Z06 Killer...Hype or Truth?

audiobliss

I just got my Motor Trend magazine for February. On the front page is the new Viper, discussed in the article Bite Me. It's tauted as the 'Z06 Killer', sporting 600HP and who knows what all else.

A quick cursory scan reveals the article, obviously, compares the new 2008 Viper with the Z06......and the Mustang Shelby GT500. I'm a little miffed at that. Why even mention the GT500? Sure, it packs 500hp...but that's the ONLY performance figure it can produce that compares to those of the Viper and Z06. The GT500 is totally outclassed, in my honest opinion.

I haven't read the article yet, but you can be sure I'll be posting my thoughts when I have.

pearsall001

They can try all they want, but nothing, and I mean nothing comes close to the performance/price ratio, the look, of the Vette. There's a few wanna be's that keep trying but just can't cut it. The only true American muscle car that has all others wimpering in defeat.

GaryZ06

Well let me give you my thought on this since I have one of those badass C6 Z06's......The new 2008 Viper is reported to have 600 HP with an estimated 3400 lbs....No doubt a very fast car but one of the most important factors is that the Z06 is lighter and also remember is the HP to weight ratio....They should be just about the same and also the gearing....these two things will be the most important.We will have to wait for the Viper to come out and see what times it produces....Magazine times are ok but wait till they are in the hands of owners who track them...that is when you will see the best possible times.So far the best 1/4 mile time for a stock Z06 with drag radials is 10.85 @ 129.5......Oh wait till the 6.2 liter Supercharged Vette comes out next year....with about 650 HP......my garage will be waiting.

Systems

In looks alone the Vette is so much better than the Viper and Mudstain GT500.

scottvamp

And i do not want to know what that new Viper retails for.............
Yes i do..............:eek:

McLoki

I love the look of the viper, but it is so much more expensive than the vette now, I would have a hard time calling it a vette killer.

You could get a Z06 and a nice winter car for the price of the viper. Both are performance cars for sure, but you could just as easy say a lambo or ferarri is consider a vette killer. (and I am not overly sure that would be true even without price being taken into consideration.)

For current production price/performance - I would say under 35k mustang is where its at. Under 75k - the Vette is all over it.

Michael

Edit - from Cars direct site - couldnt find a 07 viper but in 06 it was like this:

MSRP: $81,895 - $83,145
Invoice: $74,592 - $75,704

Z06 '06 to keep it fair is like this:

MSRP: $65,690
Invoice: $60,174

With the Z06 you have about $16,000 to put twords mods, track days - whatever. (or a decent winter car). I just don't see them competing for the same buyer generally.

scottvamp

Until the Camaro and Challenger hit the market.;)

GaryZ06

McLoki wrote:

but you could just as easy say a lambo or ferarri is consider a vette killer. (and I am not overly sure that would be true even without price being taken into consideration.)

Michael

I have seen real life races between Lamborghini's and Ferrari's vs. the Z06 and believe me they are no Z06 killers...at all..:D

shack

GaryZ06 wrote:

I have seen real life races between Lamborghini's and Ferrari's vs. the Z06 and believe me they are no Z06 killers...at all..:D

Not even the least bit biased...are we?

audiobliss

No, hu-uh. Us Chevy fans are never biased.

GaryZ06

shack wrote:

Not even the least bit biased...are we?

Biased....maybe......do you have any real life experiences with these cars to base your assumption on?....I do

RuSsMaN

I've got a friend in Austin with a hot rod Lancer Evo that will literally spank Z06's, I've seen him do it.

There's always something faster.

audiobliss

RuSsMaN wrote:

There's always something faster.

Yup. Just like there's always something that sounds better.

GaryZ06

Stock vs. Stock

PolkThug

The GT500 has enormous potential with that forged bottom end.

JDM's dyno'd at 599rwhp with a pulley, air intake and exhaust.

The Evolution Performance GT500 ran 9.96 @ 141.45. (664 RWHP @778RWTQ)

As always, speed is just $$$ away.

exalted512

audiobliss wrote:

No, hu-uh. Us Chevy fans are never biased.

says the guy who drives a dodge?

ledhed

I actually wrote a paper about the Z06 (Got an A and yes, we still write papers about cars in college - we just use bigger words ) I did some research on the car and, not many cars at all beat it.

It's the 8th fastest stock car on the nurburring.
It's one of the fastest stock 0-60 (3.7s)falling under such cars as the Ferrari F-50 (only .05 second away)

A Viper kill it? Maybe - if it has the name Hennessey . Put that amount in a Z06, not many cars in the world can compare.

Ok, so a biased post. I could care less, my blood is Chevy Red.

EDIT: Added links

Nurburing Times
0-60 times

EDIT #2: Added the final nail in the coffin - Z06s can be had under $60,000

audiobliss

ledhed wrote:

I actually wrote a paper about the Z06 (Got an A and yes, we still write papers about cars in college - we just use bigger words ) I did some research on the car and, not many cars at all beat it.

It's the 8th fastest stock car on the nurburring.
It's one of the fastest stock 0-60 (3.7s)falling under such cars as the Ferrari F-50 (only .05 second away)

A Viper kill it? Maybe - if it has the name Hennessey . Put that amount in a Z06, not many cars in the world can compare.

