America's most powerful cars

These cars are made possible by -- ironically -- demands for greater fuel economy and safety.

Fuel economy requirements cause automakers to seek ways to get more power out of each dram of gasoline. While the immediate aim is creating 40 mile-per-gallon compact cars, like the Chevy Sonic, getting more power can also mean... more power. The same technology can be applied to getting way more punch.

The new Z06, has even more power than the last-generation Corvette's top-performing ZR1 model. It will be offered with either a seven-speed manual transmission or a new quick-shifting eight-speed automatic. It's essentially the street version of General Motor's CR7.R racecar, but the Z06 is much more powerful.