1st 1000 MILES - YES
11-26-2005, 02:36 AM
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1st 1000 MILES - YES
1st 1000 mile impressions
Background: I’m 48, 6’1”, 180 lbs, married, 2 kids 19 & 20, did my share of racing years ago and now finally have my new Corvette. The first time I ever ordered a new car directly and, therefore, I also chose the NCM delivery of my 06 VR vert, A6, F55, Nav, power top, factory painted wheels (all others were constrained when I was ordering) Cashmere w/ black top.
First, my wife and I met my 2 high school buddies, still best of friends today, in Nashville and drove together to Bowling Green for the NCM delivery. It was terrific. More fun and information than any of us thought it would be. My wife, who hates car buying, loved it. The assembly line tour, museum tour and delivery itself was excellent. Tie in a day and night in Nashville and the whole trip was just plain fun and makes the car more than just another car purchase.
Now the car. Love it. Very impressed with how far Chevy has come with this car.
ORANGE PEEL – I love Victory Red. I always pictured a Corvette in something like Victory Red as a vert with a Black Top and Tan interior (alla the old Ferrari Testarossa – Italian for Red Head). I had seen 2005s on the lots in south Florida and was upset with the amount – or better yet – the intensity of orange peel that I had seen – esp on VR. I believe the paint on my 06 Victory Red is one of the best overall paint jobs I have seen. The horizontal surfaces, hood and trunk, couldn’t be better. Almost mirror finish. The sides have more noticeable orange peel but still very nice and acceptable for my standards. VR does not photograph like Monterey Red or LMB or others BUT VR has iridescence under the right sun that can’t be photographed properly. It is classic and awesome. My opinion – my dream.
FACTORY PAINTED WHEELS look great. I live near House of Wheels and planned all along to have chrome wheels but I must tell you that this is probably the most understated none option on the car. They look great. I can’t tell you how many people have told me they think the wheels look awesome on the car – and I agree. I don’t think I am going to change them.
INTERIOR finish is excellent quality and so tastefully “clean-looking”. Say what you want about different interiors for other cars but what I think sets this car off is the neatness and lack of buttons, *****, etc. There are markets for all types of interiors including this one. I wouldn’t say that others are better, just different. I do have the navigation system and that really makes an impression on the interior look and feel. I think it is designed beautifully.
NAVIGATION system is great. It fits so well into the dash and when you start up and the cross flags show up there it looks plain impressive. It’s a bit confusing to operate at first but I have caught on quickly. The way home from the museum to south Florida (1000 miles) was fraught with construction delays. When I approached Atlanta, the digital highway signs said 1 hour plus delays ahead, plan alternate routes. I hit Detour on the nav, it told me to get off the next exit ½ mile ahead and then it directed through back roads. Excellent. I then hit 2 more traffic snafus on the way the nav gave me alternates. Excellent, excellent. My wife (brilliant - but remote control challenged) now insists this will be in her next car. Oh and BTW the directions show up in the HUD when in standard Street Mode.
HEADS UP DISPLAY HUD – I am so pleased with the HUD and can’t understand why it isn’t available for all cars. Track Modes are impressive but basic Street Mode shows the MPH plus radio control info and nav directions and when paddle shifting – and I can only imagine standard shifting – having the different visual versions of the Tach display – is so easy to determine shift points especially considering the quiet noise levels of the car.
EXHAUST NOTE is very nice. It is noticeable and throaty and sounds muscular yet is subdued enough to be ‘reformed’ and classy. I won’t be jumping to change the note. I will say that even the stock exhaust does have resonance at approx 1500 RPM that I imagine could be a problem with aftermarket replacements because this is a frequent engine speed when cruising at highway speed. Classy sounding with a little thrill is OK by me. Otherwise the vert is incredibly quiet and smooth.
F55 – is great. I imagine the base suspension is nice and my mechanical engineer’s mind believes it can actually feel what the mag ride does to recoup stability so quickly after a bump of some sort. All I can say is that it feels almost perfect. I drive mostly in Sport Mode but in Tour Mode on the highway. It’s an incredible cruiser and the flat handling around town is invigorating. What a nice ride. What a fun ride. Brakes are great for everything I will do these days. They are more impressive than I expected. I will not weekend competitively track race as a routine. On occasion it could be fun – and it is ABSOLUTELY capable in F55 form.
