First Test: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The ferocious 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 shows what it can really do as we conduct our usual assortment of performance tests...
Read the full story here: www.motortrend....
Shot by: Mike Suggett, Jim Gleason and Duane Sempson.
Edited by: Mike Suggett.

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

I factory ordered my 2013 new for just under $70K. I stayed away from all the options and got the base interior trim. Talk about a stinking bargain. After over 5 years and 60Kmi as well as 5 hours of track time, it drives about as good as it did when new. I'm totally gobsmacked at how reliable this car has been and how much fun it is to drive... Especially having owned Asian cars for the past 2 decades. There's no better performance bargain I can think of. An American Ferrari at 1/2-1/3 the cost.

[@josiahthibodeaux]

Depreciation is god’s gift to the ordinary man (signs).

[@KpopNiDontStop]

RIght I remember thinking I was broke with the msrp years ago now they can be found in the 30k range madness.

[@SY80s_]

Not anymore.

[@arkansasrazorbackfan]

"Yep, this Corvette can bite you." I own a 2008 Z06 with the same motor as this car. He took the words right out of my mouth. I'm still scared to push the car to it's limits.

[@erichaley4485]

The Z06 is much quicker than those times.and for you GTR fan boys talking trash about the Z06, you must remember that the Z06 IS normally aspirated and rear wheel drive. Not a turbocharged video game automatic car with all wheel drive.its a drivers car.

[@Kaiser187]

How much faster?

[@totallywinningprogamer9860]

Bruh, I'm a HUGE Corvette fan, but I think the GTR is still faster. The Z06 just says: MURICA! everywhere. Edit: Just test drove a GT-R Nismo and immediately drove my C7 Z06 (w/ Z07 package) and I realized how wrong I am. The Corvette is now faster in every way, except for corners.

[@os2386]

I've driven a GTR and Z06, and Ill tell you this.. the Z06 scares the shit out of me

[@assasinKiA1]

Hell yeah, my mate stage 4 GTR 650bhp is made to look silly! A real drivers car that takes skill to extract times......

[@fredeb67]

Wait until the video came starts to have bugs and glitches in the computer controlled all wheel drive transmission and suspension = GAME OVER.

[@mlojko7]

One of the best narrated videos I have come across. A joy to watch & listen to. Well done.

[@ChuckBeefOG]

"Sounds like the MGM lion roaring through Hendrix's amplifier."

[@elitewarrior0076]

bruh he clearly said Jimmy Page not Jimi Hendrix

[@PrimeEden]

I love the poetic lyrics of the narrator. It really gives a more majestic feel to watching an iconic supercar on track.

[@ZR1Terror]

This car is almost perfect!! RWD, American V8, Front Engine, 50/50 weight distribution,a manual transmission, straight line power and excellent handling!!

[@paulonardini]

I love the fact that this thing doesn't have the trash paddles behind the steering wheel! The old and very good gear stick!

[@racer774]

+100 Great comment for a true driver's car!

[@KoukiMS6]

This car is so amazing!! Everyone knows I am a GT-R fan, but I cannot deny the ferocity of this car. This car is pure attitude and will be fun if all you do is cruise and rev your engine.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz "The magazine surveyed more than 380,000 car owners on the subject of owner satisfaction. To make the top list, at least 80 percent of a model’s owners must answer “definitely yes” to the question: “Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, com-fort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?” "Corvette has made the list every year since we’ve been keeping track (2005!) and continues to rank in the top 3 models overall."

[@BensonBMD]

Yes I have this car in black, and even after 4.5 years of driving it, it still gets lots of comments, and makes a trip to the market a blast. Nothing sounds like it either. One more thing, the 2011 has about 8 more HP than any other C6 Z06 due to only having one cat versus 2 for other model years. First year of the X versus H pipe cross over.

[@iliovecaRS]

reliable??

[@jeffufcfanaticrosenberg]

yes these cars are monsters even stock I drove a 2008 and had it sideways !

