Got rid of my C5 Z06, got a C6. My car saga thus far.
01-22-2008, 01:49 AM
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Le Mans Master
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Got rid of my C5 Z06, got a C6. My car saga thus far.
I originally posted this on the Subaru forum I frequent, but I figured since we are all guys guys here I'd share it here as well. Enjoy!
I would never consider myself a “corvette guy”; having had the displeasure of driving various American vehicles either through rentals, friends or loaners, I am a part of the many who thinks anything American made that is meant for transportation is complete rubbish. Not that the US has the monopoly on crappy vehicles, but I do feel sincerely sorry for anyone who has to stare at the dash of a Saturd, a Cadavelier, a Neon or any of the other wastes of fuel GM, Dodge, Ford, etc inflict on the market every year.
So it came as a complete surprise when, after my Stage 3 2005 Subaru STI got totaled by a bitch who couldn’t obey a Stop sign, I used the insurance money and some extra cash to purchase a 2003, 50th Anniversary edition Corvette Z06.
The decision to buy a Corvette came as the answer to the following question: “What is the FASTEST car I can buy with my money?”
Before, the answer was very simple: I lived in Michigan, and refused to get a winter beater (I believe that life is too short to drive a crappy car). I needed a car that would get me around the worse of winter and be fun to drive all year long. The STI was hands down the vehicle to buy, and some of my best driving memories stem from power sliding 350+ all-wheel-drive horsepower in snow covered roads, thanks to a set of the best snow tires money could buy, purchased fresh each year.
However, moving to California changed everything:
Now not only did I not need all wheel drive, but also the things that made my Subaru fast (high flow exhaust, high boost pressures, bigger intercooler, no catalytic converter) don’t work as well when you are limited to horrible quality 91 octane gas, and LA cops are all too happy to impound a loud, 3” exhaust piping “rice burner”. My tuner himself had his vehicle towed to the impound lot and was forced to bring $9000+ worth of mods right back to stock, or else have his car crushed. Not worth it.
Driving a stock-ish STI was never an option for me; even at Stage 3, the acceleration of my car was always a disappointment; it felt heavy. Well, it *was* heavy, and the power it made was not enough to give me the crazy 320AWHP, 8200RPM redline rush I was used to driving a sub-2800lbs JDM-STI swapped RS (which I sold to get the STI because it broke all the time):
The old saying “there’s no replacement for displacement”, so often proven wrong by modern engines on forced induction, still rings true once you limit the maximum octane the engine is allowed to run. AMS’s 1000HP EVO8 would promptly explode given anything resembling pump gas. And even the biggest turbos struggle to make even high 300s AWHP on a Subaru running straight up 91 octane. After much research, I settled on the C5 Corvette Z06
With a 5.7L V8 the car could go 0-60 in 4seconds, do the ¼ mile in mid 12s at 116mph, and hit a top speed of 176MPH (gearing limited). It could also generate over 1G on the skidpad, in completely stock trim. I had never driven or ridden in a Corvette before, but I bought one off Ebay, sight unseen, and flew to Talahasse, FL to pick it up. I drove the car 3300 miles to New York, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas and then LA, where I am currently living.
On the road, the ‘Vette delivered. It was REALLY, REALLY fast! A downshift into 3rd at 70MPH would result in the kind of acceleration that has passengers fumbling for something to grab on to. It also produced spectacular grip around corners; when the STI would begin sliding the Corvette simply refused to let go.
And the interior, so often criticized for being cheap, outdated, and “plasticky”, had seats that were vastly more comfortable than the STI, an awesome Heads-Up display, and a gauge cluster with far more useful information than I was used to, such as a digital oil temperature and pressure readout.
But, ultimately, in much the same way that the slower, but better transmission, better interior, better brakes ‘05STI still made me miss the raw, violently fast swapped RS, at the end of the day the C5 Corvette Z06 only made me wish I could have an STI that would be that fast.
While it was quick and powerful, the Corvette felt unpredictable, scary, dangerous. At 50 miles an hour a jab on the throttle in 2nd gear would have the rear tires break lose and the back end would swing out in a random direction (most often to the right). Around corners, while the car refused to let go, it also felt like the moment it *did* let go, it would be irrecoverable. Whereas before with the STI I could enter corners at high speeds, allowing the car to lose traction and then correcting as it happened, aggressively driving the Corvette was accompanied by the feeling that an irrecoverable spin was a twitch of the throttle, a jab of the brakes, or a flick of the wrist away.
