2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 debuts October 26 with screaming flat-plane crank V-8 and 8,600 rpm redline

A new American hero is preparing to emerge, and it sounds like it hails from Italy.

In September, General Motors released the first official image of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ahead of the car’s full reveal on October 26. The image reveals new body work with larger intakes for cooling the flat-plane crank V-8 that sits behind the cabin along with a new wheel design. Ahead of the reveal on Wednesday a final teaser video was released confirming the car’s 8,600 rpm redline.

In July, General Motors released a teaser video for the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to announce the car’s October 26 debut.

The teaser video reveals the soundtrack of the new Z06’s powertrain as the car makes its way from the Nürburgring to Circuit de la Sarthe. Based on sound we hear in the video, the Z06 will indeed be powered by a flat-plane crank V-8 (like a Ferrari), and it sounds nothing like any street-legal Corvette in history.

The engine will likely be the 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V-8 that powers Chevy’s Corvette C8.R race car. In the C8.R, the engine produces 500 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, but it’s limited by regulations. It’s mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission. Uncorked in the Z06 street car, expect the engine to produce around 625 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic or a dual-clutch automatic transmission will send power to the rear wheels, and a manual transmission will not be on the options sheet.

The redline is expected to be 9,000 rpm, which will make that sound even more intoxicating.

Expect a wider overall stance with punched-out rear fenders covering massive 345 mm rear tires (the standard C8 Corvette’s rear tires max out at 305 mm). Prototypes have been spotted sporting 275 mm tires up front, and some had sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 R tires.

The Z06’s interior was teased in 2019 with a sketch featuring two big red buttons on the steering wheel marked “Spec Mode” and carbon fiber instead of leather on some surfaces.  The digital gauge cluster in the sketch also showed a racetrack layout, which could be a performance feature for use at various tracks.

Stay tuned for more news regarding the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 as we near the American supercar’s debut this fall.