[@pontiacGXPfan]

please post vids of the exhaust

[@xballsport]

Ive had my 09 zo6 for over a year now and every time i park it, I smile.. Unbelievably fun car to drive. The sounds it makes and feel it gives you makes me never want to sell it and i also believe the value wont be dropping much from here on because of these reasons.

[@RenaultSport133]

This videos keep gettin better and better , nice work motortrend

[@americansmark]

Best MT review ever. They nailed it on this one.

[@Catroqui]

You're not a car enthusiast till you learn to admire and enjoy a car without comparing it to others.A GT-R has its own beauty and goodness just as the Corvette and the Veyron and a M3.

[@PL3690]

I like how everybody argues about Corvettes M3's, Mustangs etc etc etc where at the end of the day, theyre all great cars that we would like to own :) Grow up guys..

[@manrightchea]

I think Motor Trend underestimates just seriously real car enthusiasts take driving. A real car enthusiast/gearhead can handle the car with no traction control assists. I'm not talking about casual magazine readers that can't get their hands dirty.

[@michaeldyer6304]

I will have one of these in my garage very soon!!!

[@Marc99GT]

Consumer Reports’ April 2011 edition ranks the Best and Worst of 2011 and the 2011 Corvette Z06 has earned a “best” rating with a score of 92. A car’s overall road-test score is the result of more than 50 individual tests and evaluations from Consumer Reports subscribers.

[@EpicMOCS]

zo6 is perfect for what it is! 80,000$ no turbocharger or supercharger, and has one ofthe best handling of any supercar! proud to be american!

[@bigapple0828]

I love how a video about a great car creates comments with people attacking each other... It seems most youtube videos have this in common.

[@lesevesel2898]

Absolutely my most favorite sports car of them all. The Big Nasty. The Badass Z06 with the Z07 UPP. Just no car like it on the road.

[@EdmondLau2007]

I would really like a car like this but I don't trust myself not to kill myself...

[@armaankang2882]

get a c5 its cheaper and u can find parts for it everywhere

[@superrok420]

Holy shit! I was going to post this too, but actually read the comments first. I can afford it...but it scares me!

[@fredeb67]

Me too and I am almost 50 years old.

[@jackspeed3398]

dont worry, she would save you anytime instead of other supercars

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz Yes, the Unibody is such a new design. "Monocoque, or unibody construction was first used on airplanes in 1918. Automobiles followed suit soon after in 1923 but it was only in 1960 that cars made in this fashion were mass-produced by Chrysler. Other car makers soon followed, and it’s easy to understand why"

[@garza2251]

this guy narrating the video sounds like a led zep fan. i like it.

[@SLEEPYT62]

The sound of this car is orgasmic...

[@joncon4177]

How does motortrend get the slowest times from every car lol.

[@justav6483]

Jon Con slowest drivers

[@patriotsfan1236]

@@justav6483 not anymore. Randy is a beast. he has set serval production records. even beating manufactures own test drivers.

[@patriotsfan1236]

@@justav6483 but idk who does the acceleration times etc......

[@camaroman101]

@yitzu remember this is a naturally aspirated 2v/cylinder pushrod smallblock. pretty damn good #s for what it is.

[@Eklectic1]

Ferocious - extremely savage: fierce - unrelenting in intensity. And that ladies and gentlemen, describes the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. It used to be a focused and unambiguous, now it has a supercharger and is even offered with an automatic transmission for the 2015 model year. An automatic!?

[@jabtrade]

I had to watch it twice; wow!

[@number36420]

Few people realize just how visceral this car is. It really is a special car.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz It must be some achievement because it is the only car that does it. The Ferrari F430 weighs similar with a 4.3 DOHC engine and gets 10 mpg less. The gearing is shorter, but not enough to explain a 10 mpg difference. The ZO6 with those tall gears still performs like it does because the engine makes real twisting force and not simulated and masked by torque multiplying gears.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz They are being wrestled around tracks because you have also seen very few cars making 600 lb ft of torque at 4K rpms.

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

I ordered my 2013 1LZ base version. With now wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, my first HPDE instructor thought it had the track package when he tested it. For me, the base model is plenty good enough. And I factory ordered it for under $70K. European super car performance at 1/2-1/3 the price. As well as being much more comfortable and reliable.

