Shock and Awe
The biggest news for MY 2006 was the reappearance of the Z06...now taken to
another level. In early January, GM released the following press statement
heralding the arrival of the new Vette at the January North American
International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit:
CORVETTE Z06: RACING SUCCESS HELPS BREED THE FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL
PRODUCTION CORVETTE EVER BUILT
DETROIT – By winning every race in
the 2004 season, the Corvette C5-R racing team wrapped up the most successful
era in Corvette’s 50-year racing history. In its five years, the C5-R racing
program took 35 victories in 55 races, four American Le Mans Series
championships and three double victories at the 24 Hours of LeMans.
The Z06 sparked the second half of the C5’s life span with a Corvette model for
the extreme performance enthusiast. Now, Team Corvette combines the numerous
attributes of the sixth-generation Corvette with the technology and winning
determination from the C5-R program to take the new Z06 to the next level in
total performance.
Chevrolet introduced the 2006 Corvette Z06 at the North American International
Auto Show. It is the fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and
General Motors. It is comprised of an unprecedented level of capability and
technology, making it one of the greatest performance values on the market. And
with an unmistakably muscular appearance, the ’06 Z06 has a visual attitude that
always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette’s winning attitude to any challenger
around the globe.
“The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance
racing,” said Dave Hill, Corvette’s chief engineer. “It combines the strong
attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and
know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding
credentials.” The new Z06 achieves 500 horsepower in an approximately 3130-pound
(1419.7 kg) package and is expected to deliver 0-60 performance of less than 4
seconds, eclipse the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds and deliver a top
speed of more than 190 mph on a race track.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, as
the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, but
they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned
after countless laps of endurance racing – everything from suspension geometry
to aerodynamics. What the engineers developed was a totally unique vehicle that
has its own powertrain, body structure and chassis system which are distinct
from other Corvette models.
Previous Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions,
incorporated suspension and/or engine upgrades that complemented existing
Corvette systems. Not surprisingly, the specs for the ’06 read like the
blueprint of a champion. They include:
• LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating
components
• 500 horsepower (373 kw) at6200 rpm
• 475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm
• 7000 rpm redline
• Titanium connecting rods and intake valves
• Dry-sump engine lubrication system
• Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center
• Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and
magnesium front cradle
• Fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
• Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower
air splitter
• Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
• Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers
and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
• 18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels
with 325/30ZR19 tires
• 3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless
steel tips
• Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler
• Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
• Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight
two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
• Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated)
• 3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models
• Vehicle developed simultaneously with C6-R racecar. The features above are
merely the highline points of the comprehensively designed Z06. What follows is
a closer look at the vehicle’s unique attributes.
LS7 engine The all-new LS7 of the ’06 Z06 reintroduces the 427-cubic-inch engine
to the Corvette lineup. Unlike the previous 427 engine, which was a big-block
design, the new 7.0-liter LS7 is a small-block V-8 – the largest-displacement
small-block ever produced by GM and a tribute to its 50 years as a performance
icon.
With 500 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque, it also is the most powerful
passenger car engine ever produced by Chevrolet and GM. The LS7 is easily
identified under the hood by red engine covers with black lettering.
The LS7 shares the same basic Gen IV V-8 architecture as the Corvette’s
6.0-liter LS2, but the LS7 uses a different cylinder block casting with
pressed-in steel cylinder liners to accommodate the engine’s wide, 104.8-mm-wide
cylinder bores; the LS2 has 101.6-mm bores. And when compared to the LS2, the
LS7 also has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder
heads.
Internally, the LS7’s reciprocating components make use of racing-derived
lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to
help boost horsepower and rpm capability. The rpm fuel shut-off limit is 7000
rpm.
The LS7’s specifications include:
• Unique cylinder block casting with large, 104.8-mm bores and pressed-in
cylinder liners
• Forged steel main bearing caps
• Forged steel crankshaft
• Titanium connecting rods with 101.6-mm stroke • Forged aluminum flat-top
pistons
• 11.0:1 compression
• Dry-sump oiling system
• Camshaft with .591-inch lift
• Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake valves
and sodium-filled exhaust valves
• Titanium pushrods and valve springs
• Low-restriction air intake system
• Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique “quad flow” collector flanges.
