2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Is Unsurprisingly Very Thirsty

Sep. 06, 2022 7:03 PM ET byRoger Biermann Engine /38 Comments

Those 670 horses take a lot to keep them fed.

Ask American automotive enthusiasts which car they're most looking forward to hitting dealer lots, and we're pretty sure 80% of them will tell you the newCorvette Z06is the answer. Why? Because the C8 Corvette Stingray is such an exceptional platform that a 670-horsepower race car-derived supercar, can be nothing short of greatness.

If you weren't sold on that the moment the Z06 broke cover, then all you need to have done is follow Chevy's video series divulging all the details. We've seen race car tech in action on the world'smost powerful naturally aspirated V8, crazy suspension tech to keep things flat, and even the immense aero thatgoes into the Z07 package. But a car like that doesn't come cheap - not only at the point of purchase but every step of the way thereafter. And with 670 ponies under the rear deck lid, the Z06 is thirsty.

Just how thirsty? Well, we now have that answer.

Chevrolet/YouTube

While we previously had a vague idea based on thegas guzzler tax that had been slapped on the Z06, the folks over atCorvette Blogger年代pent some time chatting to Josh Holder, the chief engineer for the Corvette line. According to Holder, the final numbers have been submitted to the EPA, with the standard Z06 consuming a 12/21/15 mpg city/highway/combined. That's the reason for the $2,600 gas guzzler tax on the base model.

But what of the sticky tires and aerodynamic gear on the Z06 with the Z07 Performance Package? Well, more grip means more friction, and more friction is not good for gas mileage. To that end, the Z06 with Z07 pack (that'll confuse people who aren't in the know) consumes 12/19/14 mpg, resulting in a $3,000 gas guzzler tax.

Chevrolet/YouTube

You won't find these figures on the EPA's website yet. That's because the manufacturer may have submitted them, but the EPA is still processing them. And no, it's not because the EPA is verifying them, although it may ask to do so. In the US, the EPA does not have the capacity to test every car in every trim, every year, so it relies heavily on manufacturer-provided data, cherry-picking certain models to be verified and only causing trouble if discrepancies are picked up.

Holder confirmed that back in 2020, the EPA requested to test a Stingray. This is a fairly typical approach for an all-new car, but annual updates and the like usually slide under the radar and rely on manufacturer data - which itself is typically sourced from external laboratories to prevent rigging of the numbers.

Chevrolet

We're not kidding ourselves, though, we know that anyone buying a Z06 for its designated purpose isn't going to give a damn about gas mileage, and those who buy them to flip - should they not bedeterred by Chevrolet's strong stanceon the matter, could care less too.

Instead, they'll be interested in revving out that sweet LT6 flat-plane crank V8 to 8,600 rpm as they absolutely send it as hard as possible around the nearest racetrack. Those are our kind of buyers. But, as the adage goes, if you want the horse, you've gotta feed them. Pony up 'Vette fans.