[@94jrose]

You drive this car out of pure respect for the majestic nature of that engine. Pure euphoria

[@steven-fury]

more like low 11s and high of 10s

[@jovanniesegoviano3415]

loveburningaway I

[@asianmovement]

@lrecollet I was just pointing out that not all performance cars from Japan are AWD. And the current dodge charger (american muscle car) is a sedan.

[@moist_ointment]

@StuRaz the mustang has the same 0-60 as an m3 WITH the taller gearing. so same 0-60 AND better mpg. the engine is less efficient because it's making more torque, but the more torque allows for taller gearing without losing performance, so in the end it's still a win

[@U2Jaime1317]

these guys never get the right 0-60.

[@lcypher5579]

After the first time while tracking and coming out of a turn's apex and chirping the tires in 5th....I knew then that this is the car I was meant to own. Love my Z.

[@xabipp]

@StuRaz Ow damn....the torque produced by the engine contributes to the car's handling. You , SIR are a genius. I rest my case.

[@gthausde]

ye im form europe but i would really like to drive something like this, very cool and fast car, only the interior doesnt do justice to this great vehicle

[@Dankcatvacs]

@BensonBMD i mean having all that power and not being able to let loose this is good for the country roads and freeway

[@techdude6693]

@lilgman191 This car bases at $70K, the ZR1 at $108K. If you add options to the ZR1, it easily goes above $140K.

[@Stu282]

@ken060693 I know, I never questioned that. I said because it achieves higher mpg figures doesn't make that engine efficient, but the car as a machine sort of is thanks to the gearing. If an M3 was geared taller it would achieve higher mpg figures but the acceleration will suffer.

[@cardude1992]

the ZR1 is basically a ZO6 with the different engine and new suspension and other small visual changes. Its the same aluminium frame. What make the ZR1 heavier is the supercharged engine and the Magnetic suspension and the other improvements they made to the interior and hardware improvements such as bigger brakes and stuff. They later introduced some of those upgrades like the magnetic suspension on the ZO6 too. And the 7 litre engine in the ZO6 is completely different to the 6.2 litre supercha

[@racer774]

The ZO6 had magnetic ride suspension before the ZR1 was ever introduced! Additionally, the ZO6 handles better on road courses because it effectively has stiffer suspension than the ZR1whether or not it has less unsprung weight, not _just_ because it is lighter. This article from 2003 goes into depth about (at the time) GM-Delphi's magnetic ride suspension systems. www.corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/knowledgebase/article/2003-corvette-technical-article-magnetic-ride-star-wars-meets-the-50th-car-444.html

[@moist_ointment]

@StuRaz i mentioned that car because you said that the new ford 5.0 is inefficient, but it's twin cams are the main reason for it's gas mileage. and american cars can handle taller gears without losing performance because american sports cars actually have torque

[@2013FiveOh]

Get rid of the 3Lz equipment group bullshit and the nav and the car would've been less than 90 grand, with everything you'd want at a race track (I say would've, as these are no longer in production)

[@HelimanZ06]

Normally you'd be right but Z06 sales have an interesting twist. In 2007 Z06's accounted for 20% of sales, 22% of Corvette sales in 08, and 21% of sales in 08. Fast forward to 2011 and the Z06 accounted for only 6.6% of sales. It seems that people that like the "looks" of the Z06 opt for the cheaper Grand Sport. Those that want the performance of the Z06 opt for the ZR1. Their values will be proped up due to scarcity and the fact that it is still the choice for track day events.

[@gregorylozado3427]

ok ive watched enough vids to have the right to say this the zo6 rapes everything.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz Corvettes don't handle well is what you deduce based on what someone said about them. There have been hundreds of comments made about Corvettes over 60 years, but you are the expert. Please don't attempt to insult me by saying I didn't know about the C6R. I was following the C5R, C6R and Corvrtte racing far before you thought about so spare your magazine knowledge.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz LOL, and the ZR1 out handles most of them on any road course tested. The Veyron is AWD and the SL65 has a traction control that intervenes in milliseconds. The Konigsegg, which engine came from the Ford Modular engine years ago, isn't close in handling with the ZR1.

