Very Spoiled
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,168
Likes: 3
From: Dyer IN
We've somehow gotten off track. I have no problem with your view about the value in a Mustang, how far they have come, nor what they are capable of, in fact, I agree with you. You chose however to present and defend your position about the Mustang by opening with your position that the Corvette ain't all that. That's what I was trying to counter point. In fact, your comment that most Corvettes will never see the track only furthers my position. Why then is it necessary to change to coilovers, different sways, better springs, etc, etc? My position is that many (if not most) do it because they either read about someone else doing it or because they are convinced that if it's OEM, it must go. I further agree with you that Corvettes have no place in a comparo with Mustangs and Camaro's, they just aren't the same car nor are they intended for the same purpose.
Sorry, I'm at work and got distracted (stupid work, don't they know i'm having a debate on the forum
). Ok, back on topic. The OP was comparing the factory cars and how they handled. True, the corvette from the factory handles better than the stang or camaro but not so good compared to other sports cars that I've driven. I haven't tracked my car yet but I do know im not happy with the floaty feeling I have and get around curves. I also know that the run-flats were rough compared to my Nitto tires. So back to, is the corvette all that, no, it needs its own tweaks and adjustments to get there too. IMHO
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,713
Likes: 11
From: Virginia
I agree that dollar for dollar the Mustang is one of the best buys out there. But the Corvette is simply in another league of performance.
To say the Corvette "isnt all that" because a bunch of guys talking on the internet who are either: bored, have one too many credit cards or just want their car to be/look different.. is just a crazy statement to make. I'd bet good money that 90-95% of the people changing the 'performance' items on their Vette will never use the car on a racetrack of any kind. Thats too include those supercharging the engine. With all of these big-buck upgrades.. the speed limit on the street is still 65mph. In other words, these performance enhancements most people are doing is more of a personalization thing.. than someone truly seeking a better laptime or E.T.
Maybe you should look at professional reviews & comparison that have shown how well the stock C6 (especially the stock Z06) performs with a professional driver, on a race track, before calling it "not all that". It matches or betters the performance of pretty much any other car costing up 2-3x of its MSRP. The Mustang cannot make the same claim. If you dont think spending just $40-65K.. and getting that type of performance is impressive, then you should have bought a Bugatti Veyron instead of a Vette.
To say the Corvette "isnt all that" because a bunch of guys talking on the internet who are either: bored, have one too many credit cards or just want their car to be/look different.. is just a crazy statement to make. I'd bet good money that 90-95% of the people changing the 'performance' items on their Vette will never use the car on a racetrack of any kind. Thats too include those supercharging the engine. With all of these big-buck upgrades.. the speed limit on the street is still 65mph. In other words, these performance enhancements most people are doing is more of a personalization thing.. than someone truly seeking a better laptime or E.T.
Maybe you should look at professional reviews & comparison that have shown how well the stock C6 (especially the stock Z06) performs with a professional driver, on a race track, before calling it "not all that". It matches or betters the performance of pretty much any other car costing up 2-3x of its MSRP. The Mustang cannot make the same claim. If you dont think spending just $40-65K.. and getting that type of performance is impressive, then you should have bought a Bugatti Veyron instead of a Vette.
In daily driving, 300 HP and 300 ft lbs of torque in the 2-4000 rpm range is about all the power you can use suburban environments. Even in Montana and Wyoming using more power than that is a rare occurance.
The limits of handling and pure grip are well above what you can use off track true also if you are driving sensibly in Mustangs, Camaros, 911s, etc.
No, most people buy particular cars because they like the looks, the "feel", the advertising, endorsements, etc. Nothing to do with performance requirements.
I'm on my third Corvette and I like the style, the targa top, the great brakes, the acceleration. I don't like the poor parking lot handling because of the length and wheelbase, cheap materials inside and out and poor dealer service and pricing of repairs. None of which have anything to do with ultimate track performance.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 21
From: Arlington VA
I don't think many buy Corvettes for the performance. The "performance image" may sell them but not the actual performance.
In daily driving, 300 HP and 300 ft lbs of torque in the 2-4000 rpm range is about all the power you can use suburban environments. Even in Montana and Wyoming using more power than that is a rare occurance.
The limits of handling and pure grip are well above what you can use off track true also if you are driving sensibly in Mustangs, Camaros, 911s, etc.
No, most people buy particular cars because they like the looks, the "feel", the advertising, endorsements, etc. Nothing to do with performance requirements.
