[KPop]

So I'm obviously a big ///M-fan, but after driving this car the other day, the desire for supercharged small-block V8 sound and power is very strong.

The car was Callaway's press car and I had just wrapped up a podcast episode with the founder, Reeves Callaway. He invited me to check out his new Corvette Z06. Fast would be an understatement.

I'll paste my review over on Reddit /cars below.

Link is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/commen...te_z06_7speed/
Podcast with Reeves is here: www.thatcarpodcast.com

My impressions below:

For starters, this brand new C7 Z06 was fully loaded with the Carbon Ceramic brakes and full aero package in addition to the Callaway SC757 package that bumps horsepower to 757 and torque to 777 without having to modify any of the LT4 engine's internals (they're already forged and quite robust). Total cost, including the car, was around $135k.

Pics:

View post on imgur.com

I've driven a lot of quick cars over the past several years (C63 AMG, M3, M5, M6, Z4M, Tesla P90D, etc.), but nothing prepared me for the insanity that I experienced behind the wheel of this beast of a machine. For those of you who think you've been in a fast car, take that feeling you got, double it, and that's about what you can expect with the Callaway Z06.

It's batshit crazy fast.

It's hard to put into words the sense of occasion that car generates when you commit your right foot to the floor. It's got so much torque and power that you literally feel as if your internal organs are being shoved high up in your chest cavity. It's absurd, should be illegal, but it's loads of fun.

Being a relatively light car and wearing sticky Michelin Cup 2 summer tires certainly helps as well. The shifter has incredibly short throws, yet the clutch is very forgiving and I could easily see someone daily driving the car in a warm-weather climate. We did several highway pulls and some back-road driving in 95+ degree heat with the A/C blasting and never once did the car complain or show any signs of elevated oil or water temps.

Perhaps the most impressive part was the fact that Callaway certifies the car as 50-state emissions legal and matches the full factory warranty. You can pretty much roll-up to your local Chevy dealer and order the car straight from the factory. The SC757 package costs about $17-18k, which is a pretty good deal compared to other offerings from similar performance companies.

Nothing short of a million-dollar hypercar can compare to what this thing is able to do on the road. Someone from Callaway said they raced it against a Porsche Turbo S around Summit Point and beat it by 5-seconds per lap which is pretty impressive considering the cost difference.

I'll reply to any questions you guys have in the comments below and I'll share a full video review with driving footage once I have time to upload and edit it.

Look for my podcast episode with Reeves Callaway to drop on iTunes this week!

[Dackelone]

Thanks for posting your comments. Sounds like an intense ride.

I remember when Reeves made turbo kits for the Rabbit(Golf I) and Alfo GTV v6. Papa Callaway made his fortune with the "Big Bertha" golf clubs, way back when. Reeves has made some pretty interesting cars over the years.

[MVEED3]

Cool story and car! I love speed and can appreciate the experience.

That fender gap is a nitpick but a big eyesore for me.

[KPop]

Originally Posted by MVEED3

Cool story and car! I love speed and can appreciate the experience.

That fender gap is a nitpick but a big eyesore for me.

Thanks! Yeah, the fender gap is noticeable, but nothing that some good coil over's can't fix!

[Red Bread]

Isn't it more just the black fender trim? Plus a stock Z07 package pulls 1.20g, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Never_Enough]

Should be able to lower the car without coilovers.

[David70]

If it was my 757 hp Callaway Z06 Corvette I would only lower it if there was a performance benefit to doing it, then I would be very careful to try to find the right solution. Doesn't make sense to me that after all of the Engineering/Track time spent developing the car, then aftermarket modification time and money to complete it, people take one look at it and decide what needs to be lowered based on looks only.

[RoundelObsession]

Originally Posted by MVEED3

Cool story and car! I love speed and can appreciate the experience.

That fender gap is a nitpick but a big eyesore for me.

It will be a even bigger eyesore when it blows your shit away on the track!

[atxgt3]

Originally Posted by David70

If it was my 757 hp Callaway Z06 Corvette I would only lower it if there was a performance benefit to doing it, then I would be very careful to try to find the right solution. Doesn't make sense to me that after all of the Engineering/Track time spent developing the car, then aftermarket modification time and money to complete it, people take one look at it and decide what needs to be lowered based on looks only.

Well to be fair it does look like poop like that. It looks like it's on stilts. Also, I've seen people complain that it isn't that well behaved on the track, so there's room for improvement.

I've read a couple of places that they have it that high for easy shipping/loading/unloading, and you can lower it pretty easily (not sure how much) by adjusting some bolts. You don't have to change springs etc to lower it a bit.

[MVEED3]

Originally Posted by RoundelObsession

It will be a even bigger eyesore when it blows your shit away on the track!

Good one! I didn't buy my car to beat people at the track. It would be fun attempting to catch that hairy beast in the turns, though. There may be hope when the thing overheats.