A6 is an automatic tranny. In Drive mode it shifts so smoothly. Shift points are nearly unnoticeable. In Sport mode it definitely shifts a bit stiffer – but not like an old shift kit would. It seems to hold shifts better but I imagine that a change in programming could accomplish what I would like to feel in the shifting. I don’t know for sure, but I believe it has everything built in that, with more aggressive programming, could make it more raceable. I do think it shifts well and maybe borderline when comparing to a very good shifting manual driver. In Sport Mode, if you touch the paddles, it remains in paddle shifting mode. I, so far, have not yet mastered the paddles. I have a tendency when racing to want to ‘shift’ and the paddles feel more like electronic one arm bandits than the old fashioned mechanical one arm bandits – theres some satisfaction that you get when you feel that you ‘worked’ for it more – although that could be some Catholic guilt involved. It seems to shift more quickly when paddled than other autos I have driven and overall I’m certain that it shifts more quickly, more consistently, than most standard trans/driver combos but no matter how you slice it, a manual trans is directly connected to the engine and the touch and feel with the senses and the car is unique to a standard trans. However, if you plan on driving this car a lot, not just the ‘perfect weekend’ cruiser, then you will love this tranny. My trip back from NCM had several long spans of stop and go driving where all I said to myself was ‘I’m glad I got the auto.”
XM RADIO is cool and in South Florida news radio is essentially non-existent so having legit news channels at any time is nice. I like country music but I grew up on rock and unfortunately so far I haven’t found stations like Classic Rock, Current Rock, Soft Rock, etc. Top Tracks has been nice but I have never been able to listen to one station for too long. As much as I want to like XM, I just don’t know if the programming will be compelling enough for me to stay with - but the news channels can’t be found on regular radio. Plain radio fidelity does sound better than XM to me. Otherwise, the stereo does sound very good with a good input signal. Ultimately, CDs sound the best and have impressive range and dynamics for the vert. I can be happy for a while.
THE SEATS are the best I’ve been in. I readjusted my seat 4 or 5 times in the first 2 days but now I have the latest programmed into my #1 key fob memory and I haven’t changed it for the past week. It always feels great. I told you originally that I’m just over 6’ and I have long legs. When I first got into the car and drove the first hour I did feel like I needed 1 to 2 more inches in legroom to the accelerator until I took my sneakers off. All of a sudden the leg room was perfect. I guess I will need to get me some driving shoes to leave in the car.
VISIBILTY is great. I expected to feel compromised and I feel completely opposite. Raising the kids I have spent most of my recent miles in a mini van but I also have a Toyota Solara convertible. This vette vert has VERY GOOD visibility. I never feel compromised with the top up. With the top down visibility can’t be better.
TRUNK SPACE is better than expected for a sport car convertible. When we went to pickup the NCM Delivery I kept trying to tell my wife to not overpack. She told me I was a worry wart – particularly because we usually pack by saying ‘if in doubt – pack it’. Well, it can’t take our motto’s worth of stuff but with the top up it holds approx 4+ small airplane carryon size bags - not the ones you cheat to bring on though.
POWER TOP option is well worth it to me. It adds to the impressiveness of the car to others and it’s a no brainer to raise and lower the top. Yes, this is a sports car and yes, there are those out there that ‘feel’ hard core against luxuries – but – THIS CAR IS SUITE! I LOVE some of these luxuries. It is so much more refined than I imagined. It is so easy to drive yet so capable that it ISN’T A COMPROMISE. Its an INCREDIBLE DEAL.
CONVERTIBLE is breezy with top down. I have long hair – not my old LONG hair – but long enough that I realize the wind messes it up. Not bad enough that it pokes my eyes out but that I’m aware that if I’m going out I will take the top down on the return trip only. It is controlled enough to parkway drive with the top down – just don’t expect to win any modeling contests when you get out. Its not the buffeting or pounding – they are very acceptable.
SPLASH GUARDS – I spent the $46 for the splash guards found on this forum. THEY ARE A NO-BRAINER for anyone who has no other option or even thought about them at all. I would challenge anyone without any prior conceptions to see a vette with these on. You wouldn’t even know they were there. And I went to BG for NCM and forgot to install them on the return trip until about 70 miles later. I had to clean the car then install the guards. They couldn’t be easier to install. Yes, they probably cost less than $5 to make and if you had your car first and had the aptitude to make them you could. But they just plain work and they just plain disappear. They are a NO-BRAINER.
