2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 spied

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is heading to dealerships now, which means it's a perfect time to start salivating over the prospect of an even more extreme take on an American classic: The 2015 Corvette Z06. These spy photos give us a hint at what to expect when Chevy gets around to announcing the car.

From the look of it, the next Z06, which some sources suggest may be called the Z07, will be even meaner looking than the base Stingray. Despite the heavy black camouflage wrapper at the front and rear of the car, it looks like the front fascia is getting reworked -- and covering up the new vent just ahead of the rear wheel well would have defeated its purpose, so we get a good look at it.

Our photographer suggests that the rocker panels, one of the few areas of the car not covered with heavy black wrap, are more aggressive, as well. Dazzling vinyl camouflage means it's hard to make the call.

It's been hinted that the Z06 (and the even more brutal 2015 ZR1) could get twin-turbochargers, but it's more likely that a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 will sit under the Z06's hood. Of course, power figures are even more closely guarded than the upcoming Vette's appearance. But since the Stingray's base V8 engine is good for 460 hp, it's not unreasonable to expect the Z06's supercharged “LT4” motor to kick out between 600 hp and 650 hp. Recall that the range-topping C6 ZR1 had an output of 638 hp; the C7 ZR1 could push 700 hp when it hits the market.

Whatever the output will be, it looks like wide, wide tires help put power to pavement. And we can safely say that the car will have enough stopping power to keep it under control: Massive cross-drilled brakes are readily apparent between the Vette's wheel spokes. The rotors look an awful lot like carbon-ceramic units -- a supercar staple seen previously on the Corvette ZR1.

We hesitate to read too much into a set of spy photos, but it's certainly fun to speculate on how Chevrolet can make an already impressive effort even more of a contender. Let us know what you think below; we hope to have more information on this hopped-up Stingray after the 2014 Detroit auto show.

By Graham Kozak