Latest news with #C8
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Second Corvette EV concept debuts with California styling
The second of three electric Chevrolet Corvette concepts has surfaced, although GM is very keen to point out that this car in no way previews a Corvette EV. While the first electric Corvette concept, which debuted in April, came from the company's design team in the UK, the latest hails from GM's Advanced Design studios in Pasadena, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Although there are no details about where the concept's motors are located, the California Corvette concept, as it's known, sticks to the mid-engine supercar design template. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Compared to the current mid-engine 'C8' Corvette, the California Corvette pushes the styling boundaries a little further. The base of the windscreen, for example, sits above the front the axle line. The front-hinged canopy is said to make ingress and egress easier, and can also be taken off to transform the concept into an open-air track car. Despite the concept being nearly 2.2m wide, the cabin is snug. Inspired by the bisected design of the C8's interior, the California has barely any buttons with most of the controls located in the touchscreen in the steering wheel hub. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The car's body is designed around an 'assumed' T-shaped primastic battery pack that's said to allow for a lower seating position, and better airflow around and through the vehicle. Other aero pieces include an active spoiler and air brake. The concept rides on 21-inch wheels up front, and 22-inch rims at the rear. At just 1051mm tall and 2183mm wide, the California concept is considerably wider than the standard eighth-generation Corvette Stingray, which is 1234mm tall and 1933mm wide. In length (4669mm) and wheelbase (2767mm), the concept car is about 40mm longer than the Stingray. Supplied Credit: CarExpert According to Chevrolet there is 'no production intent behind this design study'. Recent rumblings from GM indicate an all-electric Corvette is off the table in the immediate future. Tony Roma, lead engineer for GM Performance, told Autocar at the launch of the Corvette ZR1X, an electric Corvette couldn't be just about performance numbers, and would have to be 'engaging' and centred around the 'art of driving'. 'We're not going to do an electric version of this car just to do it. That would defeat the entire purpose,' he continued. MORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette
The Age
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Getting schooled at the show
'You really know how to pull memories from the past,' says Andrew Mowat of Beecroft. 'And it's the reference to Vanessa the Undresser (C8) that reminded me of entering a sideshow tent with mates to see Bubbles in action when we were 16. Much to our surprise, Bubbles was none other than our former English teacher (boys notice these things). She'd left the school six months earlier, apparently suffering a breakdown. When we spoke to her after the performance, she said she grew tired of teaching and got better money dancing in a foggy shower for paying patrons. Needs must, I guess. Make the oglers pay. Ahh, memories.' ' See Bubbles Take a Bath was also a feature at sideshow alley at the Wagga Wagga Regional Show in 1959,' recalls Tony Slattery of Heathcote. 'My cousins and I, attracted by the implied naked portrayal on the banners outside, paid our hard-earned to find Bubbles was in a two-piece swimsuit in a clear cylinder of frothy water. Definitely a disappointing misdescription.' Martin Field of Noosa Heads (Qld) writes: 'The other evening our nine-year-old grandson asked why people often said 'passed' when they meant someone had died. 'Maybe they think died is too blunt,' we said. After a bit of thought he replied, 'I think 'gone on eternity leave' would be better.' So do we.' 'As it appears, I'm the sole Port Macquarie member of Mary Poirriers' (C8) very exclusive, left-indicating club,' claims Dave Williams. 'At $196 per transgression, if the plod enforced this traffic regulation they could clear the state debt almost overnight.' 'Swearing or swerving?' asks Joy Everett of Valla Beach. 'If you swerve out of your lane without using your indicator, some German cars automatically swerve you back. It would be a nice idea, unless you have swerved to give room to a cyclist, only to surprise both you and the cyclist as the car tries to run them off the road.'
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Getting schooled at the show
'You really know how to pull memories from the past,' says Andrew Mowat of Beecroft. 'And it's the reference to Vanessa the Undresser (C8) that reminded me of entering a sideshow tent with mates to see Bubbles in action when we were 16. Much to our surprise, Bubbles was none other than our former English teacher (boys notice these things). She'd left the school six months earlier, apparently suffering a breakdown. When we spoke to her after the performance, she said she grew tired of teaching and got better money dancing in a foggy shower for paying patrons. Needs must, I guess. Make the oglers pay. Ahh, memories.' ' See Bubbles Take a Bath was also a feature at sideshow alley at the Wagga Wagga Regional Show in 1959,' recalls Tony Slattery of Heathcote. 'My cousins and I, attracted by the implied naked portrayal on the banners outside, paid our hard-earned to find Bubbles was in a two-piece swimsuit in a clear cylinder of frothy water. Definitely a disappointing misdescription.' Martin Field of Noosa Heads (Qld) writes: 'The other evening our nine-year-old grandson asked why people often said 'passed' when they meant someone had died. 'Maybe they think died is too blunt,' we said. After a bit of thought he replied, 'I think 'gone on eternity leave' would be better.' So do we.' 'As it appears, I'm the sole Port Macquarie member of Mary Poirriers' (C8) very exclusive, left-indicating club,' claims Dave Williams. 'At $196 per transgression, if the plod enforced this traffic regulation they could clear the state debt almost overnight.' 'Swearing or swerving?' asks Joy Everett of Valla Beach. 'If you swerve out of your lane without using your indicator, some German cars automatically swerve you back. It would be a nice idea, unless you have swerved to give room to a cyclist, only to surprise both you and the cyclist as the car tries to run them off the road.'
