What is a Corvette Z06?
It all started back in 1962, when Zora Arkus-Duntov proposed the idea of continuing to produce performance parts for the Corvette to support private racing teams without officially supporting them. GM had withdrawn from racing and wouldn’t sanction any factory-built racecars, leaving privateers on their own.
Zora’s idea was fruitful – not only would it unofficially continue to show support from GM, but it would bring in a steady flow of cash and allow Corvette to continue engineering performance enhancing parts. When GM finally withdrew its ban, Regular Production Option, RPO, Z06 was introduced in 1963, allowing customers to purchase a factory-built, race-ready Corvette.
With a roster of performance-minded components specifically geared for racing, the heart of the matter was the 327 CI L84 V-8 engine with Rochester fuel injection. Rated at 360 HP, the engine was an additional $1,818.45 over the cost of the base coupe price of $4,252. Only 199 Z06s were built that year. Then, the Z06 option would be deleted until it was reintroduced for the Corvette C5.
What is a C5 Corvette Z06?
The Corvette C5 would be introduced for the 1997 model year. Like the C4 it replaced, it would prove to be another great leap forward in engineering and technology. Customers could buy a hatchback coupe, a convertible, or a new fixed head coupe. The fixed head coupe would be the lightest and stiffest of the family. It would be on this platform that the new Z06 would be built.
Introduced in 2001 with 395 HP, the 2002-2004 Z06 would deliver 405 HP, making it one of the quickest and fastest production street Corvettes ever made. It would sprint from 0-60 in 3.9-seconds, clear the ¼-mile in just over 11-seconds, and top out around 171 MPH. While some argued the C4 ZR-1 had a higher top speed, the Z06 was not necessarily meant to be cut from the same cloth as the ZR-1.
The Z06 was intended to be more road race ready, track oriented. Creature comforts were kept to a minimum. Even the windscreen was thinned out to reduce weight, unconcerned with wind noise in the cabin. As such, the gearing of the Z06 was such that top speed wasn’t of interest, per se. The Z06 was meant to be quick and agile over everything else, and the new C5 version indeed was.
What engine does a C5 Corvette Z06 have?
It was called the LS6 and was basically a massaging of the popular LS1, which debuted in Corvette C5. Outside, only red engine covers differentiate the look of an LS6 from an LS1. But inside, a host of changes were made to improve power delivery and durability. Modified aluminum pistons are set into cylinders that allowed better breathing and increased strength. The pistons worked in unison with revised heads to increase compression. A new camshaft was made from billet with reshaped cam lobes. Valve spring rates were increased, and the exhaust manifolds were redesigned with thinner walls to reduce weight.
Is the ZR-1 better than a Z06?
This depends on your opinion of “better.” If your goal is to enjoy spirited driving through curves and corners, the Z06 is likely your cup of tea. But if you’re willing to compromise a bit on curves and corners to sprinkle in some overall comfort and amenities along with a blistering top speed, then the ZR-1 is more than likely the one you want. Are you going to drive it daily? Are you only racing it? Daily, we lean toward the ZR-1, racing we suggest the Z06.
Is the C5 Corvette Z06 going up in value?
It would be tough to go wrong with a C5 Z06 as a collector’s item, but we would suggest erring on the side of rarity. Nearly 250,000 C5s were made between 1997 and 2004; of those, roughly 28,000 were Z06s made between 2001 and 2004. Of those, just 2,025 were Z06 Commemorative Editions produced in 2004.
Finished in Le Mans Blue with silver and red stripes, the Commemorative Z06 celebrated the Corvette C5-R 1-2 finish at Le Mans and used a special carbon fiber hood, special chassis tuning which enhanced both performance handling and general ride characteristics and was lighter overall. The ’04 Z06 broke the 8-minute barrier for completing the 170-turn, 14-mile Nürburgring race circuit in Germany.
But all this said – the simple rule still applies, look to yourself for the answer. What is the car that is right for you? It seems any C5 Z06 will serve well by the seat of the pants and in the long run as a collector’s item.
Why do we like the C5 Z06?
The Z06 was a remarkable assemblage of enhancing various components and systems to create a racecar for the street. The engine is a great exercise in modifying to gain more power, the chassis is an excellent example of how well engineered the C5 chassis was to begin with, and the host of little nuances like the side brake cooling ducts that make a C5 Z06 what it is really chalk it up as very cool.
While it won’t be quite as comfortable as some, thanks to lighter use of sound deadening materials and lacking a few creature comforts (like a power antenna) overall, it’s still a car that will prove enjoyable driving around town or across country. It’s rare, it’s quick, it’s agile, it’s something like 130-pounds lighter than a standard fixed head coupe C5 Corvette. And who can’t love rocketing from 0-60 in about 4-seconds… while that’s kind of passe for today’s sportscars, remember, this is 2001 we’re talking about. Very impressive.
We also love the value the C5 Z06 offers. While so many are romanced by the C6, especially the ZR-1 and Z06 versions, the C5 Z06 has kind of slipped under the radar for the moment. But it’s largely where the C6 and C7 are rooted. Because so few were built, we do think they will reach very nice values soon, but at, for the moment, at a lower end of the value curve. Snap it up before they start climbing any more than they have been.
Photo Credit: Chevrolet