I LOVE THIS CAR. IT IS FUN. I look forward to getting into it every time. And from what I can tell from others – they all think the same.
Go For It.
PS still waiting for my new license plate -
Florida – John Lennon “Imagine” plate – 2K6 C6
Its nice to feel like a kid again – although I don’t think I’ve grown up yet anyway.
Background: I’m 48, 6’1”, 180 lbs, married, 2 kids 19 & 20, did my share of racing years ago and now finally have my new Corvette. The first time I ever ordered a new car directly and, therefore, I also chose the NCM delivery of my 06 VR vert, A6, F55, Nav, power top, factory painted wheels (all others were constrained when I was ordering) Cashmere w/ black top.
First, my wife and I met my 2 high school buddies, still best of friends today, in Nashville and drove together to Bowling Green for the NCM delivery. It was terrific. More fun and information than any of us thought it would be. My wife, who hates car buying, loved it. The assembly line tour, museum tour and delivery itself was excellent. Tie in a day and night in Nashville and the whole trip was just plain fun and makes the car more than just another car purchase.
Now the car. Love it. Very impressed with how far Chevy has come with this car.
ORANGE PEEL – I love Victory Red. I always pictured a Corvette in something like Victory Red as a vert with a Black Top and Tan interior (alla the old Ferrari Testarossa – Italian for Red Head). I had seen 2005s on the lots in south Florida and was upset with the amount – or better yet – the intensity of orange peel that I had seen – esp on VR. I believe the paint on my 06 Victory Red is one of the best overall paint jobs I have seen. The horizontal surfaces, hood and trunk, couldn’t be better. Almost mirror finish. The sides have more noticeable orange peel but still very nice and acceptable for my standards. VR does not photograph like Monterey Red or LMB or others BUT VR has iridescence under the right sun that can’t be photographed properly. It is classic and awesome. My opinion – my dream.
FACTORY PAINTED WHEELS look great. I live near House of Wheels and planned all along to have chrome wheels but I must tell you that this is probably the most understated none option on the car. They look great. I can’t tell you how many people have told me they think the wheels look awesome on the car – and I agree. I don’t think I am going to change them.
INTERIOR finish is excellent quality and so tastefully “clean-looking”. Say what you want about different interiors for other cars but what I think sets this car off is the neatness and lack of buttons, *****, etc. There are markets for all types of interiors including this one. I wouldn’t say that others are better, just different. I do have the navigation system and that really makes an impression on the interior look and feel. I think it is designed beautifully.
NAVIGATION system is great. It fits so well into the dash and when you start up and the cross flags show up there it looks plain impressive. It’s a bit confusing to operate at first but I have caught on quickly. The way home from the museum to south Florida (1000 miles) was fraught with construction delays. When I approached Atlanta, the digital highway signs said 1 hour plus delays ahead, plan alternate routes. I hit Detour on the nav, it told me to get off the next exit ½ mile ahead and then it directed through back roads. Excellent. I then hit 2 more traffic snafus on the way the nav gave me alternates. Excellent, excellent. My wife (brilliant - but remote control challenged) now insists this will be in her next car. Oh and BTW the directions show up in the HUD when in standard Street Mode.
HEADS UP DISPLAY HUD – I am so pleased with the HUD and can’t understand why it isn’t available for all cars. Track Modes are impressive but basic Street Mode shows the MPH plus radio control info and nav directions and when paddle shifting – and I can only imagine standard shifting – having the different visual versions of the Tach display – is so easy to determine shift points especially considering the quiet noise levels of the car.
EXHAUST NOTE is very nice. It is noticeable and throaty and sounds muscular yet is subdued enough to be ‘reformed’ and classy. I won’t be jumping to change the note. I will say that even the stock exhaust does have resonance at approx 1500 RPM that I imagine could be a problem with aftermarket replacements because this is a frequent engine speed when cruising at highway speed. Classy sounding with a little thrill is OK by me. Otherwise the vert is incredibly quiet and smooth.
