[Z06] Trade-off: C6 Z06-996 Turbo S.
05-31-2006, 04:17 PM
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Trade-off: C6 Z06-996 Turbo S.
Andi gave me a call; he'd just returned from from Spain, having attended as a journalist for the introduction of the 997 Turbo. For his write-up, he wanted to drive a 996 Turbo as a comparison and he offered his C6 Z06 in exchange. It seemed to be a good idea to me- I wanted more C6Z seat time, as my purchase may be postponed due to the possibility of a business purchase.
Andi and I met and we reaquainted ourselves with one another's car. We met up at a place where, years ago, we'd leave from to go racing. After a brief chat, we were off. Starting the engine, again I enjoy the show that the dashboard gives while doing its self diagnostics. Dimensionally, the C6Z is longer and wider, so I ensure that my mirror adjustments are good and I'm off. Getting out of my Porsche, the C6Z is the easiest transition compared to other sports cars because the ergonomics are somewhat similar.
I merge onto the highway, accelerating to blend in a little faster than traffic. I look down and I'm doing 95, so I slow down. The car is so comfortable and quiet other than mechanical sounds that it's hard to judge speed. I speed up, slow down, and juggle between gears to get a feel for the car- there is essentially no traffic. I nail the throttle in second, and at about 70 hit a small pavement irregularity. The wheels break loose and reconnect, jolting me immediately to about 75. Turning, there is less body roll than in my Turbo S. This car is definitely quicker than my Turbo S- then again, the Porsche ain't exactly slow. There's no spool-up; power is instantaneous, building from under 2000 rpm until all hell breaks loose above 4000 rpm. Although dyno graphs show a power drop approaching redline, the car seems to pull harder and harder in defiance of the papers. If you're reading this for education regarding a purchase, take this advice: if you go WOT in a ZO6, hold on and pay attention. It gets very fast very quickly and it's hard to judge speed due to the car's smoothness, so pay attention to the instruments too. Fortunately, engine braking is good and the 6-piston fronts and 4-piston rears get you out of warp speed quickly.
I hit the local roads near my home, and there are quite a few twisties. I pull some 0.6-.08 g turns and the car is planted. On small potholes, the suspension's rebound damping does a so-so job of pushing the wheel into the hole- the Porsche suspension damping is much sharper and quicker. Still, the C6Z is sprung very well and maintains perfect composure in corners with little skitter bumps. It seems to me that the Porsche has more travel and more body roll (though still very little) but better damping. The C6Z springs seem to progress firmer faster.
I've read and heard people complain that the Corvette chassis doesn't communicate well with the driver, but I find that to be untrue. The car communicates beautifully and for the three days that I had the car, I never felt squirrelly. If you know how to drive, the C6Z is easy to drive fast. I turned off the traction and stability and drove fearlessly- the car is very neutral. Powering out of corners, there is a progressive slide that is predictable- the slide is easy to avoid by simply gassing a little later. The Porsche doesn't slide-AWD and the heavy weight on the rear wheels, and the Porsche is planted and pulling like a beast out of a corner with no sliding.
Of course, the road is full of Camrys and Odysseys and the idiots who drive them. Evading a Highlander, the C6Z was composed under hard braking, turning, accelerating and flipping off the SUV driver. It's nice having such instant torque- I'd have had to downshift in the Porsche and would have lost a few seconds of stare-down and middle fingering the scumbague. C6Z brakes are awesome and compare well to anything I've driven in street driving, but I didn't get any track time to assess for fade. My Porsche has PCCB II, so a comparison would be unfair.
The verdict? Cars have come a long way in just the past few years. I remember when the 996TT was introduced and the awe it inspired- it just does everything well. Five years of evolution have yielded cars that are faster and more advanced with higher absolute limits, and the C6Z is a good example of this. The C6Z is definitely faster, and I like its gadgetry. The Porsche suspension is better. 996TT steel brakes are equal to C6Z brakes. While the C6Z is faster, it's close enough that a better driver in the Turbo S could beat a less-skilled driver in the C6Z, especially in twisties, so don't be too quick to race for pinks.
If I were in the market for a car today, I'd choose a C6Z over a 996TT. Since I already own a TT-S, I wouldn't sell it to get a C6Z, but I find the C6Z so impressive that its a priority of mine to get one.
