The first Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 to land in Australia has gone back to its carbon fibre roots.
General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) brought the right-hand drive Z06 show car to Carbon Revolution, where the Corvette’s ultra-lightweight carbon fibre wheels are made and exported to the world.
The white Z06, equipped with Z07 Package and Carbon Revolution wheels made its public debut in Australia over the weekend, ahead of the vehicle’s Australian launch later in 2023.
Carbon Revolution CEO, Jake Dingle said the company was delighted to host the Z06 at its Waurn Ponds, Victoria facility.
“It’s exciting for our engineering and production teams to see the fruits of our collaboration with GM, which dates back to 2016,” Dingle said.
“Our team is extremely proud of the wheel – it genuinely enhances the Z06’s performance and it looks superb on the vehicle.”
Lighter carbon fibre wheels = faster lap times
General Motors engineers said the five-spoke carbon fibre wheels, which save 41 pounds of unsprung, rotational mass compared to the standard Z06’s forged aluminium wheels, improve the Corvette’s lap time by 1.0 to 1.5 seconds over a two-minute lap, all other factors being equal.
The front wheel measures 20×10” while the 21×13” rear is the world’s widest OEM carbon fibre wheel. The rear wheel also has the highest load capacity of any wheel produced yet by Carbon Revolution.
Testament to Australian engineering
During the visit, GMSV personnel were shown through Carbon Revolution’s factory, including the new Mega-line, which is currently commissioning new equipment while producing Corvette Z06 and other OEM wheels.
GMSV Director, Gregory Rowe said he was impressed with the Carbon Revolution facility.
“The Carbon Revolution wheel is a testament to the talent of Australian engineers who have been able to design and manufacture one of the world’s most complex carbon fibre products. Their carbon fibre wheel provides enhanced performance of the Z06 thanks to a weight saving advantage and also complements the overall appearance of the new model.
“We’re thrilled that the Z06 benefits from such an advanced efficiency technology which comes from Australia.”
Carbon Revolution wheels debuted on the C8 Corvette Z06 in late-2021. The Company will also supply carbon fibre wheels for the upcoming 2024 C8 Corvette E-Ray, the first electrified Corvette.