[@Marc99GT]

@xabipp That makes sense to me. I graduated from 2 tech schools and in both we had to take engines and transmissions apart and put them back together. At the MB Elite program, we took a few brand new MB cars down to the frame and assembled them all back together over 2 days in teams. They had to start and run or you failed. The only real way to learn and gain experience is to get your hands dirty. Every chance you get, dive in and you will know more than people that read about it.

[@andrenj1970]

I'm drooling already....

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz The quickest C6 ZO6 runs 8.15s @ over 172 mph in a 1/4 of a mile. The frame holds up to more than 1,000 rwtq which would twist most cars quite easily. My 99 GT with welded in subframe connectors twisted with a 1.58 60 ft time. You never take the time to stop and think about how few production cars make over 600 lb-ft of torque and then try to control that. It will blow tires at 50 mph if you want to.

[@Marc99GT]

@xabipp Interesting that one of the disadvantages of the tranverse leaf spring: Materials expense. Steel coils are commodity items; a single composite leaf spring costs more than two of them. GM finds a way to make things work that goes against conventional wisdom. Could be why Corvettes own the #1 spot with 27% of the market share in its segment which includes the 911 and its 13 models.

[@psmTARDCORE]

@yitzu garuntee you haven never even seen one in person if you think that. The block is a lot smaller than you think and you can actually work on the damn car without troubles. GM has the C6.R with a 5.5L V8 with 470bhp and 553 lb ft torque. One thing Japanaese and German cars have trouble with is torque and then weight issues is next

[@techdude6693]

@xabipp oh yea he does. I asked him why he got it bare bones, and he said its got an amazing engine and its a driver's car not a daily cruiser, so he doesn't need it to be luxurious

[@camaroman101]

@Cisco121490 this has the carbon package with the zr1 shocks so i think it has the same traction system as the zr1. the zr1's traction managment system sctually makes you faster around the track than turning it completely off, this has already been proven in some other track tests by doing laps with it off and on. the days of the driver being faster by shifting on his own and with the traction systems off are over. now faster times are being acheived with automatics & traction control turned on

[@100littlecurses]

My problem with the Z06 is that is meant for the track. I saw the "touring" setting for the suspension. If they elaborated on that, and it turns out its a good GT car as well, I'd buy it over the ZR1. If I had the means.

[@spencermel]

this car with the brake and suspension package on a track is just as fast as a new gallardo lp 570-4 superleggera(quarter of a million bucks).That tells you something.

[@krnt13]

@ProViz But that was compared with all assistances off, but the GTR is always aiding you.

[@pepene93]

@Toxxic88 agreed. the zr1 had much more potential than they actually used.

[@gogmorgoaway]

@AustinMahler Yeah, but the 7.0 has been bored out so much that it won't take much boost. The cylinder walls are too thin. Yeah, you can get a bit of boost, but much more than 5 psi is pretty risky. That's why they went with the 6.2 as the base for the LS9.

[@Stu282]

@ken060693 ALL the gears are taller which was my point in the first place. The final gear was the first example that came to mind. I'm not saying owners of M3s won't be bothered at all but it's not enough to overpower the thrill of driving one. Mentioning the MPG of a Veyron is daft because A what did you expect and B if the guy can afford the car he can afford to fill it up.

[@Stu282]

I don't need to start building race car chassis to tell you the Corvette's frame is flimsy. I've got GM's group racing manager doing that for me. When he was The C6R is based on a Z06 platform and this is what he said in an interview to Racecar engineering journal: "Being a ladder frame, basically like a truck with the hydroform frame rails and some crossmembers, it is very tough to get the torsional stiffness". So go on, call Steve Wesoloski out as well, forum nerd.

[@cptobvious64]

Haha, very clever analogy with the alligator tooth canal. But don't over exxagerate, this is still only a Z06, not a Zr1 or a dodge viper.

[@weedmastersr]

I'd prefer this to any european car and I'm european.I tell you why, because this car gives you an incredible visceral feeling that is hard to get in any other car.Is like an adrenaline rush every time you drive it.

