Vehicle Description
The C5 Z06 was the pinnacle of Corvette performance up to that
time, and it espouses an ideal that we probably won't see ever
again: more performance through greater simplicity. With a few
thoughtful mods, plus a big ol' supercharger, this awesome
Millennium Yellow 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 delivers the kind of
massive performance for which the Z06 has become famous, all at a
shockingly reasonable price.
For the money, you probably can't go faster than this. The Z06 was
already extremely potent and there was really no point in trying to
keep things subtle, so they ordered this one in sizzling Millennium
Yellow. Actually, only 629 Z06s were ordered in this color, but it
seems kind of fitting and with the blacked-out tail section on this
one, it has a look that's quite reminiscent of the Le Mans-spec C5R
race cars. The fixed-roof coupes were an interesting experiment in
shaving weight while improving chassis rigidity, and we'll surely
never see a Corvette with three body styles ever again, making this
Z06 somewhat of a novelty. And all the body modifications were
functional, not cosmetic, including the screened-in front air ducts
that fed air directly to the front brakes and the scoops in the
rocker panels that did the same for the rear brakes. This one
carries the optional "stinger" body side moldings, which look great
on the C5, and the exterior lenses have been subtly blacked out for
a custom look that's all about performance.
The Z06's interior was minimalist in Corvette terms but hardly
Spartan. The base bucket seats were the only choice, but they're
wrapped in comfortable leather and have aggressive side bolsters to
help keep you pinned in place. The gauges were a C5 highlight and
are as bright and visible here as they were anywhere else and the
mandatory 6-speed manual gearbox's shifter falls easily to hand.
There's no doubt that this car was built by and for guys who like
to drive. Of course, you also got a full complement of luxury
features, including power windows, locks, seats, and mirrors,
powerful A/C, cruise control, and a great-sounding AM/FM/CD stereo
system, so you didn't need to give anything up to get maximum
performance. There are some Corvette-logo floor mats to dress up
the all-black interior and the Z06 actually offers a good-sized
trunk that's practical, another C5 first.
This particular Z06's LS6 V8 has been massaged with a big cam,
ported heads, and that polished supercharger up front, all adding
up to a number considerably bigger than the Z06's standard 405
horsepower. Yet at the same time, it's docile enough to drive in
traffic and runs happily on pump gas, so it isn't some over-tuned
trailer queen that makes big numbers but totally fails as a real
car. No, you can get in this one, turn the key, fire up the A/C and
make a cross-country drive without a second thought. And as long as
you're trying to get attention, why not paint some flames on the
coil covers, a very trick airbrushed detail that somehow seems
exactly right on a car like this. The 6-speed doesn't seem to mind
the power running through it (we could never break one when I was
building race versions of the C5) and the 3.42 gears get the blower
making boost right quick. The suspension has been lowered a bit, it
wears red brake calipers for effect, and the stock Z06 wheels were
painted satin black then fitted with oversized 265/40/17 front and
315/30/18 rear Toyo performance radials.
Professionally built and seriously fast, this is a lot of
performance for not a lot of cash. Call today!
