With all the effort by car companies to keep secrets, it always seems strange to us how loose GM dealers are with details of future product. The Monday after April Fool’s (a message there, perhaps?), some dealers made public details of the 2002 Corvette Z06. Of course, the Registry’s intelligence desk had the information immediately.

As guessed in the LS6 article elsewhere on this page, the 2002 Z06 engine gets bumped 20 horsepower, to 405 with torque going up to 400 pound/feet. The increased performance comes while maintaining the LS6’s outstanding drivability, fuel economy and compliance with the 50-state, low-emissions vehicle standard.

Oh-two, Zee-oh-sixes will carry fender badges listing the engine’s horsepower. External identification of engine size or output hasn’t been seen on Chevrolets since the ’70s. Inevitably, this badge will become a coveted, wannabe item with some C5ers. We’d rather see them as jewelry items on the girls at Hooters.

Directly a result of customer input, the hardcore Corvette hardtop gets the head-up display (HUD) as standard. Also new is thinner and (we assume) lighter front glass, perhaps to offset the weight gain from the HUD hardware. Z06es get new, a slightly lighter, cast aluminum wheel. The creeping of cush into Z06 continues as the "driver convenience" package of memory presets and electrochromic mirrors has been made an option. Finally, gone is white as a Z06 color. That could be a mistake, we think. White is so pure...so virginal. Perfect color for Z06es.

The C5 Registry web site and magazine will have the in-depth story on the ’02 Z06 at sometime in the near future.