The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

General Motors may be committed to an all-electric lineup by 2035, but don’t expect the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to go quietly into the night. Before you head to your Chevrolet dealer, get to know the most powerful ‘Vette yet.

America, Meet Your New Supercar – The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

As it approaches its 70th birthday, the 2023 Corvette Z06 is the most athletic ‘Vette ever made. GM has declared the fifth-generation Z06’s new 5.5L naturally aspirated V8 engine the most powerful in any car in production and the fastest Corvette ever manufactured.

With 670 raging horses under the hood cranking out 460 pound-feet of torque, GM expects the Corvette to hit a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds. It may be the farthest Chevy engineers can push a naturally-aspirated power plant. But then, they thought the same thing before they added a supercharger to the V8 power plant.

While it will easily outrun competitive gasoline-powered muscle cars, all-electric sedans like Tesla’s Model S Plaid are a half-second faster. That might be more of a difference-maker on the track, but for normal driving, most drivers won’t complain about that extra half-Mississippi. Especially given the Corvette’s other considerable attributes.

Corvette executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter told CNBC last year that he felt “pretty sure” that the automaker was at or near maxing out the capability of a V8 engine and that the Z06 may be the company’s mic-drop moment for internal combustion cars. Particularly because manufacturers are discontinuing production of gasoline-powered vehicles in favor of electric and other alternative fuel cars, trucks, and SUVs.

Does That Mean There’s an Electric Corvette on the Horizon?

That depends on who you ask. When CNBC asked Juechter about an electrified ‘Vette, he said, “Only the future will tell.”

Rumors of a Corvette-branded crossover SUV are nothing new. Morgan Stanley analysts have talked about a Corvette sub-brand being worth as much as $12 billion for General Motors. And last year, Bloomberg reported that the automaker had designers sketching out several concept vehicles under the Corvette brand.

And, of course, GM wouldn’t be the first to market with a crossover SUV wearing the badge of an iconic pony car. Ford debuted the all-electric Mustang Mach-E in late 2019, and it has been well-received by car experts and buyers.

So, given the Mustang Mach-E‘s success, GM’s commitment to an all-electric lineup over the next decade, and the strength of the Corvette brand, an expansion into the crossover SUV market may be more than wild speculation.

When Will the New 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Be Available?

GM plans to begin production on the 2023 Corvette Z06 at its Bowling Green, KY assembly plant sometime during the summer of 2022.

Although the automaker has demurred on releasing specific pricing, they have suggested it will be in line with the premium on the previous generation Z06 (about 44%) over the base Corvette. Based on those projections, CNBC estimates the starting price to be in the neighborhood of $86k when they start hitting Chevrolet dealer showrooms later this year.

 

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