Nuclearranger

Hello Friends!


I am looking into ordering a car in the coming months to get a spring(ish) delivery time.

I have my heart set on a Stingray, but of course, I am exploring other options. Which leads me to the Z06

I get that it's better, but is it 20k better? Is it 20k more famous and prestigious. Is it recognizable, or will people just assume its a base stingray?


In the Z06s price range, other cars start to come into light, and I have to wonder. Are any of those cars close to the Z06 in appeal to anyone here?

johnnypro

Is it 20K better?

Yes.

is it 20K more famous and prestigious?

No.

Is it recognizable, will people assume it's a base Stingray?

To average people, no. To car enthusiasts, absolutely.

Are any of those cars close to the Z06 in appeal to anyone here?

To anyone here? This is a Corvette forum so probably not. On a different car forum, almost certainly.

fstfun2009

I have a Z51 and will never be able to max perform it...even on the track as I dont have the skills. The Z06 is a monster but if you don't track it with reasonable skills you will be paying for a lot more car than you can
drive. The base car is a great performer and the Z51 up from that. I get 29 - 30 mpg on the road and about 24 in town. Wont get that in a Z06. The ride will be better in a lower model but you wont have the wide body look. As much as I like the Z06 I realize I would be way under driving the car......but I would still love to have one.

BigJoe

Depends on use too. If you are tracking the car Z06 definitely better, If its a daily driver not so much. if you are interested just for the vanity aspects of the wide body, who knows. You have to examine your commitment. Remember the extra $20k is not the end of higher expenses. Tires cost 2x as much and wear out 2x as fast, etc.

Nuclearranger

Good point on that one! Also, insurance...


My driving would be MOSTLY weekend driving (strait line acceleration) and maybe a track day in the summer.

GMuffley

What he said.

JDC PDX

I'll come at this from a different direction.

I was looking to replace my 2007 Porsche 911 C4S. I was considering a GT3, the Nissan GTR and the F-Type R. What it boiled down to was simply bang for the buck. The performance to cost ratio was just too good to overlook with the Z06. And honestly, I had grown tired of paying the Porsche tax.

I have not driven a Stingray, so I cannot speak to whether it is better or not. Like others have said, it really depends on what you are looking to do with the car. I intend to track mine, so a Z07 fit the bill.

At the end of the day, it's a pretty good problem to have. Enjoy your search and whatever car you end up with!

Joe

Beezvette

I recently drove a Z06 and I thought i was having an out of body experience. Both as a passenger and driver, it was beyond words. A totally different car from my Stingray. Would i buy one? No not really. The 20K is more than i am willing to pay and i really don't want the temptation of all that power. So if you can swing the 20K you get a real lot for your money. Huge step up.

drs

If the Z06 is within your budget, end of story. Otherwise I think you would be well served with a Z51 stingray and the magnetic shocks option. Save the $20K for other hobbies, or some performance modifications.

cor28vettes

I would ask that Q @ Z06 Discussion and read their threads.

OnPoint

There are some Z06 owners that moved from the Stingray - those folks could probably give some insight on it.

nsxpilot

I would not want the MPG of the Z.....but if I could have afforded one I guess the MPG wouldn't matter.

z51vett

I have a 2015 z51 traded my 2012 z06 miss it everyday used 13 Zr1 or new Z06. Waiting to see if they offer employee pricing or not.
z51vett
Doug

robertbruce

I had a 2014 StingRay. I moved up to a 2015 Z06. It was worth it to me.

John Ulrich

My C7 lives on the highway touring with the cruise on. (11,000 miles in 6 months). I love the looks of the Z06 & would love the power plant......but, I made the right choice considering how I use it.

3 Z06ZR1

I'm comparing a 2014 Z51 to a 2015 Z06 also.
I like the power without a lot of work. The halltech intake help a lot.
Good combo.
Need to mod the Stingray and mine was misery. Z06 is the better experience for me.

LATrafficJam

I've never driven a base or z51 corvette, but I just received my 2016 Z06 (my first Corvette was a custom order 2008 Z06). I'll comment on my impressions of a 2016 Z06.

I bought an M7, triple black convertible with Z07 package, competition seats, 2LZ package, and a few other items. Ordered second half of June, built second half of July, been in my garage for the past two weeks. The 500 mile break in is complete, and I followed it religiously.

Facts on this car, as I see them:

More than adequate merging and passing power. I run the exhaust permanently in RACE MODE (this will knock your socks off, and everyone around you, it sounds that good. But really, if it's louder, it's probably least restrictive exhaust mode, which has to translate to better overall engine performance, which is why I do it) and drive mode is set to SPORT.

I'm coming from a 2013 CTS-V coupe with manual 6-speed, which I always ran in sport mode suspension. The new Z06 feels just like this, except vastly more precise and nimble.

Z06 may be about 3500 pounds on paper, but it feels like a 1500 pound precision instrument. Very accurate handling, easy to drive, smooth compliant ride.

It's a sports car. I want the road telegraphed to me in the driver's seat.

How does it look? Never, ever seen so many people stop to look, try to drive next to me to look, video it while I'm driving, or ask so many questions. My wife has a Jaguar F-Type S Coupe. Quality at least matches the Jaguar, but the Z06 gets a LOT more attention.

I've attached a pic from Rick Conti, who took the below picture after PDI at his dealership, just prior to shipping enclosed carrier to me in California. Rick superbly handled both of my transactions.

Worth every penny!

DAFFYDRUNK

I'm sure the Z06 is awesome but even the 460 HP base car is an exercise in frustration to drive. I find myself constantly fighting the urge to get on it, because if I do it will only be for a few seconds and I'm in felony stop territory. Z06 would have to be even more frustrating. If you got an extra 20 Gs, this is probably a good problem to have. For me, I'm happy with 460 HP. Even that was a bit intimidating at first as someone who daily drives a reasonably peppy 350 HP 04 GTO.

themonk

the difference between a 1LT and a 1LZ is a lot more than 20k for starters. Second, for less than the difference in price between the two you can mod a 1LT and make it faster in the 1/4 and the track. So IMO the answer to OP's question is not too much as far a price/performance.

ilivas

IMO, with modding the car, you lose reliability. Also, I wish I had the z06 body panels and the ability to put the super wide rear tires on the car. If I had an extra 20 grand, I would do it.