The z Series Corvette
For the past 50 years, the Chevrolet Corvette has been recognized as the iconic American Sportscar. Generations of automotive enthusiasts have enjoyed and appreciated the cutting edge design, performance and drivability that the Corvette alone provides. Still, even amongst Corvette owners, there has been an elite series of production Corvettes that surpass the already impressive standards established by the base model units. These cars are recognized as the Z-series cars.
Beginning with the C4 generation of Corvette, Chevrolet sought out building an ultra high performance adaptation of their factory sports car. Turning to Lotus, a subsidiary of General Motors, the base model C4 Corvette was given more than just a facelift, but a full blown overhaul. The result was the powerful and highly coveted ZR-1 Corvette, which provided a 375 horsepower LT5 aluminum block V-8 as a replacement to the L98 found in the stock 1990 'Vettes. Lotus also helped to develop an active suspension system to increase the drivability and stability of this car on road courses and during aggressive handling situations. As the ZR-1 evolved through the early nineties, an even more impressive LT5 engine was developed, pushing the output of the engine from 375 horsepower to 405 horsepower. Other additions included a redesigned body with a wider rear end, different wheels and ZR-1 emblems identifying the car for what it was, a higher performance alternative to an already high performance car.
When Chevrolet redesigned the Corvette for the release of the C5 bodystyle in 1997, it seemed that the Z-series Corvettes were to be forgotten. The new generation of Corvettes was powered by the more powerful LS1 Chevy smallblock. Factory motors were generating 345-350 horsepower and the car itself was considered a huge upgrade from it's C4 predecessor. Even so, an emerging market began to evolve in the competitive sports car market, and other manufacturers were raising the bar on their sportscar entries. Dodge developed several upgraded packages for it's Dodge Viper production sportcar, offering engine options that pushed the envelope of 500, 600 and even 800 horsepower engine options. Ford was continuing it's development of the Cobra series Mustang which was providing drivers with more horsepower at less cost than the stock C5 Corvette.
Chevy's answer to this rise in demand for a higher performance sportscar was to introduce the Z06 Corvette. The first of these new performance designed Corvettes rolled off the assembly line in 2001, and featured a high output version of the LS1 engine that rated at 385 horsepower. This engine, like it's predecessor in the ZR-1 would evolve through the remainder of the C5 production car years to achieve a maximum 405 horsepower rating, which provided for exhilerating acceleration and top speeds of just under 200 miles per hour. The Z06 also came with a hefty pricetag, but was well received by automotive enthusiasts and critics around the world, ensuring that the Z06 would remain a performance option as the Corvette evolved into the C6 body style.
The 2006 Z06 arrived late in the production year and was a considerable upgrade from the stock Corvettes, which in themselves, featured an impressive 6.0 litre 400 horsepower LS2 engine. The 2006 Z06 featured a 7.0 litre V-8 that punched out a staggering 505 horsepower and delivered a driving experience more akin to that shared with Italian sportscars like the Ferrari and the Lamboroghini series cars. This ultra high performance Corvette was recognized by critics and enthusiasts everywhere as the ultimate Corvette and remains one of the most sought after performance based Corvettes on the market today.
However, the Z-series Corvettes do not end with the new Z06. In 2008, under a veil of extreme secrecy, the engineers with Chevrolet developed a new ZR-1 for the 21st Century. This new ZR-1 was developed under the working title "Blue Devil" (named after GM CEO Rick Wagoner's alma mater, Duke University) was unveiled as Chevrolet's ultra high-end sportscar. With a pricetag of more than $100,000.00, this super Corvette boasts an impressive 638 horsepower LS9 engine, and is recognized as the most powerful engine to be placed in an American made sportscar. The car can achieve top speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour and are already being run in such races as the American Le Mans races.
While these new Z-series Corvettes are prohibitively expensive for many sportscar enthusiasts, the Z-series cars show no indication of slowing down (if you'll forgive a bad pun). In fact, production numbers remain stable on the Z06 and ZR1 series Corvettes and expectations are that future development will continue to show continued performance increases in future generations of these amazing sportscars.
