“Dear ZR1, We’re sorry.” Sincerely, the C7 ZO6 engineers

I guess that theoretical letter should really be addressed to the owners of ZR1s, shouldn’t it? When the ZR1’s 638 horsepower showed up, it was miles above the Z06’s 505. Now, the Z06 was naturally aspirated, so it didn’t have the gene that is susceptible to heat soak (thus, in my eyes, making it the better choice for track use). But numbers get attention, and more numbers get more attention. 638>505, so the internet clapped its hands for the ZR1. To be fair, it was an excrement-load of power. Few cars had over 600HP, and those that did cost about half a million bucks.

But, as is true with iPhones and Firewire cables, the new generation of is here and it makes the ZR1 useless to own.

The 2015 Z06 will have 650HP, and 650 torques. Holy. Moly.

“Is it tethered to the dock to prevent it from floating off into the ocean?” No it is not. You can drive it down the street.

“Is it surrounded by a force field?” No.

“Can anyone with the money buy it, regardless of skill or wherewithal?” Yes.

The increases in horsepower are totally out of control, and I mean that both as an excited gear head and a nervous citizen of the world. 650HP can get you in a lot of trouble, very, very quickly. And—this may surprise you—not all people who can buy a certain car, should. Elvis had a Corvette. Would you trust him with 650HP? I wouldn’t.

Me, Zack, the gear head? I think this is 85% incredible. What a time we live in! This car makes about 200 more horsepower than a Grand Am car! Two hundred more. Yes, civilians, now you too can own your own Abrams tank. The 15% of me that’s left over is worried that this once-exceptional track car now possesses forced-induction and will be susceptible to heat soak, resulting in inconsistent lap times, variable performance, and (worst case) catastrophe. The old LS7 was reliable and stout, and didn’t need much changing in my opinion. The C7’s improvements in comfort, material quality, weight, and diffs would be enough to sell a Z06. Give it 30 more HP, call it the Z07, everyone is happy.

But this new Z06 is like ZR1 muscles in  C7 skin, and the question is: will the customers accept the transplant?

Sound off in the discussion thread here!

Zack Klapman is a Senior Editor for The Smoking Tire, and  produces “TUNED” and “BIG MUSCLE” on the /DRIVE Network. He can be found on Twitter.