Chevrolet Corvette (C7) Z06 Convertible 2015

Tsukishima · May 25, 2015

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible '15

The Chevrolet Corvette (C7) is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. The seventh generation Corvette was introduced for the 2014 model year as the first to bear the Corvette Stingray name since the 1976 third generation model.

Chevrolet claims the Z06 Convertible represents "the culmination of more than four years developing an all-new, all-aluminum structure." You see, because the new structure is much more stiffer than the previous Z06, the drop-top sports car needed no structural reinforcements, which means its curb weight won’t be affected by missing a fixed roof.

The new Z06 takes the standard Corvette Stingray to a more extreme level. Chevrolet replaced the standard tires and wheels with a new set that better suits the performance requirements of the Z06’s. After installing the wider wheels and tires. the design team then had to widen both the front and the rear fenders, which also gave the Z06 a more powerful stance. The rear look was also updated, with the taillights being pushed approximately three inches farther apart.

As the new Z06 is considerably more powerful than the base Stingray, it needed some extra downforce to keep it planted on the race track. To achieve this, Chevrolet added a front splitter, spats around the front wheel openings, a unique carbon-fiber hood with a larger vent and a new rear spoiler.

Under the hood lurks a supercharged, 6.2-liter V-8 dubbed the LT4. It shares much of the same underlying architecture with the standard Stingray’s 6.2-liter mill, but the LT4 has a whole slew of new internal parts designed for weight-reduction and to handle higher power outputs. It took Chevrolet nearly six months to release the official horsepower and torque specifications on the LT4, but the news was worth the wait. While GM officials had been quoting “more than 625 horsepower,” the finalized numbers come in at 650 horsepower and 861 Nm of torque.

All that power is to be directed toward the wheels by a standard seven-speed manual transmission or by the eight-speed automatic which is operated by paddle shifters placed behind the steering wheel.

Specs: