Jake Groves is CAR’s News Editor, and has been part of the CAR team since April 2017.
Chevrolet’s Corvette continues to be the multi-tool of the American performance car, changing its character and intention in a very similar way to Porsche’s 911. It can be a boulevard cruiser, electrified speed limit destroyer or – like it is here – a proper track monster.
This generation of Corvette isn’t really new anymore – we’ve all surely gotten over the whole ‘OMG! The engine’s in the middle!’ thing by now, right? Even so, this is the most serious threat to European performance car dominance that the Corvette has ever posed. This Z06 version is a properly hardcore variant – designed to take on your Speciales and GT3s of this world. So much so that, when one was available in Europe in 2023, we tested one against a 911 GT3 RS. But it’s now available in right-hand drive via a select number of dealers around the UK that specialise in performance and luxury cars – hence why we’re giving it some exclusive attention in this review now.The Z06 is a serious bit of kit so, naturally, the engineering and numbers are equally serious. Here, your hardcore Corvette uses GM’s 5.5-litre flat-plane crank ‘LT6’ V8, naturally aspirated for free-breathing, high-revving potential and plenty of power. A total of 637bhp is yours to play with in European tune , with that max power figure accessible at a dizzyingly high 8550rpm. That’s good for a 3.1sec 0-62mph time and a top speed north of 190mph. The Z06 uses the widebody Corvette platform like the E-Ray, but not the Stingray version, meaning a bulkier stance and wider wheels. Z06 models benefit from bespoke details like a front splitter and fixed rear wing. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres are standard, with optional Cup 2 R versions available. Our test car has the Rs equipped.Fierce, ferocious and fast. The engine is, naturally, the showstopper here. It’s an absolute screamer, translating an extreme amount of power into a properly visceral thrill. Think sci-fi hyperdrive and you’re pretty much there, as the scenery blurs past you the harder you lean on the long-travel throttle pedal. And the noise! Who’d have thought a Corvette could sound like a Ferrari or McLaren? It’s always there and can drone a little at low speeds, but when you’ve taken your brave pill and feel like hunting for that redline it quickly becomes addictive. It’s bum-squeakingly wide – particularly through Cotswoldian England with its villages older than time. It would be less nerve-wracking if this Z06 wasn’t trimmed with that front splitter that sticks out to the side a little more than the rest of the car does… or five-figure carbonfibre wheels. And those Cup 2 R tyres can make the steering feel rather twitchy, too, with a little tramlining over potholes that takes a bit of time for you to tune into. But get it on the right road and it can be properly rewarding when you’re dialled into its mannerisms. The suspension, while firmer than the E-Ray and Stingray models, is still impressively balanced and enables the Z06 to change direction like a pro athlete.There isn’t a huge amount of difference between this and any other Corvette, really. This gets the same general interior layout including those physical buttons that run down a central column in the dashboard and an infotainment screen that’s perfectly sized, if running software akin to that of what we experienced on the last Vauxhall Insignia. The thing is, though, it’s pretty good in here. The driving position is great, there’s some storage for bits and pieces and the quality isn’t as hollow as a Los Angeles real estate agent’s smile. The instruments are customisable and highly animated, changing significantly between drive modes, and the seats are pretty firm. Perhaps to the point where spending a reasonable amount of time in them could feel uncomfortable.Like any Corvette, there is a limited number of dealers you can visit to get one direct, but they’re properly licenced and all come with three-year warranties when bought new. You’ll be looking at around £180k when getting one with some options thrown in. And that rather expansive options list is yours to play with. Our test came fully loaded with what felt like very box ticked, and we learned a few things about certain details; the nose lift is essential for UK roads, while the carbon wheels enable the highest top speeds if you’re likely to take this on track. They’re best left avoided if it’s going to stay as a road car, not least because they’re obscenely expensive and you won’t have to pay exorbitant fees to get them repaired if you kerb them. Naturally, the Z06’s biggest competitor remains the Porsche 911 GT3 and its harder-core RS version. If the Corvette was somehow cheaper than the Porsche, it would be a trickier job justifying the Porsche, but the playing field is level…While the Corvette Z06 will likely remain a bit of a performance car outlier here in the UK, it’s a properly sorted bit of kit. A 911 GT3 does feel like a more complete performance car package, but the performance and handling balance the Z06 offers is hard to overlook.Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray review: bringing the thunderJake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
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