Set to cross the block at Mecum Auctions’ Monterey Auction on August 15, this exceptionally rare 1963 Chevrolet...
CORVETTE MODELS
Corvette Z06: Every Generation, Every Year, Every Edition
The Z06 is the Corvette built for the track: Zora Arkus-Duntov’s 1963 racing package, revived in 2001 and the top (or second-top) Corvette ever since, from the 405-hp C5 and the 505-hp 7.0-liter C6 to the supercharged 650-hp C7 and the mid-engine C8 with the 670-hp flat-plane LT6, the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 ever put in a production car. This page is the complete guide: the history of the badge, the specs of every generation, production and prices for every year, every special edition and pace car with its guide, the Z07 package, Z06 against ZR1, what the cars sell for, the race cars, the videos and the news.
Quick Nav: Overview · The History · Specs · The Full List · Evolution · C2 · C5 · C6 · C7 · C8 · The Z07 · Z06 vs. ZR1 · Values · Racing · GT3.R News · Model Guides · Videos · News · FAQs
The Basics
The Name: Regular Production Option Z06, Zora Arkus-Duntov’s 1963 “special performance equipment” package; revived as a model in 2001 and used ever since (the ZR1 sits above it, the Grand Sport and Stingray below)
Generations: Five: C2 (1963, 199 built), C5 (2001–04, 28,388), C6 (2006–13, 27,994), C7 (2015–19, 39,940) and C8 (2023 to today, 32,400 through the 2026 model year)
Engines: 327 L84 fuel-injected, 360 hp (1963) · 5.7 L LS6, 385 then 405 hp (C5) · 7.0 L LS7, 505 hp (C6) · 6.2 L supercharged LT4, 650 hp (C7) · 5.5 L flat-plane LT6, 670 hp at 8,400 rpm (C8)
Performance: 0–60 in 4.0 seconds (C5), 3.7 (C6), 2.95 (C7) and 2.6 (C8); top speeds of 198 mph (C6) and 195 (C8); the C7 Z06 with Z07 out-lapped the 2013 ZR1
Prices New: $1,818.45 for the 1963 package; $47,500 (2001), $65,800 (2006), $78,995 (2015), $106,395 (2023) and $121,395 for a 2027 coupe, all with destination
The Z07: The track package on top of the Z06 since 2011: carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Ride, Cup tires and, from the C7, carbon aero; $9,495 (2011), $7,995 (2015), $8,995 (2023)
Racing: The 1963 Z06s won on their first weekend at Riverside; the C6 Z06-R GT3 won the ADAC GT Masters; the Z06 GT3.R took Chevrolet’s first GTD Pro titles in 2025 and won Le Mans
Related Pages: The ZR1 guide, the Grand Sport, the special editions, the pace cars, the anniversary cars, the race cars, the engines index and the generation hubs
The Overview
Z06 began as three characters at the bottom of the 1963 order form and became the most important badge in Corvette history. Zora Arkus-Duntov used it to sell a race car in the middle of the AMA ban on racing: a fuel-injected Sting Ray coupe with the brakes, springs and 36-gallon tank a privateer needed, 199 of them, which won at Riverside in October 1962 before the model year had properly begun. The code then slept for thirty-eight years until Dave Hill needed a name for the C5’s race-car-for-the-road in 2001, and it has not been off a Corvette since.
Each Z06 since has been the car that defined its generation’s ceiling, or came within one rung of it: the 405-horsepower C5 hardtop that outran the C4 ZR-1 for $47,500; the C6 with the hand-built 7.0-liter LS7 and an aluminum frame, 505 horsepower and 198 mph; the supercharged C7 with 650 horsepower, the first Z06 automatic and convertible and the Z07 aero that let it beat the ZR1 it replaced; and the mid-engine C8, whose 5.5-liter flat-plane LT6 makes 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and remains the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 ever fitted to a production car. Together they total about 128,921 cars through the 2026 model year, with the Z06 now a third of everything Bowling Green builds.
This page collects everything the site knows about the Z06: the history of the badge, a spec table for the five generations, every Z06 and Z06-based edition and pace car with its picture and guide, a year-by-year table for each generation with production and prices, the Z07 package, the Z06 against the ZR1 and Grand Sport, what the cars have sold for at auction, the Z06-R and Z06 GT3.R race cars, then the guides, the videos and the news. The ZR1 has its own page; the Grand Sport, the model that borrows the Z06’s body without its engine, is covered in each generation here and on its own page.
The History of the Z06 Badge
There is an air of expected performance, of being the best version of the Corvette, that comes with the Z06 badge on the fenders beside the engine, yet where does it come from? It may surprise you to know that the C5 generation was not where the Z06 code for high performance originated, and it was only through a bit of fate that the code was revived into a badge that is now synonymous with power. To understand the importance of that one letter and two numbers, we first have to set the way-back machine to the launch of the Corvette C2, in 1963…
The 1963 Z06 Option Package
Due to the ban implemented by the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) following the 1955 24 Hours Of Le Mans disaster, American car companies were not allowed to advertise their cars as race-ready, refer to race results, or sell cars designed purely to go racing. This ban nearly prevented the awesome L88 Corvette C2 and C3 variants, and forced Chevrolet to find a surreptitious way around selling a race car when the second generation was launched.
To wit, when the 1963 Corvette C2 was launched, there were a ton of RPO (Regular Production Option) codes that could be selected. Which engine did you want? Did you want air conditioning and an automatic gearbox? Options like these were standard, but at the very bottom of the options list, where the packages were listed, Chevy had snuck in RPO Z06. The Z in the code was there because it was a package specifically designed and engineered by Zora Arkus-Duntov. The 06 was there to signal that this was the 6th factory option package that Zora had designed, and hence, Z-06, shortened to Z06.
While it was advertised as a “special equipment package,” in all senses but selling you a crash helmet, it was a race car from the factory and officially known as the 1963 Corvette Z06. Consider that the front stabilizer bar was thickened to nearly an inch, the suspension and springs were nearly doubled in rebound and stiffness, the brakes were made with sintered brake linings to be able to not fade when extremely hot, and the brakes had a dual-circuit master cylinder and a vacuum brake booster to reduce pedal travel while providing threshold braking.
Underneath that Z06 package were further options, such as the “long range cruising” 36.5 gallon fuel tank (RPO N03). Three other options, cleverly woven together by Zora, were “required” to tick off the Z06 box too. The first of these was the L84 327 Fuelie V8 that pumped out 360 HP. The other two options needed were the manual four-speed transmission and the positraction differential and rear end setup. By separating these three out from the Z06 option, but making them a requirement, the AMA was none the wiser about all of it coming together to make a race car.
The cars were quite rare, however, due to a bit of sticker shock for all the options put together. A 1963 Corvette C2 was already nearly $4,000 with no options attached (just under $39,000 in 2022), and the three required options, RPO Z06, and RPO N03 combined to near-as-makes-no-difference $1,800. Put another way, to buy the race car version of the C2, you were paying nearly 50% of the MSRP extra. But what a car it bought you…
Bringing Back The Z06 Badge For The Corvette C5
After the dismal first half of the generation for the Corvette C4, things had started to look up in the early 1990s as the ZR-1 was released, the base spec options were increased, and interest in the branding started to grow again. However, by the time the high performance ZR-1, which had an at the time astounding 375 HP, had been developed and released, in its first year it was listed at $58,995 (approximately $133,700 in 2022 USD). This made it exorbitantly expensive, and a car for the wealthier of the Corvette enthusiasts.
