Become a premium member for just $35/year and get ad-free access!
The first Z06 was actually an option package first offered with the 1963 Corvette. The package was developed by Corvette's legendary lead engineer and racing advocate Z0ra Arkus-Duntov.  The Z06 option was designed to allow consumers to bolster the 1963 "Split-Window" Corvettes performance and handling capabilities for use on the race track. Selecting regular production option (RPO) Z06 when ordering a Corvette resulted in a car equipped with some tasty options.
A successor to the ZR-1 made its debut in 2001 as the Z06, giving a nod to the high-performance Z06 version of the C2 Corvette of the 1960s. The Z06 uses a tuned version of the standard LS1 engine (designated the LS6), with a higher power output of 385 hp (390 PS; 287 kW), later bumped to 405 hp (411 PS; 302 kW) starting in 2002.
2008 marks the 15th time that Chevrolet has paced the Alstate 400 at the Brickyard and the fourth consecutive time Corvette has led the pack. Chevrolet's pacing tration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway also extends to the Indianapolis 500 where Chevrolet has paced that esteemed race 19 times with Corvette leading the field 10 times.
In June 2021, General Motors introduced the 2022 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition, a special edition Corvette which commemorates the Corvette C8.R and its 2020 IMSA WeatherTech racing series championship. The car made its public debut at Belle Isle in Detroit. These special edition Corvettes were developed using styling cues from the Corvette C8.R race cars. 
The 70th Anniversary Edition Corvettes will be unique, even among other 2023 Corvettes, in the following ways:  First, the Anniversary Edition cars will be offered in two exclusive color packages - an all-new White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat or a Carbon Flash Metallic. An optional stripe kit will also be offered in complimenting colors - Satin Gray on the Pearl White Metallic, and Black on the Carbon Flash Metallic. The cars will also be fitted with unique-and-distinct wheels with commemorative caps.