Enthusiast Calculates Estimated Top Speed of the 2023 Corvette Z06 at 208 MPH

Last week we brought you a table found in the new 2023 Corvette Owner’s Manual that showed the minimum and maximum speeds for the individual gear changes with the C8 Corvette Z06 capable of being downshifted from 6th to 5th gear at 188 MPH. We hypothesized that if you can go down from 6th to 5th at 188 MPH, surely that 6th gear should be enough to get you over the 200 MPH mark, right?

Thanks to a Corvette Forum member named “Iker” whose superhero power is math, we’ve got a very good idea on what the top speed of the standard Z06 and one with the Z07 Performance Package. Before discussing the C8Z-specific numbers, Iker came up with his formula and then tested it against the Porsche 992 GT3 and he was within 1 MPH of Porsche’s official top speed number.

Let’s apply this calculation to estimate the new Z06 top speed

Top Speed Formula

vmax = ( 2 · P / (c · D · A) )1/3

P = power in watt
C = drag coefficient
A = frontal area
D = air density, sea level = 1.25 kg/m³

Z06 with the Z07 Performance Pkg

P = power in watt at wheels = 590whp = 440000 watt (assuming 12% drivetrain loss)
C = drag coefficient 0.47 (6% improvement over C7ZR1 Cd 0.50)
A = frontal area = 2.25 (assumption based on narrower previous generation 2.15)
D = air density, sea level = 1.25 kg/m³

vmax = ( 2 · 440000 / (0.47 · 2.25 · 1.25) )1/3
= 87.3 meter per second
= 314 kmh = 194 mph

Standard Z06 version
Should have Cd around 0.38

vmax = ( 2 · 440000 / (0.38 · 2.25 · 1.25) )1/3
= 93.7 meter per second
= 337 kmh = 208 mph

Z07 = 194 mph Non Z07 = 208 mph +\- 2 mph

As we mentioned in our previous post, the top speed of the 2023 Corvette Z06 will be one of the least explored areas of the car. But just because you can’t drive 200 MPH, it is fun knowing you could…

Source:
CorvetteForum.com

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