The 2015 Corvette Z06, revealed in a press conference at the Detroit auto show, shares an aluminum frame with its high-profile sister, the Corvette Stingray, but it's distinguished by an 6.2-liter "supercharged" V-8 mated with a custom-made eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Z06 was GM's fastest car ever when engineers tested it at the Milford Proving Grounds, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter told reporters.
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It also boasts a tremendous amount of "downforce," an engineering term describing a car's ability to hug the road when it barrels around corners. Most mass-market vehicles are exactly the opposite: they have too much lift when cornering.
"It's got more downforce than any vehicle General Motors has ever tested from any manufacturer," Juechter said. "We haven't tested them all, but we've tested quite a few of them."
Production of the Z06 will start "in earnest" in the first quarter of 2015 at GM's Bowling Green, Ky., Corvette assembly plant, Juechter said.
It will be offered with a seven-speed manual transmission, or with an eight-speed automatic. It's one of GM's first eight-speed transmissions. The first was mated to an uplevel version of the 2014 Cadillac CTS.
"This is an internally designed, all-new eight-speed transmission designed essentially to the requirements of this car," Juechter said.
The new transmission, which will be built at GM's Toledo plant, should improve the car's fuel economy by 5% over the previous model's six-speed powertrain, Juechter said.
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The Z06 provides the framework for the Corvette Racing C7.R, the official racing version of the vehicle.
But the ! Z06 couldn't have happened without the Stingray, which drew critical acclaim after it was introduced a year ago in Detroit.
GM also incorporates lessons learned in developing racing versions of previouis Corvettes. For example, Juechter said the sixth-generation Corvette racecar influenced the forward-tilted radiator, the use of carbon fiber and the tires on the Corvette Stingray.
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"We use racing to drive the street car to be better," Juechter said.
Like the Stingray, the Z06 engine has direct injection, cylinder deactivation technology and continuously variable valve timing. But it has 37% more horsepower and 40% more torque than the Stingray.
"It's a mosaic of different technologies," Juechter said.
With larger tires, wider fenders, spread-out taillamps, a front splitter and separate interior color scheme, the Z06 design has carved out its own identity.
A1953 Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette concept roadster was a big hit at the 1953 General Motors Motorama, so Chevrolet put the fiberglass-bodied two-seater into production. General Motors via APFullscreen
The first 300 Chevrolet Corvettes were hand-built in Flint, Mi. Production began on June 30,1953, six months after the sports car appeared as a "dream car" in the General Motors Motorama. ChevroletFullscreen
1957 Chevrolet Corvette. General MotorsFullscreen
1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray concept car. Wieck via General Motors Fullscreen
The 1961 Chevrolet Mako Shark Corvette. Wieck via General Motors Fullscreen
The 1960 Chevrolet Corvette. ChevroletFullscreen
The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray "split window.". Wieck via General Motors Fullscreen
The 1965 Corvette Sting Ray. APFullscreen
The 1968 Chevrolet Corvette. ChevroletFullscreen
The1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. NONEFullscreen
The 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. ChevroletFullscreen
The 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Wieck via General MotorsFullscreen
The 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Chevrolet via WieckFullscreen
A collector edition of the 2013 Corvette 427 convertible sits next to a 1953 Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. Chevrolet via Getty ImagesFullscreenLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:Replay
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