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Chevrolet Corvette Z06 coupe surges with the boost to 405 hp
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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PONTIAC, Mich. -- Hundreds of orange traffic cones line a path through nineteen curves of the autocross course spread across an asphalt lot in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac.
Poised at the starting gate, a souped-up Z06 edition of Chevrolet's fabled Corvette idles with a deep-throat rumble that hints at so many horses hitched beneath that elongated hood.
The trick will be to harness all of that power and use it in conjunction with wire-taut steering controls and big disc brakes to propel the F1 Goodyears through a string of speed-shot straights, snaky chicanes and too-tight corners in a race against the timer's clock.
Tip a cone along the narrow path and the game's over.
Run it clean but plant all tires squarely in the stop box and we win, in the process kindling some insight for how quick but controlled this powerful new Corvette has become.
Z06 represents the pinnacle of the line and ranks as the quickest in Corvette's 48-year history.
It debuted in 2001 packing an upgraded LS6 V8 engine with 35 more power points over the 350 hp LS1 V8 of standard Corvettes, along with performance upgrades for suspension, wheels and tires.
Yet the Z06 for 2002 earns even more -- 20 more power points to 405 hp at 6000 rpm, which moves it into that exotic club of 400 hp rippers. Torque also increases to 400 lb-ft at 4800 rpm.
More output from the LS6 engine is the result of adding new hollow stem valves, a higher-lift camshaft and new low-restriction air cleaner so the engine can pull even more oxygen-rich air into the combustion chambers.
Extra muscle becomes apparent in an off-the-line rush of acceleration, which consumes less than four seconds before the speedometer registers 60 mph.
And it can charge to the quarter-mile mark in 12.4 seconds, flying past at 116 mph.
As for a top speed, it's in an entirely illicit range, of course, but Chevrolet won't commit to an official figure -- and our autocross course doesn't have enough pavement to push the Z06 to its limit.
Still, we play it hard and fast: Pin the pedal on the floor from the start box of the cone course and tires ply rubber to asphalt as the big V8 roars and Z06 zips off the line, snapping shoulders into a leather seat with the fling down a straight and narrow chute between rows of cones.
Flick the six-speed stick to a second notch, but watch out that this initial charge doesn't overrun the cones because a left-right-left wiggle stands before the first hard-left corner and a left-foot brush to the brake pedal seems in order to check velocity.
For that left bend, the accelerator can be deployed again because the engine's considerable torque goes directly to rear wheels so it's easy to push the tail out with a throttle-steering maneuver involving oversteer to slip around the curve.
Now pounce on the juice pedal again and fly down the next straight, holding off the brake until only a few meters ahead of the curve that follows.
And so it goes -- surge down each line, brake before each corner, then throttle-steer through each apex: No other American sports car provides so much balanced control for a driver willing to use all of the tools at hand, from the go-pedal and shifter to brakes and a firm steering wheel.
Such balance and poise through difficult maneuvers is a direct result of a structure -- the most rigid ever for Corvette -- that employs a full-length perimeter frame composed of seamless tubular steel.
Then comes the magic: Suspension mounts to the ultra-stiff chassis and permits superb handling control but also delivers a smooth ride quality.
The independent four-wheel short/long-arm suspension, with cast aluminum upper and control arms, transverse-mounted composite lead springs and monotube shocks, is lightweight to reduce mass.
And Z06-specific Z51 suspension settings for ultimate performance in autocross competition amount to stiffer rear leaf springs, larger stabilizer bars and larger shocks, plus rear shock valving for even more control.
What's behind that Z06 nameplate?
It tracks back to 1963 when Corvette's chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov concocted a special showroom race car version of the then-new Corvette Sting Ray split-window coupe. The Z06 RPO (Regular Production Option) Sting Ray contained a heavy-duty suspension with stronger brakes, an expanded fuel tank, fuel injectors, GM's Positraction rear axle and a four-on-the-floor manual shifter.
Today's Z06, like the rare issues of 1963, also adds up to a showroom race car although its bottom line does not.
In 1963 the Sting Ray carried a base sticker figure of $4,257, while the Z06 RPO equipment boosted that figure by 58 percent.
The base Corvette hatchback of today is priced below $41,000, and the Z06 upgrade at $49,505 amounts to about 21 percent more.
In the 400 hp club, no megabucks and exotic foreign brand -- such as Ferrari or Porsche -- can match the Z06 at twice its price.
External markings to distinguish the Z06 seem subtle.
It sports a unique grille in the front fascia, special ductwork by the rear brakes to cool them, and a subtle "405" insignia worked into the Z06 badge.
The profile amounts to a stunning sweep of aerodynamic lines from low-pitched nose to a classic Corvette high tail.
Regular editions conform to a hatchback hardtop or ragtop convertible, but the Z06 skews strictly to the form of a bubble-top coupe.
All three models -- hatchback, drop-top and Z06 coupe -- now carry as standard equipment the second-generation Active Handling system, which integrates traction control and anti-lock brakes with dynamic rear brake proportioning. The system keeps the vehicle tracking true without skidding or spinning, although it has an on/off switch plus a competitive mode so a skilled driver may drop the traction control feature when desired for autocross-style maneuvers.
New equipment for all Corvettes includes an in-dash CD player as part of a new entertainment system with the option of a 12-disc CD changer.
Fresh colors also work, like vivid Electron Blue.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 Specs |
| Description: |
2-seat performance sports car
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| Model Options: |
2-seat performance sports car
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| Wheelbase: |
104.5 inches
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| Overall Length: |
179.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 5.7-L V8 (LS1)
OHV 5.7-L V8 (LS6)
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| Transmission: |
LS1: Manual/6, Auto/4
LS6: Manual/6
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| Drive: |
Rear
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS/AH
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
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| Gas Mileage: |
LS1 M/6: 19/28 mpg
LS1 A/4: 18/25 mpg
LS6 M/6: 19/28 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 41,000 to $ 52,000 |
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