2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition- First Look
Middle-Child C6 Steals Big Brother ZR1’s Toys
2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Edition
When it first barged onto the scene in late 2005, the 505-horsepower C6 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was the top dog, the fastest, baddest production Covette in history, blowing the C5 Z06 completely out of the water. Oh how times change. The Z06 is now merely the aging middle brother in the Corvette lineup, its thunder stolen completely and utterly by the 638-horsepower, Ferrari-eating ZR1.
With the next-generation Corvette still at least a couple of years away, the General has decided to give the Z06 some love for its fifth birthday in the form of the ZR1’s carbon-ceramic brakes, black 20-inch wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, Magnetic Selective Ride Control adjustable dampers (also used on the ZR1), and additional cooling, creating a car called the 2011 Chevy Corvette Z06 Carbon Edition. While the LS7 V-8 that powers the Z06 remains unchanged for the special edition model, it does receive a fancy carbon pattern engine cover.
The changes don’t stop there, however, as there’s no such thing as a limited-edition sports car that doesn’t get new bodywork and interior trim. In the case of the Z06 Carbon, that consists of the all-new Supersonic Blue paint job (Carbons will also come in Inferno Orange), black headlamps and mirrors, ZR1-style rear spoiler, and a carbon-fiber hood, diffuser, and side rockers, making the Z06 Carbon look much like, well, a ZR1. GM is coy as to how much weight all this saves, but Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter believes that the Carbon can “shave up to three seconds off the Z06 lap time” around “technical tracks like Laguna Seca.” Going by our Laguna Lap records, this would put the Z06 Carbon just two seconds behind the ZR1 with a lap time of around 1 minute 38 seconds. Speaking of tracks, each car will come with a set of European-style racing numbers that can be put on the car come race day….
