2023 Chevrolet Corvette Corvette Z06 exists for Zohra Alx-Duntov.

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is a car enthusiast's dream, but it wouldn't exist without Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Chevrolet recently released a video in honor of Duntov, sometimes called the "Father of the Corvette." He did not create the Corvette, but his dedication to racing led the Corvette on the road to becoming America's sports car.

Duntov became head of Chevrolet's performance car division in the late 1950s, just as General Motors and other American automakers were voluntarily banning factory racing activities. Duntov circumvented this by providing experimental cars like the Corvette SS and performance parts to racing teams. The original Z06 was thus born.

In 1963, Chevrolet applied the Z06 badge to the Corvette for the first time and used it on the newly released C2 Corvette option package.

Only 199 1963 Corvette Z06s were built, and the first cars were supplied directly to racing teams; the Z06 would not return until the 2001 C5 Corvette, but this time as a separate model rather than an option package, no longer focused on racing. It was no longer focused on racing. Since then, the Z06 has been an integral part of the Corvette lineup.

Chevrolet restored some of the Z06's racing ties with the C7 version, which incorporated lessons learned from the C7.R racing car; the 2023 Z06 went even further, with a new LT6 V-8 engine, a civilian version of the C8.R racing car engine. And this engine is mounted in the center of the chassis, something Duntov always wanted to do with the production Vette. In short, the 2023 Z06 is in many ways a fitting tribute to Duntov.