Used to be the Dodge Viper SRT10 was the only U.S.-built production sports car boasting 500 horses under the hood and a sticker price below $100,000. For as long as it's been around, the Viper has epitomized raw, powerful, big-displacement American muscle. Chevrolet's Corvette Z06, on the other hand, while posting performance numbers approaching (and sometimes beating) the Viper's, has never been able to claim a 500-bhp rating. Until now...
Enter the 2006 Corvette Z06. A thoroughly reengineered version of the C6, this next-generation Z06 not only tops 500 horsepower (505 bhp, to be exact), it aims to leave the Viper choking on its dust. Not to be outdone, the Viper strikes back with a more serious coupe version of its own, a car that starts with the roadster's already potent platform and takes it to the next level.
To determine which of these power-hitters owns the sub-$100K horsepower crown, we put them to the test — on the road, at the racetrack and in instrumented testing. We found that despite sharing similar power outputs, these two titans are far from alike.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
By Kim Wolfkill
I've long maintained that the most compelling argument for buying a Corvette Z06 is driving a Dodge Viper. Spend any time behind the wheel of Mopar's V-10 beast, and while the power is no doubt intoxicating, the lack of refinement makes for a short-lived infatuation. From the first mile on, the difference between the two cars is expansive — where the Viper rumbles and shakes and requires a conscious effort to drive smoothly, the Z06 delivers the kind of user-friendly experience one expects from a modern, 21st-century sports car. While "Yestertech" may be kitschy and cool, it's not the most comfortable place to spend a long day in the driver's seat.
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