Now, there is something else I'd like to bring up, and that's the mean-spiritedness of some people in this forum. Over on the Porsche forums, I reprimand the "car snobs". Over here, I think that some of you need to get a grip. Rest assured, every competent manufacturer knows how to make very fast cars- if Honda can compete in F1 and Porsche can win LeMans 28 times, please be intelligent enough to realize that they can make a consumer car that could run better than a 7:42 at Nurburgring. I am very glad that the C6 Z06 has set the milestones that it has, and I'm well aware that GM could make a car that ran a 7:32, as DID Porsche, as could Ferrari, Toyota and Ford. Consumer cars are built for specific markets with predetermined specifications and features. So, while I defend GM when some of you gripe about the Corvette's interior, for example, I also have to defend the other manufacturers who are building THEIR CARS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS and don't give a rat's *** about what the Z06, 911Turbo or any other car can do. Last I checked, there is a 2 year wait for ANY Ferrari, and Ferrari doesn't even test Nurburgring.
Andi and I met and we reaquainted ourselves with one another's car. We met up at a place where, years ago, we'd leave from to go racing. After a brief chat, we were off. Starting the engine, again I enjoy the show that the dashboard gives while doing its self diagnostics. Dimensionally, the C6Z is longer and wider, so I ensure that my mirror adjustments are good and I'm off. Getting out of my Porsche, the C6Z is the easiest transition compared to other sports cars because the ergonomics are somewhat similar.
I merge onto the highway, accelerating to blend in a little faster than traffic. I look down and I'm doing 95, so I slow down. The car is so comfortable and quiet other than mechanical sounds that it's hard to judge speed. I speed up, slow down, and juggle between gears to get a feel for the car- there is essentially no traffic. I nail the throttle in second, and at about 70 hit a small pavement irregularity. The wheels break loose and reconnect, jolting me immediately to about 75. Turning, there is less body roll than in my Turbo S. This car is definitely quicker than my Turbo S- then again, the Porsche ain't exactly slow. There's no spool-up; power is instantaneous, building from under 2000 rpm until all hell breaks loose above 4000 rpm. Although dyno graphs show a power drop approaching redline, the car seems to pull harder and harder in defiance of the papers. If you're reading this for education regarding a purchase, take this advice: if you go WOT in a ZO6, hold on and pay attention. It gets very fast very quickly and it's hard to judge speed due to the car's smoothness, so pay attention to the instruments too. Fortunately, engine braking is good and the 6-piston fronts and 4-piston rears get you out of warp speed quickly.
I hit the local roads near my home, and there are quite a few twisties. I pull some 0.6-.08 g turns and the car is planted. On small potholes, the suspension's rebound damping does a so-so job of pushing the wheel into the hole- the Porsche suspension damping is much sharper and quicker. Still, the C6Z is sprung very well and maintains perfect composure in corners with little skitter bumps. It seems to me that the Porsche has more travel and more body roll (though still very little) but better damping. The C6Z springs seem to progress firmer faster.
I've read and heard people complain that the Corvette chassis doesn't communicate well with the driver, but I find that to be untrue. The car communicates beautifully and for the three days that I had the car, I never felt squirrelly. If you know how to drive, the C6Z is easy to drive fast. I turned off the traction and stability and drove fearlessly- the car is very neutral. Powering out of corners, there is a progressive slide that is predictable- the slide is easy to avoid by simply gassing a little later. The Porsche doesn't slide-AWD and the heavy weight on the rear wheels, and the Porsche is planted and pulling like a beast out of a corner with no sliding.
Of course, the road is full of Camrys and Odysseys and the idiots who drive them. Evading a Highlander, the C6Z was composed under hard braking, turning, accelerating and flipping off the SUV driver. It's nice having such instant torque- I'd have had to downshift in the Porsche and would have lost a few seconds of stare-down and middle fingering the scumbague. C6Z brakes are awesome and compare well to anything I've driven in street driving, but I didn't get any track time to assess for fade. My Porsche has PCCB II, so a comparison would be unfair.
The verdict? Cars have come a long way in just the past few years. I remember when the 996TT was introduced and the awe it inspired- it just does everything well. Five years of evolution have yielded cars that are faster and more advanced with higher absolute limits, and the C6Z is a good example of this. The C6Z is definitely faster, and I like its gadgetry. The Porsche suspension is better. 996TT steel brakes are equal to C6Z brakes. While the C6Z is faster, it's close enough that a better driver in the Turbo S could beat a less-skilled driver in the C6Z, especially in twisties, so don't be too quick to race for pinks.
