I'm not sure why this is such a big topic? Some people describe their Corvette as a Z51 because it provides more information for other Corvette owners, some because they think it provides "street cred" or they're wanna be racers, some because they think it's a different model. Personally I don't mention it unless it makes a difference in the conversation... if it does, it's much easier than typing "My Chevrolet Corvette with the Z51 performance package".

Once people start mentioning it for valid reasons (Even Car and Driver in their Lightning Lap article lists the car as a "Chevrolet Corvette Z51"), it's natural that people will automatically include that information when it's not completely necessary.

Regardless of the reason though... why worry about it??? Isn't it clear which car they're talking about? Does it make any real difference?

 

It's really surprising how much saying Z51 bothers so many people. I refer to my Vette as a Vette, not a Z51 although I have no problem saying it has the Z51 package. It's a "sport" package and that's it. It is a very well designed sport package though and it does provide performance advantages.

 

Welcome to an ongoing joke in the forum.

 

You do realize that the OP was just trying to stir up s*#t.

Looks like mission accomplished.

 

I frequently chime in on this topic. Of course, an owner can call his/her car anything he/she likes. However, I dislike this trend because I think it is bad for the overall Corvette community....like a constant one upsmanship going on.

Human nature is human nature. Calling a car a "Z51"instead of a C6 Corvette communicates that the owner wants to be special and not own the "ordinary " ( and fantastic ) base Corvette.

The Z51 option denotation is similar to Z06 and ZR1..three characters....perhaps Z51 owners are wanna be Z06 owners etc....but for $1500 you don't get bragging rights to the Z06 or ZR1.

I find the practice of calling a Corvette C6 a "Z51" pitiful. It's a Corvette. There have been opinions expressed here that the F55 is actually a better performance package now that it has the "better" drilled rotors. Since it costs more than the Z51 option AND is much much more high tech so if it makes sense for Z51 option owners to name their cars after an option it makes even more sense for F55 owners to do so.

But F55 owners don't. I can't recall a single F55 owner calling their car "my F55". They know it would be silly.

Reading hundreds of posts from base, Z51 and F55 option owners shows that the best thing about the Z51 option is the rear sway bar...a less than $200 item. The tires are meant for hot dry roads and can be dangerous in cold/wet condition. The drilled rotors are thought by many inferior to solid rotors and can crack under severe use.

The coolers do nothing useful. The option adds a little to performance under highly specific conditions ( dry hot track ) as designed. Other than that it's an inexpensive option that makes some drivers "legends in their own minds"*. I recall one Z51 optioned car owner in particular who was constantly extolling the tiny performance edge of Z51 option equipped cars. It became silly. Then he got a Z06 and owned a truly special Corvette. That's what people who call their cars "my Z51" need to do. Calling a C6 Z06 "my Z06" makes hugely greater sense than calling a Z51 optioned C6 after the option.

The Z06 and ZR1 ARE legends and the owners pay for it with premiums dozens of times more than the cost of the Z51 option.

* credit to insp. Callahan

 

As already described numerous times, there are differences, albeit not Z06 differences, but nonetheless differences. And whether you have one or not, want to say you have one or not, the above from JimTN (which I underlined), says it all.

 

I doubt they say that to people outside of the Corvette community. You can think of it like people in America. Inside the country people talk about their specific ethnicity, but when they travel outside of it, they say they're American (that is if it's safe to do so).

 

Hey Oregon - Why do you so often lump everything into absolutes? There are definitely instances where what you say is true. But often (as several others have mentioned) it is often just shorthand, and does provide valuable information for discussions (tire wear, handling, rusty brake rotors, etc). So instead of typing "My C6 Corvette with the Z51 performance package", typing "My Z51" on the C6 Forum is sometimes just easier, and not an effort "to be special and not own the "ordinary" (and fantastic) base Corvette".

We're all on the forum - we're all (okay, almost all) discussing C6 Corvettes. Sometimes shorthand is just... shorthand.

 

 

I think I'll start calling mine the Z51. Why not? does anyone really care? some call it their six speed, who cares if it's auto or manual? some call it their V8, who cares what else they have or don't have?

what does it matter if someone calls it their Z51? a big deal over nothing. no more incorrect or wrong than saying, my orange car.

 

He has help.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...7&postcount=25

 

so I notice and I fell into the trap.... no response would've been wiser, eh?

 

It does seem silly since Z51 is basically a suspension upgrade for autox. So saying "my Z51" is like saying "my suspension".

 

Well I guess my posting was read and understood by some and misunderstood by some others, it was just a simple question ..thats all, not meant to cause controversy. I will now do a forum search to make sure my questions aren't previously posted...perhaps we all should. That way we don't open to door to the remarks that weren't really needed. To those whom I have offended...sorry. To those who answered my question with their opinion..thank you. You see its not really a big deal...

 

You are right, I wouldn't go around saying I have a F55 either because it is not as cool as saying I have a Z51....

 

I think it'd be more interesting to hear people refer to them based on how much they owe.

Owe $45,000? Well then you drive a 45k model.

Bet we'd find very few driving the lusted-after 0k!

 

well, they didn't give the Z51 any other designation...like I seem to recall the order code for rally sport camaros in 1969 was a z-26 option, the SS a z-27, and the z-28..well, they didn't have a name for it..the Z06 is the vette z-28, but the z51 isn't chopped liver either.

 

The Z06 and ZR1 ARE legends and the owners pay for it with premiums dozens of times more than the cost of the Z51 option.

In my mind my Z51 is a legend.

 

Wow you non-Z51 guys really get bent out of shape over this subject LOL. When I was looking for C6's the Z51 package was a must have (since I couldn't afford a Z06). The best part of the Z51 package to me is the close ratio 6spd. I drove a couple base model 6spd and 2nd gear feels like a dog. Like others have said I dont call my car a Z51 unless we are discussing stuff in detail.

 

It is a $1,500 option, not a completely different car.