Skip to content
  • Chevrolet dealerships sell the Callaway Z06, so cars carry both...

    Chevrolet dealerships sell the Callaway Z06, so cars carry both a GM and a Callaway warranty.

  • Callaway Cars offers a performance package that upgrades the already...

    Callaway Cars offers a performance package that upgrades the already mighty Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to the tune of 757 hp and 777 lb-ft. of torque.

of

Expand
Author

The iconic Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has long been an enthusiast favorite for its track-star performance on a (relatively) working-class budget. Consider: The 2015 Corvette Z06 is known for clocking acceleration on par with the $1.2 million McLaren P1 – not to mention mere mortals like the $150,000 Porsche 911 GT3 or $180,000 Lamborghini Gallardo. Not too shabby for a car with a base price right around $80,000.

Of course, the hidden cost of its frugal ferocity may be a perceived lack of exclusivity. Now aftermarket outfitter Callaway Cars, which has one of its two factories in Santa Ana, offers a package to boost the mighty Z06’s performance – and its owner’s ego to boot.

Using its latest signature supercharging technology, Callaway has upped the Z06 output from its world-beating 650 hp and 650 lb-ft. of torque to an absolutely audacious 757 ponies and 777 lb-ft. of torque. That’s good for zero-to-60 in 2.8 seconds. For $16,995 over base price, this über-Z06 can still be had for less than six figures. It’s hard to call a $97,000 car a steal, but …

There are other high-performance Corvette tuners, but Callaway has had a uniquely close relationship with the GM brand. It started in 1987 when the company, founded a decade earlier by former racing driver and instructor Reeves Callaway, created a twin-turbo Corvette. The hopped-up Vette so impressed Chevrolet that it was given status alongside GM’s in-house performance offerings. In addition to modifying subsequent generations of Corvettes, Callaway has produced a number of bespoke creations and even a few oddities, like a Corvette-based speedboat and a wagon concept. Callaway also modifies the Chevrolet Camaro, Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado.

The Corvette, however, remains the cream of the Callaway crop. The heart of the company’s Z06 is its large supercharger and intercooler system bulging just beneath the modified hood. Equipment options include Callaway’s own sport exhaust system and a short-throw seven-speed shifter. Cosmetically, there is nothing subtle about the aggressive stock Z06. Thankfully, Callaway has sprinkled in only a handful of its own visual cues, including tasteful interior and exterior badging, branded door sills and embroidered floor mats.

How much better is the Callaway Z06 than the stock Chevy supercar? Honestly, when you’re shaving hundredths of a second off sub-three-second zero-to-60 times, the objective answer is, “Not that much.” Then again, in the world of supercar performance, bragging rights are generally priceless. In this case, they’ll cost you a mere $16,995.
 
Callaway Cars West, 2441 Pullman St., Santa Ana, 714.845.3400 :: callawaycars.com