Will Chopti’s C7Z: A Corvette Dream Realized

Will had a love of cars his whole life. As a kid, he grew up with posters of supercars lining his bedroom walls. He vowed at a young age that getting the car of his dreams was going to be a priority, and he became obsessed with the cars he’d seen around his neighborhood and at car shows. His first taste of love for the Chevy Corvette came when he was 17 years old, and he’s had a passion for them ever since.

It was a friend he made from high school who’s dad’s love for Corvettes became infectious to Will. They spent a lot of time talking about cars after school and work, and when his friend’s dad came home one day with a 1997 C5 Corvette, his passion for the ‘Vette was solidified. He and his friend were absolutely blown away by how amazing the machine was; the car was beautiful, fast, and dripping with American-built sports-car goodness.

Over the next few months, Will would become completely infatuated with the Corvette history, as well as the community of Corvette owners who share the passion. After really spending some time and researching and immersing himself in the community, it clicked one day what the Corvette community was truly about, and it was something magical.

Surprisingly enough, the years that would follow would involve Will owning several foreign cars, mainly due to financial constraints. In 2011, Will finally got the chance to become a Corvette owner, and while he couldn’t yet afford a Z06 or ZR1, he did pick up a nice base-model C6.

After buying his C6 Corvette brand new, he spent the next four years modifying the car. It would come with him as he moved from state to state, and always helped him connect with others no matter where, as they would bond over their shared love of the cars. The Corvette community would prove to be second to none when it came to always having a second family out there.

Once he became more financially stable, Will decided it was time for an upgrade. While on vacation in New Jersey, he walked into Kerbeck Corvette to take a gander at the new Corvettes. He knew what he wanted, but felt it was still out of his range. After looking some more and test driving one, he couldn’t walk away empty-handed but had to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to afford a brand new Z06.

A few months of savings and pulling funds together allowed him to finally make an offer to the dealer he had visited in New Jersey on a C7 Z06. His friends in the Corvette community convinced him that the only proper way to receive the car was at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, so that’s what he planned on. He purchased the 2016 Corvette Z06 through the Kerbeck Corvette dealer and picked it up at the museum.

The whole process was an exciting adventure for Will. From picking out the options, ordering it, following the progress and getting updates, and finally picking it up, it was a wonderful experience for the Corvette enthusiast. His best friend even came along with him to pick it up.

“I was able to bring my best friend along for the trip and it was one of the best memories we will share together.” Will Chopti expresses about the experience, continuing that “You get a factory tour of the plant, see the cars being built, and I got to even start up a new car coming off the line. We also got a full tour of the museum.”

In the two years since he’s owned the car, it has brought him nothing but smiles for him, and the people who get to share the experience with him. He spends a lot of time at events, shows, charity events, and there are many spirited drives in between. In two years, he’s placed in 13 local car shows, in various categories. While he enjoys the social side of the scene, this Torch Red beauty is no Sunday driver. Actually, the car is kind of a monster.

Sponsored by Vengeance Racing, Shine Auto Salon, Atlanta Jax Wax, Butler Tire, and BC Forged, this 2016 C7Z is a race-proven street machine. While it’s a show-winner, it’s got the power to back it up.

You can look at the car and tell that it’s had a little cosmetic work done, nothing insane, but a few tasteful upgrades have been added to the already attractive design. It features a carbon fiber hood with carbon flash insert and Corvette Racing Jake decal. Otherwise, it has a Stage 2 Aero package and Vengeance Racing decal on the rear window.

Inside the car, you’ll see a set of Adrenaline Red seats with embossed Z06 logo and Corvette Racing Lloyd Mats. Beyond that, it retains the factory gauges and other interior components since GM didn’t leave much room for improvement from the factory.

Now for the real meat behind the car, the fact that it has quite a bit more horsepower than the factory 650-horsepower ratings. To get the car to put out 730-horsepower and 710 lb-ft of torque, it was overhauled by Vengeance Racing in Cumming, GA. Using the LT4 block, they build the engine with a Forged steel crankshaft with tungsten balancing inserts, ground pin collars, and intermediate pin drills for rods 1-6, lightweight and high-strength powder-metal steel connecting rods, aluminum flat top crown pistons, Rotocast A356-T6 aluminum cylinder heads, 54mm Solid titanium intake valves with a 65.47 CC combustion chamber, and custom ground cam.

