Dive into Part 4 of the Z06 Corvette story as the C7 Z06 and Z07 package redefine American performance. With a supercharged LT4, advanced aerodynamics and track-focused engineering, the C7 Z06 pushed Corvette into true supercar territory while honoring the legacy of the legendary Z06 badge.
Lyn Adams and her Corvettes are no strangers to Vette Vues, Her 1966 Corvette with the big-block 427 and tunnel ram was in the January 2002 issue and her 2009 GT1 Championship Edition Z06 was in the December 2013 issue. Her husband, chief mechanic, and best friend Jody says he doesn’t mind cleaning and wrenching on Lyn’s Corvettes, but the Grand Sport will probably get some changes soon. It won’t be long before they’ll start to hit to local car shows, and no doubt, more trophies will be coming home. So what lies ahead for Lyn Adam’s Corvette experience? More Corvettes, I’m sure.
All five Corvette chief engineers contributed mightily and in their own unique ways. But only Tadge Juechter has the distinction of having done hard engineering on five generations of Corvettes. When Juechter went to work in 1993 as chief engineer Dave Hill’s right-hand-man, there were two objectives; keep the then-current C4 fresh and interesting; and design and develop the most revolutionary Corvette to that date, the C5. After Hill’s retirement, Tom Wallace was Vehicle Line Engineer (VLE) and chief engineer for the Corvette. Wallace accessed that because of Juechter’s 15 years of experience, he was the right man for the chief engineer position.
The C8 ZR1 will have an all-electric, all-wheel-drive drivetrain with a combined electric motor power of 1,000-horsepower and 1,000-lb/ft of torque. Electric motors have their full torque starting at 1-rpm; that’s why diesel-electric locomotives are so powerful. Here’s the carbon fiber leap. Remember how we were stunned when the 2006 Z06 was debuted and we learned that the frame was aluminum. Next, all C7 and C8 Corvette have aluminum frames. To safely handle the tremendous leap on power, I predict that the C8 ZR1 will have a carbon fiber chassis. Think about it. We’ll see. Stepping off soapbox…
When Tadge Juechter’s C7 Corvette debuted, fans were stunned to learn that the base model C7 was built an even better version of the Z06’s aluminum chassis. But wait, there’s more! The same new aluminum chassis would be used for the coupe AND convertible Corvette. This was a major breakthrough and bespeaks of advanced engineering. Here’s how Juechter’s team did it.
Juechter’s objective was to build a modern performance car that delivered enhanced driving experience, more efficiency that yielded more performance. Every element had to contribute to the overall performance and there would be nothing fake. That explains everything that we see on the C7 Corvette, but what’s unseen is even more amazing.
With the 2018 racing season completed and the Corvette Racing Team racking up another championship the timing of the Speed Society Z06 couldn’t be better. The Z06’s LT4 engine has been goosed up to 850-horsepower and the deco on the car is a salute to the C7.R. The ZT1 rear wing and ADV.1 two-piece forged alloy wheels pulls the whole look togethe
The last time we saw something like this was in 2010 when Chevy showed the Z06-X Concept Corvette. The formula is the same; your basic Z06 with all the latest racer-type hardware. This is right out of the old Zora Arkus-Duntov RPO “racer kit” model from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
The first time we ever saw something like this was back in 1969 when Duntov held court at the GM Proving Grounds with one of his mule development Corvettes. Zora and his team built the car like a racer would have; they removed everything that shouldn’t be on a racecar and added everything that should be on a racecar, plus a ZL-1 engine! It was one of my favorite Duntov Corvettes.
We are happy to announce the launch of CorvetteReport.com’s “Vette of the Month” Photo Contest. Here’s the deal.
Send us your best photo of your Corvette and we will post it on our “Vette of the Month” photos page.
At the end of the month we will pick a winner, and announce it as a post on CorvetteReport.com.
The winner will get;
An “America’s Old Glory Sports Car” print of their year Corvette, signed and numbers by K. Scott Teeters.
A feature story in Vette Vues Magazine.
After the story is published in Vette Vues, we will post it on CorvetteReport.com.
