Originally available on coupes, the 1963 price for the Z06 option package was $1,818.45 (43 percent of the coupe's $4,257.00 base price). In addition, the Z06 required $661.75 in forced content, including fuel injection ($430.40), four-speed manual transmission ($188.30), and Positraction ($43.05), making the total price for the Z06 package $2,480.20, or 58% over the coupe base price.

The Z06 also included Al-Fin power drum brakes with sintered-metallic linings (four-wheel disc brakes would not be offered on Corvette until the 1965 model year), heavy-duty front and rear stabilizer bars, stronger shocks, much stiffer-than-stock springs, dual master brake cylinder, and a long-distance 36.5-gallon gas tank for endurance racing. Chevrolet had also intended to offer cast-aluminum wheels with tri-spinner knock-off hubs as part of the Z06 package and as a separate option but, due to casting problems, the optional wheels were withdrawn from production. As a result, all Z06-equipped '63 Corvettes left St. Louis on standard steel rims. Later, the Z06 option would be offered for convertibles at a cost of $1,293.95, but production records indicate that no such cars were built.

As a reflection of Duntov's determination that the Sting Ray coupes be GT-class or SCCA contenders, the Z06's debut was especially appropriate. In the fall of 1962, a group of four Z06-equipped coupes headed west from the St. Louis factory to California. The drive served as the break-in period for the powertrains, and then the cars would be prepared at Riverside Raceway in Riverside, California, for their inaugural race on October 13, 1962.

As luck would have it, this same race was the debut of Carroll Shelby's soon-to-be-legendary Ford-powered British sports car known as the Cobra. The Sting Ray was up to the challenge and, after a hub carrier failure put the Cobra out of contention, it took the checkered flag.

In the Fall 1962 issue of Corvette News, Zora Arkus-Duntov published his thoughts on the impetus behind the Z06 concept. In it, he stated, "What was uppermost in our minds in the initial planning stages was ‘value for money.' And it had to be a package designed primarily for two people wanting luxury transportation, good ride, and superlative handling."

Almost forty years later, those words could be used without alternation to describe the mission that the Corvette team set out for itself in the development of the 2001 Corvette Z06. Using the C5 hardtop model — the lightest, stiffest Corvette — as its starting point, the Corvette Team challenged itself to take the Z06 to the next level of performance.

All areas of the Corvette — engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, exhaust system, wheels and tires, and interior — were reviewed and improved. Serious attention was given to mass reduction, and wherever possible, weight was taken out of the Z06 for increased performance and responsiveness. The result of the Team's efforts paralleled those stated by Zora for the original Z06 back in 1962: "Suitably equipped and set up, the new Corvette promises a potential that is hard to equal or surpass by even the world's costliest cars. To make the Corvette this kind of a vehicle is the goal of Chevrolet's engineering personnel."

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Funny how some things never change.

Here, then, is the story of the 2001 Corvette Z06 — one of the most exciting Corvettes ever. And while the Z06 may not be for everyone, it is the obvious choice for the performance extremist, for whom virtually every decision has been made to optimize total driving experience. It has all the attributes of the standard C5 covered earlier in this source book, yet is further optimized for superior, balanced performance. Because of that focus, all hardtop models will have the Z06 package, and the manual six-speed will be the only transmission available. For the extreme performance enthusiast, the 2001 Corvette hardtop will be the model to own.

The 2001 Corvette Z06 is the most focused, purposeful Corvette to be built in years. From the start, it was the goal of the Corvette Team to make the Z06 an integrated, complete car, with plenty of power but also with the suspension, brakes, and refinement necessary to offer total, well-rounded performance. It is the culmination of the hard work and enthusiasm of a dedicated group of individuals driven by a strong sense of heritage and pride.

"With 0-60 in 4 seconds, and more than 1.0 G of cornering acceleration, the Z06 truly takes Corvette performance to the next level," emphasizes Dave Hilll, Corvette Chief Engineer and Vehicle Line Executive. "In fact, the Corvette Team began referring to it as the C5.5, so marked are the improvements we've made in optimizing the Z06 in every dimension. We've really raised the bar with the Z06."

Should the owner want, the Z06 can go racing, where it is just as home on the track as it is on the streets. As a complete package, the Z06 promises a potential that is hard to equal or surpass by even the world's costliest cars.

Somewhere, Zora Arkus-Duntov is smiling.