Corvette ZO6

American cars are fam-ous for offering 'bang for your buck' - yet the Z06 takes things to new heights! With a race-derived V8, huge perfor-mance and an amazing chassis built from the latest hi-tech materials, all for £59,850, it's an incredible machine. The sole drawback is that it is available to UK buyers in left-hand drive only.

Even in General Motors' muscle car hall of fame, there's never been a model quite like the new Corvette Z06. With a top speed of 199mph and 512bhp from a 7.0-litre race-derived V8, it's the fastest, most powerful production machine in the firm's history.

And it's coming here! On sale in the UK now, the ultimate Corvette has Dodge's Viper and various Ferraris firmly in its sights, and will really give Porsche and Jaguar buyers something to think about, too. Priced at £59,850, the Z06 offers supercar performance for 911 and XK money.

The engine features titanium connecting rods, aluminium pistons and a dry-sump lubrication system. Delivering 512bhp at 6,300rpm, it propels the Z06 with huge thrust; the sprint from 0-62mph is covered in 3.9 seconds.

And it's not only the motor that's track-inspired. The aluminium body is underpinned by a bespoke carbon fibre, magnesium and aluminium structure. Complete with aluminium alloy wheels, the Z06 tips the scales at only 1,418kg - just 46kg more than a VW Golf GTI. The 'Vette is compact, too; measuring 4,459mm long and 1,246mm tall, it's similar in size to Porsche's 911.

Thanks to the flared wheelarches, though, it's some 150mm wider. Add in a deep front air intake with aerodynamic splitter, plus quad exhausts and a rear spoiler, and it has a squat, muscular shape. But how does it drive?

With a rumbling V8, meaty clutch and long-throw six-speed gearbox, it's soon clear that the Z06 is a 'real' muscle car. Traction control is standard, but surprisingly there's plenty of grip. Use the throttle carefully and acceleration is savage yet manageable, forcing you into your seat well past 100mph. The car sounds awesome, too.

The braking is equally devastating, thanks to 355mm front and 340mm rear discs. And with near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution, plus stiffer springs for the all-round double-wishbone sus-pension, the Z06 turns into corners sharply, remaining stable even at high speeds. Factor in beefy, involving steering, and it's a brilliant driver's car.

Our only real disappointment concerns the interior which - although well equipped with a clever head-up display and in-dash CD changer - is poorly finished and has cheap plastics. However, apart from that, the Z06 is a superb car which seems assured a place in GM's history books.