Top Gear
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Wait, what? Corvette's head of engineering says the ZR1X is *not* the final boss
USA Tony Roma also hinted the C8 will soon attempt to contest the Mustang GTD's 'Ring record Skip 11 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Think the part-hybrid, part-savage 'ZR1X' is the ultimate form of the C8? Think again. Because Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma hinted there'll be even more to come from the mid-engined supercar. 'The backbone we've built into the C8 is proving to be super capable,' said Roma. 'The things we've learned from creating the various models so far and the opportunities we have in the future with this chassis are incredible. The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter. The team that works on it has a very 'what can we do, and how can we do it?' attitude. They see possibilities and not challenges.' Advertisement - Page continues below Interesting. It's unlikely whatever work will be carried out on an even harder ZR1X would involve more power, given the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and front-mounted e-motor produce a combined 1,250bhp. That's… a lot. Enough to get this thing from 0-60mph in under two seconds. Roma confirmed the top speed hasn't yet been tested, but said there's no reason why the ZR1X won't match the ZR1's 233mph rating. But really, what is the point of all this speed and power in the first place? You might like 'Speed is only relevant these days for bragging rights. For a car to have a certain amount of provenance, we have to offer a version of that car that's capable of doing those silly numbers. The ZR1's top speed attempt was not in expectation that our customers would ever repeat it, or even get remotely close, because you can't legally do that. 'We had to go through a lot of testing to set that speed: travel to Papenburg, hire the track for three days, get a bunch of mechanics over and so on. But the fact that the car has proven it can do it is precisely why people buy cars like this. Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are. Advertisement - Page continues below 'So I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer - we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.' Ah yes, that place. During the UK launch of the softer Corvette E-Ray at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ford was stationed right next door with its brutish, wide-bodied Mustang GTD. Its team even decided to give it a few revs during the E-Ray's presentation for a bit of friendly fire - almost like a pre-match mind game from José Mourinho. The GTD is currently the fastest-ever American car around the Green Hell with a time of 6m 52.072s, and that's surely got to be the target for the ZR1X. 'We've done some testing, and all I can say is… stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car - that's an accolade we'd love to have. Again, it comes down to theory. None of our customers will go and run a sub-seven-minute lap time, but they want to know if they could .' Looking for more from the USA? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 review
Chevrolet Corvette Pros Chevrolet Corvette Cons What a tease. I got the keys to this Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – complete with the Z07 Performance Package – one unrelentingly rainy week, one in which I had no track time scheduled. So here I was in this wild-looking, track-ready supercar, and I couldn't unleash its full potential. It was like having a bag full of tools and no DIY project. But hey, even if you did plan on buying and tracking Chevy's new flat-plane crank V8-powered Z06, that's theoretically only going to account for a small portion of your overall driving. For track impressions, you can check out James Wong's review. So what's the Z06 like to live with? That I can tell you! First thing you'll need to know is this car is an introvert's nightmare. I don't think I've ever driven a car that has attracted more attention, with the already aggressively styled Z06 enhanced further by the Z07 Performance Package. Our tester wore carbon-fibre ground effects and dive planes, plus an enormous rear wing. The result? Kids jumping up and down waving. People sticking their mobile phones out of car windows filming. Hell, someone even followed me down a street and pulled over as I was parking and asked to take pictures of it. The Z06 looks absolutely wild, and with the current C8 moving the engine from up front to midship, it has proportions more closely resembling much pricier Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars. It's the first Corvette with a double overhead-cam, flat-plane crank V8, and slots in above the pushrod V8-powered Stingray and the electrified E-Ray, the latter of which uniquely features a hybrid system and all-wheel drive. Missing from our shores thus far is the ZR1, which takes this new 5.5-litre V8 and bolts on a pair of turbochargers, or the recently revealed ZR1X that combines this engine with an AWD hybrid system like the E-Ray's. If there was ever any question before that the Corvette was a supercar, that seems to have been well and truly answered with the C8. And it's the only American supercar, now that the Dodge Viper is gone and the Ford GT has died again. The way the light bounces off the spoiler at night might bring to mind the '59 'batwing' Chevys, but this is a bona-fide Ferrari competitor. And yet, it's also surprisingly liveable. The Z06 is, thus far, the priciest member of the local Corvette lineup. It looks like a bargain, especially considering the cheapest Ferrari is a $500k-plus proposition. But our tester had a raft of pricey options, including: That's close to $80,000 in options. We imagine plenty of Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers drop that much (or more) in options, but it's surprising to see just how long the options list is on a Corvette – and how much opportunity you have to really personalise your sports car. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the cabin. Chevrolet recently revealed an update for the Corvette that makes some significant changes to its interior, including the removal of the distinctive row of buttons on the side of the centre console that separates the passenger's side of the cabin. Other changes include a larger touchscreen and a rejigged centre console. Therefore, a lot of the gripes we have with the outgoing C8's cabin will soon be addressed. I'm personally a bit sad to see the wacky button bridge go, though. What won't change with the update is the basic layout, and that's a good thing. The design is striking, with a very driver-focused cockpit that sees the touchscreen angled towards the driver. Getting in is a bit tough but once you're in it's comfortable, even for my lanky 6'3'' nephew in the passenger seat. The seats are heated and ventilated and prove grippy and supportive, ideal for a spirited blast without sacrificing day-to-day comfort. Your passenger may be shocked to find there's no grab handle, however. The driver sits behind a squared-off, chunky steering wheel with carbon-fibre trim, which can also be found in various places throughout the cabin, including the centre console, and it's applied tastefully. Set these pieces aside, and essentially every surface has been given the appearance of being leather-wrapped, with prominent stitching. This is deceptive, however. There's soft-touch trim on the doors and the sides of the centre console, where we'd argue this is crucial. But there's a lot of hard plastic too, including the hood over the instrument cluster. At circa-$190,000 for the base Stingray, I could almost let this slide, but at the circa-$330,000 price point of the Z06 it's disappointing. At least all the trim, whether hard or soft, looks uniform, though we did observe some janky stitching on one side of the centre console. There's a handy head-up display, while the instruments are all digital and feature multiple different layouts. Chevrolet has employed slick graphics for the digital cluster, which are reminiscent of Lotus' Unreal Engine-based