“In many ways, the LS7 is a racing engine in a street car,” said Dave Muscaro,
assistant chief engineer of small-block V-8 for passenger cars. “We’ve taken
much of what we’ve learned over the years from the 7.0-liter C5-R racing program
and instilled it here. There really has been nothing else like it offered in a
GM production vehicle.”
One of the clearest examples of the LS7’s race-bred technology is its use of
titanium connecting rods. They weigh just 480 grams apiece, almost 30 percent
less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides being lightweight, which enhances
high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable.
The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are all-new and designed to meet
the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement, as it ingests
approximately 100 cubic feet more air per minute than the Corvette’s 6.0-liter
LS2 V-8 – an 18-percent increase in airflow. Consequently, a hydraulic roller
camshaft with .591/.591-inch valve lift is used to allow plenty of air to
circulate in and out of the engine.
To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7’s heads have straight,
tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards – even
racing standards – they are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity,
providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm.
The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers which are fed by huge,
56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves weigh
21grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve
head having 22 percent more area.
They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled exhaust valves, vs. 39.4-mm valves
in the LS2. To accommodate the large valve face diameters, the heads’ valve
seats are siamesed; and, taken from experience with the engines of C5-R
racecars, the LS7’s valve angles are held at 12 degrees – versus 15 degrees for
the LS2 – to enhance airflow through the ports.
All LS7 engines are assembled by hand at GM Powertrain’s new Performance Build
Center in Wixom , Mich. The exacting standards to which they are built include
deck-plate honing of the cylinders – a procedure normally associated with the
building of racing engines and almost unheard of in a production-vehicle engine.
Dry sump oiling system The LS7 has a dry-sump oiling system designed to keep the
engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is
capable of producing. An engine compartment-mounted 8-quart reservoir delivers
oil at a constant pressure to a conventional-style oil pump pick-up at the
bottom of the engine. The pressurized oil feed keeps the oil pick-up continually
immersed in oil at cornering loads exceeding 1 g. Oil circulates through the
engine and down to the oil pan, where it is sent back to the reservoir via a
scavenge pump. The large-capacity reservoir, combined with a high efficiency
air-to-oil cooler, provides necessary engine oil cooling under the demands of
the engine’s power output. With the dry-sump system, oil is added to the engine
via the reservoir tank – which includes the oil level dipstick.
The LS7’s dry-sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the United
States and Europe , including Germany ’s famed Nürburgring. And while common in
racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles –
and the only production Corvette – to ever incorporate such a high-performance
oiling system.
Drivetrain ....
The Corvette Z06’s powertrain and drivetrain systems are matched to the LS7’s
performance capability. The light, four-into-one headers discharge in to new,
close-coupled catalytic converters and through to new “bi-modal” mufflers. The
mufflers each feature a vacuum-actuated outlet valve, which controls exhaust
noise during low-load operation but opens for maximum power.
At the rear of the LS7 engine, a single-mass flywheel and lightweight,
high-capacity clutch channel torque to the rear transaxle. The six-speed manual
transmission has been strengthened to handle the LS7’s increased torque load.
The transmission includes a pump which sends transmission fluid to the front
radiator for cooling. Upon its return, the fluid removes additional heat from
the differential lube before returning to the transmission.
The M6 transmission connects to a limited-slip differential, with enlarged ring
and pinion gears. Stronger axle half-shafts with tougher universal joints
transmit power to the rear wheels.
Body structure...
The Z06 has a unique aluminum body structure for optimum stiffness and light
weight for the fixed-roof bodystyle. Perimeter rails are one-piece hydroformed
members featuring cast suspension nodes, which replace many welded steel
components on other Corvette models. Other castings, stampings and extrusions
are combined into the innovative structure with state-of-the-art manufacturing
technologies.
Advanced structural composites featuring carbon fiber are bonded to the aluminum
structure. The wider front wheelhouses, for example, are carbon composites and
the passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an
ultra-lightweight balsa wood core.
Chassis system ...
