2008 Vette Z06 - GT Z06

Patrick Tullock's Z06 street car makes a "comfortable" 730 rwhp

Corvettes have always inspired those who see them--none more so than the Vettes raced on road courses the world over during the last half-century-plus.

That includes the latest generation of race cars that Corvette Racing has campaigned (and won with) since 2005. They made such a big impression on Patrick Tullock that he built his '08 Z06 into a GT1-inspired "grand touring" car.

Tullock started with a brand-new '08 Z06 hardtop--already a stout piece of equipment with its 505hp, 7-liter LS7 engine, six-speed transaxle, and giant disc brakes at each corner. For many Vette lovers, that's plenty right there--but not for Tullock. "I'd had the car for about a week when I decided I needed more power," he says. "I wanted to do a bulletproof engine that could go as high as 1,500 horsepower, if need be."

But Tullock wasn't through upgrading his '08's powertrain. Next came Adam Brandt, and his expertise in installing and tuning superchargers on LS-series engines. On went a ProCharger supercharger, and into the Vette's ECM went Brandt's tuning expertise. (If Brandt's name sounds familiar, it's because his green, 1,000hp C6 appeared on the cover of our Sept. '10 issue.)

Tullock's newly blown Z06 produced 755 rear-wheel horses when it hit the dyno. "We could go to 20 pounds of boost if we run race gas, and it's probably capable of 1,000 horsepower," says Brandt.

Tullock adds, "Right now, I'm just running it at 13 pounds of boost. It's a spirited driver, but it's comfortable." (Yes, this is likely the first time the terms "13 pounds of boost" and "comfortable" have appeared in the same paragraph of a VETTE feature.)

For the body, Tullock turned to Advanced Composite Products (ACP) for the company's "ZRT" kit, which consists of a front splitter, a front tunnel undertray, a vented hood, louvered front fenders and rear quarters, special rocker panels, and a GM-designed rear wing--all engineered for maximum aerodynamic and aesthetic effect. ACP also added a carbon-fiber rear diffuser, plus carbon A-pillar covers and a "clear carbon" roof and halo, before coloring the body in two-stage DuPont Victory Red.

How's this "comfortable" C6 to drive? As Tullock puts it, "It's crazy--this car is super fast!"

Since it was finished last year, Tullock's Vette has been a good-weather driver and show ride. "I'm a member of the Afro-American Corvette Club (AACC), so I've been taking it to our meets," he says. "And I bring it to other car meets in the Long Island area."

If you're inspired by this blown Z06--or by the Corvette Racing C6.Rs that inspired it--Tullock has advice he shares with anyone who asks. "Do your research, and make sure you know who's working on your car," he says. "There are a lot of people out there who claim they know what they're doing. The end product is going to cost you a whole bunch of money, and you won't accomplish what you want if you don't do your research."

In Tullock's case, his inspiration and investigation resulted in a Corvette that's a true visual and performance sensation. vette

Right now, I'm just running it at 13 pounds of boost. It's a spirited driver, but it's comfortable.--Patrick Tullock