Chevrolet announces prices for new Corvette Z06

In an extraordinary move, this manufacturer has told its Australian car dealers they are ‘free to determine the prices’ of this alternative to exotic European sports cars.

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is on its way to Australia.

The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 promises to deliver Ferrari-like thrills for a fraction of the cost.

But Australian Corvette fans hoping to get hold of the car for a sharp price can expect to be gouged by dealers charging exorbitant margins for the ferocious machines.

General Motors Special Vehicles announced on Thursday that the car will cost $336,000 in Australia.

Australian examples of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 arrive this year.

That’s more than double the $US108,100 drive-away ($159,250) charged to customers in the United States.

But fine print in GMSV’s announcement states the recommended retail price “excludes dealer delivery and on-road costs” and that “dealers remain free to determine the prices at which they will offer and sell the vehicle to customers”.

The Z06 is available with carbon fibre wheels and an oversized wing.

That leaves customers at the mercy of dealers, who have been ramping up the price of desirable cars in recent years.

The Z06 represents the ultimate performance version of the new Corvette, swapping the regular car’s 6.2-litre, 369kW V8 for a high-revving 5.5-litre unit that makes 475kW of power.

The standard Corvette C8 coupe now starts at $175,000 plus on-road costs, or $190,000 for a convertible.

The Corvette Z06 has close ties to Chevrolet’s latest GT race car.

That’s well more than the model’s original launch price – $144,990 plus on-road costs.

But enterprising dealers have been asking for more than $300,000 to part ways with low-mileage examples.

A Queensland used car dealer looking to offload a 2021-build Corvette with almost 20,000 kilometres on the clock is asking customers to pay $328,490 drive-away – double its new price.

The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has a driver-focused cabin.

Another dealer advertising a brand new Corvette coupe for about $305,000 drive-away on carsales.com.au states that the “wait time is 3-4 years” for new orders. Private buyers lucky to get hold of the in-demand model have also tried to double their money.

The new Corvette Z06 already has a waiting list ahead of its arrival in Australia later this year.

Greg Rowe, director of GMSV, says demand will exceed supply.

“Due to incredible global demand, the Corvette Z06 is a measured volume proposition, in keeping with its exclusive nature, availability will be very controlled,” he says.

Chevrolet’s C8 Corvette Stingray fetches big bucks in the second-hand market.

“We appreciate this may disappoint many performance enthusiasts, but at the same time it will ensure those who do become a Z06 owner will know they possess a very special piece of automotive folklore.”

The American brand reiterated that the electrified Corvette E-Ray is on its way to Australia, but that it is too soon to lock in a price for the all-wheel-drive supercar.