Our friends at Motor Trend [3]recently got their mischievous hands on a brand new 2012 Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition [4], and decided to see how it stacks up against the 2011 Z06 model [5]they had tested a few months earlier. The differences between the 2011 model and the 2012 Centennial Edition are mostly cosmetic, except that the Centennial Z06 is equipped with the Ultimate Performance Package, which includes the same Brembo carbon ceramic brakes that come on the ZR1, and a set of sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Tires with a low, low tread wear rating of just 86.
So did those gummy new Michelins make all that much of a difference? You bet your Sweet-Aunt-Suzie they did. The black-beauty 2012 bettered the 2011 Z06 in every test but 0-60, where their times were identical at 3.8 seconds (believed to be due to gearing differences). The highlight of the test is when the Centennial Z06 runs the Figure-8 in just 22.8 seconds – the fastest time Motor Trend has clocked in this particular test with any production sports car… Ever.
I bet there are some owners of exotics out there that are going need a minute or two to chew that one over, .and after that, its probably best not to even mention that the Centennial Z06 ran an 11.9 at 122.5 MPH in the quarter, and pulled an eyeball wrenching 1.13 g’s on the skid pad. So, in case anyone needed any more proof that the C6 Z06 is one of the best performance values out there, here you have it.