OK,
Long time Corvette fan never an owner. I am wanting to but 1 for my 50th Birthday. A year or so from now. Just trying to learn about these great cars. Is the performance of the zo6 that much better then a z51?
I am also thing about a convert. so it would be a z51.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Jack

 

had an 08 z51 vert traded it for an 08 z06. i think the z is better looking and a lot more car.i wouldn't change a thing i liked the vert a lot love the

 

Just depends on what you want. I have to have a rag top, so the z06 was out of the question even though the local dealer had a killer VR Z06he tried to sell me. I ordered the conv. and took museum delivery. You can't go wrong either way, but I would strongly suggest you drive each and then drive an F55 equiped one last. You will be pleasantly suprised.

 

The best thing to do is drive each one and make your decision. The performance of the Z is awesome but most people will never use it or need it. So drive the different models and cost them out then smile like you never have before!

 

Yes, and I say that from first-hand experience.

They are both great cars, and if the vert or targa or automatic trans turns out to be important to you, buy the Z51 and be happy. But if you want the much stronger performance car, Z06 or ZR1 it has to be.

I second the advice that you should drive both, but with caution: don't do this until your money is up, because it's extremely likely that you will buy one or the other very soon after your test drive.

Good luck with your new Vette!

 

If you and want the top down or off, the Z06 is out. Whatever one you buy you'll be a happy camper, they are all great cars. Go to all the dealers and test drive them all as much as possible, maybe rent one for a weekend. Verts are cool but no trunk space, the Z06 is a race car but you can't take the top off, the coupe is the most practical and the transparent roof makes the interior a whole different experience. I started out to get a Vert, my son was pushing me toward the Z06, and, after lots of deliberation, I ended up with a coupe. Shopping is alot of the fun, read everything you can get and ask lots of questions. Whatever one you get, you can't go wrong.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...51_z06_feature

 

I don't know about the Z06 as it was out of my reach when I bought...I have an 05 convertible w/F55 suspension. I would never TRADE it for a coupe cause I am a vert guy and it is plenty fast for me. On the other hand...I want two - the second being a coupe that I could track.
Bottom line...test drive as much as you can!

 

 

In a word, YES.

Overall performance wise, its not even close, between a base C6 with Z51 suspension option and the C6 Z06. Any measured or measurable documentation you look at, in any performance category, will substantiate that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

and also say it from first hand experience.

 

i went from z51 to z06 and love the immense difference but i also realize that its because of my personal preference. i don't care for the targa so i don't miss it all that much. make the decision not on which one is better because the price difference is an indication of that. make the decision on which is better for you personally.

 

 

Verdict: A Corvette Wins!

The loser among these three is the Z06. In the past, we’ve given the car something of a free pass simply because it provides such stupendous performance for about $70,000. It is still a great value, but the Z51 and the ZR1 highlight its major fault, namely that it’s really difficult to drive hard on a track, which is supposedly its raison d’être.

The base coupe is also a great value and mighty fine to drive, too. It is relatively comfortable on the highway, very practical, and really fast on road and track. Sure, the interior is Third World standard unless you order the $8000 optional leather package, but one can live with that for a base price of less than $50,000. As one test driver noted, “This is as much Corvette as I really need.”
The ZR1 is a spectacular car. Yes, it has an interior that wouldn’t pass muster in an $18,000 Hyundai let alone a $105,000 sports car, and it looks, well, like a Corvette (on steroids). But it is a great piece of work: faster, easier to drive at the limit, and more comfortable in daily use than the Z06. It is one of those rare cars, such as the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the BMW M3, that make its driver look more heroic than reality suggests. To do that with a car that has such formidable performance is a rare feat.
It depends on what you consider "close".

Test Times

All three Corvettes are spectacularly fast. The base model goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and hits 100 mph in 9.0 seconds. The Z06 needs just 3.6 and 8.3 seconds for the same tasks, while the ZR1 hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and 100 mph in a stellar 7.6 seconds. That 100-mph time betters the likes of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Ferrari F430.

The 30-to-50 and 50-to-70-mph top-gear acceleration times are impressive, as is skidpad grip: 0.99 g for the coupe, rising to 1.07 g for the ZR1, which also has the best braking of any production car we have ever tested—it needed just 142 feet to slow from 70 mph to a standstill. The base car managed 152 feet (better than the last 911 Turbo we tested), and the Z06 took 150 feet.