[@lfsracer79]

@srsairbags It's only 8 liters. 16.4 means 16 cylinders and 4 turbos.

[@xabipp]

@Gemin15 Why this car brakes slower than the ZR1? I have suspected the brakes aren't burnished properly. Just like the owner's manual states. You need to do 50 stops from 60-0 in like 10 minutes without activating the ABS to do the street burnish and later you need to do the track burnish procedure. When both are done....according to owners if you haven't strap yourself with a seatbelt you will LITERALLY fly thru the windshield!

[@Marc99GT]

@xabipp I guess. I don't understand why some people feel the need to take a negative approach to everything which is sad actually. Corvettes have been here since 1953 so you must be right. With the exception of the GTR, there is nothing in their price ranges that can touch them. I would love to see a US sold car that can hit 190 mph, run low 12s @ 118 mph and get 30 mph on the highway for 50K. Nothing can which is why so many have been sold for years.

[@FuriousPumpkin]

@yitzu Not really. It's actually just the opposite. There aren't any naturally aspirated high displacement engines I know of that make that much power. A smaller displacement turbocharged engine couldn't get to 1000hp without upping the displacement substantially unless you could put up with extreme turbo lag. It'd be a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to squeeze 1000hp from a 7 liter V8 than it would a Porsche flat 6 or AMG 6.3.

[@ratmtbola]

@braveheart4lif31 Here wo go again ... The SSC Aero is a pure record car. It can achieve its top speed maybe 3-4 times before the engine, transmission and many other parts need to be replaced, because they simply weren't designed to cope with such high speed / so much power. The Veyron is expensive because they used a COMPLETELY new developed transmission, drivetrain, engine, and many other parts on the car that were SPECIFICLY designed for such high power / speed.

[@Nighthawkwill7]

@Adam44516 I agree but I believe that american automakers favor larger displacement engines since they can generate much greater torque at lower rpm's.

[@94Bassman]

@rjpdrjpd GT-R starts at $89,950. Motortrend actually just did a comparo between these two and the '11 GT 500. It's a decent vid, i suggest checking it out.

[@ratmtbola]

@braveheart4lif31 I never said that Bugatti is the only manufacturer pushing the limits. You made that up. I know that other manufacturers like Porsche, any many others, are pushing the limits aswell. But we were talking about super/hyper 1000+ hp cars, no? And it that are, Bugatti is THE master in cutting edge technology. And that's a fact.

[@KatoJac]

@ProViz Very true, and I do believe the GTR is a hell of a car, but unfortunately I've read that GTR's are extremely high maintenance, and parts are REALLY expensive. But no doubt the GTR would run rings around it.

[@paniflo]

Love the Zeppelin references! :D

[@jcpc97]

I have a Friend who owns a original 1970 Z1R and this is just an awesome car.the Z06 makes his 1970 almost look like a pedal car in comparison .and before some of you so called experts try to tell me there isn't such a corvette.He bought it new in 1970 and I have known him the entire time! it is one of only 25 made!

[@gogmorgoaway]

@Crushercurtis702 Because the ZR1 hasn't changed much if at all since everyone reviewed it when it first came out.

[@aconfusedazn]

@rigofarachjeffs it's essentially a ZR1 without the supercharger.

[@Dolby109]

Standard Corvettes, and maybe to a lesser extent ZR1, but I think the Z06's are generally reserved for true enthusiasts. Just cause they don't drive like a maniac doesn't mean they just bought it as a status symbol like many Corvette owners (IE all the automatic ones).

[@Stu282]

@ken060693 In terms of torque and overall mpg - I never disagreed.

[@studio-flash]

Corvettes look so cool especially from the side view, the best looking sports cars out there. What's great about the vette is like the porsche 911 its can be tracked back to its inception in 1953 and the body styles & design changes have been visible from the c1 right up to today's c6, how many other cars can you say that about?