graphics, however they're let down by some slight pixelation. The infotainment system will be familiar to anybody who has been in a recent Chevrolet product, much like some of the physical switchgear. But the infotainment system works well, with an intuitive menu structure, a reliable wireless connection for smartphone mirroring, and attractive graphics, and like the carryover switchgear it works well. Would buyers really notice these items were used in lesser Chevrolets if it wasn't pointed out by motoring journalists? We will ding Chevy for the column stalks, however – these could be much nicer for this price point. Also, the cupholders are terrible as they lack a rubberised base and look cheap. You can also get a mobile phone stuck in the gap next to the lid when it's open, and it's a nuisance trying to retrieve it. The air-conditioning is excellent, which is to be expected for a company that once counted Frigidaire as one of its subsidiaries. Having the controls on that unusual 'bridge' seems goofy at first, but it's refreshing to have physical switchgear for all of this and it's easily accessible by both occupants. Alas, this design cue is going away with a coming MY26 upgrade. Storage isn't exactly abundant in the cabin, though you do get a centre console bin. There are two luggage compartments, one behind the engine and one up front. The one in the rear can fit an overnight bag or two, and you can squeeze a small duffel into the front compartment. The Z06 can be had only as a coupe in Australia, though it has a removable roof panel. Pull two levers and it pops off easily, and if you manoeuvre it correctly it can fit in the rear luggage compartment. If you look behind yourself, you can admire the engine, proudly displayed under a glass cover. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 may be the priciest Corvette in Australia, but it's not the quickest from 0-100km/h. The E-Ray beats it to the century by just one tenth of a second. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the drive first: the sound. Australia uses the same exhaust setup as Europe, which sees the centre-mounted outlets replaced with four outlets, two on each side at the rear. Not only does this make the Z06 look more like the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, it means it doesn't sound as good as either of those cheaper variants. We parked a Z06 next to a E-Ray for a rev test – in the interests of science, of course – and it was the hybrid that sounded better. The Z06 also has a rev-limiter, preventing it from being revved beyond 3000rpm when stationary. If you want to show off to your friends how your Z06 sounds, then, you're going to be disappointed. Mind you, it doesn't sound bad… it just doesn't sound as good as a supercar at this price ought to. Once you're on the move, the Z06 has a distinctive sound of its own. It has a lovely metallic growl when you punch it, though it has a tendency to drone. Settled into a cruise with the engine revving at around 2000rpm, there's this omnipresent clatter of sorts. It's a less common type of V8 with a less common type of noise, and you may or may not like it. At least noise suppression in the cabin is good, allowing you to easily carry on a conversation even with the engine literally right behind you. And what a delight it is to look behind you and see that big V8 proudly on display. You may or may not like the sound, but you'll find it much harder to fault how this engine feels. For starters, it's bloody quick. You gather pace rapidly, and this is a V8 that loves to be revved. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handles the grunt of the 5.5-litre V8 terrifically. At low speeds, it feels more like a traditional automatic, and in Touring and Weather drive modes the throttle is still progressive and isn't dulled. As you build up revs, the Z06 starts to pick up the pace and moves through the gears with ease. Shifts are rapid, and it doesn't hold onto gears annoyingly long, even in Sport mode where they're more pronounced. The current gear helpfully appears in the instrument cluster, and I never felt the need to use those gorgeous carbon-fibre paddle shifters. Naturally, in Sport mode shifts feel more pronounced. Drive modes are selectable via a rotary dial on the centre console. Even more intuitive to use is the Z button on the steering wheel, which puts the steering, suspension, engine, engine sound, transmission and brakes in their most aggressive settings. There's also a customisable My Mode, allowing you to toggle your preferred settings for steering, suspension, engine sound and brake feel. I configured it to have the suspension in the softest setting, the steering to the intermediate setting, and engine noise to the loudest. The steering is terrific in terms of weighting and feel, and the Z06 has a pointy nose with small inputs leading to direct movements. Even in its intermediate weight setting, the Z06's steering doesn't feel overly heavy. The shape of the wheel and its slick carbon-fibre parts discourage you from driving with your hands at 10 and 2, so you'll have to put them at 9 and 3 where they belong. The Z06 handles like it's on rails, feeling perfectly poised in corners. Oh how I wish I could have taken this to the track… The tyres have an abundance of grip, and even in the wet there's still a solid connection with the road. The carbon-ceramic brakes on our tester also work wonderfully, without feeling ridiculously grabby in regular driving. You might think the Z06, looking the way it does, will feel too extreme for the daily commute. You'd be wrong. Okay, I found it a bit stressful to drive, but that was almost entirely due to all that fragile-looking carbon-fibre on the exterior. There is thankfully a nose lift system to prevent you from tearing up the bumper on your driveway, but you'll still want to be careful in the Z06. You can adjust the firmness of the suspension, and even in Sport mode it's taut but comfortable. Visibility out of the Z06 is awful, so what a relief Chevrolet included a digital rear-view mirror and blind-spot monitoring. The Z06 has a reversing camera and two front cameras, which it stitches together for an overhead view. But there's no traditional surround-view camera. Also missing from the features list are rain-sensing wipers, which is a strange omission. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 sits atop the local Corvette range. 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 equipment highlights: There's also a huge options list, and besides those mentioned earlier you can also specify your Z06 with various different wheels, stripes, and brake caliper and seatbelt colours, as well as a transparent roof. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Chevrolet Corvette hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: There's also a digital rear-view mirror which, trust us, in a car with blind spots like this is most definitely a safety feature. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Corvette's aftersales offering isn't spectacular. