Six Ways to Sunday
An argument for the Corvette as your everyday ride
Sundays have always been banner days for Corvettes. There isn’t a more pleasing mount for the quintessentially American Sunday drive than Chevrolet’s iconic sports car — especially as it packs more than 500 horses. That’s more than twice the power of your average family hauler, and it brings to mind the racing heritage that rides with every Corvette.
2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Price as Tested: $76,625
Engine: 505 hp, 7.0-liter V-8
Curb Weight: 3,132 pounds
The Z06 is Chevy’s ultimate Corvette, linking the two-seat street machine with its racing cousin, the C6.R. For the last two years, the C6.R has dominated the GT1 class in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the pinnacle of American sportscar racing. At the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the C6.R has won its class six of the last seven years.
Constructed of race-worthy aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber, the Z06 shares much with the C6.R, but what’s more remarkable is that you can drive it six ways to Sunday — from the office to the mall, this thing hauls. You’re doubtful, I’m sure, but allow me to demonstrate:
Monday: I drove the Z06 to work. It’s a surprisingly effective commuter, responding calmly in bumper-to-bumper traffic with light clutch action. But the first thing you notice is the car’s curves and character lines. They’re sharper on this sixth-generation Corvette than on its predecessor, and the shape successfully integrates larger brake ducts, vents, and a front fascia intake without looking cluttered.
Tuesday: I went shopping. Twenty-two cubic feet of cargo volume doesn’t sound like much, but you can get two weeks’ worth of groceries under the hatch and in the passenger footwell. Interior room is generous enough that six-plus-footers needn’t worry about wedging themselves in — for such a low-slung beast, getting in and out of the Z06 is easy. Once in place, you’re presented with a clear gauge cluster and a steering wheel/shifter/pedal combo that is spatially excellent. The seats are quite comfortable, but the interior materials could be higher quality, so make sure the eggs don’t break.
Wednesday: I took the Vette on a business trip. The car’s Tremec six-speed manual transmission is performance friendly, but the computer-aided gear selection feature blocks the path of a shift from first gear to second under low-rpm conditions, encouraging a first-to-fourth shift instead. Meant as a fuel-saving measure, it’s just annoying. So too is the navigation system, which could stand improvement in its operations logic. In contrast to those quibbles is the Z06’s stellar on-road comfort. Three hours in the saddle are a breeze. Baby the throttle and you can get 25–26 mpg on the highway. The look on my client’s face when I arrived in the Corvette was priceless, and the Z06 got me to the head of the valet queue immediately.
Thursday: I took the Z06 to the gym. The spinners, lifters, and swimmers were impressed by its engine. The LS7 aluminum block V-8 that powers the Z06 is a hand-built pushrod mill whose race-derived components include a dry sump, a forged crank, and titanium valves and connecting rods. Near its 7,000-rpm redline, the sound is thrilling, felt as much as heard. It calls attention to you more effectively than “abs of steel” and implies that you probably have that kind of tummy under your shirt.
Friday: The Corvette and I went to a business meeting. Frigid or boiling outside, the Z06 will take care of you and your Hugo Boss suit. Businesspeople appreciate its performance and love its value. At $70,000 it’s expensive, but the Z06 matches the performance of cars costing twice its price, like a Porsche 911 GT. It also telegraphs the notion that you’ve personally blended power and value with style in one restrained statement — very good for the self-confidence.
Saturday: I found a great country road where the Z06 really shined. Zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, zero to 100 mph in 8.3 seconds, the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds, 1g of lateral grip, and braking from 60 mph to zero in 111 feet. At just over 3,100 pounds, the Z06 is a terrific handler. Steering is light and turn-in quick. Responding to concerns about tricky handling at the limit, Chevy lowered the car’s shock damping rates for 2007. The result is a machine with eye-popping grip.
Which brings us to Sunday. Had I owned the car, I could’ve hit the track myself, but alas, I had to give it back. At least I can still fire up the TV and watch the Corvettes take on other GT cars in the ALMS. “Stock as a rock” or slightly modified for racing, the Z06 gives you a real shot to win.
— Eric Tegler
