Taking Delivery of My 2026 Corvette Z06 – Thoughts vs. Ferrari F8 / SF90

I just took delivery of my 2026 Corvette Z06 at the National Corvette Museum, and I thought I’d share some impressions here since I recently sold my 2021 Ferrari F8 Tributo and also picked up a used SF90. I know many here wonder if the Z06 is really a serious alternative to a mid-engine Ferrari, so here’s my perspective.
First, the delivery itself: the museum delivery program was an event in itself. They make it feel special — full day itinerary, car reveal, walk-throughs, lunch, time to tour the museum, and everyone you interact with is passionate and welcoming. It’s a level of ceremony that felt comparable, in its own American way, to the Ferrari handover experience.

Now, onto the car. Coming from the F8, I’ll say this straight: the Z06 is a legit replacement in many ways. The flat-plane V8 screams, the chassis feels razor sharp, and the overall performance envelope is right in the conversation with a 458, 488, or F8. Where it falls a bit short is in the sheer violence of acceleration that the F8’s turbo V8 delivers. That “scary fast” punch in the back just isn’t quite there — but honestly, for the price point, it’s remarkable how close it comes.

As for the SF90, that’s a completely different league. The combination of hybrid torque and Ferrari’s engineering makes it feel almost otherworldly. The Z06 doesn’t touch that experience, and I wouldn’t expect it to. But again, it’s not trying to.

So here’s my takeaway: for anyone in the Ferrari family who’s considering alternatives, the new Z06 is absolutely worth a look if you’re thinking about a 458, 488, or F8 replacement. It won’t scratch the exact same itch, but it delivers a lot of what those cars do for a fraction of the cost. And for those of us who still want to stay true to Ferrari (like I am with the SF90), the Z06 can make an excellent companion in the garage.

Bottom line: the Z06 is not just a Corvette — it’s a serious driver’s car that deserves respect, even in Ferrari circles.

 

I have to agree .I had a corvette ZR1 museum delivery (not the c8 verson)
And they really do make things very nice. I first got to take a factory tour where the workers at the factory knew we were taking delivery and I hd the occasion to talk with Many of the workers and each worker Thanked me for buying a new corvette. It was very nice then at the end of the factory tour I got to start a new corvette for the first time ever and drive it off the line..pretty cool.
I have to say at the end of it all the coolest part was when i was given the turnover of MY car and the ,museum delivery specialist asked if there was anything at all that was less then excellent about the car .. I told him no I was fine ..He then said well if anything was less the. Great he would take it back to the FACTORY ACROSS THE STREET AND HAVE IT CHANGED OUT.. pretty cool.. then i drove the car home about 500 miles made for a great time

 

I drove my car home too, about 300 miles and man was that fun! Just got done driving the car from Ohio to Florida bout 1,000 miles and it drove great.
Kind of nice not having to worry about putting miles on it hehe

 

Nice write up, succinct, good luck!

I had a C8 Z06 for a year after I got out of my Ferrari 2yrs ago and I can slightly relate to what you wrote. I flipped the C8 for a Cielo last year and now I'm starting to feel itchy.
That said, I'm curious how you feel about the SF. I miss owning in a Ferrari and now that the SFs seem to have come down in price a bit I wonder if they are a sleeper deal, over these other alternatives?
Definitely for another thread but I figure I'd ask here since you mentioned you own one.

Cheers!

 

So both cars have been phenomenal so far. I drove the SF90 right after it got delivered the other day and I was thinking to myself, man, sad that this is going to ruin it for the z06... But I am happy to say the z06 still feels fast and fun with it's own personality, but yea, the SF90 is next level. Love it.
Also, yes, the reason I pulled the trigger is comparing it to my Revuelto that I am happy that I sold for sticker, the SF90 is a screaming deal in my opinion. The ONLY issue is that many of the cars out there are missing some key options that really should have been standard options like the blind spot monitoring system (radar or adas or whatever its called). Many are missing apple car play as well. But I saw some REALLy good specs for sale in that $420 to $460 range.

I just did a search on cargurus and other than a car with a title issue, the cheapest are at $409k and up. Seems like a super deal.