More powerful than a Lamborghini Huracan, more tuneful than a Ferrari F8 Tributo and a third of the price of a McLaren 720S, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the supercar bargain of the year. Really, what else would you buy for the $90-100k it’s expected to cost?
Funny you should ask, because while the C8 Z06 might undercut every European exotic by a sizeable margin, it doesn’t have the entire field to itself. Buyers looking for a $100k mid-engined sports car have a number of new and used options.
2023 Corvette Z06
› Price: $90,000 to $100,000 (EST)
Before we get started on the other option, let’s quickly remind ourselves what’s in the Z06 package. The star of the show is, of course, the new 5.5-liter V8. Fitted with a flat-plane crank, just like its fancy European rivals, and capable of spinning to 8600 rpm, it generates 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. But just as importantly, it’s a turbo-free zone, meaning better noises and no lag. Think of it as a Ferrari 458’s Kentucky cousin.
Related: 2023 Corvette Z06 Is The Ultimate C8 With A Furious Sounding 670HP Flat-Plane Crank V8
The body and tracks are wider than the stock C8’s, adaptive dampers are standard and carbon ceramic brakes are available as part of the optional Z07 package that also includes stiffer suspension, an aero kit and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber. And if you really want to make the $90k estimated base price a distant memory you can specify carbon wheels that save 41 lbs in total. The only downside is the lack of a manual transmission option; like every other serious supercar, the Z06 come only with a dual-clutch ’box.
2023 Lotus Emira First Edition
› Price: $94,000
Arriving in U.S. showrooms in fall 2022, a few months after the Z06, the Lotus Emira picks up where the old Evora left off, but with a much bigger emphasis on quality and sophistication. Entry-level cars coming later will get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four from Mercedes-AMG, and cost from around $74,900. But the first batch of First Edition cars to land Stateside will be powered by a 400 hp supercharged Toyota V6 and carry a $93,900 sticker.
That output puts the Lotus at a huge 270-hp disadvantage to the Z06, and the 4.2-second zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time is probably at least more than a second slower than the ’Vette will manage. But plenty might think it a price worth paying for the manual transmission option your Lotus dealer will offer you and your Chevy one can’t.
2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
› Price: $101,200
This is where things get tricky. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 isn’t just the best Cayman, it’s one of the best Porsches you can buy, period. Like the Lotus, the GT4 is way down in power versus the Z06, its 4.0-liter flat-six making just 414 hp. But the naturally aspirated motor is a beaut, revving to 8000 rpm, and you get the choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission.
Factor in a chassis that’s almost 10 inches shorter in wheelbase than the Z06 and probably 500 lbs (227 kg) lighter, and you’ve got a sports car that’s perfect for technical tracks and twisty backroads.
2015 Audi R8 V8 or a 2014 V10
› Price: Around $100,000
We love the Audi R8, but we can’t be the only ones who feel like its lost its luster since the Corvette put its V8 horses behind the cart. And now the Z06 is on the scene we can imagine already slow R8 sales virtually stopping altogether.
Related: Take A Walk Around The New 2023 Corvette Z06
A new R8’s $148,700 sticker would stick in the throat of anyone who’s just seen the $90k one in the Z06’s window, and Vette money would only get you into a first-generation, pre-2016 R8. Both the 424 hp V8 and 525 hp V10 from that era were great to drive, and there’s the Lambo DNA to brag about, plus the option of a manual on the V8. But would any of you really take a seven-year old Audi over a brand new Z06?
2000 Ferrari 360 Modena
› Price: Around $90,000
Ferrari’s sublime 458 might be similar in spirit to the Z06, but it certainly isn’t in price, with even the earliest 2012 models changing hands for $160,000. You have to go back almost 20 years to find a mid-engine Ferrari you can buy for the $90k we’re betting the Z06 will cost.
The 360 Modena’s 3.6-liter V8 made just under 400 hp, hit 60 mph in just over 4 seconds and was available with a manual transmission. But the three-pedal 360s carry a ridiculous 33 percent premium according to Hagerty, meaning you’d almost certainly be stuck with the clunky F1 semi-auto for Z06 money.
2004 Lamborghini Gallardo
› Price: Around $100,000
We’ve already dismissed the Audi R8, but would a Lamborghini badge on the same chassis change your mind? For the same $100k that’d get you into a 2015 R8 V8, you’d have to settle for a 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo, but that key fob definitely has real kudos, even if the key itself looks suspiciously like a VW Golf one that has none.
Related: 2023 Corvette Z06 Configurator Shows Extensive Options Ahead Of Launch
Pre-2008 Gallardos made 493 hp (513 hp from 2005-on) from their 5.0-liter V10, and for the price of a Z06 with the optional carbon brakes and wheels you might even just squeeze yourself into one of the less common six-speed manual models.
Which mid-engined sports car would get your money? Vote in the poll below and leave a comment to let us know.