I drove a C6 Z06
 

This past weekend I had the privilege to drive two very cool cars: a Bentley GT and the new Corvette Z06.

The Bentley is pimp, plush, fast, and heavy, but everybody knows all that good stuff. I could write plenty about that whip (as the youthful gangstas like to call it), but I assume most people here are more of the performance crowd. Besides, to me, the Vette left more of an impression…

To cut to the chase, the C6 Z06 is a monster. It even sounds like one. Technically, it’s a six speed, but it seems more like an automatic with 6 levels to choose from. That car can go fast in any gear! Though for any kind of fun driving on the streets, there is no reason to go beyond 3rd gear.

The sound is unreal, the pushback you experience on acceleration is hilariously entertaining, and I can understand why people say it’s a track only car. It belongs on the track! It’s not because the ride is rough –because quite frankly, it didn’t seem any worse than my Boxster (in fact, the seats were comfy), but with that much power on tap, it’s too tempting not to pour it on all the time. This car has the hardest working traction control on the planet! And that’s when it’s dry outside. I’d be frightened to see one driven in the rain. Like any monster, it's scary when it's out in public. It needs to be in its natural habitat, in this case, the track.

Obviously, this car left me with an outstanding impression. I'd still take an F430 over it, for American cars generally don't do it for me. But this is one American car to be proud of.

How about you guys...
What do you think the best American vehicle is?
And/Or, what would you rather have, a Z06 or a Ford GT*?

*Here's the part everyone will ignore: in this hypothetical question, you are unable to sell the Ford if you choose it. Consider their values equal. I don't want to hear that they'd take the Ford, sell it, and get a daily driver as well.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bentleygt.jpg

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-z06.jpg

Hi,

Boy are you reopening a can of worms!

But, I agree with you 100% as I have expressed before. The Z06 is the Real Deal - World Class.

I have driven them both - the Z06 on the Street and the Ford GT at the Track (well on a runway actually, at an area event), a fellow local Esprit owner just bought it this past spring. They are both awesome, but completely different.

My choice? The Ford GT, but not by too wide a margin. The Ford GT harkens back to the days when there was really such a thing as a Driver's car. Without all the electro-gizmos, it seems somehow more Honest and makes you aware of how little driving most modern 'Driver's cars' really require. The word refinement doesn't instantly spring to mind, you gotta work it.

IMHO, if the rear squirms out after an ill-advised jab on the WOW Pedal (and it will), that's how it should be, no TC to reel you back in. It's loud, a little cramped, low, all-around more visceral.

The Z06 is better behaved, but only just so (kinda like Eddie Haskell...;) ). Truth is, they both reach the same achievement, but by different means and that's a matter of choice.

The Z06 has a lot of people running for cover and probably an equal amount in denial. The best opposing arguements to date have been picky barbs at the Interior Vinyl, or minor rattles. But, like it or not, there's no doubt that Chevy has made a statement to the world...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

What do you think the best American vehicle is?

Performance-wise, I think you've identified the only two viable candidates for that title. Pretty sad when you consider the amount of sheet-metal collectively rolled out by the big 2 1/2. I also think it's telling that the manufacturer's basic warranty on either car is substantially less than most 'performance' cars sold by European and Japanese companies.

And/Or, what would you rather have, a Z06 or a Ford GT?

Being asian, the purchase of an American car is forbidden by my culture. :) However, I suspect that owning a Ford GT would just be a big headache. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least fifteen imported cars I'd rather own than either one of them, most costing thousands less than the Ford. I'm not saying that the fifteen perform better than the vette or GT, but seriously, wtf am I going to do with a Ford GT? Helloooo. It has big ************************ stripes down the middle, I mean come on...

Hats off to the Vette, it's a great car, but anyone who has recently bought a new Porsche has given the Vette some consideration, so the idea of owning a Vette (including the Z06) isn't up on a pedestal for many forum members and was apparently rejected for one reason or another. Definitely not on performance though.

