The Corvette Z06's handling scared Car and Driver!

[450knotOffice]

Tippy canoe for Corvette is what comes to mind.

I just read a comparison article that Car and Driver wrote between the 505 HP Z06 and the Dodge Viper. I was a little shocked by what I read considering all of the wild accolades I'd heard about the car for the last six months. Basically, as is, the Z06 is a blindingly fast point and shoot kind of car with great brakes and good road holding abilities that suffers from wildly unpredictable snap oversteer if it touches even the slightest bump mid corner. It seems that the car can be a real handful with the stability control system turned off. They basically called it scary.

Interestingly, they considered the menacing and intimidating looking Viper to be a pussy cat on the track, comparatively speaking. They said that their only gripe was that in some turns the car tended to understeer more than they liked.

They all mentioned, apparently, that given a choice, they'd take the Viper on the track over the Vette, even though the Vette posted slightly faster lap times. It seems it was much more fun and predictable and less scary to drive fast on the track than the Vette.

Hmm...

[dd74]

Well, if the Corvette suffers snap oversteer, (some) Porsche drivers will feel right at home.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Only 911 owners. 944 owners don't know anything about it.

[masraum]

That's because the 944 doesn't have enough power to break the tires loose. Not to mention having all of the weight split between the two ends of the car keeps it from wanting to rotate.

j/k

[RallyJon]

Sounds like yet another racetrack-optimized car that will fall on its face on twisty bumpy back roads.

But haven't Corvettes always been that way? Seems every time I read a Corvette review in EVO they say the same thing.

[Jims5543]

I can appreciate the performance of the car. But, I have never liked them. After a stint Autocrossing against them, I have grown to hate them. The SCCA makes sure they win putting rediculas restrictions on worthy competitors or keeping better cars out of their classes.

If I had $65K+ to spend on a sports car I could use my imagination and come up with something much faster and more fun to drive.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Never had as much fun in a (moving) car as I did driving a Z06 on the track.

And that includes in-motion BJs...(too much distraction to really enjoy it).

[kaisen]

Jim Cesiro
If I had $65K+ to spend on a sports car I could use my imagination and come up with something much faster and more fun to drive.

I doubt you could find a 'new' car for $65K (with full warranty) that would perform as well in real-world conditions as the Z06.

You may 'imagine' the car, or even build your own (without warranty), but buying one turn-key doesn't exist.

The new C6 Z06 is fast as h-e-double-hockey-sticks!

And you can get it serviced at one of 5500+ Chev dealers in almost any city in the country.

E

[Z-man]

Originally posted by masraum
That's because the 944 doesn't have enough power to break the tires loose. Not to mention having all of the weight split between the two ends of the car keeps it from wanting to rotate.

j/k

I can rotate my 944S2 in the corners quite well, thank you very much! It's just that most 911 drivers have the ability to rotate their back end into the bushes on the side of the road better!
-Z-man.

[Dantilla]

"Automobile" magazine recently compared the Z06, Viper and Ford GT, and came to a very different conclusion. The Chevy and Ford were both better and faster than the Viper. Compared to the other two, the Viper handled like a pig. The Corvette and Ford GT were almost identical but they gave a slight nod to the GT. When you factor in that the GT costs twice as much as the Z06, That would definately be my choice.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by Dantilla
When you factor in that the GT costs twice as much as the Z06, That would definately be my choice.

That's MSRP--last I heard the Ford dealers were charging WAY above MSRP.

[Rodeo]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
If I had $65K+ to spend on a sports car I could use my imagination and come up with something much faster and more fun to drive.

[tchanson]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
That's MSRP--last I heard the Ford dealers were charging WAY above MSRP.

Not so much anymore. Prices have come back to earth on the GT, as the speculators have stopped trying to catch the proverbial falling knife:

http://fordgtprices.com/pages/9/index.htm

On the other hand, I doubt that that there are many Z06's being sold for anywhere near $65K sticker. They eventually will, given the thousands they'll crank out, but I'd guess not now.

Tim

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by kaisen
I doubt you could find a 'new' car for $65K (with full warranty) that would perform as well in real-world conditions as the Z06.

You may 'imagine' the car, or even build your own (without warranty), but buying one turn-key doesn't exist.

The new C6 Z06 is fast as h-e-double-hockey-sticks!

And you can get it serviced at one of 5500+ Chev dealers in almost any city in the country.

E

IMHO - The Corvette is to sports cars what the Lexus is to Luxury cars. The Vette is a no brainer if you want a good safe choice and off the dealership floor performance. The roads are littered with new C-6 owners who believe they are driving the king of the road. So are the Autocrosses and open track days.

I did imagine and build my own Vette killer and it has no warranty and I just just discussing with a co-worker over lunch how simplistic it is and I'll pocket the $25K I saved building it and use it for future upkeep.... for a long time. Thats a lot of track tires, fuel and fees for track days.

Again, I appreciate fully the performance of the car. I just do not like the whole "drop down and worship it" press it gets. Its refreshing to see someone say something negative about it honestly. Some worship them, I really do not like them.

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by Rodeo

Yup!! I almost purchased one of these instead of my 911. I decided the Elise can wait, I really wanted a 911 now. When I see one of those onthe road I see a driver who knows a good sports car. I cannot say the same for the Vette, I usually think Lemming when I see a vette.

[450knotOffice]

Yes, C & D did say that the Vette was quicker and faster than the Viper and could lap the course faster. This is true. But what they also said was that the Vette with it's Stability control system turned off was a scary beast on anything but a VERY smooth surface. It was faster around the track with the system off because the system was continually reigning in the car on the bumpy track, so in order to get the best possible time they switched it off. When they did that though the car was a handful to drive.

They said that even though the Viper was not as quick around the track it was definitely more fun. Most of us are not pro drivers and they said the Vette could get a driver in trouble much more easily than the Viper would.

The times they ran were 1:27.5 for the Viper and 1:26.0 for the Vette.

[kaisen]

Does the Elise or Exige lap Nurburgring faster than the Z06?

Last I checked, the Exige had 190hp and weighs about 2000 pounds. It does 0-60 in about 5 secs and has a top speed under 150mph.

The Z06 has 505hp and weighs about 3000 pounds. It does 0-60 in mid-three secs and has a top speed about 200 mph.

Sounds like the Z06 would smoke it on anything but an autocross course.

E

[450knotOffice]

...if the driver doesn't crash first while trying.

[kaisen]

Leave the stability on and I would bet it would still lap the ring faster

E

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Bah, if you're not scaring yourself silly, you're not doing it right.

Or the motorcyclist's credo: "When I stop getting scared, it's time to hang up the helmet, because I'm already dead."