here are two reasons why the Corvette adopted a mid-engine powertrain layout for 2020. First, it was the only way to noticeably improve the car’s performance, and second, it was part of an effort to attract a new type of customer. But as well-received as the C8 turned out to be, behind the scenes GM considered hedging its bets on the revolutionary new Corvette.
In the event C8 sales didn’t take off, the plan was for C7 production to continue in parallel. The cost and complexity of manufacturing two vastly different platforms at the same time ultimately killed that idea, and the C7 went out a hero with the 755-hp, 215-mph 2019 ZR1.
The C8, meanwhile, was an instant smash, with dealers selling every car Bowling Green Assembly could make. While 2024 production numbers aren’t available at the time of this writing, it’s likely that around 167,000 C8s will have been sold by year’s end, many of them to buyers who’d never considered a Corvette previously. Mission accomplished in that regard.
As for the performance side of the equation, there’s no arguing the mid-engine acceleration advantage. A 3,558-pound C7 Z06, with 50/50 weight distribution, 650 pound-feet torque, an eight-speed automatic, and the Z07 package’s sticky tires, does 0-60 in 3.17 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 127 mph.
A 3,727-pound C8 Z06, with 40/60 weight distribution, 460 lb-ft of torque, an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, and Z07 rubber beats both those performances, at 2.8 and 10.8 clicks at 128, respectively. Credit superior traction, which also enables the newer car to exit corners harder on a road course.
Early last June we borrowed a Rapid Blue 2024 Z06 3LZ Coupe from Chevrolet. It had a two-tone interior and carbon-ceramic-matrix brakes, but it was a rare media car without the Z07 package’s eight-percent-stiffer springs, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, and carbon-fiber aero pieces.
Bumper to Bumper
Seventy-two hours with the in-your-face-blue Z06 began with us stuck in traffic in the South Bay/LAX area of Los Angeles. Our first photo shoot, 125 miles away near Santa Barbara, put us on I-405 North in some of the ugliest of the city’s infamous traffic congestion, mostly at below 15 mph, and sometimes even less. I marveled at how nice Chevrolet’s track-focused Z06 was in this setting as I idled along in First, Second, or Third gears. GM ought to give the engine calibrators raises for the LT6’s smooth, 850-rpm idle, plus its good drivability below 1,500 revs. The same goes for the techs who tuned the Tremec TR 9080 dual-clutch transmission, which made poking along at 1-5 mph boring, but tolerable.
It was a great time to test the Bose Performance Series audio system, so I synced my phone. With Taylor Swift serenading me, I watched cars, moving sloth-like, as far as I could see. The 14-speaker, 640-watt stereo sounded like it could destroy eardrums with a 125-db blast at full volume. Because of the shape of the space and the noise level present, an automobile interior is one of the most difficult environments for designers of high-end audio systems to tune to. But Bose, which has been a Corvette supplier since 1984, continues to do a commendable job on the C8.
An hour later, we were rolling west on US 101 with the cruise set on 75 mph. Even over the highway’s rough concrete sections, the ride was surprisingly good, thanks to the standard Magnetic Selective Ride Control (MSRC).
Launching the Gemini Rocket
After a photo session, it was time to experience the four-cam LT6 in its preferred environment. As expected, the 5.5-liter, Gemini small-block makes the Z06 a glorious mix of sound and g-force fury under heavy acceleration. Continuously variable exhaust bypasses and tailpipes equipped with little reflectors bounce some of that wonderful engine music forward to the driver.
Besides its celebrated flat-plane crankshaft, the LT6 is full of go-fast stuff: titanium connecting rods; forged pistons; 16-valve heads with titanium intake and stainless steel, sodium-cooled exhaust valves; dual overhead cams working solid lifters; two huge intake plenums connected with staged valving; and “tri-Y” exhaust headers. (Z06 trivia: There are 54 small Gemini rocket emblems embossed or stamped on and inside the engine.)
With the ambient temp hovering at about 70 degrees (F) at just above sea level, the engine was likely making its rated 670 horsepower. In First gear, with a 5.56:1 final drive, the car either snaps your head back, or the traction-control system (TCS) saves you from slamming into the rev limiter with wheelspin. Even a 5-mph rolling start elicited some TCS intervention, but once the Z06 hooked in Second, acceleration was impressive.
