2006 Ford GT vs. Dodge Viper SRT10 vs. Chevrolet Corvette z06 - Dyno Runs - Exotic Sport Coupes Comparison

Dyno Might
Rumors have been flying for the last few months, alleging that the pilot-build Z06s driven and tested in conjunction with the car's Nuerburgring launch were juiced to well beyond their SAE certified 505-horsepower ratings. So we ran all three test cars on a new, state-of-the-art 200-mph Mustang eddy-current dynamometer, courtesy of Wheel-to-Wheel Powertrain, LLC in Madison Heights, Michigan. This dyno simulates actual road and aerodynamic loads to provide more realistic results (hence the rear-wheel-output numbers may trail those generated on less sophisticated dynos). According to program manager Dan Sienkiewicz, the typical drivetrain losses for a car with a manual transmission and independent suspension fall within 14 to 15 percent of crankshaft horsepower. Heavier rotating components (wheels, tires, axles, joints) increase losses, as do heftier gears, high viscosity lubricants, etc.

Based on these expectations, the dyno printouts suggest our Z06 was producing more like 530 horses. But Chevy isn't alone underestimating the output of its hero motor: These figures show the Viper's V-10 also was good for 530 horses, and the GT's supercharged V-8 was pumping out at least 600 ponies.

As for those initial Corvettes, the 0.3-second difference in 0-to-60-mph times between the original pilot-build test car and this regular production car is largely attributable to launch conditions at two different test tracks, while the one-tenth-second, half-mph difference in the quarter mile suggests the cars are equally strong.