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Given the price premium of not only the Z06 over other Corvettes, but also this loaded Z06 over the regular Z06, you'd want to be taking this to the track. There's no question this has a unique feel relative to the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, from the distinctive engine note to the way power is delivered. Then there are the enhancements that come with the Z07 package, which help make the 'Vette even more of a track weapon. But the Z06 carries a premium of over $60,000 over an E-Ray and over $130,000 more than a Stingray, and that's before you take into account options and on-road costs. Is this the best Corvette for track work? In the absence of the ZR1 in Australia, we'd argue yes. And the Z06, despite its significant impost, is still cheaper than a comparable supercar with a bull or prancing horse badge. You just need to decide how much that greater track focus over a Stingray is worth, and if that figure is more or less than $134,000. And if you are happy to pay Z06 money, we reckon a new exhaust should be your next purchase. Regardless, the Corvette is playing in the big league now, and this is a compelling American alternative to Europe's finest. Interested in buying a Chevrolet Corvette? Let CarExpert find you the best deal hereMORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette Content originally sourced from: Corvette Pros Chevrolet Corvette Cons What a tease. I got the keys to this Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – complete with the Z07 Performance Package – one unrelentingly rainy week, one in which I had no track time scheduled. So here I was in this wild-looking, track-ready supercar, and I couldn't unleash its full potential. It was like having a bag full of tools and no DIY project. But hey, even if you did plan on buying and tracking Chevy's new flat-plane crank V8-powered Z06, that's theoretically only going to account for a small portion of your overall driving. For track impressions, you can check out James Wong's review. So what's the Z06 like to live with? That I can tell you! First thing you'll need to know is this car is an introvert's nightmare. I don't think I've ever driven a car that has attracted more attention, with the already aggressively styled Z06 enhanced further by the Z07 Performance Package. Our tester wore carbon-fibre ground effects and dive planes, plus an enormous rear wing. The result? Kids jumping up and down waving. People sticking their mobile phones out of car windows filming. Hell, someone even followed me down a street and pulled over as I was parking and asked to take pictures of it. The Z06 looks absolutely wild, and with the current C8 moving the engine from up front to midship, it has proportions more closely resembling much pricier Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars. It's the first Corvette with a double overhead-cam, flat-plane crank V8, and slots in above the pushrod V8-powered Stingray and the electrified E-Ray, the latter of which uniquely features a hybrid system and all-wheel drive. Missing from our shores thus far is the ZR1, which takes this new 5.5-litre V8 and bolts on a pair of turbochargers, or the recently revealed ZR1X that combines this engine with an AWD hybrid system like the E-Ray's. If there was ever any question before that the Corvette was a supercar, that seems to have been well and truly answered with the C8. And it's the only American supercar, now that the Dodge Viper is gone and the Ford GT has died again. The way the light bounces off the spoiler at night might bring to mind the '59 'batwing' Chevys, but this is a bona-fide Ferrari competitor. And yet, it's also surprisingly liveable. The Z06 is, thus far, the priciest member of the local Corvette lineup. It looks like a bargain, especially considering the cheapest Ferrari is a $500k-plus proposition. But our tester had a raft of pricey options, including: That's close to $80,000 in options. We imagine plenty of Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers drop that much (or more) in options, but it's surprising to see just how long the options list is on a Corvette – and how much opportunity you have to really personalise your sports car. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the cabin. Chevrolet recently revealed an update for the Corvette that makes some significant changes to its interior, including the removal of the distinctive row of buttons on the side of the centre console that separates the passenger's side of the cabin. Other changes include a larger touchscreen and a rejigged centre console. Therefore, a lot of the gripes we have with the outgoing C8's cabin will soon be addressed. I'm personally a bit sad to see the wacky button bridge go, though. What won't change with the update is the basic layout, and that's a good thing. The design is striking, with a very driver-focused cockpit that sees the touchscreen angled towards the driver. Getting in is a bit tough but once you're in it's comfortable, even for my lanky 6'3'' nephew in the passenger seat. The seats are heated and ventilated and prove grippy and supportive, ideal for a spirited blast without sacrificing day-to-day comfort. Your passenger may be shocked to find there's no grab handle, however. The driver sits behind a squared-off, chunky steering wheel with carbon-fibre trim, which can also be found in various places throughout the cabin, including the centre console, and it's applied tastefully. Set these pieces aside, and essentially every surface has been given the appearance of being leather-wrapped, with prominent stitching. This is deceptive, however. There's soft-touch trim on the doors and the sides of the centre console, where we'd argue this is crucial. But there's a lot of hard plastic too, including the hood over the instrument cluster. At circa-$190,000 for the base Stingray, I could almost let this slide, but at the circa-$330,000 price point of the Z06 it's disappointing. At least all the trim, whether hard or soft, looks uniform, though we did observe some janky stitching on one side of the centre console. There's a handy head-up display, while the instruments are all digital and feature multiple different layouts. Chevrolet has employed slick graphics for the digital cluster, which are reminiscent of Lotus' Unreal Engine-based graphics, however they're let down by some slight pixelation. The infotainment system will be familiar to anybody who has been in a recent Chevrolet product, much like some of the physical switchgear. But the infotainment system works well, with an intuitive menu structure, a reliable wireless connection for smartphone mirroring, and attractive graphics, and like the carryover switchgear it works well. Would buyers really notice these items were used in lesser Chevrolets if it wasn't pointed out by motoring journalists? We will ding Chevy for the column stalks, however – these could be much nicer for this price point. Also, the cupholders are terrible as they lack a rubberised base and look cheap. You can also get a mobile phone stuck in the gap next to the lid when it's open, and it's a nuisance trying to retrieve it. The air-conditioning is excellent, which is to be expected for a company that once counted Frigidaire as one of its subsidiaries. Having the controls on that unusual 'bridge' seems goofy at first, but it's refreshing to have physical switchgear for all of this and it's easily accessible by both occupants. Alas, this design cue is going away with a coming MY26 upgrade. Storage isn't exactly abundant in the cabin, though you do get a centre console bin. There are two luggage compartments, one behind the engine and one up front. The one in the rear can fit an overnight bag or two, and you can squeeze a small duffel into the front compartment. The Z06 can be had only as a coupe in Australia, though it has a removable roof panel. Pull two levers and it pops off easily, and if you manoeuvre it correctly it can fit in the rear luggage compartment. If you look behind yourself, you can admire the engine, proudly displayed under a glass cover. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 may be the priciest Corvette in Australia, but it's not the quickest from 0-100km/h. The E-Ray beats it to the century by just one tenth of a second. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the drive first: the sound. Australia uses the same exhaust setup as Europe, which sees the centre-mounted outlets replaced with four outlets, two on each side at the rear. Not only does this make the Z06 look more like the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, it means it doesn't sound as good as either of those cheaper variants. We parked a Z06 next to a E-Ray for a rev test – in the interests of science, of course – and it was the hybrid that sounded better. The Z06 also has a rev-limiter, preventing it from being revved beyond 3000rpm when stationary. If you want to show off to your friends how your Z06 sounds, then, you're going to be disappointed. Mind you, it doesn't sound bad… it just doesn't sound as good as a supercar at this price ought to. Once you're on the move, the Z06 has a distinctive sound of its own. It has a lovely metallic growl when you punch it, though it has a tendency to drone. Settled into a cruise with the engine revving at around 2000rpm, there's this omnipresent clatter of sorts. It's a less common type of V8 with a less common type of noise, and you may or may not like it. At least noise suppression in the cabin is good, allowing you to easily carry on a conversation even with the engine literally right behind you. And what a delight it is to look behind you and see that big V8 proudly on display. You may or may not like the sound, but you'll find it much harder to fault how this engine feels. For starters, it's bloody quick. You gather pace rapidly, and this is a V8 that loves to be revved. