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2002 Corvette Z06 - 12,250 original miles
Mods Include:
Chrome rims
Vararam VR-B2 air intake
CAGS bypass
Speed Bleeders
Hood and Door Seals
Hoodliner by Paula
Taillight Seals
Custom Door Sill Covers
Test Drive: 2002 Corvette Z06
Every now and then along comes a car that sets new standards for automotive performance. The 2002 Corvette Z06 is one of those cars. Its forte' is civilized power. And lots of it! While the 2001 model was fast, Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer, says the 2002 car is "the quickest Vette to date". That's a big statement, when you consider all the high performance Corvettes of the 1960's and 1970's!
Under the hood you find 405 horses worth of third generation 5.7 litre small block V8. This is 55 more than the regular Corvette, and 20 more than last year's Corvette Z06. With 400-ft lbs of torque, the Z06 offers outstanding acceleration. Try zero to 60 mph times in 3.9 seconds, or down the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds!
Fire up the engine and you are greeted by a deep throaty rumble from the tuned exhaust. Improved catalytic converter technology has reduced exhaust back pressure 2 psi, and the titanium exhaust system reduces vehicle weight. Even at the engine's 6600 rpm redline, the engine sounds mellow and powerful.
Power is no good unless you can put it to the ground, and the Z06 does that in spades. Behind the engine is a clutch with 7% more clamping load and 20% thicker flanges to increase durability. The clutch is connected to a precise shifting 6-speed manual gearbox with wider ratios to enhance performance. Huge P295/35ZR-18 rear tires on 18 x 10.5 wheels ensure there is enough traction to use all the power.
An Active Handling system helps control all that power. Traction control, stability control, and brake proportioning control are all combined to enable the driver to experience the car's power and handling while maintaining vehicle control. The system works smoothly and made even me look good on the autocross course. The system can be switched to "competitive mode" that disengages the traction control without giving up the other system benefits, or it can be switched off completely for tire smoking performance.
Power gets your attention, but it is the ride and handling ability of the Z06 that puts this car in a class with others that cost two, three, or even four times as much! A lot attention was paid to spring rates, stabilizer bars, camber settings and shock rates to improve both ride and handling. On GM's road course test track, the 2002 Z06 is .5 seconds a lap faster than last year's car (the 2001 Z06 was incredibly fast!).
Half a second doesn't sound like much, but in racing terms, it is like comparing a scooter to a jet plane! This car can be thrown into corners, mishandled, and driven roughly, and it still performs very well. Drive it smoothly, and the Z06 rewards you with cornering ability that makes the adrenaline surge.
Ride usually suffers when optimal handling is desired. I expected to be jolted and jarred over every bump and crack, but I wasn't. I found the Corvette had a comfortable, smooth ride. According to Tadge Juechter, Performance Cars assistant chief engineer, "the 2002 Z06 is a total performance package". Even though the ride is firm, it gives up nothing in the way of comfort while achieving outstanding performance levels.
Performance also means keeping the driver fresh and alert. Heads-Up Display is standard so drivers do not have to take their eyes off the road. Leather trimmed bucket seats hold one firmly in place and are very comfortable. Automatic air conditioning, six CD in-dash changer, and full power equipment ensure occupants are as refreshed at the end of the journey as the beginning.
Durability was an important part of the Z06 design. Testing included 250 miles of autocross, 24 hours on the racetrack, and driving flat out at 275 kph for a full tank of fuel. Dave Hill says about the 24 hour track test, "It's one test that is severe enough to give Corvette the robustness our owners expect".
GM expects about 20% of the estimated 35,000 Corvettes to be built for the 2002 model year will be Z06 models. Make no mistake about it; the Z06 Corvette was designed for serious performance enthusiasts, but it is a car that is easy to live with. Its rock solid stable, comfortable, and above all offers performance that makes ear to ear grins mandatory.
Technical Data:
Layout longitudinal front engine/rear-wheel-drive
Engine 5.7 litre OHV V8
Horsepower 405 @ 6000 rpm
Torque 400 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Tires Front: P265/40ZR17, Rear: P295/35ZR18 Goodyear Eagle F1 SC
Curb weight 3119 lb.
Wheelbase 104.5 in.
Length 179.7 in.
Width 73.6 in.
Height 47.7 in.
New for 2002:
LS6 receives 20 horsepower increase, to 405 hp, and receives 15 foot pounds more torque for a total of 400 lbs. ft. of torque.
