2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 6.2L V8 8AT (650 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The seventh generation of the Corvette lived its final years when Chevrolet introduced the Z06 version of America’s fastest sports car before re-inventing it as a mid-engined, proper supercar.

Chevrolet introduced the Corvette nameplate in 1963 as a small, two-door convertible. It wasn’t an instant hit due to its slant-six engine and unusual shape, but it became a best-seller in the carmaker’s inventory. After Zora Arkus-Duntov joined the team, the Corvette rocketed into the sportscar arena and stayed there for the decades to come. In September 2013, Chevrolet introduced the seventh generation of this beloved nameplate. In the following year, and at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, the Corvette family grew with the addition of the Z06 version for the 2015 model year.

When GM launched the car, the audience was in shock. Not only that the Z06 was the most powerful and fastest version of the lineup, but it showed it. The front fascia sported swept-back headlights adorned with LED daytime running lights on their lower side in a boomerang shape. The bumper featured a broad black grille in the air dam and a splitter underneath it, which enhanced the car’s aerodynamics. Moreover, the hood had vents on it in front of a bulged area, suggesting that there was a bigger powerplant underneath, or at least a supercharger. From its profile, the functional vents behind the front wheel arches extracted the air trapped inside the wheel wells and decreased the aerodynamic lift of the car. But the automaker didn’t stop there and included a new set of side sills and air intakes in front of the rear wheels, while at the back, it placed a wing on the rear panel.

For many years, the Corvette was criticized by many for poor interior quality. Along with the seventh generation of this nameplate, things improved drastically. As a result, the C7 Z06 featured a Mullan or Nappa leather-wrapped interior (depending on the grade) with high-bolstered bucket seats that could keep their occupants in place during high-speed cornering. The dashboard layout was similar to its siblings and featured a wide rev counter in the middle flanked by a speedometer on the left and the fuel and temperature gauges on the right. On the center stack, Chevrolet added a touchscreen for the infotainment system, which didn’t look like it was an off-the-shelf product. Furthermore, the center console housed a rotary dial that controlled it.

Still, customers were mostly attracted by what happened under the hood. There, Chevy dropped the LT4 supercharged engine that produced 650 HP (659 PS) and a massive torque of 650 lb-ft (850 Nm) paired to either an eight-speed automatic transmission or an unusual seven-speed manual gearbox. All the oomph went to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The car also featured various functions, such as launch control and a three-level adjustable aerodynamic package.