Just under 7,000 ZR-1s were made, proving that there was a demand for higher-performance, race-car-derived Corvettes. Chevrolet took notice of that and while the Corvette C5 was being developed, they increased the base car’s performance with the LS1 V8 to 350 HP. As well, to reduce the overall cost of the C5, it was a totally new design, unlike an evolution of the previous generation’s chassis and design from the first four generations. It was affordably priced at $37,495 (about $69,100 today) and proved extremely popular from the start, selling almost 10,000 cars in 1997 alone after going on sale in August of that year.
However, from the start of production, there were plans to both create a race car version of the car, the Corvette C5.R, and a subsequent “race car for the road” version based on it. However, as the ZR-1 tag was still heavily associated with the fourth generation as it entered into the secondary and auction/resale market, another tag that signified racing performance in a road car was needed. The car itself was coming along nicely, development was going smoothly, but there was no tag attached to it.
In what we can only imagine was a meeting in a nameless boardroom at General Motors where an employee that was a Corvette history enthusiast suggested looking at the first year of the C2, as the Z06 code simply screamed out from the annals of history. As the C5 Z06 was going to be a lightweight, race-car derived option package, it was the perfect fit. This time around, however, the marketing and design team at Chevrolet were not bound by a ban on advertising a car as a race car for the road, and were not prevented from referring to the 1-2 victory of the C5.R at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans. The design team drew up a badge or twenty, and once one was selected, the Z06 made its first appearance on the side of a Corvette in August 2001.
For the Corvette C5, it was a mild upgrade, boosting the LS1 engine to 385 HP and codifying that upgrade as the LS6. A year later, that power was boosted to 405 HP, making the C5 Z06 one of the few American sports cars at the turn of the century that boasted over 400 HP. The Z06 was also restricted to being a hardtop coupe only, had race-derived FE4 suspension and springs, larger wheels and tires, functional brake cooling ducts (supercar level technology at the time), a special gear ratio setup for acceleration and top end speed, and featured a titanium exhaust system, thinner glass, a reduction in sound proofing, even going as far as using a lighter weight battery for the car.
As a result, the Corvette C5 Z06 was rapid, with 0 to 60 times in the low 4 seconds, sub-12 second quarter miles, and could hold over 1.02 G in skidpad testing, making it one of the best handling, fastest sports cars at the time. The Z06 sold like hotcakes despite being priced $10,000 above the base C5 coupe, as of the nearly 250,000 Corvette C5s sold between 1997 and 2004, 11.5% were Z06s, or put another way, just under 29,000 C5 Z06s were made.
As we all know, the subsequent generations that had race car versions also had a Z06 version come out a couple of years afterwards, including the current Corvette C8 Z06, the one of the most powerful cars that Chevrolet has sold. Ever. But, starting with the sixth generation, there was another badge that you could have affixed to the front fenders (or rear air scoops for the C8) of your Corvette…
The Upgrade Of The Upgrade: The Z07
When the Corvette C6 made its debut in 2005, with a LS2 V8 producing 430 HP, more than the C5 Z06, in base spec, it was a barely kept secret that there was going to be a Z06 package available in a few years, as the C6.R race car was not developed in secrecy. There was no wasting time this generation, as the Z06 was launched in 2006, with a LS7 V8 chucking 505 HP to the rear wheels. Corvette enthusiasts were over the moon, but behind the scenes, whispers of a car named “Blue Devil” were circulating. After much speculation, the supercharged Corvette C6 ZR1 was unveiled in 2007, and boasted a spine shattering 640 HP and 604 lbs-ft of torque from its new LS9 engine when it went on sale in 2009. That was a very significant power jump of 135 HP between the high performance car and the high performance version of the sixth generation. While no one was really griping about it, Chevy took it upon themselves to develop a new package option that made a “race ready” Corvette available without needing to shell out the over $100,000 to buy the ZR1.
So, much to the surprise of everyone, there was a new “ultimate performance package” listed for the 2011 model year, with the code of Z07 and an additional $9,495 added to the sticker of a Z06. The Z07 was quickly nicknamed the “track pack” because of the track-focused nature of the included equipment, which were the first implementation of magnetorheological suspension components on a Corvette called “magnetic selective ride control,” Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, larger wheels all around, and damned-near-semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, which were fitted to larger, lightweight ZR1 style 20 spoke wheels. And these are just some of the things that were thrown in!
The Corvette C7 Z07 had even more to the table, with the optional add-on of carbon fiber aerodynamic parts. These were in the form of a front splitter with winglets, rocker panels, and a NASCAR-style rear lip spoiler that could also be set up to have a wickerbill in the center to add even more downforce, or you could splurge out on the options list and get a GT-wing version. It also upgraded the already strong 6- and 4-piston steel Brembo brakes of the Z06 to carbon ceramic-matrix brakes, which were second generation carbon ceramics that did not suffer the sudden “grabbing” that many first generation carbon ceramic brakes did for many manufacturers.
With the C8 Z06 available now, the Z07 performance package carries the same major upgrades, such as carbon ceramic-matrix brakes, front and rear carbon fiber aerodynamic pieces, but both the Z06 (option) and Z07 (included) takes it one step further by offering the first GM-provided carbon fiber wheels on a Corvette, called Carbon Revolution. Compared to the standard motorsport-grade aluminum wheels of the standard Z06, these wheels remove 10.25 lbs per corner, or 41 lbs unsprung weight. It may not seem like 41 lbs would make a difference, but as unsprung weight, every ounce counts, and even Chevy estimates that at most mainstream tracks like Road America, Virginia International, Sebring, and the like, the carbon wheels could reduce lap times by up to 2 seconds.
However, for us, we’re just happy that the Z06 performance version of the Corvette is here to stay this time, and we’re quite sure that were Zora still around, he’d have given it a major stamp of approval to reuse the badging.
The Mid-Engine Z06: The LT6, 2023 On
The C8 moved the engine behind the driver and the Z06 followed in 2023 with the engine the C8.R had been racing since 2020: the 5.5-liter LT6, a dual-overhead-cam, flat-plane-crank V-8 with titanium rods and a six-stage dry sump, hand-built at the Performance Build Center inside the Bowling Green plant, 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and an 8,600-rpm redline, the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 ever put in a production car. It sits in a body 3.6 inches wider than the Stingray’s on 20- and 21-inch wheels, with the Z07 package adding carbon aero, carbon-ceramic brakes, Cup 2 R tires and, for the first time from GM, carbon-fiber wheels. The ZR1 of 2025 took the top spot back with the twin-turbo LT7, but the Z06 became the volume performance Corvette, a third of all 2025 production, and it carried on into the 2027 model year unchanged under the skin.
The Z06 at the Races
Racing is why the Z06 exists and the badge has kept racing. The 1963 cars won their first race at Riverside in October 1962 with Doug Hooper driving for Mickey Thompson, against the brand-new Cobras. The C6 Z06 became the Z06-R GT3, built by Callaway Competition for Corvette Europe and raced across the continent, an ADAC GT Masters champion. And when Chevrolet ended the factory program after 2023 it built the Z06 GT3.R from the C8 Z06, the first Corvette race car sold to customers: Rolex 24 and Le Mans class wins in 2025, the IMSA GTD Pro drivers’, team and manufacturers’ titles the same year and the 2026 manufacturers’ championship. The race cars page carries every one of them.
