I joined quite a while ago and asked about dealers that had C6 demos. Meanwhile family issues came up and the idea of looking at and getting a C6 was put on the backburner so to speak.

Things have settled down and I'm once again looking at C6's. I had a chance to drive an '06 with the standard suspension with the A6. I was not that impressed. I felt like the A6 was masking the personality of the car. Also felt that the standard suspension was a bit soft. It came across as a great "GT" type of car. Now this in itself is not a bad thing mind you. In fact it would be a great touring car in that setup. But I'm looking for more atitude!

I'm looking to drive a 6 speed manual with the Z51 option. I'm thinking that this will be much more to my liking. Overall the C6 appears to be of much higher build, fit and finish quality than Corvettes in the past.

I really like the design and style of the C6. My only real gripe after the brief drive in the above mentioned car is the impression of the seats. They seem somewhat wimpy. Otherwise the C6 seems to be the real deal. I had a chance to look at the car on a lift and was really impressed with the design of the chassis. All the aluminum and the composite panels are mouth watering.

Mind you I've had European cars most of my life and currently drive a 1995 BMW M3 that I've had since new. I also have a 2004 VW R32 that has what have to be about the best seats put in a car. These are the seats that should be in a Corvette.

But now I'm looking for something different. I want TORQUE! Also the Corvette has that brotherhood thing that one has with a Harley Davidson and I think that reinforces the ownership experience.

That's about it for now. I will get back after I get the chance to sample a Z51 6 speed manual.

If I end up ordering a C6 I'm thinking of:

Machine Silver with Ebony
6 speed manual
3LT
Z51
polished wheels
NAV
and the standard painted roof panel.

David

 

My '06 A6 Coupe is the best Corvette I have ever owned or driven. For 40 years, I have only owned vehicles with manual transmissions with only a couple of exceptions. Four of the five Corvettes I have owned had 6 speeds. I installed a B&M ripper on my '04 Coupe and I loved it.

After so many 3, 4, 5 and 6 speed cars I have owned, I have never had much interest in automatic transmissions. My '06 A6 transmission is great and a lot of fun to drive. I drove the Z51 with the MN6 and it is a great car. If I got that car, I would have had to change the shifter. I did not want to start doing the mod thing again, so I got the A6.

You can tell the difference in handling, but I prefer the softer ride that the soft suspension offers. I may be getting old since I no longer race through every corner, so the soft ride is OK. It still corners better than any Corvette I have been fortunate to caretake. I live in a rural county with bad roads, so the not-so-stiff ride is better for me.

 

 

I drove the C6 with an MN6 and standard suspension, and while it was nice, I wasn't too impressed either. I felt almost as good in my C5. Then I drove the Z51 and was impressed to the extent that I now have a Monty Red '06 Z51 coupe. Great car but I can also understand those who need the softer ride of the standard suspension. What I wanted on the Z51 was the gearing first and the tigher suspension second.

 

Find a Forum member near you, I'm sure someone will take you for a rip.

 

Do it! You'll wonder why you waited. Only thing is, I'd pick LeMans Blue, but it's a personal choice. It's a Corvette, that's what matters most.

 

I like LMB but its way too dark in terms of taking care of it. My R32 is Deep Blue Pearl which is not as dark as LMB. It looks great clean but quickly shows dust and dirt.

My M3 is Silver and always look clean. I like all of the colors but sure do wish that the Corvette was available in a Silver-gray. BMW offers this color and I love it. Also Porsche has a color called Seal Grey that is wonderful.

Of course both Reds are great and I'm tempted but I still fall back to Silver. I think it is a classy color. You know, everytime I see a C6 in any color I think, that looks great. So you can't really go wrong with any choice.

David

 

I sold my R32 to buy the C6, and let me tell you that you will NEVER find a seat as good as the one in that VW, unless you're buying a porsche GT3 or something.

I'd love to change the seat, but that would screw up the airbags and bump me out of SCCA stock class, if I start racing the C6 frequently.

Welcome from VW club to C6 club.