The 2006 Corvette Z06 has a new magnesium cradle that serves as the attachment
point for the engine and some front suspension components. Magnesium is lighter
than aluminum yet incredibly strong. The magnesium cradle helps improve the
front-to-rear weight distribution, as do carbon-fiber front fenders and
wheelhouses. Engineers also moved the battery from underhood to a position in
the rear cargo area, behind one of the rear wheels. “This is an instance where
the street car uses more advanced material than the racecar,” said Hill. “We’re
constrained by rules to run the steel frame in the racecars, but we stretched to
bring even more performance technology to the street for out customers.” The
mass reductions are offset by some added performance enablers, including
dry-sump lubrication, 3-inch (76.2-mm) exhaust with outlet valves, larger wheels
and tires, more power brake and stiffer roll stabilizers.
Suspension, brakes, wheels and tires The Z06 retains the 106-inch (2686-mm)
wheelbase of other Corvette models, as well as the short-long arm suspension and
transverse leaf spring design, but it rides on all-new wheels, tires, brakes, as
well as its own rear spring and roll stabilizer.
The firmer suspension works harmoniously with large 18 x 9.5-inch cast-spun
aluminum wheels and 275/35ZR18 tires in the front, and 19 x 12-inch cast-spun
aluminum wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear – the largest wheel-and-tire
combination ever offered on a Corvette. The tires use the latest
extended-mobility technology from Goodyear to provide a satisfactory ride, but
still allow the vehicle to achieve lateral acceleration of more than 1 g. The
extended-mobility tires eliminate the need – and weight – for a spare tire and
jack or inflator kit, and reduce the chance of a sudden loss of handling
capability.
“The Z06 enables the driver to turn excellent track lap times, but it also is
quick to learn and is very forgiving for its performance level,” said Hill. “We
tested its capability around the world to ensure it will feel at home on any
road or race track.”
Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an equally
capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch (355-mm) vented and
cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch (340-mm) vented and cross-drilled rear
rotors. For comparison, the ’05 Corvette has 12.8-inch (325-mm) front and
12-inch (305-mm) rear rotors, while the ’05 Corvette with the Z51 has 13.4-inch
(340-mm) and 13-inch (330-mm) rotors.
The front rotors are acted upon by huge, red-painted six-piston calipers that
use six individual brake pads. Individual brake pads are used because they
deliver more equalized wear compared to what would otherwise be a pair of very
long single-piece pads. For the rear brakes, four-piston calipers with four
individual brake pads are used. A Delphi four-channel ABS system is used, as is
a very competent active handling system – complete with a Competitive Driving
mode.
The large brakes bring an excellent level of stopping capability with the Z06,
and with their four-wheel brake cooling, they provide excellent fade resistance
and lining life during track duties.
Distinct design...
The new Z06 has an unmistakable and aggressive appearance, with design cues that
include:
• A wide front fascia with a large, forward-facing grille opening, a splitter
along the bottom and “Gurney lips” along the sides to provide aerodynamic
downforce
• A cold air scoop in front of the hood that integrates an air inlet system for
the engine
• The trailing edge of the front wheel opening is radiused to achieve improved
drag, but protects the body finish with a tough molding, and a large air
extractor is located behind the wheel
• A fixed-roof bodystyle optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Wider rear fenders with flares cover the massive rear tires and a brake
cooling scoop in front of the wheels visually balances the fender extractor
• A tall rear spoiler houses the CHMSL on the top of the rear fascia
• 10-spoke wheels
• Four larger stainless steel exhaust outlets
• New-design Z06 badging on the front fenders
While the function of the Z06’s
design is to move air efficiently over the body and reduce lift, the net effect
is a car that looks like a weight lifter whose muscles are straining the seams
of his shirt.
“The Z06 has been sculpted very carefully, with every element in its design
serving a performance function,” said Hill. “It also has a purposeful, menacing
resemblance to the C6-R.”
The aerodynamics of the Z06’s exterior were shaped by the experiences of the
Corvette racing program, where high-speed stability and cornering capability are
paramount. And while the racecars use large rear wings, the Z06’s elevated
spoiler provides sufficient downforce to balance the road-worthy front splitter
without adversely affecting aerodynamic drag. The Z06’s Cd is .31.
Uncompromising amenities ....
For all its race-inspired functionality, the Z06 is designed to be a daily
drivable high-performance vehicle. To that end, comfort and convenience are held
to a very high standard. HID lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air
conditioning, cabin air filtration and Head-Up Display (HUD) with track mode and
g-meter are standard.