I'm on my third Corvette and I like the style, the targa top, the great brakes, the acceleration. I don't like the poor parking lot handling because of the length and wheelbase, cheap materials inside and out and poor dealer service and pricing of repairs. None of which have anything to do with ultimate track performance.
In daily driving, 300 HP and 300 ft lbs of torque in the 2-4000 rpm range is about all the power you can use suburban environments. Even in Montana and Wyoming using more power than that is a rare occurance.
The limits of handling and pure grip are well above what you can use off track true also if you are driving sensibly in Mustangs, Camaros, 911s, etc.
No, most people buy particular cars because they like the looks, the "feel", the advertising, endorsements, etc. Nothing to do with performance requirements.
I'm on my third Corvette and I like the style, the targa top, the great brakes, the acceleration. I don't like the poor parking lot handling because of the length and wheelbase, cheap materials inside and out and poor dealer service and pricing of repairs. None of which have anything to do with ultimate track performance.
Other guys do mods just for bragging rights. My dad (the same one who has never been over 84mph) plans to trade his '07 C6 in on a Z06 one day. First question I asked was why? You dont even drive the Vette you have now hard. He answer was "Because I can.. Thats why". He went on to explain its like carrying a .44 Magnum handgun. It feels good to know you have that much power, even if you never use it.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: Ossining NY
Agreed most buy it for the looks. My dad has an '07 he bought new in Sept 2006 and his C6 has NEVER been over 84mph. All of that still underlines my point though, that if 95% of Corvette owners never plan on taking their Vette to a professional racetrack. Exactly what are they doing on public roads with these modded up 600hp, big brake, full spoiler kit, big buck suspension C6's. Other than personalizing the vehicle exactly how they want it & making it into an absolute stoplight-to-stoplight monster.
Other guys do mods just for bragging rights. My dad (the same one who has never been over 84mph) plans to trade his '07 C6 in on a Z06 one day. First question I asked was why? You dont even drive the Vette you have now hard. He answer was "Because I can.. Thats why". He went on to explain its like carrying a .44 Magnum handgun. It feels good to know you have that much power, even if you never use it.
Other guys do mods just for bragging rights. My dad (the same one who has never been over 84mph) plans to trade his '07 C6 in on a Z06 one day. First question I asked was why? You dont even drive the Vette you have now hard. He answer was "Because I can.. Thats why". He went on to explain its like carrying a .44 Magnum handgun. It feels good to know you have that much power, even if you never use it.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
I wasn't comparing the Camaro/Mustang with the Vette at all. What I was saying is that, while those cars are great, we are spoiled because our perception of speed and handling is so skewed because we drive a fantastic car everyday.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,168
Likes: 3
From: Dyer IN
Ok, I can agree with that. Although my perception is skewed on years of riding crotch rockets. When it comes to speed and handling not much can compare to that.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 11,973
Likes: 463
From: Tonawanda New York
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,578
Likes: 23
From: Waldorf, MD
Xedes,
New Vette owner and inexperienced tracker here. I got on the track with an instructor within weeks of buying the car - no mods - and was absolutely amazed buy its out-of-the-box performance. Even after building more track time I get surprised every time by the stock performance of this car. Its amazing. And the car is very simple and straight forward compared to its outrageously pricey competitors. Well, actually, for the price and performance, there are no competitors.
I like my vette but I know its not all that. Do a search and you'll see thread after thread of people changing tires, shocks, springs, sways, going coilover, adding intakes, tunes and etc... This says that these cars aren't all that from the factory either. They have tons of areas for improvements and that's not even getting into the interior materials and such. You are also comparing two cars that can seat 4 people to a 2 seater. Dollar for dollar, I think the Mustang is one of the best buys out there. JMHO
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 819
Likes: 5
From: Indianapolis IN
Drove my buddies '11 GT500 last week, no triple digit stuff, but spirited. Nice car, fun, looks good & has killer nav/sound system. I could share my garage with a Camaro/Mustang but I'd never give up my vette for one of them.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 84
From: Woodlands (houston) TX
i was going to buy new camaro until they actually came out and i drove them and worked on them. then i realized how crappy they are how gm failed with that. so i bought my c6 im so glad i got the vette not the camaro.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 418
Likes: 3
From: Fallsington PA
There are several people with stock motor (no internal motor work, stock crank, rods, and pistons) that have gone high 9's with the stock 6 speed auto trans. The fastest I know of was a guy with a whipple blower that went 9.7's on the stock motor. I never said it was a stock car with a supercharger. I said it was a stock motor and transmission. Ive had 2 2011 5.0 mustangs, Im not "smoking" anything.