There really isn’t much more to say, really. Here is the full 45 minute reveal from when it was streamed on YouTube:
For those that have stuck around after watching the full reveal, you can view the official press release here. There are a slew of pictures of wallpaper quality or better on that page as well.
If you would like to know what we think are the top six moments of the Z06 reveal, you can view that page here.
Now, we’re kind of, sort of jealous of YouTube car vloggers, because one lucky vlogger was invited by Chevrolet to give his first impressions on the car, as well as taking a ride in it for a bit. You can watch EddieX take the all-new 2023 Corvette C8 Z06 for a drive below:
A few things we noticed during the first ride with EddieX:
- The upgraded DCT transmission does not mess about
Throughout the video, the transmission is almost telepathic. Even in the exterior shots, there is a much greater urgency to the shifts, a solid and hard bark from the exhaust as the dual clutches slam home. From the inside, when the development engineers that Eddie rides along with shift, the complete action, from disengaging one gear and clutch and initiating the second gear and clutch and the engine revs matching happens before the driver has even returned the paddle to its neutral position on the back of the wheel.
This is both surprising and, to quote one of our writers, “really cool.” Some supercars find the right balance between aggressive and fast shifting with engine power, and others still need a little work. It looks like the Z06 belongs in the former camp, as the shifts are smooth while also being aggressive.
- The interior is mostly the same
In keeping up with previous generations of the Z06, the interior of the Corvette C8 Z06 looks like… a Corvette C8 interior. Yes, there are a couple of splashes of carbon fiber here and there and the TFT dash has an upgraded look, but otherwise, there is nothing really shouting out about the interior speaking to being different.
Don’t get us wrong, this is great news. For those of us here that have had the chance to place our bodies into the seats of a C8, they are surprisingly comfortable for being in a performance supercar. It follows the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… but put a bit more carbon fiber in!”
- The engine really, really wants to rev out
This is more of a personal viewpoint, but for me, the most rev-happy engine I’ve ever heard or seen is the sublime Yamaha LFA10 in the front of the Lexus LFA. It wants to rev so much, and hit the redline so eagerly, and changes speed so rapidly that in the mid-2000s, the LFA was the first supercar to have a TFT dash display, as an analog tachometer couldn’t keep up.
So when I say that the LT6 V8 in the back of the new Z06 sounds and more importantly rips through the tachometer numbers as fast as it does… I consider that Lexus LFA to be one of the greatest engineering feats in an automotive form that has ever graced the face of the Earth. The Bugatti Veyron W16 engine is another one. I am placing the LT6 V8 in the same rare air as those engines, as when the driver gives it a good blip in an underpass, it goes from about 2,000 RPM to 9,000 RPM faster than you can blink. Superb.
- Despite it all, it’s still an American supercar
Listen to the soundtrack in the video. There is no music, but there are a lot of pops, bangs, burbles, crackles, and even a few tiny bits of flame spitting from the exhaust at times. This isn’t some finely tuned Swiss watch, this is 5.5 liters of American attitude. This is the Stars and Stripes with four wheels and a big-ass “HELL YEAH!” coming from its exhausts. It may have motorsports grade aluminum and titanium bits in its engine, it may be mostly carbon fiber mixed with advanced composites, and it may be as precise as a surgeons scalpel on the track, but it’s still representing the USA, and it will crack, pop, and burble its way through your eardrums until you can faintly hear The Stars and Stripes Forever ringing in your head.
