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I'm lucky to be able to have a convertible - I can allow it to be a weekend/nice weather driver instead of a daily driver. The trunk, even with the top down, holds quite a bit - my wife and I have taken several multi-day road trips and are able to get everything we needed into the trunk even with the top down. The C5 frame is so solid that there are no more "squeaks and rattles" on the convertible than on the coupe or hardtop.
There is nothing like being able to put the top down and go for a drive on a sunny day. But if circumstances (the wife, the finances, the garage space) would allow it, I would have (at least) one of each.
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Originally Posted by Cybermind
Definitely a coupe. I just find that it looks like a Vette should. The rear sweeping hatch window makes it look extremely aerodynamic, almost like it's moving when standing still. The added storage space and removable top are a bonus. Keep in mind that all generations of "R" racecars (C5R, C6R, C7R) use the coupe configuration because of the increased aerodynamics.
I've now had three C5 coupes and bought them for those exact reasons.
I'd buy a coupe in hindsight, the tiny trunk on the Z06 is annoying.
The trunk isn't tiny by any means. I've put my bike in it no problem, and the look of the z06 just does it for me. Sure the coupe has a bit more space and is a bit more aero, but I don't ever see any of the aero benefits and both have bigger trunks than my 350z did.
The trunk isn't tiny by any means. I've put my bike in it no problem, and the look of the z06 just does it for me. Sure the coupe has a bit more space and is a bit more aero, but I don't ever see any of the aero benefits and both have bigger trunks than my 350z did.
Originally Posted by acroy
I like the FRC - Very butch, aggressive look.
Tiny trunk? bah. It's huge
The trunk doesn't even fit a spare tire, it's tiny.
Vert for me. Few things in life help me melt away the stress of the day more than dropping the top and enjoying my drive home top down. I do wish the top operation was a bit easier like my old NA Miata, but it's not tough at all, and I do like the hard tonneau, as opposed to a soft one.
Ideally, I'd like to have an FRC alongside my vert- which is why I'm working on getting the Mrs. to fall in love with my vert, so she'll want her own!
Lol, i didnt get a corvette for trunk space.... Thats what i have my SUV for
SUV is useless for me and most, but I would buy a C5/C6 shooting brake if it existed. Damn Americans and their SUV's are the reason we can't buy any shooting brakes and hardly any wagons in this country
I bought the car for performance and dumbly assumed that I could at least bring 1 spare tire with me to the track without towing a trailer. My mistake, but either way the FRC trunk is not "huge" by any reasonable definition. It's one of the smallest trunks you can get in an automobile.
Imagine if this actually existed: performance of a C5, trunk space of your SUV...
SUV is useless for me and most, but I would buy a C5/C6 shooting brake if it existed. Damn Americans and their SUV's are the reason we can't buy any shooting brakes and hardly any wagons in this country
Agreed, but then again, people buy what they want.
I bought the car for performance and dumbly assumed that I could at least bring 1 spare tire with me to the track without towing a trailer. My mistake, but either way the FRC trunk is not "huge" by any reasonable definition. It's one of the smallest trunks you can get in an automobile.
Pardon my bluntness, but what did you expect? You didn't exactly buy the Wagon King Family Truckster, you bought a sports car.
Imagine if this actually existed: performance of a C5, trunk space of your SUV...
Some would love it, some would retch at the very sight. I for one like it.
...and I'm one of those who retch at the very sight of it.
Shooting brakes aren't for everyone- I happen to like them quite a bit. In fact, when I bought my vert, I was kind of torn between it and a BMW Z3M coupe.
Coupe. I guess I burned out on the convertible thing when I had the Boxster, and the coupe's capacity made it more practical than an FRC/Z06 as an 'only car'.
I might have considered a Z06 if the prices had been a bit lower when I was looking, but again, as my only car, I really didn't want to live with a manual in SoCal traffic.
I understand the reason for the post ,but your just not ready to buy IMHO. When you are, you will know exactly what you want and the search will become much easier. I lurked for 2 years before I bought but in the last 6 months of that 2 year period I had narrowed my search to the exact car I wanted down to the color and options.
I like convertibles a lot. But when I look around in my area the tops of most convertibles are, Corvette's included are up. I think it's because of the high temps and humidity we experience most of the year. If I lived in a more temperate climate a convertible would have been my first choice.
The fixed roof has always grabbed my attention. It has the best lines of any corvette going back to the C2's. The targa roof has never been important to me, more negatives than pluses. Even though the targa conversions being done on FRC cars look hot and make a cool car even more cool, it's not something I would ever do.
Coupes are bellybutton cars. Really nice cars that have features that a lot of people find necessary and appealing over the other styles, but not for me.
I'm a BIG music lover, and I don't much like to bake in the sun. Both those preferences require a top to alleviate noise and ambient temperature. (I'll leave performance, handling, and security out of my convertible 'faults' list entirely.)
It can be a real nuisance to slug through 4-minute stoplights in 90* weather. (add 80% humidity during two months out of the year if you're in the Deep South or far North). A ragtop might be nice on curvy mountain roads if the temps are in the 60-70's, and maybe even the low 80's. To tell the truth, I don't mind low-80's at all; even mid-80's are okay, but too much UV ain't good, and I refuse to wear SPF30 creams (sun block) to ride in a Corvette model I dislike anyway.
I like my music PURE. No talkin', no traffic noise, no rattles, etc. Wind noise (and dust, fumes, and grime) gets old on a 200-400 mile drive, much less a drive across 2 states (or more). Windows up and volume loud enough to feel the bass speaker's pressure wave inflate/deflate my baseball cap as I wear it.
I'm as dumb as a box of rocks.. my purchasing process proves it. I went into a used-car dealer looking to buy a Vette, "any" Vette, with an eye on Corvette performance. I did it without any research; I didn't know there were 3 models; I was looking for a retirement 'present' for my wife that I'd be willing to live with. Until I drove a Z, I didn't realize my idea of "Corvette performance" was limited to mean only Z06 performance. I drove 120 miles to test drive an 08 Coupe and I was sorely disappointed. I was about to dismiss the entire Corvette line as still poorly-built, but overpriced, when I stumbled on an 03 z06. Without knowing what the model designation meant, I came concluded that this model, and specifically, this one car I drove was immaculate, squeak-free, handled better than any other car under $70G's that I'd ever driven, and responded to the pedal like a scalded dog.
Nope. There's only one Corvette, and it's a red Z06. All the others are just leftovers from the assembly line parts bin.
07-22-2014, 10:29 AM
I've now had three C5 coupes and bought them for those exact reasons.
There is nothing like cruisin' down a winding mountain road on a beautiful day with the top down in a Corvette convertible.
. Really nice cars that have features that a lot of people find necessary and appealing over the other styles, but not for me.
