Poor-sha

Yesterday I traded in my 2014 C7 Z51 on a 2015 C7 Z06. Both cars were 3LZ/LT and M7 and both are my daily drivers. After my first 100 miles including back to back drives between them I wanted to share my initial impressions on how they differ for those folks planning on buying and driving these cars regularly.

Ride
My Z06 is a stage 1 car and even without the Z07 package I can say that the ride is noticeably more firm in the Z06 than in the Z51 with MR shocks. I intentionally took a local road that leads down to a ferry crossing and is rough pavement with lots of patches and heaves but no major potholes. Comparing tour mode to tour mode I'd say the Z06 is approaching the level of firmness of the Z51 in sport mode. You also will definitely notice more tramming from the wider front tires. None of this is to say that it's horrible or something you can't live with day to day but I thought I'd offer a perspective from someone who in the last year has transitioned from a CTS-V to a C7 Z51 to a C7 Z06 as daily drivers and each has gotten progressively more firm. I'll also add that the Z06 still has a far better ride than the 2003 Porsche Boxster S I also sold recently.

Noise
The cabin is also a bit louder in the Z06 than the Z51. Again, it's not a lot louder but it's noticeable and I believe it is more wind than tire noise. More importantly though the exhaust is much louder when the baffles open up but is about the same when closed. In tour mode it looks like the baffles start to open around 3000 RPM and if you're on the gas when this happens she flat out barks and it sounds awesome! The entire way home I just kept playing changing the exhaust modes - loud at the stop signs, quiet when cruising at speed. I really can't understand why anyone would put an aftermarket exhaust on this car.

Driveability
I've been driving manual transmissions for nearly 30 years and with the exception of the dually I will only buy cars with manual transmissions because I simply enjoy the driving experience better. For some reason though I had a hard time getting the Z51 going from a stop smoothly. I never did figure out why that was but I can say that I don't have that problem with the Z06. Perhaps it's the taller first gear or all of the low end torque but it's just easy to drive even in stop and go. Also the clutch effort feels about the same as the Z51 to me.

Fuel Economy
Really too early to tell much here but it wasn't as horrible as I expected. So far it's been right about what the window stick said and about 4-5 MPG worse than the Z51. I got around 16 MPG cruising the back roads and 22 on the highway.

Interior
Really not much to say here. As everyone knows it's the same interior as the Z51 except the badge and wheel. I did noticed that the A-pillar and headliners have the microfiber material unlike my Z51 and one of my complaints about the Z51 Nav was that it was slow to respond to inputs. The Z06 Nav definitely feels more responsive and I suspect this was a 2015 change in the underlying hardware more than anything. One last comment is about the seats. I'm one of the folks who complained about the lower side bolsters digging in to my thigh. Eventually they do loosen up and it doesn't bother you but now I'm back to a fresh seat that needs to break in again.

Engine
Obviously this is the real star of the show but since it's not broken in I can't really see what the motor can do. However, with ambient temps in the upper 30's low 40's here is how I describe driving the Z06. Gently squeeze on the throttle until the tires start spinning, then back off a bit and keep going. You never really make it past half throttle. It doesn't really matter what gear or speed the torque of this thing is phenomenal. It is very easy to spin the tires and I put the car sideways just trying to gently pull out of the dealer.

Even just cruising along it is so easy to squirt around traffic with just a slight tip in of the throttle. Also, the whine from the supercharger when you get in the boost is damn intoxicating and it almost feels and sounds like an electric motor is propelling the car. For reference I also have a C6Z with a Katech Track Attack motor that put out 660 HP on the engine dyno. I'm sure the C6Z is faster all up but the experiences are totally different and frankly the C7Z motor is the one I'd rather have on the street.


I hope this helps folks that are considering the upgrade.

arcticblast

Great review. Enjoy that baby. After the break-in, it only gets better.

BOBSZ06

"Ride
My Z06 is a stage 1 car and even without the Z07 package I can say that the ride is noticeably more firm in the Z06 than in the Z51 with MR shocks. I intentionally took a local road that leads down to a ferry crossing and is rough pavement with lots of patches and heaves but no major potholes. Comparing tour mode to tour mode I'd say the Z06 is approaching the level of firmness of the Z51 in sport mode."


This is very important for those looking at the Z07 option which has a firmer ride than the base Z06. The fact that the base Z06 has a ride firmer than the Z51 says a lot about the ride in the Z06. And for those that want that extra firmness of a track car the Z07 option is available.

ChucksZ06

Thanks for the review. Congrats on your car.

