The first production 2023 Corvette Z06 has finally arrived at a Chevrolet dealer. Even though it won’t be offered for sale, it’s a good sign that the 2023 Corvette Z06 will soon be hitting a Chevrolet dealer near you and then soon be on the road. Manufacturing of the new Z06 has finally started in earnest as well. GM has also restarted 2023 Corvette Z06 dealer orders after previously saying it wouldn’t take any more orders for the 2023 model year due to production issues.

Testing the Corvette Z06

The 2023 Corvette Z06 is not your average high-performance car. Chevrolet could have easily put an evolved version of its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine in the Z06 and it would likely have generated around 755 horsepower. However, Chevy engineers decided to go a different route and make an engine from scratch. This resulted in a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with a flat-plane crankshaft and 32 valves. The LT6 generates 670 horsepower at 8400 RPM and 460 pound-feet of torque at 6300 RPM, which would almost be the redline in a regular Corvette Stingray. In testing, the LT6 revs so quickly that there’s actually a mode to tranquilize the throttle when selecting an RPM for controlled starts. Needless to say, this car is fast. Its zero to 60 MPH hour time is 2.7 seconds and it can run a quarter mile in 10.7 seconds at 129 MPH.

Carbon Aero Package

Just in case the standard Corvette Z06 doesn’t consume enough fuel, the Carbon Aero package will be subject to a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax. This is $400 more than the tax for the regular Z06. The Carbon Aero package will cost $8,495, but it can make 734 pounds of downforce at 186 MPH, which should translate to an even faster version of the Z06. Fuel economy figures are likely to be worse as well. Testing the regular Z06 yielded an average of 12 MPG, which is the EPA city rating. The EPA highway rating of 19 MPG seems rather lofty in comparison, and the Carbon Aero package will likely make it worse. But then again, no one is buying a Z06 with a performance package for fuel economy.

Best Corvette Ever?

Is this the best Corvette ever? An argument could certainly be made. After all, Chevy engineers could have easily put a forced-induction engine into the Z06 and made it more powerful. But instead, they designed an incredibly subjective experience with a racing-inspired mid-engine fantasy that has almost no competition. The closest thing is the Audi 48 Spyder, but that’s a 100-horsepower downgrade for a lot more money. This Corvette was never meant to be a daily driver. It’s a performance experience that’s hardly matched in the current automotive world.

Look for the 2023 Corvette Z06 soon in a Chevrolet dealer near you. With production constraints loosening, more models should be available in the near future.