Sitting atop the powerful engine is a TVS 1.7L roots-style supercharger with 18% lower pulley by Innovative West. An air induction from Halltech feeds the engine, while exhaust escapes into American Racing headers, which flows into an American Racing exhaust system.

Backing the powerful setup is a 7-speed manual transmission with dual plate clutch and MGW shifter. The drivetrain runs into an aluminum driveshaft that feeds into a 3.42:1 geared rearend.

Lowered 1.2” all the way around, this powerful C7Z rolls on 19”, 3-piece BC Forged LE52 gloss barrel wheels with matte black centers and gold hardware. The wheels are wrapped in 295/30/19 Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S tires up front, and 345/30/19 Toyo R888R tires at the rear. It gets its stopping power from a set of Carbon Tech race pads on all four corners.

As with many street cars with this kind of power, Will’s Corvette is at home on the 1/2-mile track. The current best speed is 165 miles per hour, with plenty of trips to these events in the future. Similar setups run high 9s-low 10s in the quarter mile with 1.4-1.6 60’ pulls, although this exact one hasn’t been put on such a track.

We’re glad that enthusiasts like Will and his fellow Atlanta car enthusiasts at ATL Muscle are out there to continue to spread their passion in the car community. Keep an eye out for more as we hope to be seeing him at upcoming 1/2-mile events that Power and Performance will be covering! You can see more of Will’s car on his Instagram page @_mowe_ for more updates.

Tech Sheet:

Owner: Will Chopti

Location: Atlanta, GA

Year: 2016

Body Style: Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Color and Paint Type: Torch Red

Hood: Carbon Fiber hood with Carbon Flash insert with a Corvette Racing Jake decal.

Hatch: Vengeance Racing Decal

Wing: Stage 2 Aero package

Body Kit: Stage 2 front/side Aero package

Front Seats: Adrenaline Red with Z06 embossed logo

Carpet: Corvette Racing Lloyd Mats

Car Audio System: Bose with 8” sub-woofer in the hatch

Engine Builder: Vengeance Racing

Block: LT4

Bore x Stroke: 4.06 x 3.62

Displacement: 6.2 Liters

Compression Ratio: 10.0:1

Crankshaft: Forged steel crankshaft with tungsten balancing inserts, ground pin collars, and intermediate pin drills for rods 1-6

Rods: Lightweight, high strength powder-metal steel connecting rods

Pistons: Forged Aluminum – 10.1 compression, flat top crown

Cylinder Heads: Rotocast A356-T6 aluminum cylinder heads

Valves: 54mm Solid titanium intake valves with a 65.47 CC combustion chamber

Camshaft: 189/223 (intake/exhaust)

Supercharger: TVS 1.7 L Roots-style Supercharger

Lower Pulley: 18% Innovative West

Maximum Boost: 14lbs

Fuel Pump: 2900/20

Fuel Injectors: 25CC – Direct injection

Tuning: HP Tuners and EFI setup

Headers: 1-7/8” American Racing

Midpipe: American Racing

Catalytic Converters: American Racing

Mufflers: NPP Chevrolet Rear Axle

Transmission: 7-Speed Manual

Clutch or Torque Converter: Dual Plate Clutch

Driveshaft: Aluminum

Rear Gear Ratio: 3.42:1

Shifter: MGW Flat Stick with MGW Short Shifter

Springs: Lowered 1.2 inches

Front Wheels: 19×10” 3-Piece BC Forged LE52 – Gloss Barrel with Matte Black Centers and Gold Hardware

Front Tires: 295/30/19 Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S Front

Rear Wheels: 19×12.5” 3-Piece BC Forged LE52 – Gloss Barrel with Matte Black Centers and Gold Hardware

Rear Tires: 345/30/19 Toyo R888R Rear

Brakes: Carbon Race Pads

Dyno Numbers: 730 WHP and 710 lb/ft TQ

Sponsors: Vengeance Racing, Shine Auto Salon, Atlanta Jax Wax, Butler Tire, and BC Forged.

About the author

Elizabeth Puckett

Elizabeth is a seasoned writer and hardcore gearhead. She was born with motor oil in her blood and a passion for everything that goes fast.
Read My Articles

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