F55 – is great. I imagine the base suspension is nice and my mechanical engineer’s mind believes it can actually feel what the mag ride does to recoup stability so quickly after a bump of some sort. All I can say is that it feels almost perfect. I drive mostly in Sport Mode but in Tour Mode on the highway. It’s an incredible cruiser and the flat handling around town is invigorating. What a nice ride. What a fun ride. Brakes are great for everything I will do these days. They are more impressive than I expected. I will not weekend competitively track race as a routine. On occasion it could be fun – and it is ABSOLUTELY capable in F55 form.
A6 is an automatic tranny. In Drive mode it shifts so smoothly. Shift points are nearly unnoticeable. In Sport mode it definitely shifts a bit stiffer – but not like an old shift kit would. It seems to hold shifts better but I imagine that a change in programming could accomplish what I would like to feel in the shifting. I don’t know for sure, but I believe it has everything built in that, with more aggressive programming, could make it more raceable. I do think it shifts well and maybe borderline when comparing to a very good shifting manual driver. In Sport Mode, if you touch the paddles, it remains in paddle shifting mode. I, so far, have not yet mastered the paddles. I have a tendency when racing to want to ‘shift’ and the paddles feel more like electronic one arm bandits than the old fashioned mechanical one arm bandits – theres some satisfaction that you get when you feel that you ‘worked’ for it more – although that could be some Catholic guilt involved. It seems to shift more quickly when paddled than other autos I have driven and overall I’m certain that it shifts more quickly, more consistently, than most standard trans/driver combos but no matter how you slice it, a manual trans is directly connected to the engine and the touch and feel with the senses and the car is unique to a standard trans. However, if you plan on driving this car a lot, not just the ‘perfect weekend’ cruiser, then you will love this tranny. My trip back from NCM had several long spans of stop and go driving where all I said to myself was ‘I’m glad I got the auto.”
XM RADIO is cool and in South Florida news radio is essentially non-existent so having legit news channels at any time is nice. I like country music but I grew up on rock and unfortunately so far I haven’t found stations like Classic Rock, Current Rock, Soft Rock, etc. Top Tracks has been nice but I have never been able to listen to one station for too long. As much as I want to like XM, I just don’t know if the programming will be compelling enough for me to stay with - but the news channels can’t be found on regular radio. Plain radio fidelity does sound better than XM to me. Otherwise, the stereo does sound very good with a good input signal. Ultimately, CDs sound the best and have impressive range and dynamics for the vert. I can be happy for a while.
THE SEATS are the best I’ve been in. I readjusted my seat 4 or 5 times in the first 2 days but now I have the latest programmed into my #1 key fob memory and I haven’t changed it for the past week. It always feels great. I told you originally that I’m just over 6’ and I have long legs. When I first got into the car and drove the first hour I did feel like I needed 1 to 2 more inches in legroom to the accelerator until I took my sneakers off. All of a sudden the leg room was perfect. I guess I will need to get me some driving shoes to leave in the car.
VISIBILTY is great. I expected to feel compromised and I feel completely opposite. Raising the kids I have spent most of my recent miles in a mini van but I also have a Toyota Solara convertible. This vette vert has VERY GOOD visibility. I never feel compromised with the top up. With the top down visibility can’t be better.
TRUNK SPACE is better than expected for a sport car convertible. When we went to pickup the NCM Delivery I kept trying to tell my wife to not overpack. She told me I was a worry wart – particularly because we usually pack by saying ‘if in doubt – pack it’. Well, it can’t take our motto’s worth of stuff but with the top up it holds approx 4+ small airplane carryon size bags - not the ones you cheat to bring on though.
POWER TOP option is well worth it to me. It adds to the impressiveness of the car to others and it’s a no brainer to raise and lower the top. Yes, this is a sports car and yes, there are those out there that ‘feel’ hard core against luxuries – but – THIS CAR IS SUITE! I LOVE some of these luxuries. It is so much more refined than I imagined. It is so easy to drive yet so capable that it ISN’T A COMPROMISE. Its an INCREDIBLE DEAL.
CONVERTIBLE is breezy with top down. I have long hair – not my old LONG hair – but long enough that I realize the wind messes it up. Not bad enough that it pokes my eyes out but that I’m aware that if I’m going out I will take the top down on the return trip only. It is controlled enough to parkway drive with the top down – just don’t expect to win any modeling contests when you get out. Its not the buffeting or pounding – they are very acceptable.
