The C8 Corvette Z06 has been spotted testing multiple times in the past. We’ve seen it in the company’s Proving Grounds in Michigan, then it was spotted testing alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia, and so on. It has been spotted again, but this time, lapping the Nürburgring. The Z06 prototype even loses the black fabric thus giving us a better glimpse of what’s different here.
What’s It Doing At The Nürburgring?
You don’t see a Corvette hitting the ‘Ring often, so this is a big deal. The C8 Z06 was spotted there, but it looks like it couldn’t get to attempt a full-speed timed lap. Road and Track reported that a BMW M8 test mule and a Model S Plaid crashed during testing sessions which led to all three Z06 prototypes missing out on stretching their legs.
The M8 test mule crashed on the Kesselchen sector whereas the Model S Plaid crashed on the Klostertal sector. Fortunately, both the drivers are safe. But, the C8 Corvette Z06 couldn’t lap the ring because the barriers where the cars crashed had to be immediately repaired and a clean-up had to be done. Because of this, only two out of the 10 cars, the McLaren 765LT and the Cadillac CT5-V, could lap the Green Hell.
Chevrolet Corvette And The Curse Of The Nürburgring!
It doesn’t look like the Chevy will get to test the C8 Corvette now because only two weeks of testing was open to manufacturers this month and this was the last day of testing. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time the Corvette has had a disappointing experience at the ‘Ring. The publication spoke to Jim Mero, a professional racer, a couple of years back and he narrated how the seventh-gen Corvette never recorded an official time or video for five years between 2013 and 2018. From rains, to crashes, to technical glitches, a lot of things didn’t go Chevy’s way back then. Fast forward to the present day, the C8 Z06 meets the same fate. Hard luck, we’d say, and we hope to see it there again soon.
The Z06 Is Losing Clothes As We Get Closer To Its Launch
The automaker recently revealed a teaser video where you could see it visiting many race tracks, including the Green Hell. Now, we’ve spotted it there and it looks beastly, to say the least. Since the black fabric that tends to hide the styling cues is replaced with the conventional camouflage, we get an idea of what the Z06 will look like.
Chevrolet has equipped a big wing at the rear along with four centrally mounted exhaust pipes. The big wing could be optional because we have seen smaller spoilers in the past. The same goes with the wheels as we’ve spotted a couple of designs in different prototypes so far. Here you see the seven-twin-spoke black wheels that look to be 21 inches. They are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires.
Going by what’s known so far, the C8 Corvette Z06 will be powered by a 5.5-liter, flat-plane crank V-8 mill that features in the C8.R race car. This naturally aspirated mill will redline at around 8,500-9,000 rpm and will make over 600 horses. Some reports suggest 617 horsepower to be the exact number, but we’ll wait for the automaker’s confirmation on that. The power will be routed to the wheels via a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Motor1, however, had reported that the Z06 will feature a Tremec-sourced gearbox that was spotted by a YouTuber in a developmental vehicle.
The automaker had released another video last month where we could hear the beast roar and growl. It sounded eerily similar to a Ferrari – in this case, a 458 Italia – which also makes use of a flat-plane crank V-8 mill. The Z06 was spotted alongside a 458 Italia sometime back which means the automaker is using it as a benchmark for performance.
The Chevy C8 Corvette Z06 will be revealed on the 26th of October and deliveries could commence in 2022.