The absolute best sports car you can buy for $50,000.   That's the best way I know how to describe this car.  Admittedly, $50K is lot of money, but for the level of performance the Z06 provides, nothing else even comes close.  Viper?  Porsche?  Lambo?  the new Saleen?  No way.  They all cost way, way more.

Long about the fall of 1998, after I had completed the first round of mods to The Shuttle, I met an MR2T owner out at the street races who later introduced me to Terry.  Since that introduction, Terry and me have become good friends as we are close the same age, share a good number of common interests, and live in the same neighborhood.  It's through this friendship that we, on occasion, swap cars - he drives my CLK430 and I get to pilot this Z06.  As a result, we both win.

This is Terry's fair-weather cruiser.  With 405-hp, this car has what I call, "Power on Tap."  That's what I love about this car and what I think of when I'm piloting this land-based cruise-missile down the road.  Torque?  You want a car with torque?  Ha!  Look no further; just buy a Z06; it redefines the meaning of torque.  At any rpm and in nearly any gear, mashing the throttle yields instant acceleration.  To understand and fully appreciate what I mean, one must drive a Z06.  It's an automotive crate of terror just waiting to be unleashed...  a terror for an inexperienced driver trying to maintain course while running through the gears...  and, a terror for the guy in the next lane at the stop light, regardless whether he's in a Porsche or a riced-up Civic with a 5" fart muffler who driver is clueless about Corvettes, in general, never mind the Z06 badge on the front fenders.  But for the owner/driver who can handle a car with this much power, this Z06 will bring miles and miles of smiles. 

At the drag strip, a good driver can run 12.2s in this car all day long, then drive it to the quick-mart for a few groceries on the way home.  The time slips shown here are from Terry's first venture to the local drag strip; since then, 12.2s are the norm.  Keep in perspective that this car is 100% stock!!!

On the dyno, this 405-hp pushrod V8 lays down 365-hp, which makes for a 10% loss through the drive-train.  And, as you can see in the dyno graph below, nearly all of the 20 some-odd HP added to the 2002 Z06 makes it to the ground.  This is why one will find more pre-owned 2001 Z06s for sale than 2002 models.

In February 2003, Terry had to buy new back tires (I wonder why?)...  So, before doing so, he gave the current tires one final flogging..  Here's the movie. 

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