MORE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE Z06 / THE CORVETTE ZR1 GUIDE / THE CORVETTE ENGINES
Front view of 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in Amplify Orange Tint.Z06 Specs by Generation
The five Z06s side by side: the engine, the output, the performance Chevrolet quoted, the price when new and how many were built. Each generation has its own section below with the year-by-year figures.
MORE: ALL THE SPECS / THE ENGINES
| GENERATION | YEARS | ENGINE | POWER | PERFORMANCE | BASE PRICE (FIRST YEAR) | BUILT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 Corvette | 1963 | 327 ci (5.4 L) L84 small-block, Rochester fuel injection, 11.25:1; four-speed and Positraction required | 360 hp / 352 lb-ft | Race package; 36.5-gal tank on 63 cars | $1,818.45 option on a $4,257 coupe | 199 |
| C5 Corvette | 2001–04 | 5.7 L (346 ci) LS6 pushrod V-8; six-speed M12 only; hardtop body | 385 hp / 385 lb-ft (2001); 405 / 400 (2002–04) | 0–60 4.0 s (3.9 from 2002); 12.4 at 116 mph; 1.0 g | $47,500 | 28,388 |
| C6 Corvette | 2006–13 | 7.0 L (427 ci) LS7, dry sump, titanium rods, hand-built at Wixom; six-speed only; aluminum frame | 505 hp / 470 lb-ft | 0–60 3.7 s; 11.7 at 125 mph; 198 mph; 1.04 g | $65,800 | 27,994 |
| C7 Corvette | 2015–19 | 6.2 L (376 ci) supercharged LT4, 1.7 L Eaton blower; seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic; coupe and convertible | 650 hp / 650 lb-ft | 0–60 2.95 s (auto); 10.95 at 127 mph; 1.2 g; 60–0 in 99.6 ft | $78,995 | 39,940 |
| C8 Corvette | 2023– | 5.5 L (335 ci) LT6 flat-plane DOHC V-8, 8,600-rpm redline, mid-engine; eight-speed dual-clutch; coupe and convertible | 670 hp / 460 lb-ft | 0–60 2.6 s; 10.6-second quarter; 195 mph (189 with Z07) | $106,395 | 32,400 through 2026 |
Every Corvette Z06: The Full List
Every Z06 and every Z06-based edition, pace car, concept and race car, in order, with its picture, what it was, how many were built and the guide. The Grand Sport cars that borrowed Z06 parts are here where the site’s guides put them.
MORE: ALL THE Z06 GUIDES / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS / THE PACE CARS
| THE CAR | YEARS | BUILT | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Corvette Z06 (RPO Z06) Duntov’s racing package for the new Sting Ray coupe: the 360-hp fuel-injected 327, heavy-duty brakes and suspension, the big tank on 63 of them The guide / Year page |
1963 | 199 |
 |
C5 Corvette Z06 The badge comes back: the hardtop body with the 385- then 405-hp LS6, six-speed only, titanium exhaust, 3,118 pounds The guide / Year page |
2001–04 | 28,388 |
 |
Z06 Commemorative Edition Le Mans Blue with the C5-R’s stripes and the first carbon-fiber hood on a production Corvette, for the 2003 Le Mans win The guide / Year page |
2004 | 2,025 Z06s |
 |
C6 Corvette Z06 The 7.0-liter LS7 on an aluminum frame: 505 hp, 3,132 pounds, 198 mph, the fastest Corvette yet and the lightest C6 The guide / Year page |
2006–13 | 27,994 |
 |
Corvette Z06-R GT3 The customer GT3 racer built from the Z06 by Callaway Competition for Corvette Europe; ADAC GT Masters champion The guide / The race cars / Year page |
2006–13 | race car |
 |
Z06 Daytona 500 Pace Car Jay Leno led the 48th Daytona 500 in a stock Z06 painted in Hot Hues flames; the Z06 also paced Indianapolis and the Brickyard that year The guide / The pace cars / Year page |
2006 | — |
 |
Z06 Ron Fellows Championship Edition Arctic White with red fender stripes and Fellows’s signature, the first Corvette edition named for a driver (RPO Z33, $77,500) The guide / Year page |
2007 | 399 |
 |
Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car A Z06 paced the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the second of four straight Z06 Brickyard pace cars The guide / Year page |
2007 | — |
 |
Corvette Daytona 500 Pace Car Cal Ripken Jr. drove the 2007 Daytona 500 pace Corvette; a Z06 again in the year’s Speed Weeks support fleet The guide / Year page |
2007 | — |
 |
Z06 427 Limited Edition Crystal Red, 427 badges and plant manager Wil Cooksey’s signature under the console lid (RPO Z44, $84,195); 505 cars for 505 horsepower, 427 for North America The guide / Year page |
2008 | 505 |
 |
Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car Chevrolet’s 15th Brickyard pace car and the Corvette’s fourth in a row The guide / Year page |
2008 | — |
 |
Z06 Competition Sport The dealer-installed track package (RPO ZCS) on 20 Z06s and 52 coupes: graphics, black wheels, racing pedals, a numbered plaque The guide / Year page |
2009 | 20 Z06s (72 in all) |
 |
Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car The fifth consecutive Corvette to pace the Brickyard The guide / Year page |
2009 | — |
 |
Z06 GT1 Championship Edition Velocity Yellow or black with the C6.R’s graphics for Corvette Racing’s GT1 titles (RPO GT1); 125 built, 55 of them Z06s The guide / Year page |
2009 | 55 Z06s (125 in all) |
 |
Grand Sport Brickyard 400 Pace Car The Z06’s run of Brickyard pace cars ended with a green-and-white Grand Sport coupe in 2010 The guide / Year page |
2010 | — |
 |
Corvette Jake Edition (SEMA) A Grand Sport show car on Z06 wheels with the Jake skull hood graphic from the GT1 Championship cars The guide / Year page |
2010 | show car |
 |
Z06 Carbon Limited Edition The ZR1’s chassis under the Z06: Z07 carbon-ceramic brakes and Magnetic Ride, carbon aero, Inferno Orange or Supersonic Blue, for fifty years since the Corvette’s first Le Mans (RPO ULZ, $90,960); 500 planned The guide / Year page |
2011 | 252 |
 |
Z06 Ron Fellows ‘Hall of Fame’ Tribute A Z06 with Z07, the CFZ carbon package, red calipers and racing graphics built for Fellows’s Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame induction The guide / Year page |
2011 | tribute car |
 |
Z06X Track Car Concept The caged, stripped, polycarbonate-windowed Z06 Chevrolet and Pratt & Miller showed at SEMA; in 2026 the chief engineer said a Z06X is possible again The guide / Z06X in 2026 / Year page |
2011 | concept |
 |
C7 Corvette Z06 The supercharged 650-hp LT4, the first Z06 automatic, removable roof and convertible; 2.95 seconds to 60 and the most downforce GM had tested The guide / The 2018 Z06 / Year page |
2015–19 | 39,940 |
 |
Z06 Indy 500 Pace Car An Arctic White seven-speed Z06 paced the 99th Indianapolis 500 with Jeff Gordon driving; no replica The guide / The pace cars / Year page |
2015 | — |
 |
Z06 C7.R Edition Corvette Racing Yellow or black with the C7.R’s graphics, Z07 and carbon-ceramic brakes, serialized VINs, for the 2015 Le Mans win The guide / Year page |
2016 | 650 |
 |
Carbon 65 Edition Z06 Ceramic Matrix Gray with visible-carbon aero and a blue interior for the Corvette’s 65th, on the Grand Sport 3LT and Z06 3LZ (RPO Z25) The guide / The anniversary cars / Year page |
2018 | 353 Z06s (650 in all) |
 |
Z06 Hertz 100th Anniversary Edition One hundred Corvette Racing Yellow Z06 coupes with black stripes and Hertz badging, rented at fourteen airports for the company’s centenary and sold off in 2020 The guide / Year page |
2019 | 100 |
 |
C8 Corvette Z06 The mid-engine Z06: the 5.5-liter flat-plane LT6 at 670 hp and 8,600 rpm, the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 in a production car, in a body 3.6 inches wider The guide / 2024 guide / 2025 guide / Year page |
