Although it feels like the 2023 Corvette Z06 is here for years, the stunning supercar was only unveiled six months ago. Although series production is expected to begin later in the year, there are still details Chevrolet hasn’t revealed. Top speed is one of them. The Stingray sibling should be faster, but how fast? Perhaps more important, will it surpass the 200-mph barrier
Although we may not know the answer, there is a hint in the Z06 owner’s manual that points to yes as the answer to the second question. CorvetteBlogger reported that a section in the manual lists minimum speeds for upshifts and maximum speeds to downshift. This chart is particularly interesting to us as it lists 188mph as the maximum speed to downshift from sixth to fifth. Speeds beyond that are aero limited for downshifts to seventh and sixth gear.
Although it’s not a smoking gun, we know that the Z06 can reach 188 mph when in fifth gear. This leaves plenty of space for the ‘Vette in sixth to continue stretching its legs, but it will eventually reach an aerodynamic limit. The Z06 should reach its maximum speed in sixth gear. Is the V8 in the mid-mount enough to give the Z06 an additional 12 mph?
Nobody knows the official number of Chevrolet until then. The Corvette Stingray’s top speed is 194 mph in its standard configuration. Its 6.2-liter V8 produces 490 horsepower and 495 with Z51 performance packages. This is significantly lower than the wild 5.5-liter DOHC engine in the Z06 that produces 670 horsepower at an astonishing 8,400 rpm.
Aero enhancements are sure to play a major role in top speed, especially for models with the Z07 package. The Z06 can reach 188 mph in fifth and has nearly 200 horsepower extra. 200 mph seems possible.