A to Z06: Tracing the History of Chevy's Race-Bred Corvette

The 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 is the fifth iteration of the track-focused trim, and while it’s the most exotic, it’s still streetable.In 1963, the Z06 moniker first appeared as an optional equipment package for Corvette owners wanting to race their cars. Since the C5 Corvette, every generation has had a Z06 version, with each raising the bar on its race-bred pedigree.

Who’s ready for a history lesson? Any fan of the Chevy Corvette is almost certainly familiar with the track-focused Z06 version, especially after the arrival of the exotic mid-engine 2023 Corvette Z06. However, not every fan knows the car’s origin story, which can be traced back nearly 60 years to 1963, when legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov first developed it as an option package dedicated to customers who wanted to race their cars at the track. Thus, an icon was born. The rest is history. Sort of. The Z06 moniker would sit in the pits for about four decades until it returned to glory on the 2001 Corvette. Chevy has since offered a Z06 model with every generation, and each has raised the bar on its race-bred pedigree. Here’s a look at the five installments of the Chevy Corvette Z06.

1963: The OG Z06

If you haven’t heard of Zora Arkus-Duntov, do yourself a favor and read his story. You don’t have to thank us, but you can thank big Z for contributing to the Corvette’s greatness. As we mentioned, he was responsible for creating the original Z06 in 1963. Zora was a racing advocate, and he convinced GM’s brass to commission an option package for Corvette customers in the racing community. This led to the then little-known Regular Production Option (RPO) Z06 box on the car’s order sheet. Chevy only sold 199 Corvettes equipped with the Z06 package in ’63.

Chevy

Virtually all were coupes with a 360-hp 327-cubic-inch V-8, four-speed manual transmission, and Positraction rear axle. As an option within an option, the Z06 package could be paired with a larger 36.5-gallon fiberglass fuel tank that enabled longer track sessions. This led to nicknames like “tanker” and “big tank” Corvettes. Also, along with aluminum wheels and a race-ready suspension (thicker front anti-roll bar, larger dampers, stiffer springs), Z06s featured upgraded brake components that included power drum brakes with sintered metallic brake linings, a vacuum booster, and a dual master cylinder.

2001: Return of the Z06

You won’t find a Z06-badged Corvette from the C3 or C4 generation because, well, there weren’t any. In fact, after the 1963 model year, Chevy wouldn’t produce another Z06 for about 40 years. Thankfully, the brand resurrected the race-car-inspired moniker on the 2001 Corvette (a.k.a C5). Following a similar formula as its forebear, the reborn Z06 put performance above all else, and it would go on to be one of the first production cars to lap the famous Nürburgring in under eight minutes (7:56, for those who are curious). The C5 Z06 also introduced trademark details such as cooling ducts for the rear brakes that were integrated into the back fender.

All C5 Corvette Z06s (2001–2004) were based on the limited-production hardtop coupe that saved weight and improved rigidity compared with the regular hatchback coupe. That and other diet restrictions helped the Z06 cut about 100 pounds through thinner glass, lighter wheels, less sound-deadening materials, adopting a lightweight titanium exhaust, and more. Most notably, the C5 Z06 benefited from an exclusive LS6 engine, basically an enhanced version of the Vette’s standard LS1 5.7-liter V-8. The LS6 featured a hotter cam, a higher compression ratio, redesigned intake and exhaust manifolds, and other internal enhancements. It initially produced 385 horses and 385 pound-feet of torque, but those figures rose to 405 and 400, respectively, in 2002. Every Z06 from this era had a six-speed manual and specific gearing.

2006: Z06 Meets Z07

Once Corvette customers got a taste of the awesome sauce that was the C5 Z06, Chevy was only too keen to follow it up with an even tastier one. It arrived in 2006—one year after the sixth generation debuted—and the C6 Z06 (2006–2013) promptly took the Corvette’s track capability up another notch. Not only did it have a unique aluminum frame that Chevy claimed to be 136 pounds lighter than the standard version’s steel structure, but it also featured an exclusive high-revving 505-hp 7.0-liter V-8, dubbed the LS7. At the time, it was the most powerful Corvette ever, and it used technology from the corporating racing program (titanium connecting rods, dry-sump lubrication system).

The 2006 Corvette Z06 didn’t just have loads of performance equipment such as the usual brake, suspension, and wheel-and-tire upgrades, it was also the first version to really visually differentiate itself. The C6 Z06 (again hardtop only) had wider front and rear fenders, front and rear brake-cooling ducts, and distinct aero add-ons. This iteration also introduced a Z07 package in 2012 that unlocked even higher racetrack limits courtesy of parts from the almighty 638-hp supercharged Corvette ZR1. With the Z07 package, the Z06 gained even more carbon-fiber addenda, MagneRide adaptive dampers, carbon-ceramic rotors, and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. The result? It helped the 2012 C6 Z06 lap the Nürburgring in 7:22.68—about an amazing 34 seconds quicker than its predecessor.

2015: The Mightiest Z06

Despite the pressure to keep raising the performance bar with every new Z06, Chevy didn’t let off the throttle. When the fourth iteration of the Z06 arrived in 2015, following the debut of the seventh generation one year earlier, it came packing a monstrous 650-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. For those keeping track, that’s mightier than the mill in the previous-gen ZR1. The C7 Z06 (2015–2019) also marked a series of firsts, including the first with an optional automatic transmission as well as the first to offer targa and convertible body styles. The latter two were due to the Vette’s stiffer aluminum frame.

This era of Z06 also brought a boatload of carbon-fiber equipment, specifically an optional aero package with splitters, winglets, rocker panels, and spoilers made of lightweight material. The Z07 Performance package returned, too, adding adjustable aero bits, carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and grippier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. For further proof of the C7 Z06’s incredibleness, check out our comparison test, where it beat the vaunted Porsche 911 Turbo S. Sure, the Vette’s incredible value played a big role in its victory, but we also touted its ability to be civil or ferocious at a moment’s notice. It was also the last front-engine Corvette Z06.

2023: Z06 Zenith

Here we are. It has all led up to this. A mid-engine Corvette Z06. At its heart is the most exotic mill ever dropped into a production Vette: a naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V-8 (engine code LT6). Per tradition, the C8 Z06 (2023–TBD) exceeds the power precedent set by its predecessor with 670 horsepower. Oh, and this V-8 sounds unlike any other Z06 engine, with an 8500-rpm redline that translates to authentic race-car noises. Unfortunately, this is the first Z06 without a manual gearbox. Instead, every version has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, and it’s once again offered in Targa or convertible body styles.

The C8 Z06’s engine is undeniably special, but the rest of the car is special too—optimized for track duty just like its ancestors. Even with 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminum wheels (carbon-fiber versions are optional) and myriad chassis upgrades meant to help the wide-body C8 extract every millisecond from every lap, it’s never punishing, even when the more aggressive Z07 track package (more aero, higher spring rates, carbon-ceramic rotors, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, etc.) is added to the mix.

The Ultimate Corvette Z06

While we’ll likely see more powerful Corvettes—heck, even electric ones—the latest Z06 looks to be the zenith of the gas-powered bunch. Big Z would be proud.

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