. “Then, using the Stingray as a foundation, the Z06 and C7.R were developed to push the envelope of performance on the street and the track.”