Candid review of the Z06

[89911]

Chevrolet Corvette Z06


4 April 2006
By Sajeev Mehta





"You have the car everyone wants right now." Souls are ice-skating in Hell. Pigs are airborne. The guy handing the Corvette Z06 the ultimate accolade wasn't a sixty-year-old Midwestern mid-life muscle car maniac. It was a BMW M3 owner fresh from the track at the Motorsport Ranch roadcourse in Houston. General Motors may be on Death Watch, but its Chevrolet-branded halo car has, after 53-years, ascended to the top of the honest-to-God sports car category. Of course, even Euro-snobs are susceptible to baseless hype. Well guess what? The Z06 is all that, and more.

Unless you’re looking for pretty. In ideal lighting, the Z06' form evokes all the sleek, thrusting glamour of a 550 Maranello. Take off the beer goggles and it’s a bit of a mess. Peep the bulging carbon-fiber fenders, hood scoop and brake cooling ducts: items longing for Pininfarina’s magical powers of integration. The matte black "Gurney Lips" (mud flaps) stand out like a fanny-pack'd tourist strolling the Louvre. Tacked-onto on the C6 Vette's clumsy profile, the performance-oriented addenda create an unsightly blend of hard edges and undefined curves, not to mention a posterior straight from the Sir Mix-A-Lot School of Design.




The exterior may be a challenge to skin deep beauty theorists, but the Z06 interior gets it done. Dual-zone climate control, XM radio, in-dash navigation and power everything supplies sufficient indulgence. The cabin's soft-touch petroleum byproducts are another giant step-up from the brand's Avis-grade interiors. (The door panels alone would make some wikkid kicks.) The 'Vette's heads-up display provides useful eye candy, and can be switched off faster than you can say "i-Drive." Metal grilles hide seven crackalackin’ Bose speakers. Pump up the volume via chrome-ringed knobs that move with Teflon-coated precision. Yes, this is still a road test of a GM product.

Close the Z06’ portals and the side windows bury themselves deep inside ample weather stripping (finally ending the dreaded Corvette triple digit howl). A new three-spoke wheel supersedes last year's headless doughboy, though the thin rim can’t match an BMW M-series’ beefcake hula-hoop. The seats also need to leave Atkins behind and hit the pasta bar. Cushions this flat, short and lacking in lateral support belong in a Monte Carlo, not a car boasting a Nürburgring-fettled pedigree. And just in case you forgot that the Z06 hails from the Land of Lawsuits, the GM parts-bin rearview mirror brightly shines "PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF."




Once underway, the Z06' compliant ride and docile demeanor help the uber-'Vette mount a convincing challenge to the 911 for everyday drivability. The 'Vette's peanut butter smooth idle, dual-stage exhaust system (from mild to monster), light but accurate steering (with a welcome improvement in on-center feel) and mid-weight clutch will endear it to unrepentant boulevardiers and brand loyal commuters. Aside from the Goodyear run-flats’ tendency to holla back over rough pavement, it’s hard to fault the Z06' civility. A real world twenty-nine mpg at 75mph seals the deal.

Pull the trigger on the Z06' 7.0-liter powerplant and it's clear pushrod proletariats needn’t take a backseat to OHC elitists: the ‘Vette’s burbling aluminum/titanium masterpiece provides unadulterated four-cycle fun. Switch to "Competitive Driving Mode," put your foot down and unleash the beast. Massive low end grunt belies the 7000rpm redline, pinning your spine to the seat back at any engine speed. Quick? Only in the same sense that a photon is sprightly. Accelerating from zero to sixty takes just 3.7 seconds, while a quarter mile deducts a mere 11.8 seconds from your lifespan.




An aluminum, magnesium and carbon-fiber diet has significantly improved the donor car’s turn-in and cornering poise. Any why not? The 505hp Z06 weighs three hundred and sixty-four pounds less than the 480hp next gen Porsche Turbo. Missile the Z06 into a turn and its run-flats stick with supernatural tenacity, carving corners with uncanny balance and, most deliciously of all, the option of a predictable power slide exit. [Traction control aversive greenhorns beware: you'll trim the landscape the hard way with even a little extra throttle.] The Z06’ brakes are equally astounding, equally reliable. Lap after lap, manhole-cover sized discs serve-up bottomless cups of stopping power java. Much to the dismay of the folks at Hurst, even the short-throw shifter is perfect.

In short, the Z06 is the best vehicle to come out of General Motors in decades. Which begs the question: how can such a fantastic vehicle come from such a horribly flawed organization? The fact that combative Corvette project manager Dave Hill capped his career with this car is one possible explanation-- and a stark warning that the Z06 may represent a Pyrrhic victory for a terminally ill automaker. If so, there’s no question: the manufacturers of “America’s sports car” saved the best for last.

