Is the 2023 Corvette Z06 a supercar? No. Technically speaking, the Chevrolet is a mid-engined sports car in track-ready trim. However, that line is blurry, as, for one, the C8 Z06’s quarter-mile time does place it into supercar territory.
Update: Here’s Emelia drag racing the 2023 Corvette Z06 against a Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD and her Liberty Walk Ferrari 458 Italia.
For over a year now, we’ve known that the 2023 Corvette Z06 can cover the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 2.2 seconds, while needing 10.6s for the 1/4-mile run. However, until the embargo on reviews and vlogger tests was lifted today, we had no trap speed number. Besides, what if the Chevy is better than 10.6s?
Magazines and reviewers have done their testing and you’ll find full numbers out there, handling included (think: skid pad-assessed lateral Gs). For now, we’ll focus on what happens when you take the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to the drag strip, though. Sure, its high-revving N/A LT6 V8 makes this more of a track car, but we assure you plenty of owners will hit the strip, so this test is highly relevant.
Unlike the C7 Z06, the newcomer doesn’t add a supercharger. Instead, the 2023 Z06 replaces the standard C8’s 495 hp 6.2L pushrod V8 with an all-new flat plane-crank 5.5L V8 developing 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Dubbed LT6, the DOHC, high-revving powerplant may feature Ferrari’s favorite crank configuration, but it doesn’t sound quite as mean as Maranello units, even though we have no doubts about the aftermarket community’s dedication to change that.
Emelia Hartford hit California’s Famoso Dragstrip in a stock 2023 Z06 with the Z07 Performance package and carbon wheels
Meanwhile, though, actress/car vlogger Emelia Hartford took the C8 Z06 to California’s Famoso Dragstrip in search of an even sharper quarter-mile time. This is a press car, gifted with the optional Z07 Performance package, full carbon fiber wheels included.
Please note that the Z07 pack shaves around 100 lbs of weight, with 41 lbs coming from the wheels alone (these are shod in sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP tires). For the record, the package includes Magne Ride, track-tuned suspension, and bigger, carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes.
You—and Chevrolet—are most likely to have heard about Emelia thanks to her twin-turbocharging a standards C8 Corvette despite the locked ECU (the 2024 Mustang also goes down this route). The carmaker decided to give her efforts a thumbs up and this is why she was granted access to the Z06.
After a couple of runs testing the 2023 Z06’s now-programable Launch Control and Rapid Exit feature, which lets you do pre-run burnouts, Emelia’s times were above the official 10.6s.
As such, she allowed the engine to cool down, while adding some higher-octane fuel to the California gas in the tank and increasing the pressure in the front tires for lower rolling resistance.
The result? A 10.51s quarter-mile run at 130.11 mph. Now, as the enthusiast explains in the video below, the official 10.6s time was obtained by averaging the numbers delivered by ten test cars, which used launch control on a non-prepped surface.
Since her figure involves a prepped surface, which is more than enough to deliver the said gain and beyond, this isn’t what you’d describe as an absolute record. Still, it remains the quickest C8 Z06 quarter-mile run showcased to date, a title that will undoubtedly be wildly contested as owners start installing mods on the beast.
She also tested the 2023 Z06 on an unprepped lane, which resulted in an unimpressive 11.59s run, but it doesn’t seem like the car was necessarily prepared for that run (i.e. specific launch and temperature).
The PDR (Performance Data Recorder)? The Corvette Z06 capturing one’s run, with added data, is a neat feature to share with friends, but not one that will deliver accurate results—this is no different than with previous PDR-equipped models. So there’s no point in dwelling over the 2.2s 0-60 mph and 10.45s 1/4-mile time recorded by the PDR, which is also shown in the video.
The C8 Z06 punches above its weight
The MSRP of the 2023 Z06 sits at $106,395 before destination charges (beware of greedy dealer markups!). The Z07 package adds at least $17,890 to that, while also opting for those carbon wheels brings a premium starting at $11,995.
And while the 2023 Z06 isn’t without its faults (you can add the not-facile Launch Control engagement to the exhaust sound limitation mentioned above), it still makes for a proposal that will give exotics a headache for a fraction of the cost. In fact, we’ll get to see Emelia drag racing the C8 Z06 against her cool Liberty Walk Ferrari 458 Italia and other—hopefully newer—supercars soon.