Road noise was on par with the most modded cars I’ve been in too. It had to go.
Now, without a car but with good money in the bank, it was time to buy another car. Again I wanted the fastest thing for my money. I looked at the EVO9, the STI, the 350Z, BMW M3, Nissan G35, Mercedes SL55. Everything was too heavy, too expensive and often also too slow.
I called up tuners and asked what it would take to make an STI or an EVO run alongside a Z06 on a straight up 91 octane daily driver tune. “Unlikely” was the answer, accompanied by the reminder that anything at that level of modding would be going straight to the impound the first time I got pulled over in it in California.
I decided to go with the C6 Corvette. It wasn’t as fast as the Z06, but I knew that a 6 speed manual one with the Z51 performance/handling package wouldn’t be far behind, and it would have a shorter wheelbase, better interior, drive-by-wire throttle body and various other improvements…
I didn’t have the money dealerships were asking for them, but I found a private party 2006 C6, 2LT package, Z51 with only 9000 miles on it for a price I couldn’t refuse. It was exactly what I was looking for, black/black with tinted windows, just like my Z06. The problem is; it was in Tampa, Fl, exactly across the country from me.
2 weeks ago I flew to Tampa to pick it up. I drove it to LA in 2 days; through Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Missisipi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
The C6 is, in few words, the best car I have ever driven. No, it is not the best car in the world, or the fastest thing on the road, or any of the other things some of the people on the Corvette forums would like to think their prized possession amounts to. It is still a mass produced automobile, and an American car at that, and yes it rides on leaf springs, has a body that is all plastic/fiberglass and the Engine has one camshaft and 8 pushrods, just like they did in the 50s and it makes “only” 400HP out of a ridiculous 6litres of displacement, and the removable hardtop makes creeping and popping sounds when you drive on a bumpy road, and there is road noise, and tire noise, and engine noise and the transmission is notchy. Sure.
But my god is this thing brilliant! It looks spectacular; where I go, people look at me, when I stop, I get compliments, when I walk away from it I want to look back because it looks so great. The HID projector headlights actually let me see where I am going, and don’t blind oncoming traffic. The seats have 6 ways of adjustment, power bolsters, adjustable lumbar support.. The climate control works, the stereo sounds good, the interior looks nice, the steering is responsive and gives me feedback. Oh, and it gets 28MPG on the freeway!
And I can drive hard again! I can go full throttle in 1st gear and not elicit a smoke show, fishtailing, or a complete cut in power by the traction control system. I can power shift into 2nd without worrying about dying, or having the traction control completely cut all power for an annoying full second. I can take corners fast again and not feel like I am about to spin out.
There is more traction and everything is more predictable; I feel like I know where the car’s limits are again and that I can handle it on the limit without a wipeout.
Oh, and it is fast! 350 foot pounds of torque at 1500RPMs, 400hp, 400ft-lbs torque kind of fast. This is a car that will go 186MPH in stock trim, will hit 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and do the ¼ in mid 12s. Downshifting it to pass other cars on the freeway is unnecessary as acceleration in 3rd gear is so rapid it will put me on someone else’s rear bumper in seconds. 1st gear BLURS by and 2nd gear frequently pulls my radar detector out of the windshield. By the time I’m in 3rd, it is already doing 75MPH and still accelerating as hard as the STI did at 40. Even at 100+ miles an hour it still has another 86MPH to go and accelerates accordingly, with the kind of authority I never through I would find in any factory car. At least not any I could afford. Oh, and it handles too! Leafsprings aside this car will turns in and hugs the corners as hard as I care to push it. And IF I go to far, the active stability control instantly catches it and corrects oversteer or understeer faster than I ever could. The Z51 package also includes 13.1 inch rotors that will stop HARD, repeatedly, and without fade.
And I know that should I seek it later, more power is only a few bolt-ons away, but most importantly, I have all the power and speed I could wish for right now, in a car I absolutely like, under warranty, emissions legal, and tame enough to drive to and from work every day.
This is a car that makes me want to get up early every morning and drive to work. This is a car that makes me want to work hard every day so I can always drive something this nice. And yes, call me materialistic, but I’ll say it: This car makes me happy
So there you have it. My car saga thus far. If you drive one you know what it is like, if you don’t you owe it to yourself to drive one at least once so you know what I am talking about. And if you drive something better you are very lucky indeed.