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handles the grunt of the 5.5-litre V8 terrifically. At low speeds, it feels more like a traditional automatic, and in Touring and Weather drive modes the throttle is still progressive and isn't dulled. As you build up revs, the Z06 starts to pick up the pace and moves through the gears with ease. Shifts are rapid, and it doesn't hold onto gears annoyingly long, even in Sport mode where they're more pronounced. The current gear helpfully appears in the instrument cluster, and I never felt the need to use those gorgeous carbon-fibre paddle shifters. Naturally, in Sport mode shifts feel more pronounced. Drive modes are selectable via a rotary dial on the centre console. Even more intuitive to use is the Z button on the steering wheel, which puts the steering, suspension, engine, engine sound, transmission and brakes in their most aggressive settings. There's also a customisable My Mode, allowing you to toggle your preferred settings for steering, suspension, engine sound and brake feel. I configured it to have the suspension in the softest setting, the steering to the intermediate setting, and engine noise to the loudest. The steering is terrific in terms of weighting and feel, and the Z06 has a pointy nose with small inputs leading to direct movements. Even in its intermediate weight setting, the Z06's steering doesn't feel overly heavy. The shape of the wheel and its slick carbon-fibre parts discourage you from driving with your hands at 10 and 2, so you'll have to put them at 9 and 3 where they belong. The Z06 handles like it's on rails, feeling perfectly poised in corners. Oh how I wish I could have taken this to the track… The tyres have an abundance of grip, and even in the wet there's still a solid connection with the road. The carbon-ceramic brakes on our tester also work wonderfully, without feeling ridiculously grabby in regular driving. You might think the Z06, looking the way it does, will feel too extreme for the daily commute. You'd be wrong. Okay, I found it a bit stressful to drive, but that was almost entirely due to all that fragile-looking carbon-fibre on the exterior. There is thankfully a nose lift system to prevent you from tearing up the bumper on your driveway, but you'll still want to be careful in the Z06. You can adjust the firmness of the suspension, and even in Sport mode it's taut but comfortable. Visibility out of the Z06 is awful, so what a relief Chevrolet included a digital rear-view mirror and blind-spot monitoring. The Z06 has a reversing camera and two front cameras, which it stitches together for an overhead view. But there's no traditional surround-view camera. Also missing from the features list are rain-sensing wipers, which is a strange omission. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 sits atop the local Corvette range. 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 equipment highlights: There's also a huge options list, and besides those mentioned earlier you can also specify your Z06 with various different wheels, stripes, and brake caliper and seatbelt colours, as well as a transparent roof. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Chevrolet Corvette hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: There's also a digital rear-view mirror which, trust us, in a car with blind spots like this is most definitely a safety feature. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Corvette's aftersales offering isn't spectacular. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Given the price premium of not only the Z06 over other Corvettes, but also this loaded Z06 over the regular Z06, you'd want to be taking this to the track. There's no question this has a unique feel relative to the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, from the distinctive engine note to the way power is delivered. Then there are the enhancements that come with the Z07 package, which help make the 'Vette even more of a track weapon. But the Z06 carries a premium of over $60,000 over an E-Ray and over $130,000 more than a Stingray, and that's before you take into account options and on-road costs. Is this the best Corvette for track work? In the absence of the ZR1 in Australia, we'd argue yes. And the Z06, despite its significant impost, is still cheaper than a comparable supercar with a bull or prancing horse badge. You just need to decide how much that greater track focus over a Stingray is worth, and if that figure is more or less than $134,000. And if you are happy to pay Z06 money, we reckon a new exhaust should be your next purchase. Regardless, the Corvette is playing in the big league now, and this is a compelling American alternative to Europe's finest. Interested in buying a Chevrolet Corvette? Let CarExpert find you the best deal hereMORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette Content originally sourced from: Corvette Pros Chevrolet Corvette Cons What a tease. I got the keys to this Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – complete with the Z07 Performance Package – one unrelentingly rainy week, one in which I had no track time scheduled. So here I was in this wild-looking, track-ready supercar, and I couldn't unleash its full potential. It was like having a bag full of tools and no DIY project. But hey, even if you did plan on buying and tracking Chevy's new flat-plane crank V8-powered Z06, that's theoretically only going to account for a small portion of your overall driving. For track impressions, you can check out James Wong's review. So what's the Z06 like to live with? That I can tell you! First thing you'll need to know is this car is an introvert's nightmare. I don't think I've ever driven a car that has attracted more attention, with the already aggressively styled Z06 enhanced further by the Z07 Performance Package. Our tester wore carbon-fibre ground effects and dive planes, plus an enormous rear wing. The result? Kids jumping up and down waving. People sticking their mobile phones out of car windows filming. Hell, someone even followed me down a street and pulled over as I was parking and asked to take pictures of it. The Z06 looks absolutely wild, and with the current C8 moving the engine from up front to midship, it has proportions more closely resembling much pricier Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars. It's the first Corvette with a double overhead-cam, flat-plane crank V8, and slots in above the pushrod V8-powered Stingray and the electrified E-Ray, the latter of which uniquely features a hybrid system and all-wheel drive. Missing from our shores thus far is the ZR1, which takes this new 5.5-litre V8 and bolts on a pair of turbochargers, or the recently revealed ZR1X that combines this engine with an AWD hybrid system like the E-Ray's. If there was ever any question before that the Corvette was a supercar, that seems to have been well and truly answered with the C8. And it's the only American supercar, now that the Dodge Viper is gone and the Ford GT has died again. The way the light bounces off the spoiler at night might bring to mind the '59 'batwing' Chevys, but this is a bona-fide Ferrari competitor. And yet, it's also surprisingly liveable. The Z06 is, thus far, the priciest member of the local Corvette lineup. It looks like a bargain, especially considering the cheapest Ferrari is a $500k-plus proposition. But our tester had a raft of pricey options, including: That's close to $80,000 in options. We imagine plenty of Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers drop that much (or more) in options, but it's surprising to see just how long the options list is on a Corvette – and how much opportunity you have to really personalise your sports car. