Lucas Bell 
Ever since the C8 Corvette made its official debut, fans of the brand have been eagerly waiting for the high-performance variants to arrive. While there is no denying the Corvette is a great sports car, it is the Z06 and ZR1 models that have been responsible for taking on the supercars of Europe. Well, thanks to the team over at CorvetteBlogger, we have some new spy photos that show the 2022 Corvette Z06 out testing with less camouflage than before.
The image posted to CorvetteBlogger was captured at Grattan Raceway, which is about 30 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The photo gives us a good look at the side of the car, where General Motors has gone ahead and removed some camouflage. More specifically, the wheels of this particular Z06 are no longer hidden behind big ugly covers. The design of the new wheels is certainly in line with sporty Corvettes of the past, and are a marked step up from the current crop of C8 wheels. CorvetteBlogger noted that GM was likely more interested in hiding the brake package that sits behind the wheels than the actual design itself. It is assumed that Z06 will offer both steel and carbon-ceramic brake packages. The C8 Corvette Z06 will also offer three different aerodynamics kits, including active aero, as hinted by the patent photo below. Carbon fiber wheels and a center mounted exhaust are also expected, despite the spy photo of the vehicle testing at Grattan featuring neither.
This particular 2022 Corvette Z06 is not hiding the fact that its a tried-and-true track-weapon. A rather large rear wing is fitted to the back of the car, which features a unique design we’ve yet to see on the Z06. The prototype also has some canards (or dive planes) attached to its nose, which only further hints at the car’s intentions.
While information about the 2022 Corvette Z06 is still mostly under wraps, we do know about its engine. The car is slated to be powered by a 5.5L flat-plane V8 engine with dual-overhead camshafts, based on the engine that powers the Corvette Racing C8.R. The motor is expected to be the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 on the market.
With the 2021 model year underway for many automakers at this point, it isn’t too surprising that spy photographers have been capturing 2022 Corvette Z06 prototypes. Expect more information to trickle out before the car makes its official debut at some time in mid-2021.