That being said, if someone held a gun to my head and said "You must purchase a vehicle from the round-eye imperialist Yankee dogs !!!" then I'd have to go with the GT, just because Vettes are as common as those damn Boxsters.

Well, the way GM and Ford is going, maybe Honda or Toyota can pick them both up.

Before the box, I looked at what I guess was C5 back then. Could not do it. Fat rear and it was 1 foot longer than the box. Lots of tool stuff in my garage. When I measured I would have to move things around to fit in a Vette.

So, being my lazy self, I bought the box. Plus I was young back then and I thought you needed to be at least 50 and have gray hair to own a Vette. Well, now I am. Time to also start looking for a Harley? But I still hate moving things in the garage.

I took the 2.5 box on a Vette drive a few years ago. Fun being behind a car that has twice the hp and about the same weight. But I caught them in the turns.

Last year at ALMS in Laguna Seca the Porsche corral was next to the Vette. They had the Z06 that you could not really buy. The cut-away model was there and techs from GM. And about every Corvette ever made. That fat rear can grow on you. But GM needs to cut the top off the Z06 for me, and that will never happen.

The Panzo is interesting. I checked them out years ago, so I do not know what has changed. I think that would fit in my garage without having to move anything.

easy
 

the Z06 by a mile

better looking, and not built by ford

Dollar for Dollar, the Z06 is simply an awesome value.

I'd buy one tomorrow is I really need another car.

That's a no brainer, the Ford GT. Sir Jackie Stewart had a hand in developing that car and it was 're-designed" by the up and coming Cam Pardo.
Form follows function but looks count for something and the z06 parked next to a Ferrari or Ford GT or a Lambo etc. simply looks out of place. Very unispiring, cheap looking wheels and the z06 doesn't look any different than the lesser Corvettes. An exotic performer with dated early 90's looks and the rattles of poor assembly line practice.


that comment about the warranty is spot on. I was at the NY auto show when the Ford GT was first making its rounds and someone from the crowd asked the talking manequin how much a warranty one got for six figures worth of car and she said smugly "same as all the other Fords".

p.s.
is there such a thing as a Japanese exotic? The USA may only two or three but you'd be hard pressed to get most people to spend near-six figures on a Honda or Toyota.

Between the two, Vette. Just because it _is_ the American sports car.

But just to add more fuel to the domestic fire, what about a Viper?

I guess I'd have to go with the Vette. The GT is sure to be a classic but I just can't see it as a daily driver. Maybe that's true for the Z06 as well - but it seems more likely...

True. But you've got the new Nissan GTR coming out which should be quite the rocket. I also thought they were redesigning the Acura NSX.

What I'm interested in is the possible redesign of the Esprit and the introduction of the Audi R8....

Its notable that the GR 40 is being sunsetted and the Z06 is tough to find at a good price.

The market speaks volumes.

I'm assuming you mean the Ford GT not "GR 40", so...

Not really. When the GT was introduced the plan was in place to only run it for a short time. It was never to be a long term production run.

Meanwhile, although the Z06 is a very capable car, the GM loyalist are even worse than the Porsche loyals... they'll buy anything the general produces with the Corvette name on it. Most buy it because it's the "top of the line" Corvette, and they bleed Corvette. "Gimme the best one you got... it'll be impressive in the parking lot at the next NASCAR race."

Having said that, my choice would be the GT, hands down. It's the most "real" sports car, and I simply won't pay that much for a chebbie anything. :)

I've grown up on vettes and loved them until recently, having the money, I say the no brainer is the GT, come on, I have never seen one on the road period....vettes are dime a dozen and consdernig the market for cars right now, they are pretty over priced IMHO......

I know blah blah finest this bang for the buck....I look at expectation and what I percieve as value, and I don't associate vette with 60 to 70K......sorry....I think the verts even base at around 56-57.....no way....sorry....come back to earth, its a chevy :)

My vote is for the GT 40 simply because the design appeals to me more than the Corvette; however, the Vette is a serious contender against "exotics" regardless of its roots or perceived buyer profile. It has power, looks (not my favorite, but a mean looking stance), handling, etc, all for a much lower price than the "exotics" it is being compared to. If I ever decided to give up my Boxster I will seriously look at a Vette as a replacement. You can find dealers, repair shops, ethusiasts, performance modifications, clubs, racers, etc, around every corner.

