In the past, Invoice Pricing’s long-term test stock included high-performance cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, BMW M3, and Cadillac’s Blackwing twins. Since they left, it makes sense that our need for high-performance cars has only grown. In 2023, you will be able to buy the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. This Corvette is Super Saiyan. It has a 5.5-liter V-8 engine with a flat-plane crank that makes 670 horsepower. Also, it is the fifth fastest car we have ever driven at Lightning Lap. We can not do our regular long-term test of 40,000 miles, which we did on a standard C8 and a 2021 Stingray Z51. We got a longer loan, and we will let you know how life is going with a Z06 daily. For the next four weeks, we will keep you updated on every mile, from getting up the kids from school to jogging to the grocery store and maybe even track days. 4300-5304 miles: Living in the city We took the Z06 on its first road trip from Detroit to Chicago so we could go to the Riot Fest music event. And since the Z06 is already a mini-riot, what better car could you bring to Riot Fest? This one does not require earplugs, which is good, but Track mode does turn up the noise a bit. It was all right to go to Chicago. The roughness of the impact is still very high. We were afraid we had turned one of the front wheels into a square on one bump. On the other hand, the magnetorheological dampers and firm tire sidewalls do an excellent job of ensuring the ride is not too bad. The Targa-style top did a fantastic job blocking wind noise, but the aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires made a lot of road noise and tripped over the bumpy or grooved ground. Stuck in traffic could be more fun for the Z06. If you do something, the transmission may be faster to move out of first gear. If we switch to Manual, going from 0 to 25 mph will be easier. Speaking of shaking, Chicago’s huge, flat-sided buildings are perfect for the Z06 to sound its best. In a supercar, the flat-plane-crank V-8 shrieks at over 3000 rpm, making a roar that would not fit in a Corvette. You know how sometimes you have the feeling that someone is watching you? When the Z06 is turned on, that is always the case. It is a long, low, blunt wedge with race car front air and a wing the size of a dining room table. It gets looked at and talked about wherever it goes. The guys are very into it. Add this to our list of Chevrolets: Someone asked if the car was worth $250,000. The hardest thing may be finding a place to fit in. The Z06 is comprehensive, and the vast canards on each corner of the front body look like they could break apart at first sight of a curb and are sharp enough to cut an ankle. Only a front camera can be turned on by pressing a button on the center panel. There are no front parking sensors. Because of this, parking becomes a tedious task, but one that can be done without too much trouble. Now that there are sensors in the back, it is easier to park in a parallel spot. Visibility is another tricky subject. Because no people are in the blind-spot area, we must rely heavily on the monitoring device and occasionally stick our heads out the window. When changing lanes, there is no chance of hitting someone. Between the noise and the show, people like the Z06 and give it plenty of space everywhere it goes. We are only trying to avoid double-stacked buses and random construction horses, so maybe all the bad Corvette drivers of the past have quietly helped us. Would we have been more likely to go to the city in the Z06? Without any doubt at all. We would not have picked a different car if we had not arrived. It could have been the McLaren Senna that we saw on Michigan Avenue.
