How We'd Spec It: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The standard Chevrolet Corvette is an extremely capable sports car, with its 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8 shooting the coupe to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. But for 2023 Chevy has upped the ante by bringing back the Z06 badge on an even more focused Corvette. We have finally driven and tested the 2023 Corvette Z06, and it’s just as incredible as we had hoped. Not only does its naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V-8 produce a soul-stirring howl, but its whopping 670 horsepower helps the Z06 rocket to 60 mph in a mere 2.6 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds. After being blown away by the Z06’s performance, four of our editors decided to spec our ideal Z06s using Chevy’s online configurator, just in case we ever hit the jackpot. Here’s how we would build the Z06s of our dreams:
Greg Fink’s $109,295 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
I’m a simple man, so it’s no surprise, then, that my 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 reflects this. Rather than spending extra coin on the likes of the 2LZ or 3LZ trims or the Z07 Performance package, I’m sticking to a bottom-of-the-barrel 1LZ model. Given that the entry-level Z06 includes niceties such as head-up display, power seats and steering column, and leather insides, there’s no real reason to spend the extra coin for the small, but largely insignificant, niceties the higher trims add to the mix.
Admittedly, I was tempted to spring for the $8995 Z07 kit, but in the end, I really fail to see the point of the kit’s additional bits for a car that I would track only occasionally. Or I guess I ought to amend that by writing “a car that I’d plan to take to the track only occasionally if I actually had the means to afford a new Z06.”
As is, the standard brakes, suspension setup, and tires offer plentiful performance for tearing up the twisting tarmac of some of the country’s most legendary public roads. Plus, I think the Z07’s additional carbon-fiber bits, especially its big rear wing, are a tad over the top for my taste. I much prefer the lower key looks of the Z06 sans the Z07 package.
Not every option on the Z06 comes at a cost, though, and to better match my Z06 to my tastes I’d outfit it in a coat of Arctic White paint (replete with a body-color roof). Add in Adrenaline Red seats and interior decor, and my 670-hp Z06 coupe is both a looker and a relative bargain at $109,295 (which includes a $2600 gas-guzzler tax). —Greg Fink
David Beard’s $142,175 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Good things come to those who wait. We’ve patiently waited for the eighth-generation Corvette Z06, and now we can tell you: It’s not good, it’s great. My build focuses on all-out canyon-destroying and racetrack-slaying performance. The foundation for my Z06 begins with the $109,295 1LZ trim, as the creature comforts of heated seats, wireless device charging, and driver safety systems will not be needed.
From there, it’s all business. The Z07 package’s carbon-ceramic rotors, gooey Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, specific suspension calibration, and massive rear wing are a must for $8995. Going Z07 also requires the aggressive carbon-fiber aero package, and for that I’ll spend extra to get the exposed carbon pieces. There goes another $10,495. The money saved by sticking with the base trim will fund the exposed carbon-fiber wheels for $11,995. Add the torso-holding Competition Sport seats for $995 and the no-cost Ceramic Matrix Gray paint, and my ultimate time-attack Corvette Z06 comes in at $142,175, the cheapest way to get the highest level of performance. —David Beard
Jack Fitzgerald’s $144,080 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
I know what you’re thinking: “$144,000 for a Corvette? This guy has lost his mind.” To you I say—go experience the Z06 achieving its 8600-rpm redline and get back to me. I’ll wait. Having windows and a roof won’t exactly cut out the howl sent forth from the Z06’s newfangled flat-plane V-8, but it will do it the disservice of hindering even a single decibel. For that reason, I would have my Z06 in the admittedly expensive but entirely justifiable convertible format.
As a proud Wisconsinite, I’ll have my Z06 finished in the superb Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic paint, please and thanks. After careful deliberation I chose not to option the $12,000 carbon wheels and instead stuck with the standard setup. Instead, I would happily shell out the additional cash required for the $8995 Z07 Performance package, which in turn requires the addition of carbon flash-painted components for an additional $2995. Moving inside the Vette, I opted for the $8700 2LZ trim level for extra creature comforts like heated and cooled seats. Since flashy is sort of the name of the game here, I would spend the $695 needed to replace the standard black interior with Adrenaline Red leather. Even at its eye-watering $144,080 price, my Z06 still comes in well below what you’d pay for a used Ferrari 458—with the bonus of a full extra liter of displacement to boot. —Jack Fitzgerald
Caleb Miller’s $149,515 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
The new 2023 Corvette Z06 is a beast when it comes to performance, so I wanted my Vette to look the part. I started off with the $119,150 top-spec 3LZ trim, which includes a steering wheel with carbon-fiber trim and shift paddles, a leather-wrapped instrument panel and doors, a suede microfiber headliner, and the more track-focused GT2 seats. The seats are also heated and ventilated—critical for life in Michigan—and there’s a 14-speaker Bose sound system from the 2LZ trim.
I then had my Z06 painted in the eye-catching Red Mist Metallic tintcoat for $995, and spent a further $995 on a transparent roof panel to help the Z06’s cabin feel a bit airier. I don’t want passersby to mistake my Z06 for a “normal” Corvette, so I added the $8995 Z07 Performance package, which brings carbon-ceramic brakes, grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, and more extreme aero with a chunky rear wing and dive planes above the front splitter. These add-ons would be crucial for the occasional track day, and the package also necessitates spending an extra $10,495 to get the exposed-carbon-fiber look that lets everyone know just how extreme my Z06 is. I also added showy bronze wheels for $3795 and matched them with a Natural tan-colored leather interior. All told, my Z06 cost a whopping $149,515, but given just how sharp and satisfying the Z06 is to drive, it would be well worth the money. —Caleb Miller
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