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Coupes & Convertibles Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet Corvette Z06
221 messages, Last post on Oct 15, 2009 at 5:37 PM
You are in the Chevrolet Corvette Forum. Your Host is claires
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Replying to: starrow68 (Nov 02, 2005 10:51 am)  And I think I'm better than average. FWIW, the test drivers for Automobile, Road and Track, Car and Driver and Motor Trend all rated the new 911S above the (standard) Corvette in track performance and achieved faster lap times with it. So that "finesse" of having the steering, suspension, engine and gearing, etc. work in harmony means something in the hands of a professional at the track as well. It will be interesting to see how the 997 Turbo stacks up against the Z06. It is a very powerful car with a much better suspension than the base Corvette, I'll admit that much form my limited exposure the other day. However, I'd still contend that a professional behind a base Corvette or 911 could beat 97%+ of amateurs behind a Z06, Ferrari 430 or Porsche 911 Turbo. You can't buy that level of training or expereince at any showroom, even with $130k in your wallet. Your point does bring up another demographic question. I wonder what percentages of Corvette buyers are regular or occassional "trackers", compared to other sports cars? A lot of the "gear head" kids in our neighborhood that I grew up with in the late 50's and 60's were tinkering with and modifying their GM's (and Fords and Chryslers) and testing their 1/4 mile times at least once a month. How did you get involved and is it an extension of your childhood or a new semi-retirment pasttime?
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Replying to: habitat1 (Nov 02, 2005 12:40 pm) I remember reading 2 of those comparisons when the cars had just came out, and while they picked the 911 due to "feel", the Vette pulled the better lap times numbers in both instances...
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Replying to: sensai (Nov 02, 2005 2:01 pm)  Statistically, these two cars are practically a dead heat on paper. I happen to have the Motor Trend January 2005 comparison. The 911 wins on 0-60 (4.2 vs. 4.4), braking (106' & 299' vs. 113 & 321 from 60 & 100 mph respectively), slalom (70.1 vs. 68.9), skidpad (.97 vs. .96) and "figure 8" (24.8 vs. 25.2). But the Corvette's 60-100 mph advantage (5.7 vs. 6.5) make up enough on the longer straights to give the Corvette a slightly better time (99.5 sec. vs. 100.1). I prefer the 911 advantages as they pertain to my everyday driving, but I respect that someone else might take the track winner, no matter what. In any event, let's agree that these are both very good perfoming cars. My interest in the demographic differences as discussed with a long time GM dealer was the impetus for my previous post. |
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| Read the Car and Driver Z06 vs. Viper shootout. Certainly seems like an impressive car, but I don't remember the last time a car was called dangerous in a major magazine. Sounds like the suspension and tires need to be sorted out. Sounds like more time was put into the powertrain than the suspension work. | |
| Adding to the foregoing discussion, we old farts don't need a seven seat family hauler or have college tuition payments because all the kids are well-degreed and well-settled. Our ex-wives left us with something, with a little luck our 401K, IRA, stock market bets and T-bills have served us well and we can go down to the Chevy store and write a check for a new Corvette. Tha only pains are the income tax and sales tax hits, but gov't needs that to build roads for the convenience of my toy rides. | |
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Replying to: habitat1 (Nov 02, 2005 12:40 pm) As to what % of Vette's track, just like all others except Miata and S2000, damn few, but once in awhile you get an all Corvette event like I attended at Spring Mt. Motorsports Park and a couple this year at Reno-Fernley Raceway. About 70+ at SMMP and just over 30 cars at R-F for two events this year. Not bad, when you consider that 4-6 is average at a 90 person event. Sears Point in a week or so on a M/T and then the following weekend at Thunderhill. Can I get my street tires down to 1.59.99 at SP, time will tell. Randy BTW, I'm ignoring the Evo's, & WRX's both fast but I've seen too many wreck, and the 350Z and Mustang which are all usually driven by a much younger crowd. Rootboy66, it is nice to have the kid out of college and in our case the wife has her own Vette, so I get two to drive every once in awhile.
