In case you missed this week’s Indy 500, you may not have realized that the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 served as the official pace car for the event. Not only that but Chevrolet offered a number of attendees the opportunity to go for rides in the new supercar.
In designing the new Corvette Z06, Chevrolet could have quite easily equipped it with an existing engine in its range or perhaps fitted the standard Stingray’s 6.2-liter V8 with a supercharger and called it a day. Instead, the automaker developed an all-new engine from the ground up and this isn’t just any normal American V8 either.
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Whereas the previous generation Corvette Z06 relied on forced induction, the 2023 model rocks a 5.5-liter V8 without a turbocharger or supercharger in sight. What’s more, this engine also features a flat-plane crank, forged aluminum pistons, and titanium connecting rods. It churns out 670 hp and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever fitted to a production car.
This clip from the Drive 615 Youtube channel features a number of 2023 Corvette Z06s that were found throughout the Indy 500 paddock and shows them being revved and speeding along the track. In the second half of the video, YouTuber Byron Glover Jr. jumped into the passenger seat of one of them and had the rare opportunity to experience the car in person.
Obviously, the soundtrack of the new Z06 is the key highlight but it also pulls through the gears seamlessly and thanks to the Z07 package that equipped the official Pace Car, was able to stick firmly to the pavement and remain very poised at speeds exceeding 160 mph (257 km/h).