Balance of Power: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and McLaren 650S Spider - Automobile
My, oh my, what spoiled little brats we have become. Seems it was only yesterday when I was shaking my head in reverence and amazement at the 1984 Porsche 930 Turbo, a whale-tailed thoroughbred cranking out a mind-bending 330 horsepower and capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in—brace for... ” Today, even the most blasé auto shopper can find a freaking Hyundai that delivers 348 hp and do so for a price in adjusted dollars that makes the 930 Turbo look like it was crafted entirely out of Beluga caviar. OK, let’s make it 600 hp. No, 600 hp plus. Behold the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the McLaren 650S Spider. These two rear-drive, V-8-powered ultra buggies make power like a Third World dictator with a finger in the toaster, some 650 horses for the ’Vette and 641 hp for the McLaren. With the standard manual transmission, the ’Vette does 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3. 2 seconds. The McLaren 650S Spider needs just 2. 9 seconds flat. The Chevrolet Corvette Z06’s pushrod V-8 is big (6. 2 liters), supercharged, and mounted up front. The McLaren’s DOHC 32-valve unit is small (3. 8 liters), turbocharged, and sits right behind the people part of the car. The Z06’s V-8 mates with a seven-speed manual transmission (an eight-speed automatic is also available). the 650S uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. the McLaren has a power-folding aluminum convertible top. Source: www.automobilemag.com
