Chevy confirms 2023 Corvette Z06, teases exhaust note
Is that a flat-plane crank? Sure sounds like it
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Ever since the speed freaks within GM unveiled the mid-engine Corvette Stingray two calendar years ago, speculation ran rampant about a hot rod Z06 variant. Today, Chevrolet confirmed such a machine is in the works, and it sounds like a screamer — literally.
Planned for an unveiling sometime this autumn, the company is describing the forthcoming Corvette Z06 as a supercar that will “put the world on notice.” A teaser clip of the car’s exhaust note was the only thing released, prefaced by the words ‘crank it up’ over a background of that phrase written in several different international languages ranging from French to Arabic. Whether this suggests the types of markets in which Chevy plans to sell the Z06 remains to be seen.
Have a listen.
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Pretty good, eh? Scuttlebutt points towards a 5.5L V8 making this glorious racket, making more than 600 horsepower and revving to very nearly 9000 rpm. Why does a flat-plane crank get gearheads so excited? Compared to a more common cross-plane crank, it permits an engine firing order evenly distributed across both cylinder banks. This produces a distinctive sound that’s more Ferrari-like than most are used to hearing eminating from the back of any car wearing a bowtie badge.
We always comb videos like these for so-called Easter eggs, clues inserted into the clip by the manufacturer revealing some sort of obscure detail. This time around, save for some repeated shapes that appear to be completely abstract in their appearance and presentation, we’ve got nothin’. If there’s a code in there, your author couldn’t break it. Good job he wasn’t a radio operator during the war.
While the Z06 is promised for a fall debut, there’s every chance in the world it won’t go on sale until next spring as a 2023 model.
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