Ok, so a biased post. I could care less, my blood is Chevy Red.

EDIT: Added links

Nurburing Times
0-60 times

EDIT #2: Added the final nail in the coffin - Z06s can be had under $60,000

You wrote a paper on it? Awesome. And you referrence its performance on the Nurburgring; smart.

Reminds me of my post a while back. http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=363546&postcount=36

ledhed

audiobliss wrote:

You wrote a paper on it? Awesome. And you referrence its performance on the Nurburgring; smart.

Reminds me of my post a while back. http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=363546&postcount=36

Yup, actually the only paper I got an A on in that class. I miss the easy high School AP courses in which an A is nothing.

Back on track: Let the new Viper go against the Z06R, Corvette SS, Blue Devil or whatever they call it. 100 more horses, weighs about the same as Pontiac Solstice. $90K so it's in the Viper's price bracket.

ledhed

So, I was looking through my Motor trend that came today and noticed the new Viper shares many characteristics with the old C5 Corvette that debuted in 1997: Individual coil packs, "Air-gap" exhaust manifold/headers (MT used the words "Headers" - I doubt that) It even gained the blah, one color interior of the C5! Maybe the Viper should be competing with it instead:D:p

shack

GaryZ06 wrote:

Biased....maybe......do you have any real life experiences with these cars to base your assumption on?....I do

What assumption did I make? Just that you have a Z06 bias.

Have I driven a ZO6? No. A Ferrari 360 Modena? Yes. A Lamborghini Countach? Yes. Porsche 911 twin-turbo, 427 Cobra, 69 Ram Air V GTO, Ford GT and numerous other exotic and muscle cars? Yes.

Besides being a car nut for 40 years, I am fortunate to have clients who can afford many of these nice toys and since I'm kind enough to lend them money to buy them, the let me play with them from time to time. I got my drivers license during the height of the CI wars and drove and rode in 426 Hemi Mopars, 454 Chevys, 428 Fords, 455 TAs. I know cars.

I never said anything negative about the Z06, just that you are a bit biased...which you are. No offense intended.

jcaut

I'm a Corvette fan- In my 22 years of having a driver's liscense, I've only been Vette-less for 2 of those years- so maybe I'm biased too. BUT, I'm also a certifiable car nut. I've driven lots of cars, worked on lots of cars and watched lots of races. I'm not so brand-loyal that I can't recognize a good Dodge, or Ford, or Honda, or whatever. One thing you learn, is that there IS always something faster. Speed is easy, if you've got the $$. I think you have to look at cars as the whole package and in that respect, the C6 Z06 is very, very hard to beat.

If we start talking modified cars, well then yeah, you can build something faster. With a Viper's engine, it wouldn't be terribly hard to eek out 800hp- Hennessey makes about 1000hp. LPE will gladly build you a 725hp C6, for $50k, that'll still get 25mpg on the highway if you can be content to cruise along at 70mph, and have a 3yr/36K warranty. There's always something faster.

But whole package, stock car, with price factored in= Give me a Z06. Plus, you know, it's a Corvette!, the best car ever.;)

Sami

McLoki wrote:

Z06 '06 to keep it fair is like this:

MSRP: $65,690
Invoice: $60,174

At that price point it is really hard, nearly impossible to pass on M3 (MSRP: $48,900, Invoice: $44,680).

PolkThug

Factoid:
The C6 Corvette Z06 is the first 500+ hp production car to avoid the US government Gas Guzzler tax.

GaryZ06

PolkThug wrote:

Factoid:
The C6 Corvette Z06 is the first 500+ hp production car to avoid the US government Gas Guzzler tax.

Not the way I drive it....:eek:

exalted512

PolkThug wrote:

Factoid:
The C6 Corvette Z06 is the first 500+ hp production car to avoid the US government Gas Guzzler tax.

Did they avoid it or did they actually meet the standards and pass?
-Cody

GaryZ06

exalted512 wrote:

Did they avoid it or did they actually meet the standards and pass?
-Cody

Yes they actually passed

Frank Z

I'll race any one of ya...on the course of my choice.:D

Refefer

Frank Z wrote:

I'll race any one of ya...on the course of my choice.:D

A frozen over lake? That'd be interesting

Frank Z

Sure, I got 4wd.:D

dkg999

GaryZ06 wrote:

So far the best 1/4 mile time for a stock Z06 with drag radials is 10.85 @ 129.5..

OK, let's be serious. If I'm going to spend $60k + on a performance car, I'm going to have one that manages to get out of its own way. The things a pig if you want real performance. Not bad if you just want to look cool driving between bars and places you think you need to be seen. It's a safe ride for the people that want to go to track day and pretend to be someone and maybe soil their tighty-whiteys a little bit. In the late '70's I had motorcycles that would blow that lead-sled off the road. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few Vette's and I like them. Depends on what you want a car to do, but if you are wanting it for performance for that kind of money I would start with something else and build it right. If you want real performance strap yourself in an alchohol burning 650 hp winged sprinter and hit 150 mph on the dirt 1/2 mile oval.