2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06’s top speed is 195 mph, says chief engineer

It’s been almost a year since the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was revealed but we’re still learning new things about the car.

The latest tidbit is the car’s top speed which has been confirmed as 195 mph by Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette line.

Juechter made the announcement while speaking during last month’s 2022 Corvettes at Carlisle, albeit with the disclaimer he and his team haven’t actually arrived at an official top speed for the car, Corvette Blogger reported.

There have been faster Corvettes before, like the 755-hp C7 ZR1 which was clocked at 212 mph, and Juechter acknowledged this with the comment the C8 Z06 isn’t a “numbers car,” and that the focus of development was on delivering a car that is the “most pure expression of track and driver capability.”

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Separately, Josh Holder, chief engineer for the Corvette, told Corvette Blogger at the same event the Z06’s top speed would be reduced to 189 mph if fitted with the car’s available Z07 high-downforce package which adds the huge rear wing. The bonus is you get 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph and up to 1.22 g on the skid pan, meaning you can count on Chevy adding the package if it plans to set official lap times for popular racetracks, such as Germany’s Nürburgring.

We also know the 0-60 mph time is 2.6 seconds and the quarter-mile ET is 10.6 seconds at 130 mph.

The Z06 is powered by a unique 5.5-liter V-8 that boasts a flat-plane crank design, dual overhead cams, dry-sump lubrication, and an output of 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, or the highest output of any production naturally aspirated V-8. The engine is mated to the same 8-speed dual-clutch automatic found in the Corvette Stingray, but with a shorter 5.56 final drive ratio for improved acceleration. Drive is to the rear wheels only.

Order books opened in July, at which time pricing was confirmed to start at $106,395 for the coupe and $113,895 for the convertible. Adding the Z07 package will set you back an additional $8,995.