[HardDrive]

"The 505hp Z06 weighs three hundred and sixty-four pounds less than the 480hp next gen Porsche Turbo"

[BlueSkyJaunte]

LOL. Porsche...fulfilling the hi-po luxo-barge market niche.

[Jeff Higgins]

So I wonder how an '06 'Vette will compare to an '06 911 Turbo five or ten years down the road. Underneath its stellar performance still lurks a Chevy; it will rattle, fade, break, and plummet in value. There is more to owner satisfaction than shear performance.

[89911]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
There is more to owner satisfaction than shear performance.

Whatever it is, is it worth the extra $70-$80 k? I guess that is what they are banking on to sell their overpriced cars.

[s_wilwerding]

The other thing I've heard from reviewers who can actually drive around a racetrack is that, with traction control off, the car is almost undriveable at speed. If you have traction control on and drive hard, the brakes tend to get cooked pretty fast.

I don't know about you guys, but if it takes a computer to make my driving exciting and fun, I'm not interested.

[1967 R50/2]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
Underneath its stellar performance still lurks a Chevy; it will rattle, fade, break, and plummet in value.

Maybe not plummet in value. For reasons that are beyond me, the market for pretty common US muscle cars is through the roof. Corvettes too. Pristine '60s examples command big money.

Plus, being a Chevy, parts are relatively common so fixes would be cheaper.

[}{arlequin]

yeah, but that's for 'cudas, darts, 60's camaros etc.... i haven't seen the prices for Lumina's nor Solstice shooting through the roof lately....

[1967 R50/2]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
yeah, but that's for 'cudas, darts, 60's camaros etc.... i haven't seen the prices for Lumina's nor Solstice shooting through the roof lately....

Actually, the Solstice is going for well over list.

Why? I dunno. I've driven it. It looks nice and drives well, but there is no room in the car to put a lunch bag. The trunk disappears when the top goes down and there is very little storage inside the car. So good to drive but I imagine it would be tough to live with.

The new Miata has it beaten, hands down in almost all departments except for looks in my OP.

BTW: I am not sure I would call either the Lumina or the Solstice a muscle car.

[thrown_hammer]

In 20 years the Z06 will be a wicked sports car with some rattles. The 997 Turbo will be an overpriced bloated pig that doesn’t have some rattles.

Porsche is the most profitable car company in the world. It just got it’s butt handed to it by the worst car company on the planet.


But what do I know. My dream car is a Euro 1977 Porsche 911 turbo Carrera.

[pwd72s]

The Z-06, and ALL GM cars come with a black box that records your driving. But then, I guess BMW does the same. One reason I stick with my old cars...

[}{arlequin]

i don't mind the black box so much. unless it's handed over to the poh-leeece....

otherwise, it just makes me want to post the biggest numbers i can on it

[pwd72s]

Ahhh, but how about dealerships using it to deny warranty claims?

[}{arlequin]

ahhhh.... yeah, those guys shouldn't look inside it either

(being in "out of warranty" cars for the last 3 vehicles has made me forget what a pita that was)

[pwd72s]

Aye, that's the insanity of it...they build and market a high performance car for the performer it is. But use it that way, and "warranty claim denied" when something breaks.

[}{arlequin]

can't remember last time i heard of "corvette track days" LOL

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
can't remember last time i heard of "corvette track days" LOL

A fairly well known Vette tuning shop in Titusvlle Florida sponsored a Autocross driving school / Autocross day a few years ago. I think 2 of them hit light poles in the lot and one blew an engine. It was a day of carnage. I am unsure if they ever held the event again.

Chevy built a hell of car that is sure. I see so many C-6's every day its not funny. I have also seen over 5 Z-06's already. They are very popular cars.

[}{arlequin]

with all these new sport-y cars coming out, there is a thread like this one every week here. the funny thing is, no matter how good these cars are "rated", "described", and "sworn to" (curious that i never see walter rohrl nor paul frere writeups ) none of us are ever going to have a 'slip-n-fall' and oops-i-decided-to-buy-a-vette post LOL

[carnutzzz]

Yes, the new Z06 exposes the new 911 for what it is- overpriced. With the new Turbo you are paying for exclusivity- which is great if that's what you're into.

If you want supercar performance at a great price- Z06.

Depreciation discussions don't even make sense- you will lose WAAAAY more $$$ buying the 911 over any given period.

[ledhedsymbols]

I think I'll quote the April 2006 copy of Motor Trend...
"No matter what we say, though, there will always be Corvette and Porsche owners. Neither will acknowledge the other's presence. Both will think they have the better car."

We all just know that the 'Vette junkies are wrong right?

Micah