 

Mine is a triple black 1SB MN6 Z51. Black = wash often. With the polished wheels and tint it looks great. That said, my advice is to

GET THE ONE THAT YOU WANT

They are awesome cars

 

David,

6-speed 'vert with Z51 is absolutley the way to go....love your color choice too . Let me know if you're in the North Jersey area & we can work something out.

Dave

 

are they the same seats that came in the 20th GTi? the recarro's? my buddy has a 20th that he has completely torqued out and it sitting at about 380 fwhp. its a quick lil sumbich. but he's getting bored with it and is thinking about trading up for a 32 or S4. i try to tell him to go and get a different flavor of car, but he wont listen. the VW community is as strong, if not stronger than the vette community. i dont even own a dub, but i lurk on vortex everynow and then.

sorry to hijack. for the original poster...i am too young to be old fashioned, but for me, if you're buying a sports car, you gotta go with a manual tranny man. its a no brainer. and its TOTALLY different. i was finally able to drive the A6 a week ago, and while it is one of the smoothest autos i have ever driven...its still nothing compared to having that clutch pedal man.

as for the color, i gotta pull for my LMB. but if i had to do it all over again, i think i would rather have the factory surprise me with a color because i think i have come to love all the C6 colors just about the same. they all look awesome!

 

The car you're thinking about ordering is exactly the car that I have, right down to the painted roof panel. Mine's an '05 so its designated a 1SB instead of a 3LT but it's equipped identically. I came out of a 2003 Audi A6 4.2 quattro so I can appreciate your concerns.

While there are things that I'll always miss about the Audi, this Corvette does things that no $55K sedan (or R32) can even dream about, seats notwithstanding. As you pointed out, the torque is amazing and provides quite a rush. Even coming out of a European sedan, I'm impressed with the build quality of the Corvette. I've had a few annoying interior vibrations and buzzes but I was able to fix one myself and I'm confident that the dealer will be able to get rid of the remaining one when I take it in.

As for the seats, I admit that they're not up to the ones in my past Audis or Volvos but they're still very good. I especially like the power adjustable side bolsters and lumbar support.

In most driving conditions the Z51 suspension is great - no complaints there. Know, however, that when you drive it on rough pavement it's going to be quite bumpy, sometimes to the point of being unpleasant.

I say go for it. Since a picture is worth 1000 words...

 

As far as LMB being hard to keep clean, I really have not found it to be a problem. Moreso, as you are getting a performance car, why not get the fastest, which, as everyone knows, is LMB.

 

Michael,

Those pictures of your Silver C6 are stunning! That's the car I want. Everytime I see good pictures of a Silver C6 I know that is the color for me.

It's good to get some feedback from other European car owners. It seems as if I will be satisfied with getting a C6 Z51 6speed manual. I'm in agreement that I will not find seats as good as those in my R32 unless going to a Porsche GT3 or such. I drove a 997S with the optional sport seats and they are wonderful. But that is a $90K car!

In answer about the seats being similar to the 20th anniversary car, those are Recaros, good seats. The R32 has Koenigs and they are available in their catalog at something like $800 or so a piece.

Thanks for the input, I find it very helpful and enjoyable to here others opinions. Still looking forward to driving/trying a Z51 6 speed.

David

 

I converted to the C6 family from BMW M3's. I bought both the E-36 ('99) and E-46 ('03) M3's new. Both were great cars but I have not looked back. I went with the Z-51 MN6 with the 3LT package. The CAGS skip shift is annoying but I have bought the eliminator kit and am planning on installing it soon.

You will love the power and the handling/grip is a level above the M3's. Good luck!

 

Just go ahead and buy one. 50,000 other people have made the decision and are enjoying their Corvettes now!!!

 

I got a machine silver vert, but with red interior. Contrast is great.
Seats are fine. Multi adjustable including lumbar support. No problems with long distance cruising.

 

OK I found a Z51 MN6 Coupe that I can try. I will post my comments late Saturday and I'm sure after that I will be placing my order!

David