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the cabin. Chevrolet recently revealed an update for the Corvette that makes some significant changes to its interior, including the removal of the distinctive row of buttons on the side of the centre console that separates the passenger's side of the cabin. Other changes include a larger touchscreen and a rejigged centre console. Therefore, a lot of the gripes we have with the outgoing C8's cabin will soon be addressed. I'm personally a bit sad to see the wacky button bridge go, though. What won't change with the update is the basic layout, and that's a good thing. The design is striking, with a very driver-focused cockpit that sees the touchscreen angled towards the driver. Getting in is a bit tough but once you're in it's comfortable, even for my lanky 6'3'' nephew in the passenger seat. The seats are heated and ventilated and prove grippy and supportive, ideal for a spirited blast without sacrificing day-to-day comfort. Your passenger may be shocked to find there's no grab handle, however. The driver sits behind a squared-off, chunky steering wheel with carbon-fibre trim, which can also be found in various places throughout the cabin, including the centre console, and it's applied tastefully. Set these pieces aside, and essentially every surface has been given the appearance of being leather-wrapped, with prominent stitching. This is deceptive, however. There's soft-touch trim on the doors and the sides of the centre console, where we'd argue this is crucial. But there's a lot of hard plastic too, including the hood over the instrument cluster. At circa-$190,000 for the base Stingray, I could almost let this slide, but at the circa-$330,000 price point of the Z06 it's disappointing. At least all the trim, whether hard or soft, looks uniform, though we did observe some janky stitching on one side of the centre console. There's a handy head-up display, while the instruments are all digital and feature multiple different layouts. Chevrolet has employed slick graphics for the digital cluster, which are reminiscent of Lotus' Unreal Engine-based graphics, however they're let down by some slight pixelation. The infotainment system will be familiar to anybody who has been in a recent Chevrolet product, much like some of the physical switchgear. But the infotainment system works well, with an intuitive menu structure, a reliable wireless connection for smartphone mirroring, and attractive graphics, and like the carryover switchgear it works well. Would buyers really notice these items were used in lesser Chevrolets if it wasn't pointed out by motoring journalists? We will ding Chevy for the column stalks, however – these could be much nicer for this price point. Also, the cupholders are terrible as they lack a rubberised base and look cheap. You can also get a mobile phone stuck in the gap next to the lid when it's open, and it's a nuisance trying to retrieve it. The air-conditioning is excellent, which is to be expected for a company that once counted Frigidaire as one of its subsidiaries. Having the controls on that unusual 'bridge' seems goofy at first, but it's refreshing to have physical switchgear for all of this and it's easily accessible by both occupants. Alas, this design cue is going away with a coming MY26 upgrade. Storage isn't exactly abundant in the cabin, though you do get a centre console bin. There are two luggage compartments, one behind the engine and one up front. The one in the rear can fit an overnight bag or two, and you can squeeze a small duffel into the front compartment. The Z06 can be had only as a coupe in Australia, though it has a removable roof panel. Pull two levers and it pops off easily, and if you manoeuvre it correctly it can fit in the rear luggage compartment. If you look behind yourself, you can admire the engine, proudly displayed under a glass cover. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 may be the priciest Corvette in Australia, but it's not the quickest from 0-100km/h. The E-Ray beats it to the century by just one tenth of a second. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the drive first: the sound. Australia uses the same exhaust setup as Europe, which sees the centre-mounted outlets replaced with four outlets, two on each side at the rear. Not only does this make the Z06 look more like the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, it means it doesn't sound as good as either of those cheaper variants. We parked a Z06 next to a E-Ray for a rev test – in the interests of science, of course – and it was the hybrid that sounded better. The Z06 also has a rev-limiter, preventing it from being revved beyond 3000rpm when stationary. If you want to show off to your friends how your Z06 sounds, then, you're going to be disappointed. Mind you, it doesn't sound bad… it just doesn't sound as good as a supercar at this price ought to. Once you're on the move, the Z06 has a distinctive sound of its own. It has a lovely metallic growl when you punch it, though it has a tendency to drone. Settled into a cruise with the engine revving at around 2000rpm, there's this omnipresent clatter of sorts. It's a less common type of V8 with a less common type of noise, and you may or may not like it. At least noise suppression in the cabin is good, allowing you to easily carry on a conversation even with the engine literally right behind you. And what a delight it is to look behind you and see that big V8 proudly on display. You may or may not like the sound, but you'll find it much harder to fault how this engine feels. For starters, it's bloody quick. You gather pace rapidly, and this is a V8 that loves to be revved. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handles the grunt of the 5.5-litre V8 terrifically. At low speeds, it feels more like a traditional automatic, and in Touring and Weather drive modes the throttle is still progressive and isn't dulled. As you build up revs, the Z06 starts to pick up the pace and moves through the gears with ease. Shifts are rapid, and it doesn't hold onto gears annoyingly long, even in Sport mode where they're more pronounced. The current gear helpfully appears in the instrument cluster, and I never felt the need to use those gorgeous carbon-fibre paddle shifters. Naturally, in Sport mode shifts feel more pronounced. Drive modes are selectable via a rotary dial on the centre console. Even more intuitive to use is the Z button on the steering wheel, which puts the steering, suspension, engine, engine sound, transmission and brakes in their most aggressive settings. There's also a customisable My Mode, allowing you to toggle your preferred settings for steering, suspension, engine sound and brake feel. I configured it to have the suspension in the softest setting, the steering to the intermediate setting, and engine noise to the loudest. The steering is terrific in terms of weighting and feel, and the Z06 has a pointy nose with small inputs leading to direct movements. Even in its intermediate weight setting, the Z06's steering doesn't feel overly heavy. The shape of the wheel and its slick carbon-fibre parts discourage you from driving with your hands at 10 and 2, so you'll have to put them at 9 and 3 where they belong. The Z06 handles like it's on rails, feeling perfectly poised in corners. Oh how I wish I could have taken this to the track… The tyres have an abundance of grip, and even in the wet there's still a solid connection with the road. The carbon-ceramic brakes on our tester also work wonderfully, without feeling ridiculously grabby in regular driving. You might think the Z06, looking the way it does, will feel too extreme for the daily commute. You'd be wrong. Okay, I found it a bit stressful to drive, but that was almost entirely due to all that fragile-looking carbon-fibre on the exterior. There is thankfully a nose lift system to prevent you from tearing up the bumper on your driveway, but you'll still want to be careful in the Z06. You can adjust the firmness of the suspension, and even in Sport mode it's taut but comfortable. Visibility out of the Z06 is awful, so what a relief Chevrolet included a digital rear-view mirror and blind-spot monitoring. The Z06 has a reversing camera and two front cameras, which it stitches together for an overhead view. But there's no traditional surround-view camera. Also missing from the features list are rain-sensing wipers, which is a strange omission. