I had driven a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 more than 2,000 miles from Chicago searching for bits of Historic Route 66. In California’s Mojave Desert there was a long, lonely stretch of the old road that just might let me flirt with the 6’s top speed of 198 mph.
I hadn’t passed anyone in miles and I could see the road ahead was empty to the horizon.
I dropped the six-speed gearbox from 6th to 4th and floored it. Like a cathedral pipe organ playing Bach’s “Toccata” with all the stops out, the 7.0-liter, 505-hp LS7 V8 began to thunder and howl toward its 7,000-rpm redline.
The dual-stage mufflers opened to release back pressure and a soul-stirring roar that echoed off the mountains. The head-up digital speedometer and tach display changed numbers faster than a premium gas pump totals dollars.
105, 118…think, look, stay on it. 139 — the front end is feeling light over the rough pavement. Stare at the horizon ’til your eyes harden — and keep your foot planted. 145…flick your eyes for an instant to check the HUD.
154 mph.
Things are beginning to blur…there’s a slight rise looming….
Not today, folks. The cross-drilled front and rear disc brakes hauled the most powerful Corvette ever from 156 to 90 in two heartbeats. Sanity (and the wife-in-my-head) nags.
Bill Baker for Inside Line
NewMexiKen’s personal best is 113, but that was in a Honda.