We know the drill. You are not buying the new 2023 Corvette Z06 because it’s all sippy on fuel. This “race car for the street” has an insatiable thirst when you wind it up to 8,600 rpm, but the miles of smiles it will surely provide will be more than worth it.
Talking with Vehicle Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder at Corvettes at Carlisle, we inquired about the fuel economy ratings to see if they had been finalized. Josh told us that their final numbers had been submitted to the EPA. The Z06’s mpg ratings are 12 City and 19/21 Highway. The 19 mpg is with the aero package (Z07) and you’ll get 21 mpg with a Z06 in the base trim. The combined mpg rating is 14/15 (base/Z07).
From those numbers, the gas guzzler tax for the 2023 Z06 came in at $2,600 for the base trim model and $3,000 for Z06s with the Z07 aero.
The automakers conduct their own tests, and then the testing agency can request a test car to do it themselves. Josh says they usually will test a brand-new car like the Z06. He said they tested the 2020 Stingray when it first came out. “It also gives them a free car to drive around in,” Josh said with a shrug.
To see how these numbers compared historically to previous high-performance Corvette models, I hit the FuelEconomy.gov website where you can compare four different vehicles. The Z06s ratings haven’t yet appeared on the website, so we have a 2023 Stingray Z51 which offers a direct comparison to the C8Z, and then I plugged in both versions of the 2019 Z06 (7-speed manual/8-speed auto), and a 2019 ZR1 with an 8-speed auto and came up with the chart:
The 2023 Corvette Z06 is in good company as its ratings are similar to that of the 2019 Corvette ZR1 with the 8-speed automatic transmission. In 2019, Chevrolet combined the ZR1s ZTK and low wing models, and the tests were differentiated based on the transmission. For the 2023 Z06, Josh says they intentionally split the model into the base/Z07 configurations so that those wanting the base car would at least get a slight discount on the gas guzzler tax compared to the full $3,000 if they were combined.
Like we said, you’re not buying it for its fuel economy.
Source:
FuelEconomy.gov
Related:
The Price of the 2023 Corvette Z06 Just Went Up an Additional $2600 to $3000 for the Gas Guzzler Tax
Popular Z51 Performance Model Now Used as Basis for the EPA’s 2022 Corvette Fuel Economy Ratings
[VIDEO] 2020 Corvette Shows Off 535 Mile Fuel Range, Averages 29.7 MPG on Trip to NCM
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Someone please correct me if my numbers are wrong. I’m seeing the following for highway mpg:
C7 Stingray – 28
C8 Stingray – 24
C8 Z06 – 21
If these are correct, what are the factors at play causing the C8’s to be so thirsty at highway cruising speeds?
I’ve got a 2017 Z06 with Z07 aero and 8-spd. I have just over 18K miles and with much spirited driving I’ve averaged 19.1 mph over those 18K miles of driving. The only change to stock is alignment favoring better tire wear.
Yes, the factory fuel average numbers are Very Low. These Vettes do not account for good milage. They are street legal racers. Celebrate That!
However, frankly almost all, sadly, will be garage queens and trophies.🫤 They must stretch their legs!
Their gas milage is about equal my C3…Summit Racing Equipment, Edelbrock n others, modified, carbureted ….with a Third of the power! Yes, we’ve come a very long way!
My C5 &7 are Much better for milage…but certainly not as powerful as that C8 ZO6.
Still, I love my Vettes. They are sleek, strong, reliable beauties. Even utilitarian for a Home Depot run! Go figure that for a foreign sports car. Not happening! 😁
Sadly, the new C8 will not survive for long.
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)… and a short passage of time will lead to electric, per GM. 2035, completed!
Hope there are plentiful, fast charging stations….and power for them… without brown outs as we all turn on charging… & AC at home at 5 pm! Where will the power come from!?
Bedda get Real Busy! Reality is coming!
THE C8 WEIGHS MORE AND HAS MORE POWER
THE C8 Z06 IS ALSO A HIGH REVING ENGINE
Greta says “how dare you”
Really poor fuel economy for a Corvette.
Just finished a 5600 mile “Route 66” trip in our C7 StingRay and got phenomenal mileage even with the AFM disabled. I think there are more of us who use our Corvettes to emulate Buz and Tod, rather than John Force. As a bonus, we were able to access our drinks and snacks while cruising at 80.
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