Alon

Sodium filled valves. Hmm. It doesn;t seem like they've left much out. DOes it still have that composite rear leaf spring mounted transversly? As far as being hand-built, hand-built by who? That doesn't give me much comfort.

Z06

first ......the Z06 has not been released so this is just speculation......If it has a 7L engine that would be great.....it could easily make 550 HP with a little bit of engine work and exhaust with that displacement..........6 piston calipers a huge step forward over the old two piston fronts and 1 piston rears....The Z06 looks great in that picture......I think the displacement will be a little smaller...maybe 392 cubic inch.....which is still a large engine.......either way it will have crazy torque.

I expect it to perform like the new 430 Ferrari......I doubt it will have 500 HP from the start.....maybe 450-475 HP.........Do not believe everything you read on that link.....they are just hopping for those extra goodies.

Mikey

Let's assume they got all the new technology right on the first try (highly unlikely.) The motor is still on the wrong end of the car for the 500hp+ league as a street car and it probably still features a truck tranny. Realistically this can never be fixed because they can't afford to alienate their retarded customer base, so they will just have to kill them

trumperZ06

Hhmmmmmm.... Cya @ the track !!!

AeroGT3RedWing

345's? that's like 14 inches, lmao.

Titanium connecting rods . . . that's hott.

This is going to be an amazing vehicle . . .

Holger B

Should be a good bang for the buck, but I'd like to see some of those numbers validated before getting too excited...

MKW

Each engine will be hand built and signed like an AMG motor at a special high permance engine plant in Wixom, Mich What I've read is that they will pick only the best of the best " wrenches " from the entire corporation with additional supervision by race engine builder Katech, who does the C6R race engines. Hope this means C6 Z06 motor won't have a bent ( obviously dropped ) spark plug electrode that caused such a bad miss on my brand new 996 Turbo two years ago. :

" GM's Powertrain Performance Build Center To Produce Performance Engines

PONTIAC, Mich. - GM Powertrain plans to produce performance engines at a new manufacturing site located in Wixom, Mich., to be called the GM Powertrain Performance Build Center.

Ed Koerner, vice president of engineering operations, announced plans for the build center today. "I am very pleased to announce that GM will have a facility dedicated to building high-performance engines. A small but very passionate group of customers wants and demands vehicles with uncompromising levels of performance. The new Performance Build Center is dedicated to satisfying these customers."

GM is investing approximately $10 million in the facility. UAW Pontiac Local 653 will represent Wixom facility hourly employees, who will come from other GM locations. Site preparations began in spring 2003, with start of production planned for summer 2005. "

Z06

If all this info is true you will also see a jump in pricing.....I think they have an eye on the Porsche customer....It will BE very difficult for a small displacement engine 3.8L NA such as the GT3 competing with the new Z06.

Jim H.

FWIW - My sense is GM probably "got it right" with the Z06 this time. I was considering a Z06 vette before the GT3 but decided against it based on some admittedly correctable defects (brakes, tranny, suspension). Looks like they may have gotten some real racers involved this time, and perhaps have ended up with a great package out of the box (just like our GT3s).

I'm left wondering which cars the magazines will use to test against the Z06 next year? Nothing out there will get real close IF they got the suspension and brakes even close to being right.

Standard considerations apply though when looking at this vette. So many people have remarked that the GT3 comes in off the track with no wheezing whatsoever and heads right back out without a care (I'll find out next year when I get back to the states). Will the same be for the Vette? We'll see...

tdf360

True. The number I'm hearing is $70k.

Gary

cobalt

I had heard numbers closer to $75 and expect premiums for the first run. Quite the jump in price over a stock C6.

I assume the new Z06 should have some real *****. I was rather disapointed in the runs I have had against the Z06's and the new C6. Easily dusted them both, the first time I ran against a Z06 I was only running 370 Hp and I easily pulled away from him although he was much faster through the turns than I expected. He was running what looked like a Borla exhaust and sounded better than it moved. The second with 430 hp and the HF turbo, I had left some serious space between us. When I thru it into 3rd and punched it he just fell behind. When I slowed down as not to get my butt busted, the guy just sat on my right flank and wouldn't attempt to pass me. The new C6 was not much of a challenge although it was new and he may have been afraid to push it. I am assuming these new Z06's should not be such easy prey.

RWO

I just ordered one...

Roy

cobalt

Any insight into particulars about the purchase? Are they giving you HP numbers or do you have to wait and see? When do you expect delivery? Everything I have heard so far was still not written in stone and when I talked to my local dealer a month ago he had no positive info.

TT Gasman

Corvette is doing it right, are you listening Porsche??

RWO

I have no info from the dealer. They said they will call when they have firm data. No estimate on the delivery other than next year sometime. A different dealer posted this message a few days ago:

"OK folks I offered you with some brain teasers on the C6 Z06 a couple of weeks ago and now I will tell you the facts.

1) The Yellow pictures of the Z06 are the real thing.
2) It will have a 7.0 427 CI 500 HP and 475 ft. lbs. of tq.
3) It will have an all aluminum frame with a magnesium eng. cradle.
4) It will be a fast back non removable top.
5) It will have Carbon Fiber body fenders, hood and deck lid.
6) It will come in Victory Red, Black, Silver, Lemans Blue, DSOM and Yellow.
7) It will have 3 different int. colors.
8) It will have 2 different equipment grps. much like the Convertible.
9) It will have a dry sump oil sys.
10) It will have run flat tires.
11) It will be offered in a 6spd. only.

There is one more fact about it that that I have not been able to confirm and it has not been posted anywhere on the net. I don’t know what this fact is but I am told it is big. So we will have one more sup prize in Jan. when the car is debuted."

The rumor is that the surprise is either a sequential gearbox or a carbon brake package... I think it will be a hell of a track car...

Roy