 

 

C6 Z06 has carved it's niche in performance circles the world over and it's performance capabilities are nothing short of legendary.

As such, and as a previous owner of a base C6 Vette with Z51, and seeing frist hand what the Z06 can do, I put very little, if any, stock into that one article.

"Test Times

All three Corvettes are spectacularly fast. The base model goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and hits 100 mph in 9.0 seconds. The Z06 needs just 3.6 and 8.3 seconds for the same tasks, while the ZR1 hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and 100 mph in a stellar 7.6 seconds. That 100-mph time betters the likes of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Ferrari F430.

The 30-to-50 and 50-to-70-mph top-gear acceleration times are impressive, as is skidpad grip: 0.99 g for the coupe, rising to 1.07 g for the ZR1, which also has the best braking of any production car we have ever tested—it needed just 142 feet to slow from 70 mph to a standstill. The base car managed 152 feet (better than the last 911 Turbo we tested), and the Z06 took 150 feet"

0-60 in 4.1 seconds and 100 mph in 9.0 seconds vs 3.6 and 8.3 seconds for the same tasks is huge.

As mentioned before, in any performance category you can name, the Z06 is superior to the base Vette with Z51. And depending upon just who is doing the testing, the performance difference is anywhere from simply a lot, to a helluva lot.

BTW, I look at the braking differences between the 3 cars as being a function of the tires to a large extent.

The ZR1, according to your article, enjoys an 8ft advantage over the Z06 as stated in the sentence "142 feet to slow from 70 mph to a standstill. The base car managed 152 feet (better than the last 911 Turbo we tested), and the Z06 took 150 feet."

The ZR1 also rolls on Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZPs vs the Goodyear Supercar EMTs of the Z51 equipped C6 and the Z06.

 

Let's put it this way: if this is going to be your first, and only Corvette ever, and you can live with a completely fixed roof forever, buy the Z06. It is, and has awesome performance.

But if you want more than adequate performance, open-air driving, a complete driver's car not quite to the edge of all-out performance as the Z06, then look carefully at a convertible Z51 Corvette.

Either way, you won't go wrong. But obviously, the price for the cars will be different by substantial dollars. And the two cars are pretty different, too, in many, many aspects.

 

If you track your car then the Z06 is the way to go, otherwise you'll rarely see the additional performance. Personally if you love the Vert so much I would just go with the Vert because you may be wishing the Z06 had a removable roof.

I also wouldn't rule out the F55 since it gives you the best of both worlds.

The Z06 is a very nice Corvette but it is losing its attraction and its flaws are being highlighted. It is no longer the king of the Corvettes and doesn't even ride as nice as an F55 equipped base car or the ZR1.

If you didn't mention the Vert then I would say go with the Z06. I would also consider a Callaway since it has Z06 type power in a Vert.

 

I traded my 07 Z51 for an 08 Z06. I live in AZ where currently the weather is in the 70's so, at times, I do miss the targa top. When this happens I hit the gas and I remind myself of why I now own a Z06 and easily forget all about the wind in my hair.

 

Z06 vs Z51 Corvette in a nut shell.


Performance - hands down Z06 in both handling and acceleration.

Comfort - Z06 is about 15% stiffer suspension than the Z51.

Convenience - Z51 has a removable top or convertible vs fixed top on the Z06.

Style - Z06 is a more aggressive, muscular look.

Brakes and chassis components - Z06 wins with larger brakes and tires, aluminum frame, etc.

Price - Z06 will cost about 20k more than a base coupe which is still a good value for what you get.

Decision - Drive both and decide what is best for you.

 

to summarize what everyone has said:
drive both and decide for yourself, but either way; you cannot go wrong.

 

The Z06 is a beautiful car. I just have too many toys and could not justify the money. You can purchase a base coupe for under 40K. If your not afraid to wrench a bit, you can upgrade brakes and go FI for no more than 10k more. You save 20k and leave stock Z06 cars in the dust. Still, if I decided to sell a few things, I would go Z06. ......and then a blower. I'm working on an 08 for a friend, and it feels slow compared......