The Z06 is the dedicated performance variant of the C5 generation, built around a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 producing 405 horsepower and 542 Nm of torque, paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. Available only as a fixed-roof coupe, it weighed 1,414 kg and covered 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, making it the quickest production Corvette of its era. The Z06 name revived a designation from the C2 generation and drew directly on lessons from Corvette Racing's C5-R program, with suspension tuning, brake hardware, and chassis stiffness developed with circuit use in mind.