As the fastest, most technologically advanced production model in Corvette's 54-year history, t he 2007 Corvette Z06 offers an unprecedented level of capability and technology, making it one of the best performance values on the market. And with an exterior design incorporating aerodynamic features that were co-developed with the Le Mans winning C6.R racecar, the '07 Z06 has a visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette's winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.

2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 505@6300
  • Torque: 470@4800
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

The Z06’s LS7 7.0L engine delivers 505 horsepower (377 kW) in a 3,132-pound (1,421 kg) package – a combination that delivers 0-60 performance of 3.7 seconds in first gear, quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds at 125 mph and a top speed of 198 mph (as recorded on Germany’s Autobahn). It also provides maximum lateral acceleration of 1.04 g and 60-0 braking in 111.3 feet; it also circuited Germany ’s famed N ü rburgring in a time of 7:43. Along with astounding performance, Corvette Z06 also returns surprising fuel economy of 26 mpg on the highway and avoids the gas guzzler tax common on the world’s supercars.


Inside the LS7


The LS7 reintroduced the 427-cubic-inch engine to the Corvette lineup. Unlike the previous 427 engine, which was a big-block design, the 7.0-liter LS7 is a small-block V-8 – the largest-displacement small-block ever produced by Chevrolet and GM, and a tribute to its 50 years as a performance icon.


The LS7 is easily identified under the hood by red engine covers with black lettering. The LS7 shares the same basic Gen IV V-8 architecture as the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2, but it uses a different cylinder block casting with pressed-in steel cylinder liners to accommodate the engine’s larger diameter, 104.8-mm-wide cylinder bores. Compared with the LS2, the LS7 also has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads – among many other components.


Internally, the LS7’s reciprocating components make use of racing-derived lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to help boost horsepower and rpm capability. The rpm fuel shut-off limit is 7100 rpm. The LS7’s details include:


  • Dry-sump oiling system
  • Unique cylinder block casting with large, 104.8-mm bores and pressed-in cylinder liners
  • Forged steel main bearing caps
  • Forged steel crankshaft
  • Titanium connecting rods with 101.6-mm stroke
  • Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
  • 11.0:1 compression
  • High-lift camshaft
  • Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves
  • Low-restriction air intake system
  • Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique “quad flow” collector flanges.


One of the clearest examples of the LS7’s race-bred technology is its use of titanium connecting rods. They weigh just 464 grams apiece, almost 30 percent less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides being lightweight, which enhances high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable.


The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are designed to meet the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement, as it ingests approximately 100 cubic feet more air per minute than the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 – an 18-percent increase in airflow. Consequently, a hydraulic roller camshaft with.588/.593-inch valve lift is used to allow plenty of air to circulate in and out of the engine.


To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7’s heads have straight, tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards – even racing standards – they are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity, providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm. The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers that are fed by huge, 56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves weigh 21grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve head having 22 percent more area.