The Z06 also has a revised gauge cluster that displays the Z06 logo on the
7000-redline tachometer and has a new readout on the oil pressure gauge to
reflect the higher standard pressure of the dry-sump oiling system. And, like
other 2006 Corvettes, the Z06 has a new, smaller-diameter three-spoke steering
wheel that provides a more agile, performance-oriented feel. The seats feature
two-tone leathering surfaces, with Z06-logo embroidery and contrasting
stitching.
Z06 options include a Bose audio system with an in-dash six-CD changer, polished
wheels, a telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, side air bags, a navigation
system with GPS, Homelink and XM Satellite Radio. But for all its comfort,
engineers did sacrifice a few components in the quest for lower weight and
higher performance:
• Side bolsters are fixed and more aggressive to better hold the driver when
cornering and they weigh less than standard-model seats
• Passenger seat features manual controls, saving the weight of a power-adjust
motor
• Acoustic package revised to reduce weight and allow more aural feedback of the
powertrain
Production of the 2006 Corvette Z06
will begin in the second half of 2005 at the Bowling Green , Ky. , Assembly
Plant.
SPECIFICATIONS
Overview
Models: Chevrolet Corvette coupe and 2006 Corvette Z06 Body styles / driveline:
2-door hatchback coupe with removable roof; rear-wheel drive (coupe); 2-door
hatchback coupe with fixed roof; rear-drive (Z06) Construction: composite body
panels, hydroformed steel frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and
chassis components (coupe);
composite and carbon-fiber body panels, hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum
and magnesium structural and chassis components (Z06)
Manufacturing location: Bowling Green , Kentucky
Engine 6.0L V-8 LS2 7.0L V-8 LS7 Displacement (cu in / cc): 364 / 5967 427 /
7011.3 Bore & stroke (in / mm): 4 x 3.62 / 101.6 x 92 4.125 x 4 / 104.8 x 101.6
Block material: cast aluminum cast aluminum Cylinder head material: cast
aluminum cast aluminum Valvetrain: OHV, 2 valves per cylinder OHV, 2 valves per
cylinder Fuel delivery: SFI (sequential fuel injection) SFI (sequential fuel
injection) Compression ratio: 10.9:1 11:1 Horsepower (hp / kw @ rpm): 400 / 298
@ 6000 500 / 373 @ 6200 Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm): 400 / 542 @ 4400 475 / 657 @
4800 Recommended fuel: 93 octane (recommended but not required) 93 octane
Estimated fuel economy (mpg city / hwy / combined): automatic: 18 / 25 / 21
manual: 19 / 28 / 23 TBD Transmission Corvette coupe Corvette Z06 Type: Hydra-Matic
4L65-E 4-speed auto.; Tremec 6-speed manual Tremec 6-speed manual Chassis /
Suspension Front: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper &
lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock
absorber short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower
control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Rear: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower
control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control
arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber Traction
control: electronic traction control; Active Handling electronic traction
control; Active Handling Brakes Corvette coupe Corvette Z06 Type: front and rear
power-assisted disc with ABS; cross-drilled rotors with Z51 Performance Package
front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS with 6-piston front and 4-piston
rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors
Rotor diameter x thickness (in / mm): front: 12.8 x 1.26 / 325 x 32
rear: 12 x 1 / 305 x 26;
Z51 Performance Package:
front: 13.4 x 1.26 / 340 x 32
rear: 13 x 1 / 330 x 26 front: 14 x 1.3 / 355 x 32
rear: 13.4 x 1 / 340 x 26
Wheels & Tires
Wheel size: front: 18 inch x 8.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 10 inch front: 18 inch x 9.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 12 inch
Tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 GS
Extended Mobility
front: P245/40ZR18
rear: P285/35ZR19 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar Extended Mobility
front: P275/35ZR18
rear: P325/30ZR19
Dimensions
Wheelbase (in / mm): 106 / 2629 106 / 2629
Overall length (in / mm): 175 / 4445 175 / 4445
Overall width (in / mm): 73 / 1854 76 / 1930
Overall height (in / mm): 49 / 1244 49 / 1244
Curb weight (lb / kg): 3179 / 1442 3130 / 1419.7
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