Chevrolet Corvette Z06: Why It Can’t Compete With European Sports Cars

The C8 Corvette boasts everything from a high-value price tag to an exotic mid-engine layout. And the Corvette Z06, with its 5.5-liter, naturally-aspirated V8 making 670 horsepower and an 8,500-RPM redline? The engine is as exotic as anything from Stuttgart or Maranello. The flat-plane crank, lightweight internals, dual throttle-body intake manifold, and CNC-machined heads that deliver 110 percent volumetric efficiency deliver instant throttle response and a wide powerband.

That same level of advanced engineering is seen in the Z06’s optional Magnetic Ride Control suspension, carbon fiber wheels, and ceramic brakes. And even with all of these features the Z06 is a relative bargain at around $150,000 with the Z07 performance package…assuming you pay MSRP. So what holds it back from being as desirable as a Porsche 911 GT3, Lamborghini Huracan STO, or McLaren 765LT? Two things, really. Weight, and styling. Ironically, one change to the Z06 could fix both issues.

First, at around 3,500 pounds, the Z06 is between 300 and 500 pounds heavier than European competitors. That powerful and exotic V8 does a lot to offset the Z06’s weight penalty, giving it impressive performance numbers like zer0-to-60 in around 2 and 1/2 seconds. But as any serious sports car driver knows, a vehicle’s performance isn’t defined solely by specs alone. Steering feel, responsiveness during rapid changes in direction, braking confidence. Each of these are critical to a sports car’s driving demeanor, and extra weight negatively impacts them all.

Second, the C8 Corvette’s busy styling and hefty hindquarters don’t contribute to its exotic pedigree. It’s clear the designers wanted to go after the Ferrari look, but it didn’t really work because there’s simply too much going on, especially behind the doors. A slimmer, sleeker design would go a long way here. Sadly, a “two sets of golf-clubs” cargo capacity requirement has been a Corvette staple for…well, too long. And it further adds to the Corvette’s ponderous profile. And, honestly, it isn’t necessary if Chevrolet wants to go after highly-regarded European track cars.

Sure, there are 65-plus-year-old guys in flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts that still love the two-sets-of-golf-clubs rule, but you either please the longstanding Corvette buyer base or you please sports car drivers 20-30 years younger. The ones buying Lamborghinis, McLarens, and Porsches. If the Corvette lost the trunk, along with the weight and bulkiness that go with it — remember it is a mid-engine car and still has a frunk for storage — Chevrolet could have a genuine Euro-slayer in its line up, with traditional European buyers potentially lining up at dealerships.

What I’d love to see is a Corvette about 2 feet shorter overall, and with much tighter styling behind the passenger cabin. Imagine the car without the trunk. The rear quarter panels and roof pillars tightly, aggressively wrap around the back of the car, just past the rear window and rear wheels. Now incorporate more lightweight material throughout the chassis and body panels, dropping between 200 to 400 pounds. Let’s say doing all this adds $100,000 to the price tag. As a limited-production performance model, Chevrolet would sell all they could build, and maybe convert some Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche customers in the process.

Instead, Chevrolet made its choice with the C8 Corvette, in both standard and Z06 form. And as a result the automaker is catering to the Corvette’s traditional audience. And that’s okay, but it’s also what holds the Corvette, especially in Z06 form, back from being a truly exotic sports car appealing to truly exotic sports car fans.