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I'm over 60 and on my first Vette. Parked cars in the 60's while in college, and never really "liked" the Vettes that I had to park. [Did get to park a MB Gullwing once and that was special.] They just seemed to have hoods that went on and on and on, and the seats just didn't fit me. Anyway, only when I was at the Caddy dealer with the wife's 00 Eldo a couple of years ago, and they bought up a Chevy franchise, did I have a chance to sit in a new Vette on the floor. What a difference from the old Vettes I had known. And with the kids gone, and my 300M [only DC product I have ever owned] paid for, it was time for a new toy. Now I always respected Vettes, but just never had a desire to own/drive one til then. I got an end of model year 04 at $10K off the sticker, and have loved it every minute of the 8K miles it now has on it. Love the power and road feel, and the power...I have ridden in one Porsche Targa with another well-heeled, very successful lawyer, and frankly, I felt the cabin was cramped, and my butt felt like it was dragging on the pavement. Unimpressed. So I never even considered going that way, and I have never even been in a BMW, and I've been driving for 47+ years [All GM-Olds until the DC 300M]. I would consider a Z06 only if the price came down and they came up with an autostick set up. Who needs more power except Starrow and the other racers? But I really like what I've got, and I don't miss the family cars a bit, course, I kept my 300M because I like that car so much too. So, I got to a Vette late in life, but only because the appeal wasn't there before. 
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A car with 7.0L of engine under the hood, a buyer wouldn't buy it to conserve gas. However, My Z06 averaged an awesome 21.8 MPG on 1001 miles roundtrip. I never thought of a 427 cu in. motor to be light on gas, yet somehow Chevy has managed to get mileage out of this motor. My brother(Mr.Goodwrench himself) and myself have went through all things possible to figure how this became evident and came to the conclusion that it is the tallish 6th gear. It keeps the revs way down there until you mash the gas. I hardly ever have to downshift to pass someone. What is even more interesting is that it gets better mileage than my '03 Z06, which only returned 19.6 MPG from L.I. to Bowling Green. And this is a car with more HP(105 more) and a car that grew from 5.7L of displacement to 7.0L. Chevy: A job well executed.
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Replying to: blkhemi (Nov 04, 2005 1:15 pm) You should be doing a lot better than that. Maybe the C6 has a greater appetite for petro but both my '01 and '03 Z06's get a ton better. I get about 19 in city driving but on the interstate at 70 I'll be pushing 29 mpg. Followed my kids who were trailering a car to Gingerman this summer and going 60-65. Got over 32! You're right though, it's the very tall 6th gear.
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Replying to: bigmike5 (Nov 04, 2005 12:44 pm) Interesting scenerio you present and it somewhat dovetails into mine. Have always been a car nut but raising a family, the college bit and all kept me out of the market. Did manage an '87 and then '89 Toyota Supra while the boys were still in college. In '91, when I turned 50, wifey says maybe I ought to drive something more benefiting my age. OK, bought a Maxima SE. WONDERFUL car but no fun! '92 hits and the Lexus brings out the SC400...got one and it is probably the "finest" car I have ever owned. Not however a "sports car". Come '94 and the Supra has a twin turbo---had one. Traded it for a '97, and frankly, if they were made after '98, I would probably still be driving one of those monsters. I never considered a Vette during those years as they were always know to squeak/rattle with little bang for the buck. Saw lots of good press on the C5 in '97 but I was a happy camper with the Supra. Then the Z06 hit in '01; Supras no longer; went hunting and got an '01. Loved it, hence the '03. Will get the '06 version but only when the price becomes realistic. Between the Z's I have logged 50k for miles and neither had one squeak/rattle. They certainly lag in the fit/finish dept. compared to the Bimmer/Porsche's but I have totally enjoyed my Vettes and being a teen in the 50's, that V8 sound is heaven! Now, if they put some decent seats in the Vette and eliminated the horrendous orange peel in the paint, it would be primo. The again, you would have to look long and hard to find this type performance for the buck in ANY other car. Wifey cannot understand how many mid life crisis' I have to go thru before I regain my senses. I told her that of all the guys I know who have this "mid life" bit, they either chase 20 year olds or get a sports car. She now thinks the Vettes are just fine for me. Only in AMERICA! |
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