I would like to hold on to this for a few years(around 2). Ultimately it is still an impractical 2 seat rear wheel drive car. In an ideal world I would have something that performs this well with 4 seats and all wheel drive. Unfortunately right now other than a Porshe 911 turbo there isn’t anything on the market that fits the bill. Maybe once the new Nissan GT-R comes out and some used ones hit the market at down to earth prices I will buy one and have my cake and eat it too.
On the mean time, if you spot a Black Corvette being driven by a young dude grinning ear to ear don’t forget to wave
Cliff Notes: Sold my RS swap because it blew up all the time, had my STI totaled by a dumb bitch, got rid of the Z06 because it was going to kill me and bough a C6. The C6 has brought me happiness.
I would never consider myself a “corvette guy”; having had the displeasure of driving various American vehicles either through rentals, friends or loaners, I am a part of the many who thinks anything American made that is meant for transportation is complete rubbish. Not that the US has the monopoly on crappy vehicles, but I do feel sincerely sorry for anyone who has to stare at the dash of a Saturd, a Cadavelier, a Neon or any of the other wastes of fuel GM, Dodge, Ford, etc inflict on the market every year.
So it came as a complete surprise when, after my Stage 3 2005 Subaru STI got totaled by a bitch who couldn’t obey a Stop sign, I used the insurance money and some extra cash to purchase a 2003, 50th Anniversary edition Corvette Z06.
The decision to buy a Corvette came as the answer to the following question: “What is the FASTEST car I can buy with my money?”
Before, the answer was very simple: I lived in Michigan, and refused to get a winter beater (I believe that life is too short to drive a crappy car). I needed a car that would get me around the worse of winter and be fun to drive all year long. The STI was hands down the vehicle to buy, and some of my best driving memories stem from power sliding 350+ all-wheel-drive horsepower in snow covered roads, thanks to a set of the best snow tires money could buy, purchased fresh each year.
However, moving to California changed everything:
Now not only did I not need all wheel drive, but also the things that made my Subaru fast (high flow exhaust, high boost pressures, bigger intercooler, no catalytic converter) don’t work as well when you are limited to horrible quality 91 octane gas, and LA cops are all too happy to impound a loud, 3” exhaust piping “rice burner”. My tuner himself had his vehicle towed to the impound lot and was forced to bring $9000+ worth of mods right back to stock, or else have his car crushed. Not worth it.
Driving a stock-ish STI was never an option for me; even at Stage 3, the acceleration of my car was always a disappointment; it felt heavy. Well, it *was* heavy, and the power it made was not enough to give me the crazy 320AWHP, 8200RPM redline rush I was used to driving a sub-2800lbs JDM-STI swapped RS (which I sold to get the STI because it broke all the time):
The old saying “there’s no replacement for displacement”, so often proven wrong by modern engines on forced induction, still rings true once you limit the maximum octane the engine is allowed to run. AMS’s 1000HP EVO8 would promptly explode given anything resembling pump gas. And even the biggest turbos struggle to make even high 300s AWHP on a Subaru running straight up 91 octane. After much research, I settled on the C5 Corvette Z06
With a 5.7L V8 the car could go 0-60 in 4seconds, do the ¼ mile in mid 12s at 116mph, and hit a top speed of 176MPH (gearing limited). It could also generate over 1G on the skidpad, in completely stock trim. I had never driven or ridden in a Corvette before, but I bought one off Ebay, sight unseen, and flew to Talahasse, FL to pick it up. I drove the car 3300 miles to New York, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas and then LA, where I am currently living.
On the road, the ‘Vette delivered. It was REALLY, REALLY fast! A downshift into 3rd at 70MPH would result in the kind of acceleration that has passengers fumbling for something to grab on to. It also produced spectacular grip around corners; when the STI would begin sliding the Corvette simply refused to let go.
And the interior, so often criticized for being cheap, outdated, and “plasticky”, had seats that were vastly more comfortable than the STI, an awesome Heads-Up display, and a gauge cluster with far more useful information than I was used to, such as a digital oil temperature and pressure readout.
But, ultimately, in much the same way that the slower, but better transmission, better interior, better brakes ‘05STI still made me miss the raw, violently fast swapped RS, at the end of the day the C5 Corvette Z06 only made me wish I could have an STI that would be that fast.