SPLASH GUARDS – I spent the $46 for the splash guards found on this forum. THEY ARE A NO-BRAINER for anyone who has no other option or even thought about them at all. I would challenge anyone without any prior conceptions to see a vette with these on. You wouldn’t even know they were there. And I went to BG for NCM and forgot to install them on the return trip until about 70 miles later. I had to clean the car then install the guards. They couldn’t be easier to install. Yes, they probably cost less than $5 to make and if you had your car first and had the aptitude to make them you could. But they just plain work and they just plain disappear. They are a NO-BRAINER.
I LOVE THIS CAR. IT IS FUN. I look forward to getting into it every time. And from what I can tell from others – they all think the same.
Go For It.
PS still waiting for my new license plate -
Florida – John Lennon “Imagine” plate – 2K6 C6
Its nice to feel like a kid again – although I don’t think I’ve grown up yet anyway.
11-26-2005, 04:10 AM
#2
I've had my car for a little over a year and a bit over 18,000 miles, and I find myself nodding in agreement with nearly everything you wrote (except the Bose sound, won't get into that here). Mine is a daily driver, and I still enjoy climbing in every day. The seats are great, the exhaust note is just right, it goes, it stops, it turns, all in a most satisfactory manner, and the look doesn't grow old. I still sometimes walk out just to look at it. 
11-26-2005, 05:06 AM
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Congratulations on your new ride! Did you protect the front end with a bra or any of the invisible stick on ones for the ride home? if not did you experience any rock chips or problems.
I will be ordering early next year and would like to drive it home but worry about all that new perfect paint.
I will be ordering early next year and would like to drive it home but worry about all that new perfect paint.
11-26-2005, 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Stinger72
Congratulations on your new ride! Did you protect the front end with a bra or any of the invisible stick on ones for the ride home? if not did you experience any rock chips or problems.
I will be ordering early next year and would like to drive it home but worry about all that new perfect paint.
I will be ordering early next year and would like to drive it home but worry about all that new perfect paint.
I really am impressed with the paint job. I was originally very disappointed with orange peel on some of the cars I had seen on lots. I don't know if they corrected the issues somewhat or if it had anything to do with NCM delivery - because the assembly line knows from the build sheet that it is a Museum Delivery car and maybe it gets a little extra attention. Anyway, it looks great.
11-26-2005, 11:07 AM
#9
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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by eugenee326
1st 1000 mile impressions
chose the NCM delivery of my 06 VR vert, A6, F55, Nav, power top, factory painted wheels (all others were constrained when I was ordering) Cashmere w/ black top.
chose the NCM delivery of my 06 VR vert, A6, F55, Nav, power top, factory painted wheels (all others were constrained when I was ordering) Cashmere w/ black top.
Except for the first couple of paragraphs, I thought I was reading about my own experiences and impressions. We almost have the same car - I got the Tan Top.Pictures??
11-26-2005, 01:38 PM
#11
Race Director
Very nice write up.
Nice to read all the great things about the C-6.
I agree with your findings!
Thanks for the information.........
Ernie
Nice to read all the great things about the C-6.
I agree with your findings!
Thanks for the information.........
Ernie
11-26-2005, 01:52 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
Nice writeup. I received my Corvette through NCM delivery on October 7, 2005 and also have nothing but good things to say about the car (2006 Monty Red C6 Coupe) and delivery experience. Enjoy it.
11-26-2005, 05:12 PM
#16
Race Director
Originally Posted by eugenee326
SPLASH GUARDS – I spent the $46 for the splash guards found on this forum. THEY ARE A NO-BRAINER for anyone who has no other option or even thought about them at all. I would challenge anyone without any prior conceptions to see a vette with these on. You wouldn’t even know they were there. And I went to BG for NCM and forgot to install them on the return trip until about 70 miles later. I had to clean the car then install the guards. They couldn’t be easier to install. Yes, they probably cost less than $5 to make and if you had your car first and had the aptitude to make them you could. But they just plain work and they just plain disappear. They are a NO-BRAINER.
11-26-2005, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by coolcat
Two things that don't belong on a C6...SPLASH GUARDS and FRONT LICENSE PLATE .