2023– | 32,400 through 2026 |
 |
Z06 70th Anniversary Edition White Pearl Metallic Tricoat or Carbon Flash with Ceramic White leather, red calipers and 70th badges; the Z06 70th paced the 2022 Indianapolis 500 The guide / The 2022 pace car / Year page |
2023 | option (5,601 70ths, all models) |
 |
Corvette Z06 GT3.R Chevrolet’s customer GT3 race car, built by Pratt Miller from the Z06: Daytona and Le Mans class wins in 2025, the IMSA GTD Pro titles of 2025 and the 2026 manufacturers’ championship The guide / The race cars / Year page |
2024– | race car |
Evolution of the Z06 by Generation
The Chevy Corvette has always been synonymous with affordable high-performance. Since its earliest iterations, the Z06 Corvette has pushed the envelope of speed and handling, offering drivers the opportunity to purchase a car that was equally capable on the race track or the open road. As far back as the late 1950s, the engineers behind the Corvette recognized that some of their customers wanted more power, stiffer suspension and better handling than the standard production models could offer. They knew that many Corvette owners were purchasing their cars to be driven exclusively on the race track. While the base model coupes (and convertibles) offered a lot of “bang for the buck,” there was still a divide between a standard model Corvette and a car that was truly capable of competing at the track.
Each generation follows, with the site’s account of the car, a table of its years with production, prices and what changed, and the pages tagged to each year.
The 1963 Z06 (C2)
You may not know this, but the first Z06 Corvettes were actually introduced at the launch of the C2 Corvette in 1963.
Corvette had already proven itself to be a performance-driven machine. While early Corvettes were considered slow and sloppy, the evolution of the C1 Corvette was such that, by the 1962 model, it was anything but. Still, recognizing the gap in performance, Zora Arkus-Duntov developed a competition package that could be purchased by consumers when ordering their Corvettes. The package, which was tagged as regular production option (RPO) Z06, added stiffer suspension, a more robust braking system and a larger gas tank (to increase drive distances between pit stops.)
Because of the AMA ban on factory backed racing programs, Duntov (and Chevrolet) had to be cautious about marketing an option that would make a production Corvette race-track ready. The solution was to incorporate an option that provided consumers with better handling and stopping ability that, when ordered in conjunction with other selectable upgrades, made their Corvette a formidable competitor. Ordering a race-ready Corvette was a two-step process: First, consumers had to specify that they were purchasing a “fuelie” (fuel-injected) coupe equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and a Positraction limited slip differential. Only then could the Z06 option be added to the car.
Of course, RPO Z06 came with a fairly hefty price-tag – an additional $1818.45 in 1963 – on top of the base price of the car. Given the sizable cost of the add, few Corvettes were ordered with the Z06 option. While estimates vary, most agree that approximately 200 Z06 Corvettes were manufactured between 1963 and 1964. However, for those that did purchase the Z06 option, the upgraded Corvette proved to be a solid contender on the racetrack, holding its own against competitors like the Shelby Cobra in SCCA race events. Interestingly, the Z06 moniker – which had garnered a quick reputation amongst Corvette enthusiasts as the top-of-the-line track version of the car – disappeared after its brief production run, and would not surface again for nearly thirty years.
The site’s count is 199 Z06 coupes, all 1963s, 63 of them with the 36.5-gallon tank; the package was not listed for 1964, when the tank became a separate option. The cars won their first race, at Riverside on October 13, 1962, with Doug Hooper driving a Mickey Thompson entry after the three Cobras and the other Z06s fell out, and they are among the most valuable production Corvettes, with the tankers at the top.
MORE: THE C2 HUB / THE 1963 Z06 GUIDE
| YEAR | Z06S BUILT | BASE PRICE | WHAT CHANGED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 199 | $1,818.45 option | RPO Z06 turned a fuel-injected four-speed coupe into a race car: Al-Fin power brakes with sintered-metallic linings, heavy-duty springs, shocks and front bar, a dual master cylinder and, on 63 cars, the 36.5-gallon “tanker” tank | Year page |
The 2001–2004 C5 Z06
Based on the Fixed Roof Coupe that had been introduced by Chevrolet in 1999, the 2001 Corvette Z06 was built to rival the horsepower and performance that had previously been boasted by the fourth-generation ZR1 Corvette from 1990–1995.
As with Zora Arkus-Duntov before him, the idea to develop a true “race-ready” Corvette stemmed from the discontented mind of David Hill, Corvette’s Chief Engineer (at that time). Hill felt that the current C5 coupe and convertible platforms lacked the performance that consumers increasingly demanded from the Corvette. He recognized that not all Corvette owners cared about the comforts and convenience features offered in a weekend cruiser and instead wanted a car that was capable of being the strongest – and fastest – vehicle on the streets.
The Z06 naming convention was actually re-introduced to pay homage to Zora Duntov and the original “race-ready” Z06 Corvette package that he’d been instrumental in developing for the 1963 production model. To further honor the famed engineer, Chevrolet engineers developed a new powerplant for the fifth-generation Z06 model. Dubbed the LS6, the engine carried the same designation given to Duntov’s famed 425 horsepower big-block V-8 that was offered (though briefly) in 1971.
The new LS6 engine produced an impressive 385 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. It was mated to a new six-speed manual transmission gearbox that included more aggressive gearing than that found on the base model Corvettes. The car boasted an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 9.09 pounds per horsepower, with a 0-60 time of just 4 seconds and a quarter-mile time of just over 12 seconds. As with the earlier Z06, the fifth-generation variant included upgrades to the suspension and braking systems. Unlike the earlier model, the new Z06 also featured an improved, higher-output exhaust system and track-ready tires.
For the 2003–2004 models, improvements made to the LS6 engine increased output from 385 horsepower to 405 horsepower. For the 2004 model year, Chevrolet also introduced a Z06 Commemorative Edition which featured a carbon-fiber hood, and special badging celebrating Corvette’s success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the previous year.
Four years, 28,388 cars: 5,773 in 2001, 8,297 in 2002, 8,635 in 2003 and 5,683 in 2004, 2,025 of the last year’s as Commemorative Editions. The 2004 car’s Nürburgring-tuned FE4 suspension made it the best of them, and the C5 Z06 has become the affordable analog Corvette, with documented cars selling in 2026 for $21,000 to $42,750 at auction.