While it was quick and powerful, the Corvette felt unpredictable, scary, dangerous. At 50 miles an hour a jab on the throttle in 2nd gear would have the rear tires break lose and the back end would swing out in a random direction (most often to the right). Around corners, while the car refused to let go, it also felt like the moment it *did* let go, it would be irrecoverable. Whereas before with the STI I could enter corners at high speeds, allowing the car to lose traction and then correcting as it happened, aggressively driving the Corvette was accompanied by the feeling that an irrecoverable spin was a twitch of the throttle, a jab of the brakes, or a flick of the wrist away.
Road noise was on par with the most modded cars I’ve been in too. It had to go.
Now, without a car but with good money in the bank, it was time to buy another car. Again I wanted the fastest thing for my money. I looked at the EVO9, the STI, the 350Z, BMW M3, Nissan G35, Mercedes SL55. Everything was too heavy, too expensive and often also too slow.
I called up tuners and asked what it would take to make an STI or an EVO run alongside a Z06 on a straight up 91 octane daily driver tune. “Unlikely” was the answer, accompanied by the reminder that anything at that level of modding would be going straight to the impound the first time I got pulled over in it in California.
I decided to go with the C6 Corvette. It wasn’t as fast as the Z06, but I knew that a 6 speed manual one with the Z51 performance/handling package wouldn’t be far behind, and it would have a shorter wheelbase, better interior, drive-by-wire throttle body and various other improvements…
I didn’t have the money dealerships were asking for them, but I found a private party 2006 C6, 2LT package, Z51 with only 9000 miles on it for a price I couldn’t refuse. It was exactly what I was looking for, black/black with tinted windows, just like my Z06. The problem is; it was in Tampa, Fl, exactly across the country from me.
2 weeks ago I flew to Tampa to pick it up. I drove it to LA in 2 days; through Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Missisipi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
The C6 is, in few words, the best car I have ever driven. No, it is not the best car in the world, or the fastest thing on the road, or any of the other things some of the people on the Corvette forums would like to think their prized possession amounts to. It is still a mass produced automobile, and an American car at that, and yes it rides on leaf springs, has a body that is all plastic/fiberglass and the Engine has one camshaft and 8 pushrods, just like they did in the 50s and it makes “only” 400HP out of a ridiculous 6litres of displacement, and the removable hardtop makes creeping and popping sounds when you drive on a bumpy road, and there is road noise, and tire noise, and engine noise and the transmission is notchy. Sure.
But my god is this thing brilliant! It looks spectacular; where I go, people look at me, when I stop, I get compliments, when I walk away from it I want to look back because it looks so great. The HID projector headlights actually let me see where I am going, and don’t blind oncoming traffic. The seats have 6 ways of adjustment, power bolsters, adjustable lumbar support.. The climate control works, the stereo sounds good, the interior looks nice, the steering is responsive and gives me feedback. Oh, and it gets 28MPG on the freeway!
And I can drive hard again! I can go full throttle in 1st gear and not elicit a smoke show, fishtailing, or a complete cut in power by the traction control system. I can power shift into 2nd without worrying about dying, or having the traction control completely cut all power for an annoying full second. I can take corners fast again and not feel like I am about to spin out.
There is more traction and everything is more predictable; I feel like I know where the car’s limits are again and that I can handle it on the limit without a wipeout.
Oh, and it is fast! 350 foot pounds of torque at 1500RPMs, 400hp, 400ft-lbs torque kind of fast. This is a car that will go 186MPH in stock trim, will hit 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and do the ¼ in mid 12s. Downshifting it to pass other cars on the freeway is unnecessary as acceleration in 3rd gear is so rapid it will put me on someone else’s rear bumper in seconds. 1st gear BLURS by and 2nd gear frequently pulls my radar detector out of the windshield. By the time I’m in 3rd, it is already doing 75MPH and still accelerating as hard as the STI did at 40. Even at 100+ miles an hour it still has another 86MPH to go and accelerates accordingly, with the kind of authority I never through I would find in any factory car. At least not any I could afford. Oh, and it handles too! Leafsprings aside this car will turns in and hugs the corners as hard as I care to push it. And IF I go to far, the active stability control instantly catches it and corrects oversteer or understeer faster than I ever could. The Z51 package also includes 13.1 inch rotors that will stop HARD, repeatedly, and without fade.
And I know that should I seek it later, more power is only a few bolt-ons away, but most importantly, I have all the power and speed I could wish for right now, in a car I absolutely like, under warranty, emissions legal, and tame enough to drive to and from work every day.
