The quintessential American sports car has returned to the winners’ circle. The 2024 Corvette Z06 is the Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2024.
It succeeds the C8 Corvette, which was named Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2021, and the C7 Corvette ZR1, which was named Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2019. That’s three for three, in case you’re counting.
The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 wins first and foremost with a truly special engine that acts like it came from an exotic Italian automaker. The Z06’s dynamics and price seal the deal. It’s a screaming deal even at more than $100,000 thanks to its performance, design, and powertrain layout.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The new 5.5-liter V-8 flat-plane crank LT6 V-8 produces 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. That makes it the most powerful naturally aspirated production V-8 ever. When it was strapped to a dyno, this engine delivered 610 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
The power is notable, but it’s the exhaust sound and the way the engine revs that give the Z06 its distinctive war cry. A unique crank helps the engine breathe and rev better, and unlocks a wild scream as it winds up to its 8,600-rpm redline. Senior Editor Kirk Bell said it heaps sound and fury on an exotic design.
With a top speed of 195 mph, the latest Z06 can’t match the last-generation Corvette ZR1‘s 212-mph top speed. But it rockets from 0-60 mph in a wild 2.6 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds at 130 mph. For those keeping track, the ZR1 hit 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds despite having more firepower.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
When the mid-engine Corvette claimed this award in 2021 we knew the chassis could handle more power. The Z06 with the LT6 engine gives it almost all it can handle—and sounds amazing while doing it.
Some enthusiasts will be disappointed that the Z06 only comes with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, but that disappointment fades as the DCT cracks off lightning-quick shifts with precision. It’s the same automatic transmission mounted in the Corvette Stingray, but here it has a shorter 5.56 final-drive ratio for quicker acceleration. It’s incredibly responsive and keeps power at the ready in any scenario. Unlike the Corvette E-Ray, the Z06 sticks with rear-wheel drive.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The exterior design is wider with larger intakes both up front and on the sides for more cooling and better breathing. It looks like an angrier, more ripped C8. Chevrolet lets Z06 owners choose from among carbon-fiber bits, which can be optioned separately and are available painted or unpainted. This isn’t exactly Ferrari-level customization, but it’s far more than one can do with pretty much any other Chevy.
It can all be wrapped together with the $8,995 Z07 Performance Package, which swaps in an even more track-ready suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2R tires. They can’t really be driven on damp surfaces without a trove of patience. We’ll take them anyway.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Inside, the Z06 differs little from other C8 Corvettes. The driver and passenger are separated by a large center console wall. More than a dozen Chiclet-like buttons for the climate controls line that wall, and it’s confusing at best to use the buttons while on the move. The controls and touchscreen are angled sharply toward the driver. The steering wheel is a squircle to ensure a clear view of the digital gauge cluster.
The Z06 isn’t perfect, but it’s not terribly far off. It doesn’t have the cachet of a Porsche or a Ferrari, and its interior can’t match their quality. Getting in and out can be a chore for the New Balance crowd because this thing sits low and has steeply raked A-pillars. There isn’t a lot of cargo space, there’s no manual transmission, and while the base price of $113,190 is a supercar steal, it’s far more than the $106,395 starting price a year ago. Our loaded test car cost $160,595, which felt expensive and yet completely acceptable for the performance.
Beyond all that is what the C8 Z06 stands for. It’s a moment in time and history that will never happen again. Ferrari’s already moved on past naturally-aspirated flat-plane crank V-8s and into its twin-turbo, V-6, and hybrid era. There will be faster and more powerful Corvettes, but it’s improbable any will be as special.
