In early 2024, a single video was uploaded on a new Instagram account under the name The Stolen ZO6. The video shows a black Corvette pull up to a light while a police officer flashes his lights signaling for him to pull over. But what the police officer [music] didn't realize is that this is exactly what The Stolen ZO6 had been looking for. This account had no followers and in only a matter of weeks it would gain millions of views [music] and hundreds of thousands of likes. Night after night he would go out looking for police only to take off and make a mockery of them online. He has no license plate and no one knows who the driver is. Hundreds of thousands of followers, millions of views. The Stolen ZO6 went viral for all the wrong reasons and his identity is a complete mystery. Or is it? This is the hunt for America's most wanted street racer, The Stolen ZO6. More and more videos ensued of the black unmarked Corvette doing even crazier maneuvers. As the videos got wilder, so did the comments. Some people bashed The Stolen ZO6 for putting others in danger. Even conspiracies [music] followed. Was the car stolen? Who in their right mind would film themselves driving a stolen car and breaking this many laws in the process? One comment summed it all up perfectly. >> [music] >> You know you're doing a good job when they stop caring about you. >> [snorts] >> Judging by this, it's safe to say his car wasn't stock, but let's not bring the ZO6 down. Using a Corvette made perfect sense. The Corvette C7 is a special generation. It's the last one with the traditional configuration, engine in the front and traction in the back. And you can never go wrong with this combination. The C7 continued the Corvette's legacy as an everyman's supercar, a daily driver you could take to the track or escape from the police. The C7 was the complete package, but Chevrolet took it one step further with this, the Z06. Before we dive into the Z06, let's get one thing clear. The standard C7 was a beast. Its 6.2 L V8 LT1 engine put out 455 horsepower and 460 lb ft of torque, but that wasn't enough for the stolen Z06. Instead, he went for an even more powerful version. Obviously, we're talking about the Z06. And how did Chevrolet improve on the base model? By fitting a supercharger on it. And not just any supercharger, a 1.7 L Eaton supercharger, along with stiffer suspension, an aero package, carbon ceramic brakes, and super soft tires, this became one of the fastest production cars ever made. The Z06 produces 650 horsepower and 650 lb ft of torque, and it tops out at 185 mph. So, the Corvette Z06 is the perfect car for getaway driving. It's not only extremely fast, [music] but it's also relatively cheap. When it came out in 2015, the Z06 cost the 2024 equivalent of $104,917. That's cheap for supercar performance. And thus, this Corvette became the perfect car for a bandit [music] such as the stolen Z06. The videos. Most of the stolen Z06's videos start the same way. He's rolling to a halt and a cop is chasing him, usually with the lights flashing. Now, let's do a bit of forensic analysis here. The lights are flashing because cops already laid their eyes on the stolen Z06, be it by urban legend or because the Corvette [music] flew past him, the cop is already alert. Then, he issues a warning, but the stolen Z06 doesn't care. Instead, he gently rolls the vet and then steps on the gas. All cops could do was look at a very appropriate license plate as it disappeared into the dark. The rest is viral internet [music] history, but hey, at least he did warn viewers not to copy him. Still, many wondered, how could he get away, literally, with this? He's clearly breaking the law [music] and it's all on video. Well, there was a big problem. Nobody knew who he was. He was more a fictional character than a real-life criminal. He was the stuff of legend. Let's face it, the stolen Z06 was untouchable. Or was he? The hunt. The stolen Z06 had drawn the attention of authorities, and they had been after him for months. But, interestingly, not because he was running from the police. Instead, cops were more interested in whether he had stolen the car or not. After all, he checked all the boxes. He did tons of illegal stuff. He recorded them. He uploaded them for the world to see. He went viral. Plus, it's in his name. So, authorities had all the reasons to believe that the car was, in fact, stolen. That's where Operation Scarlet comes in. Operation Scarlet stands for Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement Team. But, they did their job and did it well. After several run-ins with the law, where the stolen Z06 always escaped, authorities decided to track down a possibly stolen or cloned Chevrolet Corvette Z06. They established roadblocks and were on the lookout for a very noticeable car. It turns out that a black Z06 causing chaos and mayhem in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area isn't that common. So, tracking him down was not as hard. Then, this happened. In March 2024, a police officer from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD attempted to pull over a Corvette that matched the infamous description of the stolen Z06. It was black and the notorious license plate red, will run. The cops were so desperate to finally catch their most wanted target that they barricaded him in a parking lot, attempting to smash in his window. Naturally, the stolen Z06 wasn't about to surrender without a struggle. The driver floored it and managed to break through the barricade, at least for a moment. But, his escape was short-lived as the police soon closed in on their target. Funk for America's most wanted street racer had nearly come to an end. But, the story was just beginning. The stolen Z06's attempted getaway almost happened. He managed to free himself from the cops, but was eventually caught. And, here's the most ironic part of the story. The Corvette wasn't stolen. Operation Scarlet suspicion were wrong, but they led to victory. They had finally caught the stolen Z06. But, who was he? This guy, Carlos Clark. This wasn't Clark's first encounter with the law. According to the Cornelius Police Department, Clark had been arrested for felonious eluding with a motor vehicle. The problem for Clark was that things turned out much worse this time. The CMPD got a search warrant and uncovered a large stash of illegal substances, including over 100 lb of narcotics, 10 lb of edible products, a large amount of cash, and various other substances. And, even after getting caught, myths continued to surround the stolen Z06. Rumors online circulated that the authorities found all of this in the Corvette, but that wasn't true. It was all found in his house, >> [music] >> which for Clark only made matters worse. He faced serious consequences. Felony flee and elude arrest with motor vehicle, hit and run property damage, reckless driving, assault [music] with deadly weapon, resisting public officer, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, among numerous other charges. But, that didn't stop him. The same day he was arrested, [music] Clark posted the $20,000 bail and immediately returned to posting on social media. >> [music] >> However, not long after, his accounts went silent. With an impending trial, it's no surprise. But, now >> [music] >> we all know one thing for certain. Given the chance, the stolen Z06 will run.