Of course, if I could get past the Lotus "expensive china doll" perception I would buy an Espirit in a heartbeat... :D

BTW - I enjoy all types of racing... including NASCAR!!! :) In my opinion, every type of racing has a certain level of strategy, skill, and luck which is what attracts my attention. Watching cars race to see who has the fastest car is not enough for me. It's about planning for the entire race and making changes in midstream. It's about a skillful driver that communicates back to his team what is happening. It's about close finishes! :)

The GT40 is a curiousity that most folks will never be able to afford.

The Z06 is actually a car many folks can aspire to and own some day.

Moreover, unlike some engines we know, the chevy v8 isn't grenading every other day.

well i didnt get to drive a zo6, but i sure as hell remember driving behind one. sweet looking car.

I think I'm taking the bait on this one...

What expectations/perceptions do you associate with $60k-$70k? For that amount of money I expect power, handling, looks, etc and I see the Vette as fulfilling this. On top of this it has a long history with a good reputation and has been a top competitor in a lot of different auto sports.

I don't think the Dodge Viper is a bad alternative either. It's gone through its growing pains since its intro in the early 90's but since it has been refined and upgraded into another serious American contender.

Just to clarify, I prefer my Boxster over the Vette without question. There are other cars out there for the same amount of money worth considering, but I think discounting the Vette is a matter of taste and not a function of its performance.

Hi,

I agree with you on the Vette and the Viper, except to say that I don't find the Viper particularly refined. That's one of the things I actually like about it, it's the Biggest Punch-in-the-Nose Chrysler could come up with. In fact, it's on my Short List of replacements once I sell my Boxster, though I can only see myself hanging onto it a couple of seasons or so if it's the one I go with...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Yeah... refined might be the wrong word in comparison to other vehicles, but I don't think anyone would argue that it has been refined since its introduction. :)

A couple of corrections...

The old car was a GT 40, the new car is a GT (no 40). It's no curiosity, it's the real deal.

The Z06, at 70K, isn't *that* much more affordable than a GT for *most* people. Unlike the GT, it will depreciate, which will, over time, allow Joe Average to own one. It also, like the GT, isn't a car that many will enjoy driving on a daily basis, unless your trip to work is your own, private 10 mile long road course.

Besides, this thread wasn't about value, or purchase price. It was a question posed about which car would you rather have (not purchase), without regard to price.

The Ford GT wins that hands down.

Sammy
 

Jack's point goes along with mine in that the vette is a very Joe Average car because of the number produced, Chevy dealers have lots full of them....I picked up an autotrader to look through cars, it's what I do for some reason, 4.5 pages worth of vettes....9 varying P cars in total....

I could have bought a Vette and have always wanted a yellow vert with a black top....but its just too common....would I perceive a 50K mustang as a good option when I can get one for 20K with less stripes and power.....hell naw....its just to common.....I'm lucky to see a boxster a day aside from mine on the road....vettes galore.....

one other thing that is huge is the ZO6 is strictly a hard top.....Y? can you imagine the grief some would give porsche for this kind of crime? the Z06 has been around for what 7-8 years? and they still haven't made one with a targa....can you imagine the injustice porsche owners would cry? y can't I get the bigger engine....why can't I have more horsepower....y can't i at least have a targa....and so on....

sorry for the rant :)

I guess ultimately if I'm dropping 50 K min, I want some form of scarcity, a prestige associated with ownership, I don't associate that with Vette.....now the Viper is a classic example of a car that appears to hold its value...I mean I am seeing 2000's going for close to 60....now the boxster may not hold its value as well but it personally, for me, met my other criteria...and I can't stand the 911 so boxster it was, sorry guys....

so long long story short, I vote Ford GT in the red and Blue with the numbers painted on it....