[@techdude6693]

@xabipp not talking about deals, I'm talking about the MSRP... you could probably get that z06 for cheaper as well

[@Marc99GT]

@xabipp You make some good points. I'm starting to see Grand Sports everywhere which could be partly due to what you said. They may have to either beef up the 6L80 or use the 6L90 for all of that torque. I'm certain it would break a stock 6L80. The 6L90 lives behind a heavier CTS-V coupe and sedan at 550 so that might hold up.. On my way home today, I was next to a new volt. It is actually a nice looking car in person. It attracted alot of attention.

[@pepene93]

@brownbro11 Gs measure exactly how hard it can turn. at a given speed, a car that pulls higher Gs will be able to turn sharper. and for a given turn (think a simple track), a car that can pull higher Gs will be able to turn faster. of course, theres other variables, but G force is one of them.

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz "Chevrolet’s Corvette has once again made the Consumer Report’s Owner Satisfaction survey. Although specifics weren’t discussed, Corvette ranked third overall behind the Dodge Challenger and the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Rounding out the top 6 was the Porsche 911, Toyota Prius and the all-wheel drive Acura TL. " This is not YT idiots, but actual owners.

[@Stu282]

@ken060693 And going back to the fuel economy - a Corvette Z06 is geared to do something like 290mph in 6th gear and the SSC Ultimate Aero uses a gearbox lifted straight from a Viper. Neither of those cars in stock form will ever ever get near those speeds so they're just geared to the heavens to make them look fuel efficient. Realistically, they're not.

[@CHUUMPASS]

these are for real mans man drivers experience, raw power and skills to actually get the power somehow under control on the road.... for all the others you better stick with the nissan Gt-Rs, Lexus LFAs and the likes. not to mention that these can handle a whole lot of more power than you get from the factory already, with not too much effort put into them which makes them all the more impressive to me.

[@Stu282]

@xabipp Ow damn, I forgot power and torque has nothing to do with the speed of a car. This car would still do the same speeds with a Prius engine, of course! (Not only that but I did mention tyre traction, but you just can't read can you). Come back and talk when you can read, it does help.

[@moist_ointment]

@StuRaz because that gear is an overdrive gear!! almost all cars have a final gear that's too tall to use. it's so they can drive 70mph at like 1100 RPM. the z06 could probably drive at 100mph @ 1100 RPM because of that final gear. that's what an over drive is for.

[@arkansasrazorbackfan]

@Jigsjigz Yep, you are. Go to wikipedia and look up "coupe."

[@moist_ointment]

@StuRaz not at all, most people who modify mustang modify them for drag racing, and live rear axels are better for that. and they can handle greater amounts of torque, are cheaper, simpler, and alot of times, lighter. the 5.0L v8 is an AMAZING car, with alot of technology. 380ft/lbs, 412bhp, AND 26mpg.

[@xabipp]

@StuRaz I'm lying? Ferrari 458 Italia 1:22.30 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon 1:20.43

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz There is a waiting list because the UK and THE US will only get about 300 cars. The sales are dismal and have the breakdown by month in the 3 largest markets if that will help. Corvettes sell more in a year than the entire R35 GTR since it began which is a fact. A waiting list means nothing if only 500 are coming. If it was 5,000 or 50,000 that would mean something. The GTR sales number in Japan are dismal at best and I have the figures going back to the beginning if you want them.

[@xxsolidsteelxx]

The MGM lion through Jimmy Page's amp pretty much sums it up

[@Marc99GT]

@StuRaz I have been talking to him for a while and he has more knowledge than you might think. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I am far from an engine expert, but I understand all of the components and what they do. My strength is more troubleshooting performance and driveability problems. I get the oddest problems from time to time.

[@jaypaint4855]

The Saturn V rocket comment sounds clever, but that rocket was actually quite slow to accelerate

[@ratmtbola]

@nithPS2 The fact that you just wrote that shows that you didn't understand a SINGLE word of what I wrote. The Veyron isn't about getting the most power for the fewest money. Americans have always been at the top in that area. With making sacrifices of course, like cheap interiors, pretty bad overall built quality and rather primitive and unadvanced technolgy. The Veyron is a project to showcase exotic materials, and cutting edge technology that the world has never seen before.