Corvette Z06 gets Callaway boost

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the most powerful weapon in General Motors' arsenal, the two-door coupe's 6.2-litre supercharged V8 grinding out 466kW – and it could be headed to Australia.

Make no mistake, the Chevy Corvette Z06 is crazy fast, dispatching the 0-100km/h sprit in roughly 3.2 seconds. But it just got even crazier thanks to US car-tuning powerhouse Callaway.

The General's blown V8, dubbed LT4, has been overhauled by Callaway, fitted with a bigger supercharger paired with a triple-element intercooler and an optimised air intake to boost power and torque from 466kW and 861Nm to a jaw-dropping 564kW and 1052Nm.

That's enough twist to tug a Boeing out of its gate at the airport!

The 0-100km/h sprint now takes 2.8 seconds, which is almost half a second quicker than the all-wheel drive V10-powered Lamborghini Hurucan using launch control.

Top speed has not been posted, but it's likely to make your eyes water when attempting to reach it.

The quarter mile takes almost half a second less in the Callaway-tuned car compared to the regular 'Vette Z06, from 10.95 seconds to 10.5 flat. Terminal velocity at the end of the drag strip rises to 210km/h up from 204km/h. Translation: Stupid fast.

There's even a chance something as ludicrous as the Callaway-fettled Corvette Z06 could be seen on Australian roads, with GM contending the V8 will live on beyond the Commodore's death in 2017.

Stefan Jacoby, the GM's boss of international operations, told Australian journalists in January that "it will be a sports car and it will be a global car".

That car is most likely going to be a Corvette or Camaro, but not either of the current models, since mid-life facelifts are the likely candidates.

In June Holden's executive director of sales, Peter Keley, wouldn't be drawn on what V8 sports car will be coming to Australia, but what's clear is that plans are afoot to offer the Holden faithful something to combat the Ford Mustang, which arrives very late this year.

"We've got no further comment, apart from the fact we're bringing out a sports car," said Keley at the Holden Insignia VXR launch.
"Obviously there's speculation about two different cars. I could make a case to you right now – without confirming either one – as to be quite plausible. It could be either one.

"It's been announced that there's no right-hand drive version [of the Camaro] at the moment, but does that mean that there's no right-hand drive [variant] ever?

"At the same time, Corvette has a new model at some point in time coming out as well. Maybe the timing of that works better from a right-hand drive point of view... from a launch. Both could be plausible stories."

Whether it's Corvette or Camaro that gets the tick of approval, it's likely that Callaway – and of course HSV – won't be far behind with tuning packages.

As it stands, the Callaway Corvette Z06 package is priced at $16,995 in the US – on top of the price of the car.

Callaway Corvette Z06 equipment:
Callaway GenThree Supercharger (pat. pend.)
with Triple-Element Intercooler System
Callaway Supercharger Hood Surround
Callaway Carbon Fiber Engine Mid-Covers
Callaway High Flow Air Intake System
Callaway Embroidered Floor Mats
Callaway Anodized Aluminum Door Sill Panels
Callaway Exterior and Interior Badging
Callaway Underhood Build Plaque with Vehicle Identification Number
Callaway Key Fobs
Callaway Authenticity Documentation Package
Callaway 3 Year, 36,000 Mile Limited Warranty