When developing the 2023 Corvette Z06, Chevrolet’s engineers could have easily benchmarked it against the current crop of supercars but instead, it decided to benchmark it against the Ferrari 458 Italia, arguably the greatest mid-engined naturally aspirated V8 that Ferrari has ever produced. Does this mean the new Z06 is a 458 killer?
Top Gear Magazine’s Ollie Marriage recently headed to the United States to put the new car through its paces and while we was doing so, he also tested it alongside the 458 Italia and one of the very finest sports cars currently on sale, the Porsche 911 GT3.
The review starts out by focusing on the new Z06 which Top Gear tested in Convertible guise without the Z07 package. While this isn’t the fastest, lightest, nor most responsive Z06 variant on offer, Marriage is left seriously impressed with it. He is particularly fond of the 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated V8 as well as the different driving modes of the car, all of which make a significant difference in the way that the Z06 performs.
Watch: Can The New Chevy Corvette Z06 Hang With A McLaren Artura?
But is it as good to drive as the 458 Italia? To find out, Top Gear managed to get the keys to a silver 458 and tested it back-to-back with the Z06. Marriage says it is more exciting to drive than the Corvette, even though it has roughly 110 hp less. However, it does weigh significantly less and he says it is the absolute sweet spot in Ferrari’s lineage of V8 supercars.
Then there’s the Porsche 911 GT3. To see how it performs, Top Gear headed to a track and also brought along the Corvette. Both cars perform exceptionally well but ultimately, the reviewer says he prefers the GT3 given its slightly more hardcore characteristics.