[David70]

Originally Posted by MVEED3

Good one! I didn't buy my car to beat people at the track. It would be fun attempting to catch that hairy beast in the turns, though. There may be hope when the thing overheats.

Evidently 2017's have a fix and owners of 2016's do it also. Still wonder what percentage of drivers will ever have this happen but if you increase the hp over stock it is more likely.

http://autoweek.com/article/car-news...ight-be-solved

Chevrolet claims to have a fix for future and past C7 Z06 Corvettes

If you throw your Chevrolet Corvette Z06 around on a racetrack, you might be one of the drivers who has experienced a little overheating on the 650-hp supercharged LT4 V8 (or, if you're lucky, you've simply tripped the car into limp mode to save it from overheating). In a conversation with Motor1.com, Corvette's chief executive engineer, Tadge Juechter, said the 2017 Z06 'Vettes will have a new hood for better cooling, a different supercharger cover and modifications to the actual cooling system -- all working to help keep the Corvette cool.

While that's great for future Z06 owners, it doesn't fix current Z06 owners' overheating woes. According to a note sent to Autoblog, it appears Chevy will make the new parts "relatively straightforward" replacement parts for owners of previous model years. The backward compatibility makes sense, considering there aren't any major changes en route to the Corvette -- except, of course, the rumored mid-mounted engine.

Apparently, people who don't push their Z06 Corvettes to the limit shouldn't be worried -- as the problems only occur during very aggressive driving. Then again, if you have a Z06 and don't push it to the limit, WTF?

Currently, Z06 'Vette production is stopped as workers tool up for the Corvette's newest Grand Sport model. Pricing and more information about the returning Z06 will be available when the top-dog Corvette restarts production in the fall; we'll have Grand Sport driving impressions coming soon too, so stay tuned.

[AM4ZING]

Saw this car in LA a few weeks ago... Had a quick chat with the owner and he mentioned the car had 700+ whp... he also gave the M a compliment, cool dude

[MVEED3]

Originally Posted by David70

Evidently 2017's have a fix and owners of 2016's do it also. Still wonder what percentage of drivers will ever have this happen but if you increase the hp over stock it is more likely.

http://autoweek.com/article/car-news...ight-be-solved

My hope is diminishing, thanks.

[KPop]

Originally Posted by MVEED3

Good one! I didn't buy my car to beat people at the track. It would be fun attempting to catch that hairy beast in the turns, though. There may be hope when the thing overheats.

The stock ones are known to overheat since they're spinning that small-displacement blower at very high RPMs. The guys at Callaway saw that as a limitation and used the bigger blower so they didn't have to spin it as fast, and they upgraded the intercoolers w/ a beefier dedicated cooling circuit and radiator. They tracked this car at Summit Point against a Turbo S (beat it by 5-seconds per lap) and never once did it overheat.

[KPop]

Here's the overview video of the car (if you look carefully, you can see my Z4M in the background).

My driving video should be up tomorrow. I'll post it here as well.

[StealYourFace]

I saw a few of these at corvettes at carlsle last year - I couldn't get over the dopey looking hood.

Nuts machine none the less.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by atxgt3

Well to be fair it does look like poop like that. It looks like it's on stilts.

I'm not sure if you realize, the guy taking the picture probably had to get down on his knees just to take that pic, the car is so damn low just to start with, you'd be looking "above" the car in pretty much any case. I think the picture kind of screws this up, being taken so low. In reality, I doubt it's something one ever notices. Plus, nice to have suspension that does what it's supposed to.

[atxgt3]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

I'm not sure if you realize, the guy taking the picture probably had to get down on his knees just to take that pic, the car is so damn low just to start with, you'd be looking "above" the car in pretty much any case. I think the picture kind of screws this up, being taken so low. In reality, I doubt it's something one ever notices. Plus, nice to have suspension that does what it's supposed to.

It was one of the first things I (and many others) noticed when the Z06 came out. It has a huge wheel gap, that's just the way it is. It's not the angle of the picture. Google "Z06 wheel gap" and you'll see. It looks more like a 4x4 than a sports car.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by atxgt3

Google "Z06 wheel gap" and you'll see. It looks more like a 4x4 than a sports car.

I don't need to google it, I see them all the time. They in no way look like a 4x4 to me, especially with that low-pushrod engine. There isn't much that is as low as a corvette, without going crazy like Lamborghini.

[KPop]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

I'm not sure if you realize, the guy taking the picture probably had to get down on his knees just to take that pic, the car is so damn low just to start with, you'd be looking "above" the car in pretty much any case. I think the picture kind of screws this up, being taken so low. In reality, I doubt it's something one ever notices. Plus, nice to have suspension that does what it's supposed to.

Yeah, I was pretty low (very amateur photographer here -e.g., I suck at taking pictures). The car does sit low so it looks quite aggressive in the flesh.