Corvette Z06 would give Mustang GT and Hellcat Challenger owner all-American trifecta of performance cars.
Brand loyalty has its advantages. If you only buy vehicles from one manufacturer, you develop an extensive knowledge of how their cars perform. You gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. However, experiencing vehicles from different automakers can be satisfying, too. Just look at the host of the Youtube channel MotorTube, who simply goes by “Ronnie.”
As he puts it in the video above, “I do have a problem. I do realize I have a problem with cars, as you can see. We have a 2017 Challenger Hellcat. We got a 2018 Mustang GT with the 10-speed.” In other words, his garage is packed with 1,167 horses. Like any car nut, Ronnie wants even more. And it looks as if his third car will be from Chevrolet. Eventually.
Ronnie says, “I like ‘Vettes. I’ve been in ‘Vettes. I like the whole…it feels like a racecar ’cause it’s small. It can go around turns.” He could add another 460 horses to his stables right off the bat with a Stingray, but he wants more than that. He wants the 650-horsepower Z06, so he goes to a large Michigan dealership with a substantial Corvette inventory.
The problem is that many of the ‘Vettes there aren’t Z06s. Many of them are Grand Sports and Stingrays. On the plus side, Ronnie does spot a couple of cars in one of his favorite colors, Sebring Orange. There are a few Z06s on site, one of which is a pre-owned 2015 model with a $73,000 price tag. Given that the dealership is about to close for the day, Ronnie doesn’t want to pick just any Z06 and rush through the paperwork, especially for a pre-owned car. He says, “I’m not paying $73,000 for a Z06 that’s used.”
The seed has been planted, though. It might not be long until Chevy’s supercharged superstar becomes a part of Ronnie’s assortment of domestic performance cars and shares space with hot rods from Ford and Dodge.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
