The C8 Z06 looks and sounds right at home with pro drivers behind the wheel on the track.
By now, we’ve heard and seen just about everything there is to hear and see in regards to the C8 Z06, the latest and greatest Corvette variant. Built to be a track-focused maven, the C8 Z06 certainly has the chops to be a fantastic track day weapon, including its dramatic aero, high-revving 5.5-liter LT6 V8, and suspension wizardry. But while most of us simply don’t have the skills to push the new Z06 to its absolute limits, that isn’t the case with Corvette Racing drivers Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia, who recently got the chance to test out the new sports car at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
With IMSA race weekend taking place at that particular track recently, it gave these two hot shoes the perfect excuse to take the 2023 Corvette Z06 out for a rip and see how it compares to the C8.R, which served as the developmental basis for the road-going machine. After all, both of those cars share quite a bit in common, including engines – though the street legal version actually has more power – and the Z06’s road-going aero, which was developed on the track for use on the track.
As one might imagine, both Taylor and Garcia felt right at home in the Z06, even though it was the first time either had driven it. “I wish the race car had that much horsepower,” Taylor said. “Power and grip everywhere,” Garcia added. “You can surely feel everything we actually feel in the race car.”
“Driving around here in Elkhart Lake at Road America, it’s a track where you can really open up the engine and just accelerate,” Taylor added. “The power is impressive, the handling is impressive, the brakes…I mean, yeah, I’ve got a huge smile on my face. I’m going to be leaving here and planning to negotiate to get my own one back at home.”
🔊🔊What happens when you give two #Corvette racers the 2023 #Z06 to sample at Road America? Absolute magic… 🎶🎶 @jordan10taylor @AntonioGarcia_3 @TeamChevy @Chevrolet @IMSA @RoadAmerica pic.twitter.com/unSWGofBNk
— Corvette Racing (@CorvetteRacing) August 17, 2022
If nothing else, the 2023 Corvette Z06 certainly sounds fantastic ripping around the track, which is precisely where it likely feels most at home. And with professionals behind the wheel, we have no doubt that it set some impressive lap times, even if GM didn’t bother to share those in this short clip.
Keyword: Watch Corvette Racing Drivers Rip the C8 Z06 Around Road America