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2022 C8 CORVETTE Z06 SPOTTED TESTING WITH A 458, GT2 RS: VIDEO

Hinting At What GM Has In Store For The Supercar

As the quintessential American sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette has garnered a reputation over the years as a car that punches above its weight class. While the lowly base model cars are by no means incapable, it is the more focused Z06 and ZR1 models that truly take it to the world’s best performers. It doesn’t appear that General Motors has shifted that focus for the C8 generation, as a new video clip posted to Facebook shows the 2022 C8 Corvette Z06 mule testing with some very exotic metal.

Facebook user Randy Herman uploaded a video to his page this afternoon that shows what appears to be a C8 Z06 prototype testing alongside a familiar Porsche GT2 RS, and a Ferrari 458. While both of the European sports cars are tremendously capable, (and expensive) they may just give us a better idea as to what the Z06’s intentions are.

Let’s start with the Ferrari. It is no secret at this point that the C8 Z06 is going to feature a flat-plane crank V8 derived from the C8.R’s motor, as can be heard in the short clip. This layout is not too dissimilar from the one made in Maranello. When the 458 Speciale debuted, its masterful 4.5L engine became the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever produced, with figures of 597 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque on tap.  Rumors have floated about for a while that Chevrolet would like to take this crown away from the Italians, and the presence of the Ferrari 458 only further highlights this venture.

That said, the new Corvette Z06 was never just going to be about the engine performance. Rather, the new mid-engined sports car is poised to be a supercar killer around the racetrack. If you’re trying to attack a circuit, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better car than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. A slightly modified version of the car deemed the MR recently captured a Nordschleife lap record, posting an absolutely diabolical time of 6:40.3. While we won’t say that GM is gunning for the top spot around the Green Hell, it’s clear that they expect the C8 Z06 to keep up with the 700 horsepower Blitzkrieg Beetle.

C8 Corvette Chassis

As we start to spot more of these C8 Z06 prototypes out in the wild, the level of excitement we have about the car continues to grow. Just today, a fresh batch of spy photos were shared across the blogosphere of a 2022 C8 Corvette Z06 with a rather impressive fixed rear wing. This wing, much smaller than that found on the C8.R, is different from the active aero system for the car that GM recently filed a patent for. As we exclusively reported on the active aero system, as well as accurately describing the Z06 tires and their dimensions, rest assured, active aero for the C8 Corvette Z06 is still coming.

This might suggest that Z06 customers will get to choose what level of on-track performance suits their needs. Chevrolet made a bold statement when they took the Corvette to a mid-engined platform, and we feel as if they are just getting started with what the C8 Corvette is truly capable of.

Written by Lucas Bell

Lucas holds a journalism degree from Wayne State University, and is a Automotive Press Association scholarship recipient. While an American muscle fan through and through, he once wrote a fascinating comparison review about eScooters.

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