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Chevrolet has issued the following press release:
By winning every race in the 2004 season, the Corvette C5-R racing team wrapped up the most successful era in Corvette’s 50-year racing history. In its five years, the C5-R racing program took 35 victories in 55 races, four American Le Mans Series championships and three double victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .
The Z06 sparked the second half of the C5’s life span with a Corvette model for the extreme performance enthusiast. Now, Team Corvette combines the numerous attributes of the sixth-generation Corvette with the technology and winning determination from the C5-R program to take the new Z06 to the next level in total performance.
Chevrolet introduced the 2006 Corvette Z06 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors. It is comprised of an unprecedented level of capability and technology, making it one of the greatest performance values on the market. And with an unmistakably muscular appearance, the ’06 Z06 has a visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette’s winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.
“The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing,” said Dave Hill, Corvette’s chief engineer. “It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials.”
The new Z06 achieves 500 horsepower in an approximately 3130-pound (1419.7 kg) package and is expected to deliver 0-60 performance of less than 4 seconds, eclipse the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds and deliver a top speed of more than 190 mph on a race track. — Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, but they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing – everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics. What the engineers developed was a totally unique vehicle that has its own powertrain, body structure and chassis system which are distinct from other Corvette models.
Previous Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and/or engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. Not surprisingly, the specs for the ’06 read like the blueprint of a champion. They include:
LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components
500 horsepower (373 kw) at6200 rpm
475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm
7000 rpm redline
Titanium connecting rods and intake valves
Dry-sump engine lubrication system
Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center
Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle — 2006 Chevy Impala and Monte Carlo.
Fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter
Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires — Chevrolet Xtreme performance modifications.
3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips
Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler
Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated)
3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models
Vehicle developed simultaneously with C6-R racecar.
The features above are merely the highline points of the comprehensively designed Z06. What follows is a closer look at the vehicle’s unique attributes.
