What's the difference?
Chevrolet’s Corvette Z06 supercar is an all-American answer to European rivals Lamborghini and Ferrari, but it’s not just this that makes it so appealing.
Spending a week with the most potent Corvette you can get in Australia has left me with a list of notes on this beast I want to hand over to you. Maybe it will help make your mind up about it or change your mind.
What makes the Z06 the flagship of the Australian Corvette range isn’t little luxuries, but seriously upgraded mechanical hardware, much of it track focussed.
Our test car was also fitted with the Z07 Performance package which adds a carbon-fibre aero kit to pin the Corvette down at high speed while also drawing everybody’s attention to it.
Oh, and then there’s the sound of the largest flatplane crank V8 ever to go into a production car… and look out for your ankles - let me explain…
You like performance, love a bit of luxury and fancy a traditional sedan. The budget is healthy and there’s a surprising amount of choice. But Mercedes-AMG believes it’s created the car that perfectly answers your new-car brief.
The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is a fresh expression of an established high-performance sedan formula mixing internal-combustion power with electric punch and all-wheel drive.
We were invited to its local launch, so stay with us to see if this newcomer is ready to fill that primo European performance car shaped space in your garage.
The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is truly a supercar offering outstanding dynamics for a lot less money being asked by European rivals - just make sure it's not your only car for those times when you're in a hurry.
The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is a superb blend of high-tech hybrid muscle and cossetting top-end luxury. Value is competitive, it looks (and feels) the business, despite the conventional sedan configuration it’s surprisingly practical (except for the modest boot), fuel-efficiency is a key benefit and safety is stellar. The ownership proposition is okay for the category but that’s not top of mind when an enticing series of corners ranges into view. It’s an impressive package.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.