2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Test Drive
The introduction of the Corvette Z06 had a tremendous spillover effect on Chevrolet’s overall performance portfolio. The development of the 385-bhp LS6 led to improvements in the LS1. This benefited not only the Corvette Coupe and Convertible, which had horsepower and torque increasing to respective ratings of 350 and 340, but also the Camaro, which went out of production the following year. Horsepower on the Z28 Camaro V-8 coupes and convertibles rose to 310-bhp and torque to 340 lb.-ft., while the hotter SS moved up to 325-bhp and 350 torques.
Certainly 385-bhp would have got your attention in 2001. But aside from the pavement-scorching power of the new Corvette hardtop, it was the way this pumped-up performance icon handled that was so captivating. The specially developed Goodyear F1 Supercar tires deserved a big portion of the credit for the Z06’s ability to pull 10g in lateral acceleration, but there’s more to going around cones or curves than pure grip. The second-generation stability-control system coupled with electronic brake force distribution provided the right amount of correction for oversteer and understeer conditions without the sort of heavy hand that dampens driver enthusiasm.
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