Can we live with Corvette's race-bred supercar?

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is designed to be at its best on the racetrack – as Craig Lowndes kindly demonstrated for us recently.

However, road cars designed to be at their best on the racetrack can sometimes be hard work to live with on the road. Certainly, on paper at least, the Z06 has all the makings of a hard-to-live-with supercar – a high-revving, race-bred engine, wild aerodynamics and an uncompromising focus on performance.

Having personally experienced the Z06 on the track myself (at Sandown last year) it was with some trepidation that I signed up for a week living with the Ferrari-fighting Chevy. But it didn’t take long for those concerns to disappear, with the Z06 proving to be just as at home on the road as it is on the track.

While the notion of an American brand competing against European sports cars remains a hard sell for some, the truth is the entire Corvette range makes a strong case for itself. I’m not seeing Porsche, Ferrari and co. should be shaking in their expensive loafers, but they should be paying attention to what Chevrolet (and Ford with the Mustang GTD) are capable of these days.

The team from the bow tie brand has certainly left no stone unturned to ensure the Z06 is capable of holding its own against the likes of the Porsche 911 GT3 and McLaren Artura, developing it alongside the new GT3 race car to ensure a true blend of road and race technology.

Nowhere is that more evident that under the bonnet, with the Z06 powered by a newly-developed 5.5-litre V8 which features a race-derived flat-plane crankshaft design. This allows it to rev harder and deliver its power (475kW and 595Nm) in a more linear fashion, all while sounding like a more European supercar – rather than a throaty American one.

Our test car was the same specification as the one we lapped Sandown in, meaning it was equipped with the optional Z07 package. This adds an unmissable rear wing, as well as aero additions at the front, plus our car had the optional carbon ceramic brakes and Australian-made carbon fibre wheels.

All this race-bred, track-focused tech certainly gives the impression that the Z06 will be an uncompromising and, frankly, uncomfortable car to drive on the road. But as is the case with both the Stingray and E-Ray, the Z06 proves that Chevrolet has managed to retain some of the grand tourer vibes of the old front-engine ‘Vettes, while moving the engine to the middle.

There’s a welcome surprise of compliance and comfort with the Z06 on the road. It may look wild in traffic, with its huge spoilers, but it drives in a very tame manner. The engine is a particular standout, because despite being built to rev to nearly 9000rpm it is docile and responsive at low revs too. Around town you’d be forgiven for forgetting you’re in the Z06 and are just driving a standard Stingray, such is its driveability and relaxed nature.

Make no mistake though, if you do find yourself on a winding back road, the Z06 can immediately come alive and become a razor-sharp supercar. It has the poise and precision that only the best-in-class have and feels like it would have little trouble keeping up with Europe’s finest in just about any condition.

Although, to be frank, when you tally up the price, it should be as good as any Euro sports car because it’s certainly priced in the same league. The Corvette Z06 starts at $336,000 but the Z07 pack adds $50,000 and the carbon fibre wheels a further $22,000, taking the total price of our test car to $408,000. Even then, it manages to undercut most of its would-be rivals – the 911 GT3 starts from $446,700, the Artura if priced from $477,310, Maserati’s MC20 starts at $510,000 and the Ferrari 296 GTB begins at $604,000.

No, the Corvette doesn’t have the same badge appeal as a European sports car with some aficionados, and certainly the cabin design and switchgear is not on par with the best-in-class. But the Z06 is certainly exclusive, with Chevrolet only offering a limited amount each year, and has all of the driving potential – on both the road and the track – to please any true supercar fan… even Craig Lowndes.