Revised rear shock valving on Z06
Aluminum front stabilizer bar links for Z06 and models equipped with optionalZ51 suspension
Aluminum automatic transmission cooler case
Magnesium wheels no longer available
Z06 wheels are now cast aluminum, not forged aluminum
AM/FM stereo with in-dash CD player now standard
AM/FM/Cassette only available with 12-disc CD changer on Coupe and Convertible
Head-Up Display (HUD) now standard on Z06
Electron Blue exterior color added. (Navy Blue Metallic and Dark Bowling Green Metallic are cancelled.)
The 400+ hp fraternity is a small club. There's your Lamborghinis, your Ferraris, and your Dodge Viper.
Count in the Corvette for the 2002 model year. For the second time in its history, the 'Vette will cross that magic horsepower barrier, with Z06 editions pumping out a tire-shredding 405 hp. (You're forgiven if you can't recall the 1990s ZR-1 Vettes that also made 405 hp.) That's 20 more than the top-line 'Vette made last year, and 55 more than the base coupe and convertible. Torque is also up by 15 lb-ft, to a high of 400 lb-ft.
The numbers speak for themselves. The Vette, says Chevy, will zip to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, a tick quicker than the '01 model, and trip the quarter-mile lights in 12.4 seconds at 116 mph. GM won't quote a top speed, however.
To maximize the power in the '02 Z06, GM Powertrain engineers took out weight and impedances to airflow throughout the LS6 V-8 engine. The valves now have hollow stems and the air cleaner has a smoother flow pattern. By ditching twin catalytic converters near the exhaust manifold, they shaved a little poundage. The six-speed transmission has been stoutened, too, with thicker clutch discs and stronger damper springs.
Why bother with the incremental upgrade at all? After all, 20 hp means something to a Cavalier, but to a 385-hp V-8 sportscar? The truth is the power was in the plans all along - but wasn't quite ready for the 2001 model, says Sam Winegarden, chief LS6 engineer. "Not having resolved those in the final weeks before '01 production, we agreed to do it as a two-step process," he says.
Equally subtle upgrades to the suspension, says Chevy, means better handling and ride control. The front anti-roll bar is bigger but made of aluminum for lower weight. The rear leaf spring is stiffer, and camber settings are changed slightly for better control in high-speed maneuvers. Active Handling, a blend of computer and anti-lock braking hardware, continues to assist the Corvette from becoming a part of the roadside landscape.
Inside the Corvette receives a standard head-up display that projects vehicle speed and other vital information on the windshield. A new shade of blue replaces white as one of five colors offered on the Z06, and new spun-aluminum wheels replace the forged aluminum wheels offered up last year. Otherwise the exterior changes are as quiet as the number "405" that's being incorporated discreetly into the Z06 logo.
Z06 hardtop and C5 Coupe present different profiles. The Z06 hardtop roofline is actually more coupe-like than the Coupe, whose hatchback glass slopes more steeply. Other visible differences between the C5 Coupe and Z06 are subtle, starting with tidy Z06 emblems on each side of the car. The Z06 has modest mesh air intakes in the nose and wedge-shaped meshed cooling inlets for the rear brakes, located on the rocker panels just aft the doors. It also has open five-spoke aluminum wheels affording a view of big red brake calipers, and four 3.5-inch exhaust tips under the center of the rear bumper. The 17-inch front wheels are 9.5 inches wide, while the 18-inch rears are 10.5 inches wide. They carry massive and exclusive Goodyear F1 Supercar rubber, P265/40ZR front, P295/35ZR rear. There is no spare, nor are the tires run-flat; instead, you get an emergency tire-inflator kit. Try not to run over any nails.
For 2002, the Z06 is about 100 pounds lighter than the C5 Coupe, although its creature comforts, such as leather, air conditioning, carpeting, sound system, traction control and stability control are untouched. Using thinner glass, a titanium exhaust system and less insulation saves the weight. Don't bother arguing that insulation is a creature comfort; with a car like this, noise and spiritual comfort level are intertwined.
Corvettes come with comfortable cabins, something that wasn't always true with previous-generation models. Low doorsills and narrow side rails make getting in and out easier than before and there's more room for driver and passenger. There's also a real trunk; arriving at the airport after a trip halfway around the world, we were able to cram two huge duffel bags into a coupe. The other major improvement is the elimination of the rattles and stress squeaks that have haunted Corvettes for so long. Its handsome analog gauges are easier to use and more satisfying than digital displays.
Convertibles come with a top that stows neatly under a flap that folds flat at the forward edge of the trunk lid. You'll need to read the owner's manual to figure out how to use it, however. The top is made of high-quality material with a glass rear window. The top seals well -- there were no leaks in our car wash test or our high-speed wind test. The coupe isn't exactly quiet and there is more interior noise in the convertible than the coupe, and even more in the Z06, as we mentioned. However, this is a sports car, and noise -- particularly the calculated growl of that terrific new V8 -- is part of the deal.
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