The Corvette Z06 has always been one of the greatest performance car bargains. It's always been priced like a sports car, while packing supercar performance and speed. However, Chevy recently released its pricing for the new C8-generation Corvette Z06 and this time it's priced more like a supercar, starting at $106,395, and it will be available to order starting July 28. That makes it almost $25,000 more than the previous C7-gen Z06.
The entry-level Corvette Z06 1LZ is what you'll get for that $106,395 starting price, which includes a $1,395 destination fee. Stepping up to the 2LZ raises the price to $115,595 and the top trim 3LZ costs $120,245. Chevy doesn't say what extras you'll get for stepping up the trim level ladder, though luxury goodies like an improved Bose sound system, upgraded seats, and maybe some more suede in the cabin can be expected. Choosing the Z06 Convertible bumps the price even further for the 1LZ ($113,895), 2LZ ($122,595), and 3LZ ($127,245).
Still, those prices undercut most mid-engine performance cars by a huge margin. The closest mid-engine supercar to that price point is the Audi R8, which starts at $148,700. However, Chevy is borrowing a page out of the European supercar options book, as there are some pretty pricey add-ons for the Z06.
The Z07 package, for instance, costs $8,995, which brings an FE7 suspension, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Cup 2R ZP tires, and underbody strakes. If you want that Z07 package, though, you must also get the carbon fiber aero package, which comes with a carbon fiber front splitter, rear spoiler, dive planes, and rocker panels. The carbon aero pack comes in two different flavors: flash-painted or unpainted visible carbon. The former costs $8,495 and the latter costs $10,495. Because the Z07 pack comes with the carbon aero pack, you're looking at either $17,490 or $19,490 for both, depending on your choice of carbon fiber finish. Or you can get just the carbon aero pack on its own, without the Z07 pack.
If you do get the Z07 package, though, you can also option carbon fiber wheels, which remove 41 pounds of unsprung mass. Again, your chosen finish changes the cost of the carbon fiber wheels, with flash painted wheels costing $9,995 and visible carbon wheels costing $11,995.
With just the options Chevy's revealed, a top-spec Corvette Z06 costs over $150,000 and gets closer to $160,000 if you choose the convertible. That's still cheaper than most supercars from Ferrari and McLaren but it is in the same ballpark as the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 GT3. Although, its all-new flat-plane crank engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever made, with 670 horsepower and an 8,600 rpm redline, so it should feel every bit as exotic as the Audi and Porsche.
What's more important, though, is the starting price. The entry-level Z06 1LZ won't come with any of the luxuries its higher trim levels offer, nor will it have all the pretty carbon bits, but it will still pack the same supercar-slaying performance at a price that drastically undercuts its competitors. So while it's significantly more expensive than the outgoing Z06, this new one is still the performance car bargain it always has been.
