For 70 years, the Chevrolet Corvette has held the title of America’s premier sports car. The recent evolution to a mid-engine layout sought to capture famed designer Zora Arkus-Duntov’s vision in the Detroit giant’s most significant leap forward in positioning their flagship cruiser to rival Italian supercar icons Ferrari and Lamborghini.

GM’s goal for the much-anticipated 2023 Corvette Z06 is to astound. 

When can I get a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06? 

Production of the inaugural mid-engine Corvette Z06 was said to begin summer 2022, with both removable targa top and convertible versions available, Chevrolet states. The company hasn’t announced when the hardcore, track-pounding version of the C8 will be available on dealer lots but expect them before the end of 2022. Per Chevy, certain features and options may be limited or unavailable due to production delays and supply chain issues.

How much will the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 cost?

Chevrolet priced the Z06 pretty high, starting at $105,000. Considering the swan song front-engine Z06 started at $25,000 above the base model, it’s no surprise the 2023 Z06 followed suit from the Stingray’s $62,000 MSRP.

Buyers may also procure the optional Z07 package to add aerodynamic elements, weight reduction through carbon-fiber upgrades, and the largest tires and brakes from the factory in the Corvette’s history. Pricing details remain a bit vague, but it’s safe to say the Z06 Corvette with the Z07 performance package will be well north of six figures.  

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 specs, changes, and updates

Traditionally, the Z06 package enhances with aggressive styling cues and performance figures that match through changes in suspension, engine upgrades, and aero packages. The new Z06 does the same, melding brutality and agility to create a track-focused monster. But with the engine now located behind the driver, the pushrod 6.2-liter V8 from the Stingray Corvette doesn’t receive any extra power or change in any way.

The 2023 Corvette Z06 will come with a bespoke 5.5-liter V8 that sounds like no Corvette—or Chevrolet, for that matter—ever before. Thanks to a dry-sump, four valves per cylinder, and a flat-plane crankshaft, the twin-cam LT6 can spin up to a redline of 8600 rpm, putting out a truly herculean 670 hp. This makes the new Corvette the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 road car in the world, knocking off the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series from 2014, which had a measly 622 hp.

While the Corvette’s new engine churns out 190 lb-ft of torque less than the Stingray’s stump-pulling 650 lb-ft V8, the LT6 comes from the Bow Tie brand’s C8.R Grand Touring Le Mans race car. Mated to a paddle-shifted, eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle gearbox, 0-60 is achieved in just 2.6 seconds while carrying a five-year 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.  

Performance upgrades on the Z06 over the Stingray also include:

• Six-piston Brembo brakes (14.6 inches in front and 15 inches in the rear), with optional carbon-ceramic
• Shorter gearing than the standard C8
• 3.6 inches wider to compensate air dams for rear cooling
• 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminum wheels, with optional five-spoke Carbon Revolution wheels

On the interior, the Z06 keeps nearly all the Stingray’s excitable features, transcending Corvettes of old with the hexagonal steering wheel and wall of climate and audio control buttons on the center console. The driver-focused cockpit includes a multilayered dashboard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting tunes from Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through a standard 10-speaker or optional 14-speaker Bose sound system.

Chevrolet’s attention to detail on the new Corvette Z06 goes even further with microsuede accents on the heated, ventilated, and aggressively bolstered seats, flanked with your choice of two carbon fiber-crammed interior packages. Moreover, with the Corvette’s trunk ready for two sets of golf clubs and “frunk” available for a trip to the shopping mall, buyers lose no practicality with the track-ready setup.  

While enthusiasts will have to opt for the Z07 package to get the factory Performance Data Recorder (PDR)—allowing you to record all your track exploits and show them to your friends—the 2023 Corvette Z06 pulls in all the Stingray’s driver-assistance tech. Key features include:

•  Blind-spot monitor
• Multi-view camera system
• Rear cross-traffic alert

Should you wait for the 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 or order a 2022 model now? 

Both the front-engine 2022 and mid-engine 2023 Corvette Z06s are special; they are brilliant and unique in their own ways. Yet, the Nürburgring barnstorming C8 Z06 stands on a continental island of one in the supercar segment. If you want the fastest, most powerful, most capable, best interior-trimmed Corvette in the brand’s seven decades, grab one before GM’s accountants realize what their Italian counterparts charge for a 200-mile-an-hour ride.