Corvette fans have been clamoring for a Z06 version of the incredible mid-engine C8 design. We now know more about when it will be available.
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Chevrolet announced today that the hotly-anticipated Z06 version of the mid-engine C8 Corvette will debut as a 2023 model. Fans have been waiting for a Chevrolet mid-engine Z06 ever since the mid-engine Corvette Stingray was introduced two years ago. Chevrolet says that the 2023 Corvette Z06 supercar will be revealed this fall. Chevy did not give a date for the reveal. Chevrolet did release the new Z06 logo for the Corvette.
Chevrolet did release a tease video of a vehicle roaring from the track onto a street. The video has the tagline “The street will never sound the same.”
Corvette Plant Battling Delays
Word leaked in June that the mid-engine Corvette Z06 had been delayed and might become a 2023 version. The Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky has had a difficult year, first because of COVID, then the semiconductor chip shortages and then parts shortages, not linked to the semiconductor chips. Many 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray orders have been delayed into the 2022 model year production.
What is particularly sad about the delays is that the C8 Corvette has been a hot seller for Chevrolet. This is only the second year for the mid-engine design and there appears to still be significant demand for the performance car. Chevrolet worked for years to get the mid-engine design perfected. While Chevrolet still builds a relatively small number of the halo cars per year, compared to the huge numbers of trucks and SUVs, it is sad to see them lose or delay any of the planned production.
Few 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Details Released
A website called GM Authority says the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will be powered by “naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6 gasoline engine, which features a 32-valve DOHC design and a flat-plane crank. Redline should be north of 8,000 rpm. Based on the same V8 found in the C8.R racecar, the LT6 in the 2023 Corvette Z06 is expected to produce around 600 horsepower and between 480 pound-feet and 550 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission sending it all rearwards.”
At this point, Chevrolet is not confirming any engine details. President Joe Biden said earlier this year that Corvette is also working on an electric version of the mid-engine supercar. Chevrolet is not commenting on when we might see that version.
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