If I were in the market for a car today, I'd choose a C6Z over a 996TT. Since I already own a TT-S, I wouldn't sell it to get a C6Z, but I find the C6Z so impressive that its a priority of mine to get one.
Now, there is something else I'd like to bring up, and that's the mean-spiritedness of some people in this forum. Over on the Porsche forums, I reprimand the "car snobs". Over here, I think that some of you need to get a grip. Rest assured, every competent manufacturer knows how to make very fast cars- if Honda can compete in F1 and Porsche can win LeMans 28 times, please be intelligent enough to realize that they can make a consumer car that could run better than a 7:42 at Nurburgring. I am very glad that the C6 Z06 has set the milestones that it has, and I'm well aware that GM could make a car that ran a 7:32, as DID Porsche, as could Ferrari, Toyota and Ford. Consumer cars are built for specific markets with predetermined specifications and features. So, while I defend GM when some of you gripe about the Corvette's interior, for example, I also have to defend the other manufacturers who are building THEIR CARS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS and don't give a rat's *** about what the Z06, 911Turbo or any other car can do. Last I checked, there is a 2 year wait for ANY Ferrari, and Ferrari doesn't even test Nurburgring.
05-31-2006, 04:33 PM
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Very well written... nice post.
Porsches do suck *** though
[triumph the insult comic dog voice] I kid, I kid [/triumph the insult comic dog voice]
Porsches do suck *** though
[triumph the insult comic dog voice] I kid, I kid [/triumph the insult comic dog voice]
05-31-2006, 07:49 PM
#8
Team Owner
Excellent post - for those who do not have considerable race experience, leave the AH on or run the risk of getting in big trouble in a hurry.
I can attest to the wait for Ferraris- 18 months into a deposit for an F430 and at least another 18 to go (for an MSRP purchase). Strictly from a performance standpoint, my Z is probably faster, but as you pointed out quite well, there is more than simply speed.
I can attest to the wait for Ferraris- 18 months into a deposit for an F430 and at least another 18 to go (for an MSRP purchase). Strictly from a performance standpoint, my Z is probably faster, but as you pointed out quite well, there is more than simply speed.
05-31-2006, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Cobra4B
Very well written... nice post.
Porsches do suck *** though [triumph the insult comic dog voice] I kid, I kid [/triumph the insult comic dog voice]
Porsches do suck *** though
[triumph the insult comic dog voice] I kid, I kid [/triumph the insult comic dog voice]
05-31-2006, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by mav21386
You had better be joking.
What part of "I kid I kid" do you not understand?
06-01-2006, 01:30 AM
#12
16 Vettes and counting…..
Originally Posted by ajindfw
Of course, the road is full of Camrys and Odysseys and the idiots who drive them. Evading a Highlander, the C6Z was composed under hard braking, turning, accelerating and flipping off the SUV driver.
Now, there is something else I'd like to bring up, and that's the mean-spiritedness of some people in this forum.
Read your above two comments. You might want take a bit of your own advice, tough guy.
06-01-2006, 03:39 AM
#13
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^ Never fails. The ones to pick apart posts in hope of finding some attention from an otherwise agreeing forum base.
He was simply stating this opinion due to his later occurence which involved a vehicle of the like. Yes, it may be considered a bad judgement and somewhat "snotty", but I don't personally think that he is unjustified in calling these people simply bad drivers in their Toyotas or the like given the situation.
Besides, by him stating his opinion later on in the post, I doubt he would actually keep that judgement as long-term for any reason other than that one occurence involving a Toyota that day whilst the other cars were around. Yes, guilt by association, but it was a somewhat traumatic situation, nearly being hit by another car.
Nice post by the way.
my .02
He was simply stating this opinion due to his later occurence which involved a vehicle of the like. Yes, it may be considered a bad judgement and somewhat "snotty", but I don't personally think that he is unjustified in calling these people simply bad drivers in their Toyotas or the like given the situation.
Besides, by him stating his opinion later on in the post, I doubt he would actually keep that judgement as long-term for any reason other than that one occurence involving a Toyota that day whilst the other cars were around. Yes, guilt by association, but it was a somewhat traumatic situation, nearly being hit by another car.