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 sits atop the local Corvette range. 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 equipment highlights: There's also a huge options list, and besides those mentioned earlier you can also specify your Z06 with various different wheels, stripes, and brake caliper and seatbelt colours, as well as a transparent roof. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Chevrolet Corvette hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: There's also a digital rear-view mirror which, trust us, in a car with blind spots like this is most definitely a safety feature. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Corvette's aftersales offering isn't spectacular. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Given the price premium of not only the Z06 over other Corvettes, but also this loaded Z06 over the regular Z06, you'd want to be taking this to the track. There's no question this has a unique feel relative to the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, from the distinctive engine note to the way power is delivered. Then there are the enhancements that come with the Z07 package, which help make the 'Vette even more of a track weapon. But the Z06 carries a premium of over $60,000 over an E-Ray and over $130,000 more than a Stingray, and that's before you take into account options and on-road costs. Is this the best Corvette for track work? In the absence of the ZR1 in Australia, we'd argue yes. And the Z06, despite its significant impost, is still cheaper than a comparable supercar with a bull or prancing horse badge. You just need to decide how much that greater track focus over a Stingray is worth, and if that figure is more or less than $134,000. And if you are happy to pay Z06 money, we reckon a new exhaust should be your next purchase. Regardless, the Corvette is playing in the big league now, and this is a compelling American alternative to Europe's finest. Interested in buying a Chevrolet Corvette? Let CarExpert find you the best deal hereMORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette Content originally sourced from: Corvette Pros Chevrolet Corvette Cons What a tease. I got the keys to this Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – complete with the Z07 Performance Package – one unrelentingly rainy week, one in which I had no track time scheduled. So here I was in this wild-looking, track-ready supercar, and I couldn't unleash its full potential. It was like having a bag full of tools and no DIY project. But hey, even if you did plan on buying and tracking Chevy's new flat-plane crank V8-powered Z06, that's theoretically only going to account for a small portion of your overall driving. For track impressions, you can check out James Wong's review. So what's the Z06 like to live with? That I can tell you! First thing you'll need to know is this car is an introvert's nightmare. I don't think I've ever driven a car that has attracted more attention, with the already aggressively styled Z06 enhanced further by the Z07 Performance Package. Our tester wore carbon-fibre ground effects and dive planes, plus an enormous rear wing. The result? Kids jumping up and down waving. People sticking their mobile phones out of car windows filming. Hell, someone even followed me down a street and pulled over as I was parking and asked to take pictures of it. The Z06 looks absolutely wild, and with the current C8 moving the engine from up front to midship, it has proportions more closely resembling much pricier Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars. It's the first Corvette with a double overhead-cam, flat-plane crank V8, and slots in above the pushrod V8-powered Stingray and the electrified E-Ray, the latter of which uniquely features a hybrid system and all-wheel drive. Missing from our shores thus far is the ZR1, which takes this new 5.5-litre V8 and bolts on a pair of turbochargers, or the recently revealed ZR1X that combines this engine with an AWD hybrid system like the E-Ray's. If there was ever any question before that the Corvette was a supercar, that seems to have been well and truly answered with the C8. And it's the only American supercar, now that the Dodge Viper is gone and the Ford GT has died again. The way the light bounces off the spoiler at night might bring to mind the '59 'batwing' Chevys, but this is a bona-fide Ferrari competitor. And yet, it's also surprisingly liveable. The Z06 is, thus far, the priciest member of the local Corvette lineup. It looks like a bargain, especially considering the cheapest Ferrari is a $500k-plus proposition. But our tester had a raft of pricey options, including: That's close to $80,000 in options. We imagine plenty of Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers drop that much (or more) in options, but it's surprising to see just how long the options list is on a Corvette – and how much opportunity you have to really personalise your sports car. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the cabin. Chevrolet recently revealed an update for the Corvette that makes some significant changes to its interior, including the removal of the distinctive row of buttons on the side of the centre console that separates the passenger's side of the cabin. Other changes include a larger touchscreen and a rejigged centre console. Therefore, a lot of the gripes we have with the outgoing C8's cabin will soon be addressed. I'm personally a bit sad to see the wacky button bridge go, though. What won't change with the update is the basic layout, and that's a good thing. The design is striking, with a very driver-focused cockpit that sees the touchscreen angled towards the driver. Getting in is a bit tough but once you're in it's comfortable, even for my lanky 6'3'' nephew in the passenger seat. The seats are heated and ventilated and prove grippy and supportive, ideal for a spirited blast without sacrificing day-to-day comfort. Your passenger may be shocked to find there's no grab handle, however. The driver sits behind a squared-off, chunky steering wheel with carbon-fibre trim, which can also be found in various places throughout the cabin, including the centre console, and it's applied tastefully. Set these pieces aside, and essentially every surface has been given the appearance of being leather-wrapped, with prominent stitching. This is deceptive, however. There's soft-touch trim on the doors and the sides of the centre console, where we'd argue this is crucial. But there's a lot of hard plastic too, including the hood over the instrument cluster. At circa-$190,000 for the base Stingray, I could almost let this slide, but at the circa-$330,000 price point of the Z06 it's disappointing. At least all the trim, whether hard or soft, looks uniform, though we did observe some janky stitching on one side of the centre console. There's a handy head-up display, while the instruments are all digital and feature multiple different layouts. Chevrolet has employed slick graphics for the digital cluster, which are reminiscent of Lotus' Unreal Engine-based graphics, however they're let down by some slight pixelation. The infotainment system will be familiar to anybody who has been in a recent Chevrolet product, much like some of the physical switchgear. But the infotainment system works well, with an intuitive menu structure, a reliable wireless connection for smartphone mirroring, and attractive graphics, and like the carryover switchgear it works