Beginning this spring, those of you with enough coin in your
Corvette-shaped piggy bank can order the 2008 Corvette 427 Limited
Edition Z06. The special edition C6 comes with with Crystal Red
Tintcoat, new exclusive wheels, a titanium-colored leather interior,
427-embroidered seats and floor mats, and Z06 sill plates.
Pedestrians will know how special your car is when they see the
"427" badges and graphics adorning the exterior. Inside,
Wil Cooksey, the soon-to-retire Bowling Green Corvette plant manager
of 15 years, will personally sign each model's armrest.
Chevy will only build 427 of the cars for the North American market
and another 78 for everyone else, for a total run of only 505. That
is, not coincidentally, the horsepower rating of this American sports
car. Buyers will have to come up with $84,195 to park one in their
garage -- about a $13,000 premium over the mass-production Z06. Want
nav? That'll be another $1,750.
Chevrolet's Special '427 Limited Edition Z06' Salutes Classic 427
Corvettes
DETROIT – Chevrolet announced the 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition
Z06, a limited-production model that pays homage to the big-block
Stingray models of the mid-1960s. The 427 designation refers to the
cubic-inch displacement for the highest-performance engines offered
between 1966 and '69 – and is also the cubic-inch equivalent of the
Z06's 7.0L LS7 small-block V-8.
The 427 Limited Edition Z06 features a Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior,
the first Z06 ever offered with a red metallic tintcoat paint. It
also features graphics on the hood and fascia that evoke the style of
the famed "stinger" hood design and graphics that were
offered with 1967 models equipped with the 427 engine. Also unique to
this model are "427" hood badges. Each example is numbered
and signed by Wil Cooksey, the Corvette assembly plant manager who is
retiring after 15 years on the job, and comes with a certificate of
authenticity.
"The heritage of the 427 designation with the Corvette is
legendary," said Harlan Charles, Corvette product manager.
"Recognizing the tie-in of the original 427 engine and the LS7's
427-inch displacement has been on the Corvette team's mind since the
Z06 was introduced, and we're thrilled to express it in this special
model."
Available under order code Z44, this special Z06 enters production
this spring. Only 427 will be offered in the United States and
Canada, with 78 more exported outside North America. That's a total
of 505 production vehicles – the same number of horsepower produced
by the LS7 engine.
The special-edition Corvette carries a MSRP of $84,195 and includes
the 3LZ premium equipment package with a custom, leather-wrapped
interior. A navigation system is the only option ($1,750). As with
other Corvette models, customer delivery is available at the Corvette
Museum, in Bowling Green, Ky.
A breakdown of the 427 Limited Edition Z06's unique content includes:
* Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior paint with stinger-style graphics and
427 hood badges
* Exclusive, new chrome wheels
* Body-color rear spoiler and door handles
* Exclusive dark titanium custom leather-wrapped interior
* Special Crystal Red interior trim plate graphic pattern
* Console armrest signed and numbered by Wil Cooksey
* "427"-embroidered seats and floor mats
* "Z06" sill plates
The 427 Limited Edition Z06 joins the Indy 500 Pace Car replica –
available in coupe and convertible configurations – as the second
limited-production Corvette model introduced for 2008, giving
enthusiasts and collectors a wealth of choices. In January, Chevrolet
also announced the 2009 Corvette ZR1, which enters production later
this summer.
"There's never been a better time to be a Corvette
enthusiast," said Charles. "The performance and refinement
are exemplary and special editions, like the 427 model, enrich the
heritage of America's sports car."
Corvette Z06 details
The Corvette Z06 that is the foundation for the 427 Limited Edition
offers carefully executed levels of capability and technology, making
it one of the best performance values on the market.
The Z06's LS7 7.0L engine reintroduced the 427-cubic-inch engine to
the Corvette lineup. It uses racing-derived lightweight technology,
including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to help boost
horsepower and rpm capability – it is rated at 505 horsepower (377
kW).* The only transmission offered with the Z06 is a six-speed
manual.
In the car's 3,162-pound (1,437 kg) package, the LS7 engine helps
deliver 0-60 mph performance of 3.7 seconds in first gear,
quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds at 125 mph and a top speed of 198
mph (as recorded on Germany's Autobahn) – the Z06 also circuited
Germany's famed N ü rburgring racetrack in a time of 7:43.
The Z06 has a unique aluminum body structure for optimum stiffness and
light weight for the fixed-roof body style. Perimeter rails are
one-piece hydroformed aluminum members featuring cast suspension
nodes, which replace many welded steel components on other Corvette
models. Advanced structural composites featuring carbon fiber are
bonded to the aluminum structure. Wider front wheelhouses, for
example, are carbon composites and the passenger compartment floors
combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood
core.
A firm, race-proven suspension works harmoniously with large 18 x
9.5-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels and 275/35ZR18 tires in the front,
and 19 x 12-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires in
the rear to achieve lateral acceleration of more than 1 g.
Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an
equally capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch
(355 mm) vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch (340 mm)
vented and cross-drilled rear rotors.
The front rotors are acted upon by large, red-painted six-piston
calipers that use six individual brake pads. Individual brake pads
are used because they deliver more equalized wear compared to what
would otherwise be a pair of very long single-piece pads. For the
rear brakes, four-piston calipers with four individual brake pads are
used. A Delphi four-channel ABS system is standard, as is a very
competent active handling system – complete with a Competitive
Driving mode.
History of the Corvette and the 427 engine
The Chevrolet Mark IV V-8 debuted in the Corvette in 1965 and was
dubbed the big-block, because it was physically larger in all
respects than Chevy's other V-8 engine, which became known as the
small-block. In '65, the big-block was offered in a 396-cubic-inch
displacement, with a maximum rating of 425 gross horsepower (317 kW).
In 1966, the big-block received larger cylinder bores and grew to its
legendary 427-cubic-inch form. It came in two power levels: 390 hp
(291 kW) and 425 hp.
By 1967, the Corvette's 427 engine was a legend in its own time and
was offered with a unique induction system that featured an inline
trio of two-barrel carburetors. Known as the "L71" (its
order code), it was characterized by a large, chrome triangular air
cleaner assembly. It was rated at 435 gross horsepower (324 kW). The
'67 big-block Corvettes were easily distinguished from their
small-block brethren by a raised "stinger" hood.
A handful of Corvettes with the "L88"-code 427 engine
slipped out of the factory in 1967, each rated at 430 horsepower (321
kW), but the L88 would be more closely associated with the redesigned
1968 and '69 models. The L88 breathed through a single four-barrel
carburetor rather than the L71's three two-barrels. The
triple-carburetor induction system was still available, however, as
the Corvette was offered with both the L88 and L71 versions of the
427.
No less than six versions of the engine were offered in 1969, the
final year for the 427. They included the L88, the L71 and a very
rare ZL1 427 that was built with a lightweight aluminum cylinder
block. Only two regular-production Corvettes were built with the ZL1
engine, putting them on the short list of the most collectible
Corvettes in history.
The big-block increased in size to 454 cubic inches in 1970, and the
original big-block engine family exited the Corvette lineup after the
1974 model year. The 2008 Corvette Z06's LS7 engine offers big-block
displacement and horsepower, but in a more efficient small-block
architecture.
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