IEEE Spectrum April, 2015 - 52

Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The best bang for your buck

work of the seven-time-leMans-winning
Coupe or convertible, it's simply one
price: us $78,995 power train: 485-kW (650Corvette team that transferred technology
of the fastest, best-performing produc- hp) 6.2-l eight-cylinder overall fuel economy:
to
this street Corvette, which in turn informed
tion cars in history, beating track times
13.0 l/100 km (18 mpg)
the development of the new C7.r racer.
of virtually any rival that sells for less than
the coup de grâce is the performance
us $500,000, at a price that reads like a more power and a fearsome 881 newton
data recorder, which captures high-def
meters (650 foot-pounds) of torque. its V-8
typo: Just $78,995 to start.
video and in-car audio of track laps or dairy
on a test drive near death Valley, in Cali- even operates in four-cylinder mode to save
Queen runs and overlays the video with
fornia's Mojave desert, the Z06 coupe peaks fuel. Buyers choose a seven-speed manual
at 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per transmission or a new eight-speed, paddle- telemetry data. drivers can play back video
in the car, share it online, or apply trackhour) in third gear and 233 km/h (145 mph) shifted automatic that executes commands
analysis software to improve their skills. if
in fourth. i stop there, before the 314-km/h 160 times per second.
you've got $80,000 to $95,000 to spend
on spring Mountain's sinuous track, i feel
(195-mph) top speed becomes too tempton a Z06, it sure beats playstation. n
ing. Besides, a test track beckons at spring serenely in control. it's a testament to the
Mountain Motorsports ranch, in nevada.
the Z06 hurtles to 97 km/h (60 mph)
in 2.95 seconds, then stops in 30 meters,
thanks to mighty Brembo carbon-ceramic
brakes. it pulls an insane 1.2 g's of lateral cornering force, thanks in part to its
Michelin-designed super sport Cup tires,
which use a compound developed exclusively for the Z06. those cornering and
braking numbers may well set productionaluminum on a six-figure aston Martin the F-150 has roughly 450 kilograms
car records. Yes, the ferrari 458 speciale is
(1,000 pounds) of aluminum in its
may be no big deal, but when it goes on body, suspension, and other comone such production car.
the Ford F-series pickup-america's ponents, and it saves nearly 320 kg
Magnetic shocks and the driver Mode
best-selling vehicle for 33 consecu- versus the outgoing model-a
selector deliver a pleasingly wide envelope
15 percent loss. the switch from
tive years-the world takes notice. tried-and-true welded steel for an
of driver settings, allowing the Z06 to cruise
the bodacious 2015 model must be aluminum cab and cargo box alone
in all-day comfort or drive straight onto the
saves 204 kg. structural adhesives
considered one of the biggest prod- and
track. With its 20,000-rpm supercharger
about 4,000 rivets replace the
uct gambles in Ford's history, being roughly 7,000 spot welds of the old
nestled between its cylinder banks, the
the product of a multibillion-dollar model, boosting rigidity.
lt4 engine is only a couple of centimeters
inside the engine compartment
investment in Ford's assembly lines, is another advance. it's a pair of
taller than the standard stingray's 6.2-liter
engine, but it generates nearly 37 percent
optional, twin-turbocharged ecotooling, and engineering.

Ford F-Series

An aluminum truck for the masses

general Motors

Finally, Chevy has managed to put
it all together. the supercharged,
485-kilowatt (650-horsepower) version of the new Corvette Z06 combines a race-bred aluminum space
frame, carbon-fiber bodywork, an
adaptive magnetic suspension,
superb aerodynamics, and a brilliant
limited-slip differential. (it's called
"limited slip" because it reduces
power to the wheel that's not getting traction, thanks to an algorithm
based on real-time parameters.)

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum April, 2015