Summary
- Jay Leno had trouble with his unique 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Tiger Shark concept car, but after fixing a grounding issue, he loves it now.
- The Tiger Shark concept was meant to be even more special than the C5 Z06 with upgraded looks and powertrain, boasting a 525 hp LS6 engine.
- The Tiger Shark is a rare survivor, as it is the only one in existence, and Leno has added a 427 LS7 crate motor to replace the blown-up engine.
No one has a car collection quite like Jay Leno’s. The former chat show host and comedian has a huge array of machines in his California garage, including a very special Chevrolet Corvette Z06 from 2002 shown off on the Jay Leno's Garage YouTube channel. This isn’t any old 2002 Z06 however, as it is a Tiger Shark, a concept car from the early 2000s. It's a Chevrolet Leno has had a lot of trouble with, but one that has a fascinating history all in itself.
Finally though, the car is on the road and Leno is able to enjoy this fabulous American sports car. It's one of the most unique machines in his entire collection, even if it did cause him problems for some time.
Leno Parked The Corvette Z06 For Two Years
2002 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 Tiger Shark Engine Specs
Manufacturer | General Motors |
Production Years | 2002 |
Configuration | LS6 V8 |
Displacement | 6.6-Liter |
Power | 525 Hp |
Fuel | Gas |
Notable Applications | Chevrolet Corvette C5 |
The car gave Leno so much trouble that he actually parked it for two years while he and his team tried to diagnose its issues. He and his team could not find any problems with the car, but when driving it he’d find that he would have to reduce power. Initially, he thought there was an issue with the gas cap seal. But eventually, Leno tracked down a mechanic who came over to diagnose the car and find out what was wrong. It turned out that a door connector was causing the car to not ground properly.
After it was finally fixed, the car ran well and Leno came to love it very quickly. The Corvette Z06 was a product of Tecstar, in partnership with General Motors, at the time when Chevrolet wanted to do something special with the Corvette. Chevrolet also didn’t want to mess with the price point, with the C5 generation proving a hit at just under $40,000. It was also at a time when Chevrolet hadn’t used the Z06 moniker since 1963, when the car was a track-ready car and not a road car. At the time of this car's creation by Tecstar, this Corvette was a 405 hp LS6 V8 powered Corvette with a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds.
The whole idea here was to create something that is even more special and unique compared to the C5 Z06 with the Z51 package. Altering the looks of the car and upgrading the powertrain were the main focus points for the car, with the LS6 engine bored to four inches, as was the stroke of the engine. A new crankshaft and a specially designed exhaust system was added to the car, and the engine was now rated at 525 hp with a 6.6-liter displacement.
The Z06 Tiger Shark Was A Big Evolution Of The C5 Corvette
Various other features identify this Corvette as one that is truly unique. The front fascia is completely different to any other Corvette, and a chin spoiler that sits incredibly low to the ground. Inside, we can see that there are carbon fiber door sills and special leather packaging on the inside of the Corvette. But the biggest change is the different rear fascia with its Tiger Shark tail, and its European-style taillights.
As far as rarity goes, this is the only Corvette Tiger Shark that exists today. There are pieces of Tiger Sharks out there, but the program never went on beyond this concept, so Leno is lucky to have the only one in existence. The original engine actually blew up twice in the Corvette, so now Leno and his team have added a 427 LS7 crate motor under the hood, an engine Leno says is truly great. With the problems on it rectified, it’s a car Leno is a big fan of describing it as fast, with good handling and an awful lot of torque to play with.
As part of the C5 generation, it’s a well-balanced machine and a car that almost became a supercar thanks to its power and performance. Leno has previously said how much he loves the C5 Corvette, with him also owning a regular production 1999 example as part of his collection. The C5 was also a pioneer of the fixed-roof coupe, or FRC. One cool feature of this particular FRC is that it actually added a lot of rigidity to the car thanks to the strength and weight of the roof. The FRC really kickstarted the new evolution of the Corvette, and the engineering of the sports car began to improve.
Leno Swapped In An LS7 V8 For His Z06 Tiger Shark
Leno currently has a big LS7 under the hood of this Tiger Shark, in what is a fantastically clean engine bay with just a little bit of wear. The same size as the LS6, Leno is full of praise for the LS7 and describes it as bulletproof and one of the best Corvette engines that GM ever produced. It's as good as you are going to get, and that's why many people, as Leno says, will drive their Corvette on a regular basis.
The C5 was a big step-up for the Corvette, with it going more towards a sports car and making it a serious rival to those from Europe. On this Tiger Shark, even the wheels are unique, and coupled with the Brembo brakes they look spectacular. PPG Millennium Yellow paint was unique to the Corvette at the time as well, as were the European-style taillights. All of these little features add up to creating a very special, one-off Corvette. Leno is trying to be more careful with the car now, having ripped off the splitter three times in the past!
What The Corvette Tiger Shark Is Like To Drive
Driving the Corvette is as good as you would expect, with Leno praising the ride of the Corvette as well as the torque delivery of the C5. Leno claims that the torque delivery of the LS7 engine is incredible and it pulls nicely, as evident when he puts his foot down a bit! The LS6 was just as torquey, if not more so, and it would often surprise those who drove the car. At the time, the figure of 400 hp was a lot.
This Corvette then is a truly unique survivor. Leno and his team did well to finally track down the problem thanks to a mechanic and get it back on the road. It is remarkable that this car still exists today. It's just a shame that the concept Chevrolet and Tecstar created here never made it into production.
Source: Jay Leno's Garage YouTube Channel