Chevrolet Corvette Z06 teased, confirmed for Detroit auto show

Spied testing in heavy camouflage in September, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will sit atop the new seventh-generation Corvette range, ahead of the Z51 and standard Stingray (pictured below).

Chevrolet has released a single teaser image of the car (pictured top), and in a short statement says the Z06 has been "designed to deliver supercar levels of performance through unique powertrain, chassis and aerodynamic features".

In final production car form, the C7-based muscle car will have a newly added air vent located in front of the rear wheels and a larger brake package with cross-drilled rotors.

A bonnet power bulge is also rumoured to house either a supercharged version of the standard Corvette’s 339kW/624Nm naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, or a tuned version of the 373kW/678Nm twin-turbocharged 4.5-litre V8 from the Elmiraj concept coupe. Whichever engine Chevrolet chooses, peak power is estimated to rise to around 447kW-485kW.

Following its anticipated late-2014 production start, the Corvette Z06 will join Chevrolet’s performance car line-up alongside the Corvette Stingray and Stingray Convertible, Camaro Z/28 and SS sedan.

The C6-based Corvette Z06 (pictured bottom), launched in 2006, was powered by a 377kW/637Nm 7.0-litre Gen IV LS7 V8 and claimed a 3.7sec 0-100km/h.

The 2014 North American international auto show begins in Detroit on January 13.