Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 – A Muscle Car or A Super Car?

It is considered that the Corvette is more likely to be called a “super car” rather than “muscle car” because of its more elegant shape (compared to most muscles), higher price and better road behavior. But there are some features that makes it look like a hybrid between typical American muscle car and a super car. This is the powerful V8 engine which is classic for the muscles, and also the ‘Vette has aggressive shapes. Especially the latest one – C7 Z06.

According to Chevrolet, Corvette C7 Z06 will be the fastest production Corvette ever built by Chevrolet. The vehicle will be powered by 6.2 V8 LT4 with direct injection that will be supported by relatively small supercharger. It will be sufficient for power output of 625 hp. The supercharger chosen by Chevrolet is 1.7L Eaton R1740 TVS and the reasons for this choice are several. On first place, it develops up to 20 000 rpm, which is far more than some larger superchargers. Second, this device is able to bring thrust faster due to its higher rpm rate. Next, it is easier to be cooled and its smaller size allows to be mounted lower, which lowers the center of weight. This helps for better handling and increases the stability on the road.

Engine improvements

1.     Stronger aluminum cylinder heads – Rotocast A356T6, and also respond to heat better than conventional heads.
2.     Lightweight titanium intake valves and machined connecting rods.
3.     The supercharger cause high compression ratio: 10.0:1; allowed by direct injection.
4.     Forged aluminum pistons with unique, stronger structure.
5.     Stainless steel exhaust headers and aluminum balancer are lighter than their LT1 counterparts.

The developers also applied Active Fuel Management to the engine, which means that only a half of the cylinders work while cruising.

Brakes and wheels

As we all know, a strong horse below the hood needs strong bridle to handle it. This automotive “bridle” is carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo. The front wheels have slighlty bigger brake rotors – 15.5 inches (39.4 cm) diameter, than the rear brake brake rotors with diameter of 15.3 in (38.9cm). The 2015 Corvette comes with 19 inch front wheels and 20 inch rear wheels.

Transmission

This will be the first generation of Corvette to be supplied with optional automatic transmission. According to Chevrolet, many potential customers refused to buy earlier Corvettes due to the lack of such transmission. This is why the company developed the 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission. The driver could control it via paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. This transmission utilizes torque converter for speed shifting and the manufacturer stated that it will be faster than the dual-clutch transmission of Porsche 911. You can see the gear ratios for the 8L90 as follows:

•     1st: 4.56
•     2nd: 2.97
•     3rd: 2.08
•     4th: 1.69
•     5th: 1.27
•     6th: 1.00
•     7th: .85
•     8th: .65
•     Reverse 3.82

The regular manual transmission will be also available. This is the well known 7-speed Tremec transmission with Active Rev-Match that could be mounted on Corvette C7 Z06 according to the customer’s choice.

Nothing is mentioned about the price of this muscle car-super car hybrid, but Hot Rod Magazine suggests that the price tag will start from $100 000.