Jimbob26

Great comparison. I love my C7 with Z51 and MSRC, and have been entertaining the thought of the Z06. My C7 is just so good, I feel like am so connected to the car and it is extremely easy to drive, at any speed. One thing I do like is the comfort on the highway, and having owned a 2005 Carrera (which my wife would not ride in because she thought it was too rough riding) really appreciate the C7.

I would like the chance to drive the Z06 before taking the plunge, but I think that day is a ways off as dealers are not going to let folks test drive, and like you , OP, I would opt for the stage 1 package. My local dealer (where I ordered my current C7) has a Z06 in the showroom, but it is a Z07 optioned car which is more than I want/need.

Thanks for your post. I look forward to hearing back from you again after you have had a chance to get more miles on your baby.

C7_Z06

Spot on! I literally have the same feedback since I also transitioned from a Z51 to the Z06. I bolded some key statements that are also the same exact experience for me.

musclecar6

Excellent review. Thanks for giving us a well thought out review covering the stuff like ride and noise that we all want to hear. I have a 2012 CTS-V and have driven a friends C7 3LT Z51/mag ride and agree that the ride in touring is more firm than my CTS-V in touring. As I suspected, the ride in the Z06 non Z07, will be firmer yet. Which also leads me to believe that the Z07 will be even more firm( something to think about for those considering a Z07. All those reports from other new Z07 owners that tell you the Z07 ride is very comfortable, may not be what someone else might like. Personally I like the ride in my CTS-V, could live with the Z51 ride, although it's a little firmer than I would prefer and I'm not too thrilled to hear the non-Z07 ride is a little firmer yet. Since I'm not a track guy, I wouldn't touch that Z07 with a ten foot pole as you know that ride is gonna be harder yet).

I'm also not too thrilled to hear the Z06 is a little more noisy inside, but I kind of expected that. All in all I still think the new Z06 is an awesome all around street super car and will be ordering a 2016 to replace my V.

ENCT

Thanks for the review, hopefully I am making the same move very shortly.
Eric

sunsalem

+1


Good to hear.
I have a 2012 V Coupe and have wondered about the stiffness of the ride of the C7.

Before putting on Eibachs, my V was surprisingly smooth (in both Modes) during everyday driving.
Ride firmness is another item I will be looking closely at when I get the chance to test an A8.

musclecar6

Yeah, we all know a corvette is not a luxury car and some trade offs have to be made. Having been down this road many times over the years, trying to examine things like ride, noise, tranny characterics, etc ahead of the purchase, can sometimes save one headaches after the initial excitement of the new fun ride wears off. Sounds like the Z06 ride is definitely gonna be a little on the firm side, but not as bad as the lumber truck ride my 08Z had on all but mainly smooth roads.

455230

Thank you for the first balanced and thoughtful review !.....It sounds like a fun street car.....

Kingspoke

Very good review! Thankyou!

petecaballero

Great read! Thanks!!

vtknight

Very helpful - thank-you!

CaryBob

Good job. I went from a 2015 Z51 Stingray to the Z06 and I agree with all your comments except the nav. I would emphasize that first gear is really different, smoother takeoffs and longer pulls and therefore much better in traffic. The exhaust noise in either Sport or Track is much louder and generally nastier, but only slightly louder in Tour. The cabin noise is mostly tires, I think.

Also, for what it's worth, my car was clay barred, polished, and opticoated today. Only one almost microscopic blemish that may have ocurred in PDI. No fisheyes or other noticeable blemishes in the finish, and no orange peel at the end of the exercise. I was surprised and pleased with the condition of the paint.

haveblue

Thanks for your informative write up. Do you have the competition seats?

sunsalem

Agreed....the Vette is a true sportscar, not a "floater."

I was surprised (and not pleasantly) how much stiffer my V feels after the Eibachs.
OTOH, it is even more poised on the twisties.


Absolutely.
Once you sign the papers, there is no going back...

scootguy58

For those with the C6Z's out there...LG Coilovers just took care of that problem. I moved from stock suspension at about 6K miles to Pfadt coilovers, which I thought were great for about Sixty thousand miles, until they were not so great. The LG's have changed the personality of the Z for the third time, smoothing out those stutters and annoying spots that I normally skate around. I have also found that I am driving a bit faster on the LIE due to the fact that some of that nasty feedback is not coming into the cabin, Crazy, right??

Poor-sha

GT seats

OnPoint

Sean,

Thanks for the feedback. Please let us know how she does on the track.