Corvette Z06 Hiding Over 50 Easter Eggs On The LT6 V8

First seen in October last year, theChevrolet Corvette Z06is one of the most talked-about sports cars of the year. General Motors is serious about taking on segment heavyweights, spending plenty of time honing the supercar-killerat the famed Nurburgring race track. With anestimated starting price of around $90,000, it's not cheap, but that hasn't stopped some fans frompaying excessive amountsto get their hands on one.

The all-American Porsche rival also features some rather unique touches which pay homage to the Corvette's reputation as the astronaut's car of choice. During the development of the powertrain, engineers referred to the LT6 under the codename of 'Gemini.' This pays tribute to a space program of the same name, which took place during the 1960s. Dotted all over the engine are 54 easter eggs, visible in the images below.

The rocket ships can be found on various engine elements and some even serve a practical purpose. In a media presentation, GM's chief engineer Jordan Lee noted they double as directional indicators when building the 5.5-liter powerplant. The Gemini codename also had a double meaning. Latin for "twin", Lee said the name also refers to the twin throttle bodies and twin cams, for example.

Interestingly, the Gemini program also carried just two astronauts on various space missions. The flat-plane crank V8 is an incredible feat of engineering. The naturally-aspirated eight-cylinder is the most powerful of its kind. The 670-horsepower Corvette produces peak power at 8,400 rpm, before hitting the redline at an incredible 8,600 rpm. Together with the 460 lb-ft of torque, the Z06 can hit 60 mph in a mere 2.6 seconds. Quick shifts are courtesy of an eight-speed dual-clutch.