MORE: THE C5 HUB / THE C5 Z06 GUIDE / THE COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
| YEAR | Z06S BUILT | BASE PRICE | WHAT CHANGED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5,773 | $47,500 | The badge returns on Dave Hill’s hardtop: 385-hp LS6, close-ratio six-speed, FE4 suspension, titanium exhaust, 3,118 pounds; 4.0 seconds to 60 | Year page |
| 2002 | 8,297 | $50,150 | The 405-horsepower year: hotter cam, hollow and sodium-filled valves, no pup converters, 400 lb-ft; stronger clutch, revised FE4, Head-Up Display standard; 3.9 to 60 | Year page |
| 2003 | 8,635 | $51,155 | Mechanically the 2002 car and the best-selling C5 Z06; 50th emblems but no 50th Anniversary package or Magnetic Ride (13 pounds heavier) for the Z06 | Year page |
| 2004 | 5,683 | $52,385 | The last and best-sorted C5 Z06: FE4 retuned after Nürburgring testing; 2,025 Le Mans Blue Commemorative Editions with the first production carbon-fiber hood | Year page |
The 2006–2013 C6 Z06
By the time the C6 Corvette was introduced in 2005, the Z06 badge was immediately identified for representing high-performance and handling with Corvette fans the world over.
The Z06, which had emerged from the shadow of the FRC in 2001, had transformed the Corvette from just a sports car to something more – a super car that could now stand up to the likes of the Dodge Viper, Ferrari and Porsche. Despite this, the absence of the Z06 package at the unveiling of the sixth-generation Corvette left some enthusiasts wondering whether another “super-Corvette” was forthcoming. If it was, what form would it take? The answer came just a year later.
As with the C5 variant a few years before, the new Z06 emerged under the careful eye of David Hill. Taking lessons learned from the C5.R Corvette Race Car during its previous American Le Mans and 24 Hours of Le Mans racing season, the new Z06 was not only a race-track ready Corvette, but rather a Corvette that had evolved from its race-car counterpart. It represented the growing connection between the Corvette production vehicle and the C5.R.
The car’s body design was an evolution of the 2005 Coupe, albeit with some significant improvements. Carbon fiber components helped to lighten the car’s overall body weight, while improved manufacturing processes resulted in more structural rigidity to the car’s chassis. Functional air scoops were introduced to assist with brake cooling and to drive air into the throat of the engine.
And even among the Corvette’s LS engines of the day, the Z06’s was a beauty! The powerplant in the 2006–2013 Corvette was an LS7, the-then-new 427 cubic-inch engine that was intentionally designed to operate like one of the big block engine from yesteryear. The Z06 now featured an engine that was capable of 505 horsepower at 6,200 rpm, with an engine rev limit of 7,100 rpm. Similarly, the LS7 engine produced a total of 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, and even produced an impressive 385 lb-ft of torque at just 1,600 rpms.
As with all other Z06 models (save for the 2015 Z06 Corvette, which features an optional 8-speed automatic), the 2006 C6 Z06 version came equipped with a beefed-up six-speed manual transaxle. In addition to the transmission, the Z06 also received an upgraded clutch, half-shafts, U-joints and limited-slip differential. Another of the race-car inspired touches that were to be included in the C6 Z06 centered around the introduction of a special transmission oil pump that sent fluid to the car’s main radiator, a secondary heat exchanger, before returning to the gearbox, where it could aid in cooling the differential oil, especially during more rigorous driving conditions.
The Z06’s braking system featured larger, 14-inch front rotors and 13-inch rear rotors, all of which were cross-drilled for added cooling. Larger-than-stock, one-piece calipers were mated to these rotors. The front calipers featured a six-piston braking system while the rears included a four-piston system. All of the calipers were painted bright “Corvette Red” which was a defining characteristic of the C6 Z06. Interestingly, the suspension system for the Z06 remained mostly the same as the base model coupe, featuring independent short/long aluminum control arms and transverse leaf springs. However, the Z06 suspension did feature different, higher rate springs, special mono-tube dampers and larger sway bars that worked in conjunction with the larger tires and wheels.
Naturally, the sixth-generation Z06 came with a more-robust price-tag than the coupe or convertible models, but it also provided drivers an experience behind the wheel that was on-par with many of the premier sports cars from around the world. In 2006, the Z06 Corvette had a base price of $65,800.00 (excluding any available options). Yet, despite the dramatic price increase, the Z06 accounted for nearly 20% of all Corvette sales throughout the remainder of the sixth-generation Corvette’s production run.
Eight years, 27,994 cars, from 8,159 in 2007 to 471 in 2013 as the Grand Sport took the look-alike buyers and the ZR1 the power buyers. The Z07 Ultimate Performance Package of 2011 (carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Ride, Cup tires) gave the Z06 the ZR1’s chassis, and the editions came thick and fast: Ron Fellows, 427 Limited, GT1 Championship, Competition Sport, Carbon, Centennial and the 60th. The LS7 lived on in the 2013 427 Convertible and the Camaro Z/28.
MORE: THE C6 HUB / THE C6 Z06 GUIDE / THE Z06 EVOLUTION
| YEAR | Z06S BUILT | BASE PRICE | WHAT CHANGED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6,272 | $65,800 | All new: the 505-hp 7.0-liter LS7 on the aluminum frame, carbon fenders, 3,132 pounds, 3.7 to 60 and 198 mph; paced Daytona, Indianapolis and the Brickyard | Year page |
| 2007 | 8,159 | $66,465 | The C6 Z06’s biggest year; solid Z06 headrest embroidery, chrome ten-spokes, the 399 Ron Fellows Championship Editions; price to $70,000 in July 2006 | Year page |
| 2008 | 7,731 | $71,000 | The 3LZ leather group arrives; the 505 Crystal Red 427 Limited Editions signed by Wil Cooksey; a Z06 paced the 50th Daytona 500 and the Brickyard | Year page |
| 2009 | 3,461 | $73,255 | The ZR1’s 10.5-quart dry sump, spider wheels, more sound insulation; 55 GT1 Championship Editions and 20 Competition Sports; now the middle car under the ZR1 | Year page |
| 2010 | 518 | $75,235 | The smallest Z06 year: 518 cars between a $20,000-cheaper Grand Sport and a 133-hp-stronger ZR1; launch control, side airbags; the Z06X concept at SEMA | Year page |
| 2011 | 904 | $75,255 | The Z07 Ultimate Performance Package ($9,495) brings the ZR1’s carbon-ceramic brakes and Magnetic Ride; the CFZ carbon package; 252 Carbon Limited Editions | Year page |
| 2012 | 478 | $76,500 | Z07 falls to $7,500 and gains Cup wheels and Pilot Sport Cup tires for a 7:22.68 Nürburgring lap; Magnetic Ride alone $2,495; 195 Centennial Editions; new seats | Year page |
| 2013 | 471 | $76,575 | The last LS7 Z06 coupe: 60th Anniversary badges and Z25 package, the black spider wheel; 471 built, outsold by the ZR1 and the new 427 Convertible | Year page |
The 2015–2019 C7 Z06
Identified as “the most track-capable Corvette ever,” there is no doubt that Chevrolet had a singular focus when building the new 2015 Z06 Corvette: to create a track-ready super-car that shared the DNA of its C7.R race car counterpart.
