The C8-generation of Corvette Z06 has been a critically-acclaimed smash hit for Chevrolet, a genuine supercar with the speed and on-track capability to boot at half the price of its peers. It shames Audi R8s and threatens the heartiest Porsche 911s, and it does so with an imposing look on its Gundam-esque mug. The Z06 is a refreshingly manic driver’s car and owes much of its all-American might to some all-Italian influence.

It’s a known fact that the Corvette team has benchmarked some serious heavy hitters against the Z06, including the Ferrari 458 Italia, with which the ‘Vette is often compared in the media. However, on paper and in practice, their similarities are quite striking. Both are mid-engined, rear-drive supercars rocking lower-displacement, flat-plane engines routing power through dual-clutch gearboxes. So the Prancing Horse’s decade-old machine directly influenced many aspects of the current Z06’s development, but just how similar are the two cars when you start picking them apart?

Thanks to YouTuber, Tyler Hoover from Hoovies Garage, we get a peek at just that as his mechanics dismantle a drop-top Corvette Z06 to compare it to its spiritual predecessor, a 458 Spider. It’s an admittedly brief look that scratches just beneath the surface, but it’s the closest look anyone outside a GM development team has had in person. What’s truly different, and what’s the same? We’re as eager to know as you are.

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