e-mail from Car and Driver
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 20,054
Likes: 44
From: Swansea IL
I've read and have been told for years that most cars require thousands of miles to completely break-in.
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
I've read and have been told for years that most cars require thousands of miles to completely break-in.
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 26,714
Likes: 344
From: Houston, TX
I've read and have been told for years that most cars require thousands of miles to completely break-in.
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
MPG and performance gains are not uncommon as the miles increase. Is this no longer true? Or is this an old "wives tail" that a cars performance increases over time?
Seems to me the performance number this car generated would or could be some of the best for that year, model and options?
BTW, I sent them an e-mail too. Sounds like they didn't pick mine to print
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,045
Likes: 3
From: Indy IN
Their complaint with the car had nothing to do with engine performance, it had to to with handling. Between it being a base suspension, and probably run-flat tires with a lot of wear on them, that would be the issue with them testing a rental.
BTW, I sent them an e-mail too. Sounds like they didn't pick mine to print
BTW, I sent them an e-mail too. Sounds like they didn't pick mine to print
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 2
From: foley al
my favorite letter to them was the comparison they did of the base or Z51,Z06 and the ZR1 to each other and the letter writer complimented their major restraint on not naming a BMW the winner.....
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
That is a great letter and not to far off from the truth.
The mag has a serious bias towards anything American.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 22,136
Likes: 23
From: In the woods looking for my thrown putter.
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 29,085
Likes: 14
From: Cary IL and Parrish FL
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,732
Likes: 34
From: Monument CO
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,996
Likes: 6
From: Chicagoland Illinois
I agree and disagree.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
I agree and disagree.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
Let's be honest folks. We all have rented before. We know the game. We have rented cars that the dashboard lights up because the car is do for a oil change. We know what people will do with a 430HP car they do not own.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,461
Likes: 130
From: Fernandina Beach
I agree and disagree.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
The OP wrote the rental was obviously abused; how do we know this? Bald tires don't indicate this. Many of us run our cars hard, is it only abuse when someone else does it?
Also many showroom cars are driven hard (not as many miles). Heck how do they sell most of these Vettes?... On the test drive the salesman takes you to some open space and it's usually followed up with the 'ole "floor it" comment. Someone will buy that car too.
Our vettes to breakdown or weaken after 15,000 miles, if they did we wouldn't buy 'em. I bought it to drive and drive fast!
Cheers from Streamwood...I'm right around the corner.
"obviously abused" referred to the likely condition of tires as the handling not power were what C&D blasted the vette on. I don't think anyone rents a corevette for the removable top and basic transporation and I'd bet most do for the chance to drive a car they may likely never buy. Logically on can deduct the 15000 miles were hard driven miles with many wot runs from stoplights. Certainly we expect our vettes to hold up as we all push them at times but if the tires are worn cetainly the car is not in optimum conditon to be tested against some of the world's best. I'm still conviced C&D, who know this, only went forward with the test and poor results more as a dig towards GM which did not provide a top condition vette as they normally do.
Ted
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,996
Likes: 6
From: Chicagoland Illinois
I agree on the tires, especially if they are GY runflats. Other than that, there should be no other performance issues, maybe brakes are worn.
The GF is from Streamwood, so I am there a limited amount of time...but I only come 1/2hr from Volo.
Other than that, there should be no other performance issues, maybe brakes are worn. The GF is from Streamwood, so I am there a limited amount of time...but I only come 1/2hr from Volo.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,375
Likes: 406
From: Florida
Pure bias plain and simple. They'll take a tweaked, boosted ringer GTR from Nissan accompanied by techs everywhere, and still include it in a test even after the dyno shows the car to be making 100HP more than stock, but they use an abused renter on the worst tire / suspension package when it comes to the Corvette.
And like other fools, they believe no one notices.
And like other fools, they believe no one notices.
Supporting Lifetime
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,274
Likes: 1,516
From: Syracuse NY
2024 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C1 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C1 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Unmodified
2021 C1 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2020 C1 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2016 C1 of the Year Finalist
Typical Car & Driver import jock-sniffer journalism. No one's surprised, no one's impressed, and most won't even notice because no one reads that rag. Let's move on.