The statistics speak for themselves: 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.95 seconds with the eight-speed auto and 3.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual. Quarter-mile times of 10.95 seconds at 127 mph with the eight-speed and 11.2 seconds at 127 mph with the manual. A lateral acceleration of 1.2 g. 60-0 mph braking in only 99.6 feet – the best of any production car tested by General Motors.
At the heart of the 2015 Corvette Z06 was the new LT4 supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine. The LT4 was SAE-certified at 650 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 650-lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. This certified performance rating identified the Z06 Corvette as not only the most-powerful production car ever built by General Motors, but also one of the most powerful production cars available in the United States up to that point in time. While the Z06 Corvette was a powerhouse that rivaled the C7.R Corvettes that were being developed as part of the racing program, Chevrolet also recognized the importance of building a platform that enabled drivers of all levels the capability of maximizing the performance they got out of their cars.
The Z07 package was introduced as part of the 2015 Corvette Z06 roll-out. The Z07 package added adjustable front and rear aero components to the car. It included adding larger winglets to the front splitter, along with an adjustable, see-through center section on the rear spoiler for track use. With this package, the C7 Corvette Z06 delivered the most aerodynamic downforce of any production car GM had tested. While the 2015 Z06 Corvette was developed specifically for track-ready, high-performance driving capabilities, the interior of the car was also developed in conjunction with the C7 Stingray to offer drivers a level of luxury that had been notably lacking from earlier iterations of the Corvette.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new C7 Corvette Z06 was the fact that it was offered as both a coupe and a convertible. Thanks to recent technical advancements made by GM’s engineering team, including advances in computer-aided engineering, metallurgy and manufacturing – many of which did not exist five years ago – Chevrolet was finally able to produce a frame strong enough for a Z06 Convertible. The new aluminum structure was engineered to be 20 percent stiffer than the previous, fixed-roof Z06. As there were no structural reinforcements needed for the Z06 Convertible, its curb weight was nearly identical to the Z06 Coupe. Both versions of the car also shared the same chassis tuning, powertrain output, driver technologies and equipment options – which included a track-focused Z07 Performance Package.
Five years, 39,940 cars, the Z06’s biggest generation: 8,653 in 2015, 14,275 in 2016 (35 percent of all Corvettes that year), 7,273 in 2017, 2,802 in the short 2018 year and 6,937 in 2019. The 2017 cooling revisions answered the early cars’ heat soak on track, the 2016 C7.R Edition and 2018 Carbon 65 were its editions, Hertz rented 100 yellow 2019s, and the 755-hp ZR1 of 2019 made it the second-fastest Corvette for its last two years.
MORE: THE C7 HUB / THE C7 Z06 GUIDE / THE C7 Z06 MARKET
| YEAR | Z06S BUILT | BASE PRICE | WHAT CHANGED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8,653 | $78,995 | All new again: the supercharged 650-hp LT4, the first Z06 automatic (8L90) and the first Z06 convertible since 1963; Z07 ($7,995) with carbon aero; paced Indianapolis | Year page |
| 2016 | 14,275 | $80,395 | The Z06’s biggest year ever, 14,275 cars and 35 percent of production; 650 C7.R Editions; carbon-ceramic brakes offered alone (J57); the Engine Build Experience | Year page |
| 2017 | 7,273 | $80,445 | Revised hood and supercharger cover for cooling after the early cars’ heat soak; the Grand Sport arrives beneath it and takes the look-alike buyers | Year page |
| 2018 | 2,802 | $80,490 | The short model year (June 2017–January 2018): 2,802 cars; the Carbon 65 Edition on 353 Z06s; the 755-hp 2019 ZR1 revealed in Dubai takes the crown | Year page |
| 2019 | 6,937 | $80,590 | The last C7 Z06, second-fastest Corvette behind the ZR1; 100 Corvette Racing Yellow Hertz 100th Anniversary coupes rented at fourteen airports | Year page |
The 2023– C8 Z06
With fiery performance and a relatively accessible price tag, the new Corvette Z06 makes an incendiary entrance into the elite league of supercars - Car And Driver
The 2023 Z06 was designed and engineered to be a “precision tool” for the race track. While the DNA of every modern Corvette evolved from its racing car heritage, the new Z06 has blurred the lines between street car and race car to such an extent that it is hard to decide which environment this car is best suited for. Everything about this car – from its outward aesthetic, to its wider front and rear fascias, its exotic proportions, and its luxuriously appointed interior – all state unequivocally that the 2023 Z06 is not just a Corvette – but a car that’s fully capable of holding its own in the supercar stratosphere.
“Corvette has always brought a discerning customer to the Chevy family,” said Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet. “This new Z06 was designed and engineered to set a higher bar with increased levels of craftsmanship, personalization and performance so customers can truly have their own bespoke performance car.”
An all-new 5.5L LT6 engine sits at the heart of this beast. Rated at an incredible 670 horsepower, this naturally aspirated V8 is the most powerful engine of its kind to be introduced in ANY production car. Ever. The LT6 features an all-new, lightweight, flat-plane crankshaft designed to rev the engine to a staggering 8,600 rpm. It’s at this point that the engine hits its peak horsepower. Where past iterations of the Z06 relied heavily on superchargers to achieve this level of horsepower, Chevrolet’s engineers recognized an opportunity to return to a naturally aspirated engine without compromising horsepower or responsiveness. In fact, engine responsiveness and trackability were both identified as top priorities for the eighth-generation Z06.
In addition to massive horsepower, the new LT6 was designed to enhance every aspect of the Z06’s track-focused driving experience. Corvette’s engineers spent two years developing the car’s distinctive, rich exhaust tone. Truth be told, both the sound and appearance of the Z06 evolved directly from the Corvette Racing program. Both the C8.R and the eighth-generation Stingray (including the 2023 Z06) have shared the same underpinnings since their introduction in 2020. Now, in addition to its shared chassis, the Z06 also shares a similar engine architecture and exterior proportions to the C8.R. In fact, the C8.R has been internally referred to as “the Z06 hiding in plain sight.”
“Racing was the reason the Z06 was developed in 1963, and it continues to support development of the road models that make them better on the street and the track,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “It also means we’ve tested the Z06 on the best tracks around the world, from Circuit of the Americas here in the United States, to the Nürburgring in Germany.”
The mid-engine Z06 has been built since September 2022: 6,413 in the long 2023 year, 10,575 in 2024, 8,862 in 2025 (a third of all Corvettes), about 6,550 in 2026 by the VIN count, and the 2027s from June 2026. Nothing has changed under the skin; the 70th Anniversary (2023), the three-screen interior (2026) and the gas-guzzler tax that lifted the 2026 price by $5,700 are the news. Above it since 2025 sit the 1,064-hp ZR1 and 1,250-hp ZR1X, and from it came the Z06 GT3.R.
