Just 48 hours ago we named the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Motor Authority Best Car to Buy 2024. America’s Sports Car has received and won top honors each time it has qualified for competition Motor Authority: Best Car to Buy 2017 And Motor Authority: Best Car to Buy 2019. This time it impressed our team with its exotic engine, intoxicating exhaust sound and unsurpassed driving dynamics. Our editorial team’s vote was unanimous.
But the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is not perfect. No vehicle is. It could be better. Here’s how.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Give it a manual transmission
The C8 Corvette’s notable lack of a manual transmission still hurts our collective soul. However, that is 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is a gem that enables lightning-fast gear changes. In a 0-60 mph sprint or on a racetrack, a manual transmission version would absolutely smoke. But from a driver engagement standpoint, the option is there #GiveAShift is still the wish of many. We bet the take rate would be pretty high too. Imagine being able to run this flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine up to 8,600 rpm before shifting to the next gear. Porsche knows it no third pedal option on your GT3 was a mistake. What do you say, Chevrolet?
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Does that look like a Corvette?
Years after the C8’s debut, editorial director Marty Padgett still insists that the C8 looks nothing like a Corvette. The Z06 reinforces the C8’s exotic shape with a larger body, giving the car a wider body. It only serves the function of supplying more air to this wild engine. But the short hood and long tail resulting from the mid-engine powertrain layout are more reminiscent of Ferrari than Corvette. But it is not as elegant as a Ferrari, with its strict lines that give it the impression of a real racing driver. A few softer lines would help.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Upgrade the interior
The Z06 is a $100,000+ supercar. The loaded test car we towed around a racetrack and country roads cost $160,595 but didn’t have the interior to match. It may sound like a Ferrari, but the interior is clearly from GM. The materials are nice enough, but this isn’t premium leather, the control stalks and head-up display buttons could just as easily be from any other Chevy, and the dozen-plus chiclet-like buttons running down the center console wall are the same Air conditioner is made of hard plastic and housed in poor design. They are also confusing and difficult to use while driving. At least there are knobs and buttons for some key climate and infotainment controls.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
A challenge for the New Balance audience
Seems like I’m getting old. The groans and creaks I heard getting in and out of the C8 Z06 made my friends laugh. The battle will be a real one for the New Balance and denim shorts crowd that will likely buy the Z06. The C8 Corvette’s raked A-pillar, low ride height, and mid-engine roofline make it difficult to get in and out of, and that’s exacerbated by our tester’s featured Competition bucket seats. Getting in and out of the 911 is easier.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Improve braking feel
Most editors liked the brakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse more than the carbon ceramic brakes of the C8 Z06 in the finale Best car to buy in 2024 testing. Editor-in-Chief Kirk Bell noted that the Z06’s brake pedal felt a bit wooden due to the brake-by-wire implementation. Everyone on the team noticed that we had to recalibrate the drag system where the first bite occurred. This resulted in Kirk braking late for the first corner in two different sessions. After that he got used to it, but no one complains about the brake setup on a Porsche. That’s not to say this carbon ceramic isn’t strong. You’re more than capable of accelerating the Z06 from triple-digit speeds in no time; They simply lack the initial bite we crave.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
That much for a Chevy?
When the starting price of a Corvette exceeds $100,000, we raise our eyebrows. The Corvette is America’s all-time sports car and has always represented value. With a starting price of $113,190, which is way over that It cost $106,395 a year ago, that’s not your dad’s Corvette. But it’s a two-sided argument because even at that price it can embarrass cars that cost twice as much on a racetrack. At an as-tested price of $160,595, the Z06 lacks the cachet that comes with Lamborghini, Ferrari or Porsche badges, but there’s simply no arguing the performance per dollar here.
The C8 Z06 will likely go down in history as one of the most extraordinary cars to ever wear the Corvette badge. Corvettes that come after, including the Twin turbo C8 ZR1 and then the electrified version am called theed Zora, will be faster and more powerful, but that may not make them any more special. This is a milestone in the history of the Corvette and, despite some minor flaws, makes it a great Best Car To Buy winner.
