Tag: C8 Z06 Day

C8 Z06 Day, Part Two

I was going to wait a few hours for this follow-up post, but who knows how I’ll feel after my trip to the dentist in a couple of hours?

OK, Chevrolet has unveiled the C8 version of the Z06. Here are a couple of pics (I hope) from Chevrolet’s website:

 

 

I think some subtle styling changes have made the car look a little better than the 2020-2021 C8 in that the rear is less ungainly. I will always prefer, however, the long hood/short deck look.

Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said, “We respect the past, but must move forward.” A 25-minute film titled, “Putting The World On Notice” showed the car, revealed some “expert” opinions, showed some insight into the development of the car (which took six years, by the way), etc.

Yes, the C8 Z06 is powered by the V-8 with the highest horsepower of any naturally aspirated V-8 engine in history: 670 HP at 8,400 RPM. The torque output was not mentioned, but someone on the Internet reported it at 460 LB-FT, which is nearly 200 fewer LB-FT than the C7 Z06. Even if it’s 560 LB-FT I always remember the saying, “Horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races.”

A Z07 package will be available for the Z06 with carbon ceramic brakes, etc. The car will also be available with carbon fiber wheels, but I believe they are an option on top of the Z07 package.

To me, the engine sounded like a cross between the Ford Voodoo V-8 and the Lexus LFA. It doesn’t quite have the lower-end sound of the Voodoo, and certainly not of the traditional Chevrolet performance V-8, but its ability to rev quickly and the sound that generates are impressive. Interestingly, the exhaust system was modified after test drivers reported the cabin as too quiet. The modifications made were so that more sound would be channeled to the passenger cabin.

Disappointingly, the MSRP was not revealed and may not be until much closer to the expected availability next summer. Remember, it will be a 2023 model year car. I’m still thinking the Z06 coupe will have a base MSRP of under $100,000 and whenever the Z06 convertible is released, its price will be close to $100,000, maybe a few thousand dollars in either direction.

OK, you pretty much know what I know. (A scary thought, huh?)

 

#C8Z06Day

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.

 

 

C8 Z06 Day

I was thinking about waiting until after the actual reveal of the C8 Z06 today (Noon Eastern, 9 AM Pacific) to write. However, since I didn’t post yesterday and didn’t announce in advance that I wouldn’t be posting, I figured I better not wait.

You see, when I don’t notify readers in advance that I won’t be posting, when I don’t post it takes a couple of days for readership to get back to normal. That phenomenon becomes more pronounced if my first post back is later than usual in the day. Of course, this post is much earlier than usual as my sleep patterns and GI tract have become quite disturbed.

Most Internet users/readers have short attention spans, but people who are following the blog receive notifications when I post. It’s almost as if I skip a day, they assume I have stopped posting altogether and it takes a couple of days of notifications for them to realize I am still posting.

Back to the car…audio of the C8 Z06 has been “leaked” on the Internet, but most of those leaks are posted on a minion of the criminal organization I call Fack Fucebook so I cannot hear them. You may have heard that the criminals want to change the name of their company. A turd by any other name still stinks. Maybe not back to the car…

Internet reaction to the sound of the C8 Z06 has been mixed. Some think it sounds like a true race car, others think it sounds too much like a mid-engine Ferrari, which some people don’t like. It doesn’t sound like this:

 

 

By the way, that was the sound of my 2016 Z06 starting up, after exhaust mods and tuning, not of the car below.

 

 

Sadly for me and for many enthusiasts, the C8 version of the Z06 will probably be the next-to-last Corvette variant powered only by an internal combustion engine. The C8 ZR1 will be the last, supposedly being powered by a twin-turbo version of the 5.5 liter flat-plane crank engine that will power the Z06.

******************

This piece from Why Evolution Is True is about a book and article from the book by Batya Unger-Sargon about the “decline and fall of The New York Times.”

 

 

Why this is surprising is, in itself, a surprise. It is now most certainly the news business. All “news” outlets cater to their perceived constituencies. From the piece, but a little bit out of order:

 

“There’s no doubt that the NYT caters to the mob…Its business model is deeply bound up with the mores of affluent white liberals.”

 

I don’t watch CNN or MSNBC and I don’t watch Fox News. I don’t read newspapers. I guess I would rather be uninformed than misinformed.

******************

This recent Hagerty article is called, “According to you: 13 undervalued vehicles you can enjoy on the cheap.” Here are pictures of the first entry:

 

2006 Pontiac Solstice rear three-quarter

2007 Saturn Sky Red Line rear three-quarter

 

These are the “Kappa twins,” the Pontiac Solstice (top) and the Saturn Sky (bottom) with the Sky in Red Line spec. As I wrote in connection with Ultimate Garage 3.0 (posted three and a half months ago!), the Sky Red Line would have been included if it weren’t for the fact that my wonderful wife and I thought the interior was just too cheap, for lack of a better word, when we test drove one (not a Red Line, but a base Sky) years ago. They are great looking cars, in my opinion, and in Red Line spec (or GXP spec for the Solstice) certainly have more than enough performance.

As I have written ad infinitum, I think General Motors really missed the boat when they didn’t give an upgraded version of the Solstice/Sky to Buick as a halo car. All human endeavors are flawed (including this blog) because all human beings are flawed (including yours truly).

 

#C8Z06Day

#FallOfTheNewYorkTimes

#UndervaluedVehicles

#PontiacSolstice/SaturnSky

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.