well. Would buyers really notice these items were used in lesser Chevrolets if it wasn't pointed out by motoring journalists? We will ding Chevy for the column stalks, however – these could be much nicer for this price point. Also, the cupholders are terrible as they lack a rubberised base and look cheap. You can also get a mobile phone stuck in the gap next to the lid when it's open, and it's a nuisance trying to retrieve it. The air-conditioning is excellent, which is to be expected for a company that once counted Frigidaire as one of its subsidiaries. Having the controls on that unusual 'bridge' seems goofy at first, but it's refreshing to have physical switchgear for all of this and it's easily accessible by both occupants. Alas, this design cue is going away with a coming MY26 upgrade. Storage isn't exactly abundant in the cabin, though you do get a centre console bin. There are two luggage compartments, one behind the engine and one up front. The one in the rear can fit an overnight bag or two, and you can squeeze a small duffel into the front compartment. The Z06 can be had only as a coupe in Australia, though it has a removable roof panel. Pull two levers and it pops off easily, and if you manoeuvre it correctly it can fit in the rear luggage compartment. If you look behind yourself, you can admire the engine, proudly displayed under a glass cover. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 may be the priciest Corvette in Australia, but it's not the quickest from 0-100km/h. The E-Ray beats it to the century by just one tenth of a second. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Let's address the elephant in the drive first: the sound. Australia uses the same exhaust setup as Europe, which sees the centre-mounted outlets replaced with four outlets, two on each side at the rear. Not only does this make the Z06 look more like the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, it means it doesn't sound as good as either of those cheaper variants. We parked a Z06 next to a E-Ray for a rev test – in the interests of science, of course – and it was the hybrid that sounded better. The Z06 also has a rev-limiter, preventing it from being revved beyond 3000rpm when stationary. If you want to show off to your friends how your Z06 sounds, then, you're going to be disappointed. Mind you, it doesn't sound bad… it just doesn't sound as good as a supercar at this price ought to. Once you're on the move, the Z06 has a distinctive sound of its own. It has a lovely metallic growl when you punch it, though it has a tendency to drone. Settled into a cruise with the engine revving at around 2000rpm, there's this omnipresent clatter of sorts. It's a less common type of V8 with a less common type of noise, and you may or may not like it. At least noise suppression in the cabin is good, allowing you to easily carry on a conversation even with the engine literally right behind you. And what a delight it is to look behind you and see that big V8 proudly on display. You may or may not like the sound, but you'll find it much harder to fault how this engine feels. For starters, it's bloody quick. You gather pace rapidly, and this is a V8 that loves to be revved. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handles the grunt of the 5.5-litre V8 terrifically. At low speeds, it feels more like a traditional automatic, and in Touring and Weather drive modes the throttle is still progressive and isn't dulled. As you build up revs, the Z06 starts to pick up the pace and moves through the gears with ease. Shifts are rapid, and it doesn't hold onto gears annoyingly long, even in Sport mode where they're more pronounced. The current gear helpfully appears in the instrument cluster, and I never felt the need to use those gorgeous carbon-fibre paddle shifters. Naturally, in Sport mode shifts feel more pronounced. Drive modes are selectable via a rotary dial on the centre console. Even more intuitive to use is the Z button on the steering wheel, which puts the steering, suspension, engine, engine sound, transmission and brakes in their most aggressive settings. There's also a customisable My Mode, allowing you to toggle your preferred settings for steering, suspension, engine sound and brake feel. I configured it to have the suspension in the softest setting, the steering to the intermediate setting, and engine noise to the loudest. The steering is terrific in terms of weighting and feel, and the Z06 has a pointy nose with small inputs leading to direct movements. Even in its intermediate weight setting, the Z06's steering doesn't feel overly heavy. The shape of the wheel and its slick carbon-fibre parts discourage you from driving with your hands at 10 and 2, so you'll have to put them at 9 and 3 where they belong. The Z06 handles like it's on rails, feeling perfectly poised in corners. Oh how I wish I could have taken this to the track… The tyres have an abundance of grip, and even in the wet there's still a solid connection with the road. The carbon-ceramic brakes on our tester also work wonderfully, without feeling ridiculously grabby in regular driving. You might think the Z06, looking the way it does, will feel too extreme for the daily commute. You'd be wrong. Okay, I found it a bit stressful to drive, but that was almost entirely due to all that fragile-looking carbon-fibre on the exterior. There is thankfully a nose lift system to prevent you from tearing up the bumper on your driveway, but you'll still want to be careful in the Z06. You can adjust the firmness of the suspension, and even in Sport mode it's taut but comfortable. Visibility out of the Z06 is awful, so what a relief Chevrolet included a digital rear-view mirror and blind-spot monitoring. The Z06 has a reversing camera and two front cameras, which it stitches together for an overhead view. But there's no traditional surround-view camera. Also missing from the features list are rain-sensing wipers, which is a strange omission. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Z06 sits atop the local Corvette range. 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 equipment highlights: There's also a huge options list, and besides those mentioned earlier you can also specify your Z06 with various different wheels, stripes, and brake caliper and seatbelt colours, as well as a transparent roof. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Chevrolet Corvette hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. Standard safety equipment includes: There's also a digital rear-view mirror which, trust us, in a car with blind spots like this is most definitely a safety feature. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The Corvette's aftersales offering isn't spectacular. To see how the Chevrolet Corvette lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Given the price premium of not only the Z06 over other Corvettes, but also this loaded Z06 over the regular Z06, you'd want to be taking this to the track. There's no question this has a unique feel relative to the cheaper Stingray and E-Ray, from the distinctive engine note to the way power is delivered. Then there are the enhancements that come with the Z07 package, which help make the 'Vette even more of a track weapon. But the Z06 carries a premium of over $60,000 over an E-Ray and over $130,000 more than a Stingray, and that's before you take into account options and on-road costs. Is this the best Corvette for track work? In the absence of the ZR1 in Australia, we'd argue yes. And the Z06, despite its significant impost, is still cheaper than a comparable supercar with a bull or prancing horse badge. You just need to decide how much that greater track focus over a Stingray is worth, and if that figure is more or less than $134,000. And if you are happy to pay Z06 money, we reckon a new exhaust should be your next purchase. Regardless, the Corvette is playing in the big league now, and this is a compelling American alternative to Europe's finest. Interested in buying a Chevrolet Corvette? Let CarExpert find you the best deal hereMORE: Everything Chevrolet Corvette Content originally sourced from:
