Chevy Corvette Z06 vs Ferarri F430 vs Lamborghini Gallardo - Supercar Smack Down

When General Motors announced the LS7 Z06 Corvette, no one knew exactly what we were in for. This was true simply for one reason, we're not used to getting legitimate supercars. Sure, the General has made some valiant attempts at supremacy over the past few decades with the likes of the GNX, Turbo T/A, ZR-1, C5 Z06, and maybe even the Syclone, but none of these could confidently battle the true supercars. Back in the fall of 2003 when then GMHTP staffer Steve Baur mustered an 11.97 out of a bone-stock GM press fleet C5 Z06 on street tires, we thought greatness had peaked. Here was a legitimate street car available at any Chevrolet dealer that could rip off an 11-second ET. Besides the rocket-like acceleration, the C5 Z06 was also a real performer around the road course. Life was good. Little did we know, life was just beginning.

As soon as word hit the streets about GM's new LS7 C6 Z06, we all dropped jaw. Reading the spec sheet was like watching a slot machine count coins during a payout--our eyes glazed over and we enjoyed every last tic. Apparently, the brass at GM decided to pull out all the stops and deliver the baddest Corvette yet. The spec sheet read like a GM junky's fantasy...505 hp, 427 cid, dry sump oiling, titanium rods, carbon-fiber body parts, six-piston brakes, 26 mpg. Above all, one thing was brilliantly clear: the GMHTP staff needed to get serious with GM's new star.

To truly size up the General's supercar, we set out to find some worthy competition for a GMHTP-traditional smack-down at Raceway Park in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Our regular C6 Z06 local, Sal Zaino, was too busy testing an experimental polish on a new Ford GT to step in. Plus, he was worried his Jersey-bred pride would take over and cause him to ruthlessly thrash his beloved Z06 mercilessly (we ultimately coerced Sal into bringing the Ford GT in hopes of working it into the lineup, but even the lures of imminent GMHTP fame couldn't break his resistance to race). We let Zaino off the hook for a promise of a few bottles of his new polish. Instead, we tracked down the co-owners of Jersey-based East Coast Supercharging (ECS), Doug Ring and Chris Coriell. They were up to the challenge and were more than qualified to wring out every last drop of performance from their own 2006 Z06. With a Z06 signed on, we sought out some big guns. Being from the state of New Jersey (some all-too-proud locals actually consider it a sovereign country), there is no shortage of "traditional" supercars and no shortage of the bravado necessary to willingly pilot one down the quarter-mile "insurance-less," for the sake of GMHTP's editorial purposes. Insurance companies don't even allow driving a supercar within the vicinity of a track, let alone offer coverage while throwing down the hammer on the 1320. Nonetheless, through some Jersey networking and stretched promises of fame and glory, we were able to secure committal from willing participants. After passing up a few local Lambo owners who balked at the idea of no-insurance testing, we hooked up with Rob Ferretti. Lucky for us, Rob's no stranger to pushing the limits, especially in his fleet of supercars. Yes, fleet. Rob owns Super Speeders, LLC (www.superspeeders.com), the company behind the infamous "One Lap of NYC" videos. Racing Lambos and Ferraris down a dragstrip is warm-up material for Rob's real passion. His hard-core street race videos are purely intoxicating, borderline psychotic, and addictive to any enthusiast. So the stage was set for the GMHTP supercar smack-down at E-Town. The players were lined up: 2006 Corvette Z06, 2006 Ferrari F430, and 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo.

Technically, our job for the day was to run a stringent performance test, quantify performance, and award the winner. While at it, we'd scurry around in hopes of capturing the experiences of the day through photography to pull our readers beyond the story to enjoy in the same presence we had with such superior machinery. The task of completing these types of track performance tests is a common one we're used to arranging time and time again. But arranging a concours d'elegance of the supercar performance world meant more. Track days are never dull by any means and we've tested an impressive roster of performers, yet we could feel something special in the air this day. The automotive radar of most connoisseurs of this sport, let alone automotive journalists, is normally a freakishly acute and powerful sense. The instant Rob first initiated combustion in the F430 to back it out of his trailer, it became evident that our automotive senses were at their zenith. Immediately, our collective memory of what a Caprice's pitiful 4.3 liter V-8 sounded like was erased--replaced with the spellbinding acoustic rumble of a 4.3 liter from an Italian town called Modena. Our trance-like attraction to the F430 was interrupted only moments after it rolled off the ramp with the screaming rage of a V-10 awakening. With the Lambo, there were more than twice the number of valves we're used to and two extra slugs pumping away--needless to say, this 5.0 liter didn't sound much like a TPI motor. The Gallardo rolled from the trailer with fierce attitude. Its predator-like looks backed with a sound that would make Schumacher skittish had us trying to reel up our dropped jaws and collect ourselves. As we drifted off and soaked in the Italian artistry, we abruptly snapped out of it when the hometown bully Z06 muscled its way up to the lot. The menacing brute brought with it the glorious sounds only made possible by the decadence of 427 American cubic inches. As the Z rolled up, the only thing missing was a piped-in national anthem and a fighter jet flyover. One by one, we watched and studied these phenomenal machines overtake the staging lanes and prepare to attack the track.

We successfully picked the hottest day recorded on Earth for our track test session. Despite the brutal sun and wicked track surface conditions, our participants and their test vehicles were ready for battle. Rob kicked off the day in the Lambo, which after intoxicating us with its roar, immediately exposed a problem with its transmission. Despite its shifting woes, the elegance of the bull as it galloped away from the line with all four hooves kicking was mesmerizing. Although it seemed impossible to improve its sound and stationary looks, both escalated indescribably as it opened up to a full roar while racing past mid-track. After the first run, we were surprised with a high 13-second pass. We asked Rob if he attempted to use 'launch control', which supposedly dumps the clutch in effort to maximize launch performance. He declined, and after confirming that the GMHTP budget wouldn't cover the $6,000 for a clutch replacement (required after about a half-dozen of those super launches, according to Rob), we backed off. The F430 prepared to run the gauntlet next. It approached the lights with a nimble grace, distracting us with its gorgeous design, yet launched with the fury and aggression it was built to deliver. Its tightly wound scream and 8,500 rpm shifts had us hoping the run would never end. As the Ferrari crossed the traps at a full roar, it appeared to just be taking off in preparation to deliver more speed. After entertaining us with a few more runs, Rob was able to muster a best in the F430 of 12.98 at 115 mph. With a trans cooldown for the Lambo, it ran a best of 13.11 at 113 mph--still refusing to shift properly, but nonetheless giving us an impressive show. Clearly, the volcanic weather was not agreeing with the engines. With better weather, and a no holds barred launch, we're confident each time would have been improved by around half a second and a few mph. After sandbagging around for the morning to size up the competition, Doug finally rolled up to the lights in the hungry Z06. We'd been mesmerized all morning with exotic and unfamiliar superpower, until the LS7 was lit up. The Vette's thug-like look as it approached the lights flashed in quick reminders of our addiction to muscle. Its savage attack on the asphalt with all 470 ft-lbs twisting through its rubber was second to none, as backed by the killer times and trap speeds. America's supercar was proving to be worthy of its lofty moniker, and more impressively, proving it not only deserved to be on the big-boy field, it was owning the big-boy field. After a few low 12-second passes, Doug ripped a day best and overall test best of 11.82 at 121 mph. Impressive for the conditions, but again, clearly held back by the relentless sun. Doug gave it his all and the Z06 had no problem with a smack-down.

This was a drag-strip war pure and simple, which effectively cancels out the outstanding performance of the Italians when the road gets twisty. On paper, it's hard to pick a clear winner, as each car enjoys a few superior attributes. Each car sent us into a euphoric frenzy: The Z06 has the most powerful mill with the LS7 thumping out 505 hp and 470 ft-lbs of torque. The Gallardo scores second with the 500 hp and 376 ft-lbs from its refined V10. The F430 is at a clear disadvantage in displacement, yet makes a very respectable 490 hp and 343 ft-lbs of torque from only 263 cid. The F430 engine however, makes the most effective power per cid, at a phenomenal 1.86 hp per inch. Each car enjoys a six-speed manual transmission, yet the Z06 is the only one with a clutch pedal. Both the Gallardo and F430 actuate the clutch electronically through paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. We'll also note that the A6 found in non-Z06 Vettes is not the same. The A6 in Vettes is an automatic transmission with optional electronic control, while the Italian cars feature true manual transmissions with electronic clutch and shift control. Dimensionally, all three cars are close. The Z06 is the tallest of the group, and has the longest wheelbase. The F430 is the overall longest and widest. The Gallardo is the shortest at only 45.9 inches tall. The Z06 has a near 50 percent front-to-rear weight balance, thanks to its front engine, rear transaxle configuration. The F430 and Gallardo are both around 42/58 in weight distribution. Unbelievably, the biggest displacement engine of the group (LS7) is also the clear winner in fuel economy--the Z06 achieves a miserly 26 mpg on highway! The Corvette blazes its own path with a unique transverse leaf spring suspension both up front and in the rear. All the cars sport double unequal wishbone suspension complete with anti-roll bars front and rear. The Lambo edges the others with a whopping 24 pistons pinching rotors around the car. Each model has its own selection of proprietary electronic controls to enhance launch, braking, and stability. And finally, the price of ownership is easily won by the Z06, which can be had for much less than half the price of the F430 or Gallardo.

Said and done, these cars all kicked ass. Running around E-Town with a half-million dollars worth of supercars was flat out awesome. Each car, in its own right, made blood boil. The pure sex appeal of the Gallardo, exotic race heritage of the F430, and the raw ground-pounding excessive American power of the Z06 made for a magical track day. Owning any one of these cars would be a delight. But with any competition, hard as it may be, a winner must be crowned. A scoring system was defined, awarding two points for each winning performance attribute and one point for each subjective winning attribute. Vehicle cost was only scored once, so "cost per x" categories were not scored. And categories that tied similarly across all three vehicles were not awarded points to any. We're happy to report the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 won our first GMHTP Supercar Smack-Down with a total score of 23 points. The Ferrari F430 came in a close second with 21 total points. And the Lamborghini Gallardo, suffering partially from transmission woes, followed up strong with only a touch less at 19 total points. USA!

Best in TestHigh scores shown in bold red italics