In the world of street car drag racing, modern supercars are the breed that delivers some of the most constant quarter-mile results. So you can usually rely on their independently-tested 1/4-mile times if you’re looking to compare these high-end velocity beasts (aka on-paper racing). Or, better yet, you can throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave and when it’s done, return to enjoy the short movie that is this real-world drag race involving the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD and the Ferrari 458 Italia.
Actress and car vlogger Emelia Hartford announced this three-way battle when recently showing us that the 2023 Z06, if fitted with the Z07 Performance package, can top its official 1/4-mile time by 0.1s, pulling a 10.5s run.
That same C8 Z06 press car is back to deliver on the promise, being joined by the pair of Italian exotics on the unprepped—and somewhat dusty—airfield runway.
While there’s no mention of this privately-owned Raging Bull packing custom bits, the Prancing Horse is Emelia’s most expensive build to date, with the main ingredients being a 100 shot of nitrous and a Liberty Walk kit.
We’ll quickly go over the numbers here (boy, wouldn’t a popcorn meter be nice to have!).
2023 Corvette Z06: N/A 5.5L V8 with 670 hp, 460 lb-ft, 8-speed dual-clutch, 3700 lbs, $106k MSRP, about $160k fully loaded
Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD (2020-present): N/A 5.2L V10 with 602 hp and 413 lb-ft, 7-speed dual-clutch, 3,400 lbs $260,000 MSRP, $302,000 as tested
Ferrari 458 Italia (2009-2015): N/A 4.5L V8 with 562 hp and 398 lb-ft, 7-speed dual-clutch $250k as tested
The race(s)
As for what happens during the (three-way) battle involving standing and rolling starts, all we can say is that the Huracan could’ve benefited from better shifting (using the paddles in Corsa Mode and doing it properly) and sharper reaction times.
Besides, there are quicker Huracans out there (think: 10.4s), be they RWD or AWD, but this Evo RWD is the least expensive model and it already sits well over $100,000 above the ‘Vette.
As for the Fezza, well, this is an uneven comparison… and it isn’t. Sure, the 458 has been succeeded by not one, but two models—the 488 and the current F8—but those are turbocharged and would increase the financial gap even further, so using them wouldn’t exactly be fair.
Then again, 100% fairness isn’t the aim of this three-way stunt. As we’ve already established, the aim of the battle is to get you through that bag of popcorn and show that the C8 Z06 is a phenomenal automobile, not only for its price, but also overall. And in an age when the Viper, which used to give Italian exotics a hard time for a fraction of the cost, is confined to the museum, the Corvette carries the torch and then some!
This is a brand spanking new N/A supercar in an age when turbocharging and electrification rule, which is enough of a reason to rejoice! And here’s to hoping the brilliance of the C8 family won’t be GM’s way of redeeming itself for axing the Camaro, but we digress.
Fans of fully-timed races and complete supercar line-ups (e.g. McLarens, Porsches, etc.) need not fret, as the Chevy will get its fair share of such action and more all across social media—the C8 Z06 is coming to a drag strip near you soon!
And while the said twin-turbo gang has a serious appetite for clipping the free-breathing wings of the Z06, don’t forget that hotter C8 versions are coming further down the road—how does the rumored 1,000 HP hybrid Corvette Zora sound?
