Extreme Chevrolet Corvette Z06 previewed

General Motors has provided the first official look at the 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and announced the track-honed supercar will be fully unveiled on October 26 ahead of a showroom arrival next year.

The short video posted by the US car-maker shows what's believed to be a late-stage prototype driving on public roads, including at the Nurburgring in Germany as well as the Le Mans 24 Hour Circuit de la Sarthe in France just hours before the world-famous endurance race began.

It comes just days after our spy photographers in Europe also caught the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 testing at the Nurburgring.

Featuring what looks like an almost entirely new body compared to the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray upon which it's based, the Corvette Z06's design is dominated by new aero aids designed to boost both cooling and downforce.

Built to battle not only the Porsche 911 GT3, but also more expensive European supercars like the Lamborghini Huracan STO and McLaren 765LT, the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 features big changes over the regular C8 aimed at increasing performance both on and off the track – and that includes introducing an all-new mid-mounted V8.

Telltale clues there's a new powertrain on board include the extra air intakes up front that have been introduced with a completely redesigned front bumper.

An earlier teaser of its soundtrack also revealed a distinct high-pitch wail instead of the usual thundering V8.

There's no official confirmation yet, but in place of the 6.2-litre LT2 V8 (369kW/637Nm), the Z06 is set to feature a development of the smaller 5.5-litre V8 that's currently used by the C8-R race car that competed last weekend at Le Mans.

Likely to feature a flat-plane crank that will trade refinement for outright power, the smaller V8 is expected to rev to almost 9000rpm. Even without turbos, some are predicting the naturally-aspirated 5.5-litre to push out as much as 520kW, although torque is only expected to increase to around 700Nm.

Lightweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic will contribute to a lower kerb weight, while fatter and grippier rear tyres and an updated eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission should also help the Corvette Z06 deliver a 0-100km/h time of less than 3.0 seconds and a top speed of around 330km/h.

In addition to the large front splitter, side skirts and re-sculpted body that are all designed to help the Z06 remain stable at high speeds, there's a large rear spoiler and a new rear diffuser that repositions the four tailpipes dead centre for better airflow.

A wider front and rear track and a more track-focused suspension set-up should also ensure the mid-engined supercar becomes the fastest-ever Corvette to lap race circuits like the Nurburgring, where a sub-seven-minute time is expected.

Following its reveal on October 26, first deliveries of the 2022 Chevrolet Z06 are expected to begin in the middle of next year.

However, there are concerns that the Z06, unlike the standard C8, might not have been developed for right-hand drive markets.

If RHD is part of the plan, expect the Corvette Z06 to arrive in Australia, via GMSV, in 2023, commanding a huge premium over the $144,990 (plus on-roads) charged for the most basic 2LT Coupe.