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c5 coupe vs c5 Z

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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 05:41 PM
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Default c5 coupe vs c5 Z

this always made me wonder....if a c5 coupe and a c5 Z went on a head to head race straight line and or track course... which would come out faster?... heres the catch , both are modded equally the same.. suspension to all bolt ons including HCI and driven by same driver.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 06:10 PM
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I don't think I really understand.... 2 identical cars should perform the same. However providing all suspension, bolt-ons, gears the whole lot are identical then the only real judgement factors would be curb weight, drag coefficient and tire size/type.

Z06 being lighter with larger OEM tire sizes, and Coupe being more slippery. If that helps at all

Last edited by Zr-1Mike00; Oct 29, 2013 at 06:15 PM.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 06:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Zr-1Mike00
Providing all suspension, bolt-ons, gears the whole lot are identical then the only two real judgement factors would be curb weight, drag coefficient and tire size/type.

Z06 being lighter with larger OEM tire sizes, and Coupe being more slippery.
what if tires were same size and brand, but gearing is stock... is there a lot of difference between the z gearing and coupe?
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 06:22 PM
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z would win due to less weight and tighter gearing provided traction was adequate

the 1-2-3 gearing of the m12 is considerably faster in that 0-70mph bracket where you are on tight corner exits
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 06:32 PM
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This should be able to answer all of your questions:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...tions-faq.html
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 06:35 PM
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At a track like Daytona the coupe would win every time because of better aerodynamics.



On a tighter course the Z would have the edge because it weighs less.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 08:01 PM
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 08:29 PM
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The Z should win. To answer your question on the gearing, a manual tranny car in either model has a 3.42 rear end, but the transmission ratios are different between the coupe and Z.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 08:46 PM
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once modding begins all bets are off.. but the Z is WAYYYY faster out of the box. period
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 10:12 PM
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I think all things being equal. the z will still out edge the coupe on a course, due the gearing, weighing less, and wider tires
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by sfc rick
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 10:54 PM
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You buy a Coupe if you think a Corvette needs a targa top. You buy a Z06 if you want maximum performance. It's that simple.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 11:34 PM
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I had a 01 Z once and I have a slightly modified 01 coupe now. God I wish I had the Z back. The Z just stands by itself.
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Old Oct 29, 2013 | 11:37 PM
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Originally Posted by AZMoon
I had a 01 Z once and I have a slightly modified 01 coupe now. God I wish I had the Z back. The Z just stands by itself.
Same here. Had a 2000 coupe before and currently have an '03 z. I've had both on the track in stock trim and the z wins hands down. That being said, I do miss being able to take the targa off
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 12:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Dave02C5
once modding begins all bets are off.. but the Z is WAYYYY faster out of the box. period
Quicker but not faster. Top end speed goes to the coupe.
Braking, cornering, road track, 1/4 mile, goes to the Z.

The coupe is more aerodynamic period.
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 12:13 AM
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Originally Posted by dangerz
Same here. Had a 2000 coupe before and currently have an '03 z. I've had both on the track in stock trim and the z wins hands down. That being said, I do miss being able to take the targa off
Targa top is a great bonus to the coupe. It's my wife's favorite part, but the coupe just feels heavier. The Z just as a whip ability if you know what I mean. I use to love getting the rear end loose around the corners. The coupe doesn't have that same feel, but I still love it.
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 12:40 AM
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Originally Posted by dangerz
Same here. Had a 2000 coupe before and currently have an '03 z. I've had both on the track in stock trim and the z wins hands down. That being said, I do miss being able to take the targa off
I've had both as well.

I had a 98 coupe with lots of mods and HP well in excess of my current cam and Bolt-ons 03 Z. The Z is just a snappier, better planted package. Even beyond the mechanical differences, the car gives you more feedback and instills more confidence.
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted by mooney201
Quicker but not faster. Top end speed goes to the coupe.
Braking, cornering, road track, 1/4 mile, goes to the Z.

The coupe is more aerodynamic period.
your talking a 10 mph difference in the C5 era of cars ...with the coupe taking the only advantage
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 07:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Dave02C5
once modding begins all bets are off.. but the Z is WAYYYY faster out of the box. period


The OP stated equal mods, so handling and power should all be pretty much the same. That leaves aerodynamics. As you can see from the pic above, Chevy chose the coupe to go racing.

My car has C6Z suspension bits all around, and with 500 wfpt I don't really care whether I have closer gear ratios or not.
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by joenationwide
You buy a Coupe if you think a Corvette needs a targa top. You buy a Z06 if you want maximum performance. It's that simple.
I always thought (maximum performance) was when you couldn't mod the **** out of it any more.
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