This is a car that makes me want to get up early every morning and drive to work. This is a car that makes me want to work hard every day so I can always drive something this nice. And yes, call me materialistic, but I’ll say it: This car makes me happy
So there you have it. My car saga thus far. If you drive one you know what it is like, if you don’t you owe it to yourself to drive one at least once so you know what I am talking about. And if you drive something better you are very lucky indeed.
I would like to hold on to this for a few years(around 2). Ultimately it is still an impractical 2 seat rear wheel drive car. In an ideal world I would have something that performs this well with 4 seats and all wheel drive. Unfortunately right now other than a Porshe 911 turbo there isn’t anything on the market that fits the bill. Maybe once the new Nissan GT-R comes out and some used ones hit the market at down to earth prices I will buy one and have my cake and eat it too.
On the mean time, if you spot a Black Corvette being driven by a young dude grinning ear to ear don’t forget to wave
Cliff Notes: Sold my RS swap because it blew up all the time, had my STI totaled by a dumb bitch, got rid of the Z06 because it was going to kill me and bough a C6. The C6 has brought me happiness.
Congrats on feeling complete though
01-22-2008, 02:06 AM
#3
Le Mans Master
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The longer gearing on the C6 (even with the shorter ratio transmission in my Z51 equipped car) makes a huge difference in hooking up.
The C5 headlighs (even with HIR bulbs) were worthless too, and I drive a lot at night.
01-22-2008, 02:07 AM
#4
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post this in the c6 section.
01-22-2008, 02:10 AM
#5
Le Mans Master
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I did 
Wondering how the responses compare. I know quite a few C5 guys don't want to upgrade because they prefer the C5 styling and dynamics (which is perfectly fine; they ARE different cars and different people want different things out of their car), so the contrasting feedback should be interesting.
Wondering how the responses compare. I know quite a few C5 guys don't want to upgrade because they prefer the C5 styling and dynamics (which is perfectly fine; they ARE different cars and different people want different things out of their car), so the contrasting feedback should be interesting.
01-22-2008, 02:14 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
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You are wondering how the responses will compare? So did you post this same saga of yours on the Saturn Sky forum? I think it would belong there as much if not more than here
01-22-2008, 02:51 AM
#7
Le Mans Master
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01-22-2008, 02:57 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
Glad you got a good car finally.
01-22-2008, 03:58 AM
#11
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Congrats on the C6. I personally don't care much for the Subaru STI even if it has 2000HP and the fastest car in the world. Glad you've found a nice car for youself 
01-22-2008, 04:36 AM
#12
Le Mans Master
First time I have ever seen a Corvette compared with a Subaru!
I agree, all the horsepower in the world could not get that ugly thing out of my sight quick enough. That Subaru (or whatever it is) could be the best built, high-powered, best handling vehicle on the road and I would still be embarrassed to drive something that "looked" like that (and the clothes-rack on the back and 1970's hood-scoop just added to the torture). Reminds me of my old Honda Accord
I would expect the C6 to offer a better performance/handling experience over the C5 - it is a newer model. I would love to have a C6 with the "look" of a C5.
01-22-2008, 05:06 AM
#13
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Apologies.... "Saturd" as you put it. I didn't say anything about you NOT posting your saga thread Luke Skywalker. I only asked if you posted it on a Saturd Sky forum as well. It seems it would make sense what with you saying you posted in the subaru forum, corvette forums in the c5 AND c6 section. Why not Saturn(styling cues), all GM, Dodge and Ford forums since you mention them too?
01-22-2008, 07:11 AM
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Glad you are so happy with the C6. I drove an '07 vert about a year ago from Detroit to here and was very impressed with the car. Best of luck with the new ride - hope it delivers all you hope for.
01-22-2008, 07:22 AM
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01-22-2008, 07:45 AM
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I for one am glad you posted this. I appreciate cars from many different manufacturers, and found this (not so much comparison but actual ownership experience) to be very interesting. I feel the same way toward the handling characteristics of the C5, with the addition of how the car jerks around side to side if the road has the smallest amount of unevenness. I am more interested than ever before to drive a C6 now. It's not that I don't like my C5, it's just that I don't become so fanatically attached to any of my toys that I can't trade up. In my perfect world I'd own an example from all of the current generation Corvettes and beyond. Because of the input you shared on your C5 Z06, I believe this has every right to be posted here. Thank you for sharing, and to those that are giving this guy a hard time I say 
.
.