MORE: THE C8 HUB / THE 2023 Z06 GUIDE / 2024 / 2025 / THE C8 Z06 MARKET
| YEAR | Z06S BUILT | BASE PRICE | WHAT CHANGED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6,413 | $106,395 | The mid-engine Z06: 670-hp flat-plane LT6, 3.6-inch-wider body, 20/21-inch wheels, Magnetic Ride 4.0 standard, Z07 $8,995; 70th Anniversary Edition; built from September 2022 | Year page |
| 2024 | 10,575 | $111,795 | The first full year, 10,575 cars, coupe and convertible almost even; new colors, the 70th’s visible-carbon wheels as a $13,500 option, carbon LT6 cover | Year page |
| 2025 | 8,862 | $113,795 | A third of all Corvettes built: 8,862 Z06s; the first year with the ZR1 above it; new colors (Hysteria Purple, Competition Yellow, Sebring Orange), Jet Black interior | Year page |
| 2026 | about 6,550 (VIN count) | $119,695 | The three-screen interior, five new colorways, Roswell Green and Blade Silver, blue calipers; price up $5,700 as the LT6 falls under the gas-guzzler tax | Year page |
| 2027 | in production | $121,395 | The fifth C8 Z06 year, in production from June 2026 with the 670-hp LT6 unchanged; 241 built by the July 2026 shutdown | Year page |
The Z07 Package: The Upgrade of the Upgrade
Since 2011 the fastest Z06 has been a Z06 with Z07. The package has changed with each generation but its idea has not: the brakes, suspension, tires and aerodynamics of the car above it, without the engine.
| GENERATION | YEARS | PRICE | WHAT IT ADDED | TAKE RATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C6 Corvette | 2011–13 | $9,495 (2011); $7,500 (2012–13) | Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Selective Ride Control with Performance Traction Management, 19/20-inch wheels on Michelin Pilot Sport 2s, then Cup-style wheels and Pilot Sport Cup ZP tires from 2012; a 7:22.68 Nürburgring lap | 540 of 904 in 2011 (incl. Carbons); 117 of 478 in 2012 |
| C7 Corvette | 2015–19 | $7,995 | Carbon-ceramic brakes, Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, stiffer Magnetic Ride tuning and Stage 3 aero: a larger front splitter with winglets and an adjustable see-through rear-spoiler center; the most downforce GM had tested | 3,378 of 8,653 in 2015; 4,955 of 14,275 in 2016 |
| C8 Corvette | 2023– | $8,995 (+ $8,495–10,495 carbon aero) | FE7 suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, the carbon aero package and, as an option, Carbon Revolution carbon-fiber wheels that save 41 pounds unsprung; 189-mph top speed with the wing | 1,845 of 6,413 in 2023 (29%); 2,715 of 10,575 in 2024 (26%); 1,805 of 8,862 in 2025 (20%) |
Z06 vs. ZR1 vs. Grand Sport: The Corvette Hierarchy
Where the Z06 sits in each generation. The Grand Sport takes the Z06’s wide body and chassis with the base engine; the ZR1 takes the Z06’s chassis with more engine. Only the C5 had a Z06 and nothing above it; only the C4 had a ZR-1 and no Z06.
MORE: THE ZR1 GUIDE / THE GRAND SPORT / THE FULL MODEL LIST
| GENERATION | GRAND SPORT | Z06 | ZR1 | THE GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 Corvette | 1963 Grand Sport: 5 lightweight racers, 377 ci, 550 hp | 1963 Z06: 360-hp fuelie package, 199 built | — | The Grand Sport was a factory racer; the Z06 was the one you could buy |
| C4 Corvette | 1996 Grand Sport: 330-hp LT4, 1,000 built | — | 1990–95 ZR-1: 375–405-hp Lotus LT5, 6,939 built | No Z06; the ZR-1 was the only super-Corvette |
| C5 Corvette | — | 2001–04 Z06: 385–405-hp LS6 | — | The Z06 was the top C5 and outran the C4 ZR-1 for $47,500 |
| C6 Corvette | 2010–13 Grand Sport: 430-hp LS3 in the Z06 body | 2006–13 Z06: 505-hp LS7 | 2009–13 ZR1: 638-hp supercharged LS9 | 133 hp and about $32,000 between Z06 and ZR1 |
| C7 Corvette | 2017–19 Grand Sport: 460-hp LT1 in the Z06 body | 2015–19 Z06: 650-hp supercharged LT4 | 2019 ZR1: 755-hp supercharged LT5 | 105 hp; the Z06 with Z07 out-lapped the C6 ZR1 |
| C8 Corvette | 2027 Grand Sport: 535-hp 6.7 L LS6; Grand Sport X 721 hp hybrid | 2023– Z06: 670-hp LT6 | 2025– ZR1: 1,064-hp twin-turbo LT7; ZR1X 1,250 hp | 394 hp between Z06 and ZR1, the widest gap yet |
What a Corvette Z06 Costs: Auction Results by Year
What the site recorded at auction in 2026 for each year of the front-engine Z06s, against the price when new. The C8 Z06 trades close to its sticker; the site’s market reports below follow it week by week.
MORE: THE C8 Z06 MARKET ANALYSIS / THE C7 Z06 MARKET / CORVETTES FOR SALE
| YEAR | BUILT | NEW | SOLD AT AUCTION IN 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5,773 | $47,500 | Documented cars sold for $21,000 to $41,500 at auction by mileage, with a benchmark around $28,500; the 405-hp 2002–04 cars bring a little more |
| 2002 | 8,297 | $50,150 | Documented cars sold for $23,000 to $39,000 at auction and $50,000 for a 430-mile example |
| 2003 | 8,635 | $51,155 | Documented cars sold for $21,000 to $36,200 at auction by mileage and $55,000 for a 354-mile example |
| 2004 | 5,683 | $52,385 | Standard 2004 Z06s sold for $23,259 to $42,750 at auction by mileage, the Commemoratives a little above them |
| 2006 | 6,272 | $65,800 | They sold at auction for $34,000 to $61,040 by mileage |
| 2007 | 8,159 | $66,465 | Driven 2007 Z06s sold at auction for $36,500 to $54,000 and delivery-mileage cars for $70,400 to $77,500 |
| 2008 | 7,731 | $71,000 | Driven 2008 Z06s sold at auction for $25,300 to $55,000 and delivery-mileage cars for $69,000 to $81,400 |
| 2009 | 3,461 | $73,255 | The 2009 Z06 sold at auction for $36,500 to $80,500 by mileage |
| 2010 | 518 | $75,235 | Two 2010 Z06s sold at auction for $47,000 and $54,500 |
| 2011 | 904 | $75,255 | Standard 2011 Z06s sold at auction for $47,000 to $63,000 against a $48,619 benchmark, a Z07 car among them at $60,000 |
| 2012 | 478 | $76,500 | A Centennial Z06 sold at auction for $55,000 against a $76,654 benchmark; 2025 results ran $56,000 to $71,500 |
| 2013 | 471 | $76,575 | 2013 Z06s sold at auction for $51,000 to $82,500, the top price a 12,000-mile 3LZ with Z07, against a $48,619 base Z06 benchmark |
| 2015 | 8,653 | $78,995 | They sold at auction for $49,500 to $88,000 against a $76,331 C7 Z06 benchmark |
| 2016 | 14,275 | $80,395 | 2016 Z06s sold at auction for $41,500 to $110,000 against a $76,619 C7 Z06 benchmark, the sub-1,000-mile 3LZ cars at $100,000 and above |
| 2017 | 7,273 | $80,445 | 2017 Z06s sold at auction for $70,000 to $99,000 against a $76,619 C7 Z06 benchmark, the manuals and Z07 cars at the top |
| 2018 | 2,802 | $80,490 | 2018 Z06s sold at auction for $66,500 to $88,000 against a $76,619 C7 Z06 benchmark, the manuals at the top; Carbon 65 Z06s for $75,000 and $110,000 |
| 2019 | 6,937 | $80,590 | 2019 Z06s traded against a $76,129 benchmark, low-mileage manuals at $103,000 to $110,000 |
The Z06 at the Races: Z06-R GT3 and Z06 GT3.R
Two generations of Z06 became customer race cars. The C6 Z06-R GT3 was built from the Z06 by Callaway Competition in Germany for Corvette Europe and raced in the FIA GT3 and ADAC GT Masters series; the Z06 GT3.R replaced the factory C8.R for 2024 and is the first Corvette race car Chevrolet sells to teams.
