Horrible interior
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 4,309
Likes: 13
From: FW/d Texas
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,883
Likes: 76
From: Portland OR
While it might look dated, it certainly holds up better than many interiors its age. Look at ANY Mustang after 5 years and they are falling apart. 
I really like the C5 interior minus the seats.
I really like the C5 interior minus the seats.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,364
Likes: 6
From: Rocky Mount Virginia
First off, being a sports car, it usually is minimalistic. Watch Top Gear and see some of the $100,000+ sports cars they drive. Most are basic interiors will little flash. As others said, there are plenty of vendors to choose when it comes to upgrading.
That aside, if you want a Vette with nice upgraded luxury insides, try out a Cadillac XLR....
That aside, if you want a Vette with nice upgraded luxury insides, try out a Cadillac XLR....
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
In a pure track car, I might agree. But on the street, where you can't even use 50% of the cars performance without being arrested, I'd happily take the M3 over a C5. E46 or E9x, doesn't matter.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
For $5k you can make the C5 interior better than a stock M3 as far as I'm concerned.
$2k on Marrad seat backs+covers plus aftermarket seat heaters.
$1k on DD Mods double din stereo upgrade
$500 on some mats/partitions/sound treatments
$500 on a short shifter+**** and good pedals
the rest on whatever other random dressup stuff you want.
Adds minimal weight and improves utility, comfort, and performance dramatically.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
Eh. I run my car on both street and track. Put simply the German cars are too expensive to run seriously on the track.
For $5k you can make the C5 interior better than a stock M3 as far as I'm concerned.
$2k on Marrad seat backs+covers plus aftermarket seat heaters.
$1k on DD Mods double din stereo upgrade
$500 on some mats/partitions/sound treatments
$500 on a short shifter+**** and good pedals
the rest on whatever other random dressup stuff you want.
Adds minimal weight and improves utility, comfort, and performance dramatically.
For $5k you can make the C5 interior better than a stock M3 as far as I'm concerned.
$2k on Marrad seat backs+covers plus aftermarket seat heaters.
$1k on DD Mods double din stereo upgrade
$500 on some mats/partitions/sound treatments
$500 on a short shifter+**** and good pedals
the rest on whatever other random dressup stuff you want.
Adds minimal weight and improves utility, comfort, and performance dramatically.
Not trying to talk down on the C5 at all, the sea of plastic is ok but the seats are truly garbage. I hope to upgrade my seats one day. The rest can stay as is. Detailed nicely, it's acceptable enough. When you start putting colored accents and other bits and pieces that don't match, it starts to look even cheaper inside.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 363
Likes: 3
This thread has been interesting to say the least. I'm not sure what is expected from the interior for a vette. Hell a Viper does not even have A/C. A Corvette is not some six figure sports exotic. It's a V8 powered brute. If you want a better interior it can be installed for a price. I'm just happy to be able to take off me targa and listen to some great tunes.
Reggie
Reggie
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
Anything I touch, feel, see, or hear while inside the car is part of the interior "experience" IMO. A leather dash is only nice if you sit there and stroke your dash. I drive my car. A nice leather steering wheel (smaller diameter, fatter, more contoured) would be a large upgrade - leather wrapped dash not so much.
A shifter that makes the car feel like a sports car and not a dump truck is an interior upgrade. Pedals that make downshifting easier are an interior upgrade. Better stereo interface and speakers is a major interior upgrade.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
Interesting. Your shifter, stereo, and pedals are not inside your car? Ambient sound levels are not part of your "experience"?
Anything I touch, feel, see, or hear while inside the car is part of the interior "experience" IMO. A leather dash is only nice if you sit there and stroke your dash. I drive my car. A nice leather steering wheel (smaller diameter, fatter, more contoured) would be a large upgrade - leather wrapped dash not so much.
A shifter that makes the car feel like a sports car and not a dump truck is an interior upgrade. Pedals that make downshifting easier are an interior upgrade. Better stereo interface and speakers is a major interior upgrade.
Anything I touch, feel, see, or hear while inside the car is part of the interior "experience" IMO. A leather dash is only nice if you sit there and stroke your dash. I drive my car. A nice leather steering wheel (smaller diameter, fatter, more contoured) would be a large upgrade - leather wrapped dash not so much.
A shifter that makes the car feel like a sports car and not a dump truck is an interior upgrade. Pedals that make downshifting easier are an interior upgrade. Better stereo interface and speakers is a major interior upgrade.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,767
Likes: 3,695
From: The Sunshine State
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This thread has been interesting to say the least. I'm not sure what is expected from the interior for a vette. Hell a Viper does not even have A/C. A Corvette is not some six figure sports exotic. It's a V8 powered brute. If you want a better interior it can be installed for a price. I'm just happy to be able to take off me targa and listen to some great tunes.
Reggie
Reggie
Each story and each owner is different so there is no right or wrong answers. However, I do believe that the same guys, including me, who spent the money to improve our interiors, would have been the same guys who would have had no problem forking over an extra $5K to GM if they would have offered a leather interior updgrade package on the C5 similar to what they offered on the C6. This was just our way of customizing and/or trying to improve on the original GM design.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
Rear partition + heavy duty mats = cheap simple sound treatment that is easily removed at the track.
DD double din bezel with that new Kenwood stereo unit and some better speakers = instant state of the art 2014 tech features combined with dramatically improved sound quality.
I'm in the car 2 hours a day for 2/3 of the year, sound and tech stuff matters a lot. It's secondary only to seat quality.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 3
From: Mission, Kansas
For me, the interior of a car is seldom a deal breaker. If it is functional, that is all I ask. Since I don't race my '02 Z06 even the seats are fine for cruising or every day driving.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
Interesting. Your shifter, stereo, and pedals are not inside your car? Ambient sound levels are not part of your "experience"?
Anything I touch, feel, see, or hear while inside the car is part of the interior "experience" IMO. A leather dash is only nice if you sit there and stroke your dash. I drive my car. A nice leather steering wheel (smaller diameter, fatter, more contoured) would be a large upgrade - leather wrapped dash not so much.
A shifter that makes the car feel like a sports car and not a dump truck is an interior upgrade. Pedals that make downshifting easier are an interior upgrade. Better stereo interface and speakers is a major interior upgrade.
Anything I touch, feel, see, or hear while inside the car is part of the interior "experience" IMO. A leather dash is only nice if you sit there and stroke your dash. I drive my car. A nice leather steering wheel (smaller diameter, fatter, more contoured) would be a large upgrade - leather wrapped dash not so much.
A shifter that makes the car feel like a sports car and not a dump truck is an interior upgrade. Pedals that make downshifting easier are an interior upgrade. Better stereo interface and speakers is a major interior upgrade.
Cool story, but I'm talking about functionality and quality, not volume and looks.
Rear partition + heavy duty mats = cheap simple sound treatment that is easily removed at the track.
DD double din bezel with that new Kenwood stereo unit and some better speakers = instant state of the art 2014 tech features combined with dramatically improved sound quality.
I'm in the car 2 hours a day for 2/3 of the year, sound and tech stuff matters a lot. It's secondary only to seat quality.
Rear partition + heavy duty mats = cheap simple sound treatment that is easily removed at the track.
DD double din bezel with that new Kenwood stereo unit and some better speakers = instant state of the art 2014 tech features combined with dramatically improved sound quality.
I'm in the car 2 hours a day for 2/3 of the year, sound and tech stuff matters a lot. It's secondary only to seat quality.