Introduced in 2001, the Z06 is currently the fastest most powerful Corvette money can buy (straight from the showroom that is!). At the heart of the car is an uprated V8 with 405bhp (considerably up on the standard 5th generation Corvette on which this car is based), which combined with a revised suspension and a 6 speed gearbox make this car a great drive.
The name "Z06" is in reference to a well know performance package available on 60's 'Vettes (all Chevrolet projects carried a "Z" prefix). To give an idea as to how good this latest Corvette is, the British magazine "Car" tested it against some top notch European sports cars including the TVR Tuscan and the BMW Z3M-Coupe, and pronounced it to be the best one in the group! A rare result for any US car when tested in the UK as the roads there usually don't suit the suspension set-up of a car built for the US.
AUTOart make this model as part of their lower priced "AUTOart Contemporary" range, which in a way is meant to take UT's place in the diecast market (better than Gate but not quite an AUTOart). It is based on the UT Corvette C5 (which was one of their last releases and was quite good to begin with) with a little extra detail and of course the new Z06 parts, including a great looking set of alloys. Maisto also make a Z06, which is good but I think this model is better.
Like the old UT Corvette, the engine is not modelled as a separate piece, but instead is moulded as part of the chassis. This does not look great and is my main criticism of this model. It does have an accurate interior however, and the paintwork is very good.
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