MORE: ALL THE RACE CARS / THE RACING PAGE
| CAR | YEARS | BUILT BY | THE RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corvette Z06-R GT3 | 2006–13 | Callaway Competition, Leingarten, for Corvette Europe | FIA GT3 and ADAC GT Masters: the ADAC GT Masters titles of 2007 and 2013 and dozens of wins across Europe |
| Corvette Z06 GT3.R | 2024– | Pratt Miller, from the production Z06; 5.5 L LT6.R, Xtrac sequential | Rolex 24 GTD win (AWA) and Le Mans LMGT3 win (TF Sport) in 2025; IMSA GTD Pro drivers’, team and manufacturers’ titles in 2025; 2026 manufacturers’ championship |
The Corvette Z06 Model Guides
The site’s in-depth guide to every Z06 and Z06 edition, from the 1963 original to the latest C8: history, specs, options, production and what to look for.
Corvette Z06 Videos
Sit back and enjoy the show. These Z06 videos and reviews are all about getting the blood pumping, and you may want to turn up the volume, because these cars sound insane.
Corvette Z06 News, Prices, Updates, Rumors, Reviews and More
All the latest from the world of the Z06: rare Z06s for sale and at auction, the rumors, the updates and the reviews, newest first.
FAQs
What does Z06 mean?
It is a Regular Production Option code. Chevrolet’s RPO list in 1963 put the packages at the bottom under Z, and Z06 was Zora Arkus-Duntov’s “special performance equipment” package for the Sting Ray coupe: heavy-duty brakes and suspension and a 36.5-gallon tank, ordered with the fuel-injected 327, the four-speed and Positraction to make a race car Chevrolet could not call one. The code was revived as the C5’s performance model in 2001 and has named the track Corvette ever since.
How many generations of Corvette Z06 are there?
Five: the 1963 C2 (199 built), the 2001–04 C5 (28,388), the 2006–13 C6 (27,994), the 2015–19 C7 (39,940) and the C8, built since 2023 (32,400 through the 2026 model year). There was no Z06 in the C1, C3 or C4 generations.
What engine does each Z06 have?
1963: the 327-cubic-inch L84 with Rochester fuel injection, 360 hp. C5: the 5.7-liter LS6, 385 hp in 2001 and 405 from 2002. C6: the 7.0-liter (427-cubic-inch) LS7, 505 hp, hand-built in Wixom. C7: the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4, 650 hp and 650 lb-ft. C8: the 5.5-liter LT6, a flat-plane-crank, dual-overhead-cam V-8 making 670 hp at 8,400 rpm, the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 in any production car.
Which Corvette Z06 is the fastest?
The C8 Z06: 0–60 in 2.6 seconds, the quarter mile in 10.6 and 195 mph (189 with the Z07 wing). The C7 Z06 is next at 2.95 seconds and about 185 mph, then the C6 at 3.7 seconds and 198 mph, the highest top speed of any Z06. On a track the C7 Z06 with Z07 lapped faster than the 638-hp 2013 ZR1.
How much does a Corvette Z06 cost?
New: $47,500 in 2001, $65,800 in 2006, $78,995 in 2015, $106,395 in 2023 and $121,395 for a 2027 coupe, all with destination and before the $8,995 Z07 package. Used: in 2026 documented C5 Z06s sold at auction for about $21,000 to $43,000, C6 Z06s for $25,000 to $82,500 by year and mileage, C7 Z06s from the $40,000s up, and C8 Z06s near or above their original sticker. The values table above has the year-by-year results.
How many Corvette Z06s were built?
About 128,921 through the 2026 model year: 199 in 1963, 28,388 C5s (2001–04), 27,994 C6s (2006–13), 39,940 C7s (2015–19) and 32,400 C8s (2023–26, the last year by VIN count). The biggest single year was 2016 with 14,275; the smallest after 1963 was 2013 with 471.
What is the Z07 package?
The track package sold on top of the Z06 since 2011: carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Ride with Performance Traction Management, Michelin Cup tires and, from the C7 on, carbon-fiber aerodynamics; on the C8 it also opens the option of carbon-fiber wheels. It cost $9,495 in 2011 (then $7,500), $7,995 on the C7 and $8,995 on the C8, and between a fifth and a third of Z06 buyers take it.
What is the difference between a Z06 and a ZR1?
The ZR1 is the car above the Z06: same chassis, more engine. In the C6 the Z06 had 505 hp and the ZR1 638; in the C7, 650 against 755; in the C8, 670 against 1,064 (and 1,250 for the ZR1X). The C5 had a Z06 and no ZR1, the C4 a ZR-1 and no Z06. The ZR1 guide covers the other side of the pair.
What is the difference between a Z06 and a Grand Sport?
The Grand Sport wears the Z06’s wide body, brakes and chassis with the standard engine: the 430-hp LS3 in 2010–13 and the 460-hp LT1 in 2017–19, at about $20,000 less than the Z06. For 2027 the C8 Grand Sport returns with a 535-hp 6.7-liter LS6 and the hybrid Grand Sport X above it; the Z06 keeps the 670-hp LT6.
Was the Z06 ever a convertible?
Not until 2015. The 1963 Z06 was coupe-only, the C5 Z06 a fixed-roof hardtop and the C6 Z06 a fixed-roof coupe; the C7’s stiffer aluminum frame allowed a Z06 convertible from 2015, and the C8 Z06 is sold as a coupe with a removable roof panel and as a convertible, which has outsold the coupe in two of its first three years.
Which Z06 special editions are there?
The 2004 Commemorative Edition (2,025 Z06s), 2007 Ron Fellows Championship Edition (399), 2008 427 Limited Edition (505), 2009 GT1 Championship Edition (55 Z06s) and Competition Sport (20), 2011 Carbon Limited Edition (252) and Ron Fellows Hall of Fame Tribute, 2012 Centennial Edition (195 Z06s), 2013 60th Anniversary, 2016 C7.R Edition (650), 2018 Carbon 65 (353 Z06s), 2019 Hertz 100th Anniversary (100) and 2023 70th Anniversary. Each is in the full list above with its guide.
Did the Z06 pace the Indianapolis 500?
Three times: 2006 with Lance Armstrong, 2015 with Jeff Gordon and 2022 (a 2023 Z06 70th Anniversary) with Sarah Fisher, plus the Red Mist Z06 convertible in 2023. Z06s also paced the Daytona 500 in 2006 and the Brickyard 400 from 2006 to 2009. No Z06 pace-car replica was sold; the pace cars page lists them all.
Is the Z06 a race car?
It started as one and has become one twice more. The 1963 Z06 was built to race in SCCA A-Production and won at Riverside in its first outing; the C6 Z06-R GT3, built by Callaway Competition, raced across Europe; and the Z06 GT3.R, built by Pratt Miller from the C8 Z06, won its class at Daytona and Le Mans in 2025 and took Chevrolet’s first IMSA GTD Pro championships.