Nice post by the way.
my .02
06-01-2006, 07:34 AM
#14
He was simply stating this opinion due to his later occurence which involved a vehicle of the like. Yes, it may be considered a bad judgement and somewhat "snotty", but I don't personally think that he is unjustified in calling these people simply bad drivers in their Toyotas or the like given the situation.
He gave an excellent review, other than the comment about the other "idiot" drivers. Those comments took away from what was otherwise an excellent review. Of course no details were offered as to why these drivers were idiots, but it may have been that they simply had the audacity to be in his way while he was driving at speeds far in excess of posted limits. Now I may be way off base, but unfortunately I've seen this kind of attitude on the part of too many guys driving high performance cars. If that's not the case in this instance, let me apologize in advance.
He gave an excellent review, other than the comment about the other "idiot" drivers. Those comments took away from what was otherwise an excellent review. Of course no details were offered as to why these drivers were idiots, but it may have been that they simply had the audacity to be in his way while he was driving at speeds far in excess of posted limits. Now I may be way off base, but unfortunately I've seen this kind of attitude on the part of too many guys driving high performance cars. If that's not the case in this instance, let me apologize in advance.
06-01-2006, 08:50 AM
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Great review How many of us have driven behind or near "idiots" ? I do everytime i'm on the road so whats the problem with his comment? Nothing pisses me off more than to see a "soccer mom" in a minivan with soccer ball stickers all over it in the left lane talking on ear piece phone drinking coffee and has a b.s. sticker saying how smart their kids are and giving YOU dirty looks cause your going 5-10 mph over the limit and refuses to go into right lane 
How many of us have driven behind or near "idiots" ? I do everytime i'm on the road so whats the problem with his comment? Nothing pisses me off more than to see a "soccer mom" in a minivan with soccer ball stickers all over it in the left lane talking on ear piece phone drinking coffee and has a b.s. sticker saying how smart their kids are and giving YOU dirty looks cause your going 5-10 mph over the limit and refuses to go into right lane
06-01-2006, 10:27 AM
#18
Le Mans Master
Originally Posted by dave07z
Great review How many of us have driven behind or near "idiots" ? I do everytime i'm on the road so whats the problem with his comment? Nothing pisses me off more than to see a "soccer mom" in a minivan with soccer ball stickers all over it in the left lane talking on ear piece phone drinking coffee and has a b.s. sticker saying how smart their kids are and giving YOU dirty looks cause your going 5-10 mph over the limit and refuses to go into right lane
How many of us have driven behind or near "idiots" ? I do everytime i'm on the road so whats the problem with his comment? Nothing pisses me off more than to see a "soccer mom" in a minivan with soccer ball stickers all over it in the left lane talking on ear piece phone drinking coffee and has a b.s. sticker saying how smart their kids are and giving YOU dirty looks cause your going 5-10 mph over the limit and refuses to go into right lane 
I hate idiots (yes, idiots) who hug the left lane.
Left lane is for passing.
It’s none of anybodies business how fast I’m going.
If you’re going 10 over speed limit and have a problem with me doing 100mph – tough $hit, that’s what police is for.
MOVE OVER!
06-01-2006, 11:37 AM
#19
16 Vettes and counting…..
Originally Posted by wotz06
^ Never fails. The ones to pick apart posts in hope of finding some attention from an otherwise agreeing forum base.
He was simply stating this opinion due to his later occurence which involved a vehicle of the like. Yes, it may be considered a bad judgement and somewhat "snotty", but I don't personally think that he is unjustified in calling these people simply bad drivers in their Toyotas or the like given the situation.
Besides, by him stating his opinion later on in the post, I doubt he would actually keep that judgement as long-term for any reason other than that one occurence involving a Toyota that day whilst the other cars were around. Yes, guilt by association, but it was a somewhat traumatic situation, nearly being hit by another car.
Nice post by the way.
my .02
He was simply stating this opinion due to his later occurence which involved a vehicle of the like. Yes, it may be considered a bad judgement and somewhat "snotty", but I don't personally think that he is unjustified in calling these people simply bad drivers in their Toyotas or the like given the situation.
Besides, by him stating his opinion later on in the post, I doubt he would actually keep that judgement as long-term for any reason other than that one occurence involving a Toyota that day whilst the other cars were around. Yes, guilt by association, but it was a somewhat traumatic situation, nearly being hit by another car.
Nice post by the way.
my .02
Calling all those who drive a Camry or an Odyssey "idiots" is both elitist, judemental, and yes, "mean-spirited." Get over it.