On my follow-up try, a short burnout and a launch-control start resulted in less electronic oversight from the TCS. A second-and-a-half later, at 8,500 rpm and 40 mph, the DCT shifted to Second with that satisfying pop from the exhaust I dearly love. The routine repeated for Third, and then Fourth, at which point we had touched 125 mph in around 11 seconds. Who doesn’t love that LT6 and dual-clutch pairing?
The next day we were in the foothills north of LA’s Little Tujunga Canyon Road, which, with its tight turns and short straights, is good for testing slower-speed “at the limit handling” and taking photography. My favorite spot features two short straights, linked by a 90-degree right and book-ended by a pair of 180s, one right and one left.
The Z06 embraces this section with gusto. Exiting the first hairpin in Drive finds the DTC in just the right gear and the car accelerating hard. Brake into the 90-degree right, and once the trans shifts to Second, brake again, hold part throttle at corner exit, bury the gas, and you’re in and out of the uphill 180-degree left. It’s easy in this car.
So, what did I learn while Max, my photo assistant, shot pics? Like other C8s, the Z06 sometimes mildly understeers. Occasionally a little trail braking helps—that seems weird in a mid-engine car, I know—but what might also work is more front camber. Not as much as GM’s suggested track alignment, but maybe half a degree negative up front for all-around handling balance.
Another lesson I learned? I was in Sport mode, and a few times I manually downshifted the DCT. Once when accidentally exiting the first hairpin in Third at too-low rpm, I experienced the LT6’s relative lack of torque down low. But when the cams and induction system began working their magic, the car transformed into, well, a rocket ship.
It’s Electric
One reason the Z06 feels so good to drive is its electrically assisted power steering. Ride-and-handling engineers love electric steering because it can be calibrated to a far greater degree than can a hydraulic setup. The Z06 system has different levels of effort and feedback, depending on the driving mode, and there are three distinct steering calibrations: Z06, Z06/Z07 with aluminum wheels, and Z06/Z07 with carbon-fiber wheels. Each variation has its own specifically tuned feel, effort, and feedback.
There was no way could we fully assess ride, handling, and braking without experiencing faster turns of larger radii and longer straights. Elsewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains are roads that meet that need and are fairly smooth—not smooth enough for Track mode, but OK in Sport.
Less understeer was apparent in really fast turns, and once again we loved MSRC’s help in getting power down over uneven road surfaces. Over modest heaves, dips, and swales, the suspension’s ability to change damping in milliseconds, and on a per-wheel basis, makes a huge difference in how the car drives. Another great feature is the electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD). It’s working all the time, but you really notice it when you exit a turn at Wide-open throttle. The eLSD and MSRC work perfectly together, seemingly a match seemingly made in handling heaven.
As for deceleration, Brembo carbon brakes, ABS, the eLSD, and MRSC combine to give the Z06 amazing “stop” to match its “go.” The C8 brought a switch from vacuum brake-power assist to electric assist, which allows feel to be varied by driving mode. (This electric power assist is sometimes referred to as “brake by wire,” which it is decidedly not.)
Not Perfect, but Close
Downsides? One is the interior. The two-tone trim projects three white “Ls” on the windshield, two of which are in the driver’s sight lines. They’re always there, but become quite distracting in some lighting conditions. While this issue was specific to our test car, others afflict the C8 cabin in general.
One is the oft-criticized “button bar” atop the tunnel. If you haven’t memorized the location of each button, you’ll have to take your eyes off the road to find it. This chore ranges from annoying to perhaps even dangerous, depending on speed and driving conditions. Additionally, the “jet fighter” cockpit isolates the passenger from the touchscreen, making adjustments difficult from the shotgun seat.
If you use C8 for long trips, pack light. The rear compartment will hold the proverbial two golf bags, but luggage for a two-person sojourn, along with other typical travel gear and a small ice chest (no, it won’t fit in the interior) will fill the frunk and trunk to capacity. Worse, both compartments get hot enough to turn your stick deodorant and gummi snacks into puddles of goo along the way. The first person to invent a practical luggage rack for a C8 will get rich.
My favorite part of the 2024 Z06 is, predictably, the LT6 engine, which will reign supreme among C8 mills until we get our hands on an LT7-powered ’25 ZR1. There’s just something about a high-rpm, normally aspirated V-8, and this one gives me the same feeling I had about the C6 Z06’s LS7 almost 20 years ago. That the race version of the LT6 is used in the Z06 GT3.R just adds to that exotic aura.
Even in base form, the latest Z06 is a bad-fast car we wish we could have kept for a week. In spite of some drawbacks, it’s a great daily driver for any Corvette enthusiast—and a real rocket ship, to boot.
