Adding to the stable
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Adding to the stable
Hello all,
New to the forum as I am currently shopping for my first vette.
Lots of fast and slow Porsches in my garage at the present time.
I started down the path for a Corvette for my girlfriend and frankly I was not that excited about it.
I had driven a few through the years but had never driven one of the latest generation steeds.
We set out last weekend for a few test drives and I am now hooked!
The latest vettes are great and I cant wait to find the ONE !
So here is my question / problem ?
My girlfiend is a bit of a hammer head and she is used to driving some pretty fast cars. She spends a bit of time in our 911TT with out geeting carried away.
I have realized if I get a vette I am going to want to drive it as much as she does and it will become a car we share along with our P cars.
That being said, I feel I need to go ahead and get the GS or the Z06 version or I will just wind up buying a base car and then upgrading almost immediatly.
We do a lot of very spirited driving in the TX hill country so here is my questions.
1. Are the bettter brakes on the GS worth the premium and do they hold up to repeated hard stops and abuse ? ALso, how are the brakes on the base version are they adequate for the speed and weight of the car ?
2. Does the GS version still provide for a soft ride for city driving and touring or is it considerally stiffer than the base version?
3. What kind of clutch life are you guys seeing on these cars when driven hard, but not tracked ?
4. If I get her a vert,, what is the rollover protection on these cars ? Is there a rollover bar that pops up behind the seats in case of an accident ?
5. It seems that every car we drove had a removable roof panel that rattled. Is there a coupe version without a removable roof panel? I failed to ask this question during our test drives.
6. Are the seats in the GS version the same as the base car or do they come with more adjustablity or firmness ? ( failed to ask this question as well )
7. Clutch pedal stiffness on the GS. Is it stiffer than the base car and will the girlfriend be ok with it?
8. ONboard Nannies,,, Do all the cars come with equipped with computor controlled devices that can be turned on and off ?
How intrusive are they when left on ? I was not able to really test this during the test drive as it did not seem appropriate to get into a full lock power slide on a test drive car !
Thanks in advance .
FS
New to the forum as I am currently shopping for my first vette.
Lots of fast and slow Porsches in my garage at the present time.
I started down the path for a Corvette for my girlfriend and frankly I was not that excited about it.
I had driven a few through the years but had never driven one of the latest generation steeds.
We set out last weekend for a few test drives and I am now hooked!
The latest vettes are great and I cant wait to find the ONE !
So here is my question / problem ?
My girlfiend is a bit of a hammer head and she is used to driving some pretty fast cars. She spends a bit of time in our 911TT with out geeting carried away.
I have realized if I get a vette I am going to want to drive it as much as she does and it will become a car we share along with our P cars.
That being said, I feel I need to go ahead and get the GS or the Z06 version or I will just wind up buying a base car and then upgrading almost immediatly.
We do a lot of very spirited driving in the TX hill country so here is my questions.
1. Are the bettter brakes on the GS worth the premium and do they hold up to repeated hard stops and abuse ? ALso, how are the brakes on the base version are they adequate for the speed and weight of the car ?
2. Does the GS version still provide for a soft ride for city driving and touring or is it considerally stiffer than the base version?
3. What kind of clutch life are you guys seeing on these cars when driven hard, but not tracked ?
4. If I get her a vert,, what is the rollover protection on these cars ? Is there a rollover bar that pops up behind the seats in case of an accident ?
5. It seems that every car we drove had a removable roof panel that rattled. Is there a coupe version without a removable roof panel? I failed to ask this question during our test drives.
6. Are the seats in the GS version the same as the base car or do they come with more adjustablity or firmness ? ( failed to ask this question as well )
7. Clutch pedal stiffness on the GS. Is it stiffer than the base car and will the girlfriend be ok with it?
8. ONboard Nannies,,, Do all the cars come with equipped with computor controlled devices that can be turned on and off ?
How intrusive are they when left on ? I was not able to really test this during the test drive as it did not seem appropriate to get into a full lock power slide on a test drive car !
Thanks in advance .
FS
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,738
Likes: 10
From: Austin, Texas
First, let me say welcome to the Corvette Forum, and Corvette community...
. I'm in Austin, and organize (with some friends)/participate in, Hill Country cruises all the time. Our group is a "non club", but hook up with the LCC, and other groups in the area, on occasion. Keep an eye on the Southwest section of this Forum, as we post all of our events there. Look forward to seeing you, and your girfriend, at one of our events.
I'll try my best to answer your questions. I drive a 6-speed (M6) C5, and my wife drives an auto (A6) C6. While I'd love to have a C6 Z06, and may some day, I'll be honest and say that an LS3 ('08 or newer) C6 is more than enough car for non track usage. You'll be able to, but I sure hope you don't, do a "full lock power slide" on any of the Hill Country roads that we frequent. Leave that for the track...
I'll assume you are interested in a C6.
. I'm in Austin, and organize (with some friends)/participate in, Hill Country cruises all the time. Our group is a "non club", but hook up with the LCC, and other groups in the area, on occasion. Keep an eye on the Southwest section of this Forum, as we post all of our events there. Look forward to seeing you, and your girfriend, at one of our events.I'll try my best to answer your questions. I drive a 6-speed (M6) C5, and my wife drives an auto (A6) C6. While I'd love to have a C6 Z06, and may some day, I'll be honest and say that an LS3 ('08 or newer) C6 is more than enough car for non track usage. You'll be able to, but I sure hope you don't, do a "full lock power slide" on any of the Hill Country roads that we frequent. Leave that for the track...
I'll assume you are interested in a C6.
Hello all,
New to the forum as I am currently shopping for my first vette.
Lots of fast and slow Porsches in my garage at the present time.
I started down the path for a Corvette for my girlfriend and frankly I was not that excited about it.
I had driven a few through the years but had never driven one of the latest generation steeds.
We set out last weekend for a few test drives and I am now hooked!
The latest vettes are great and I cant wait to find the ONE !
So here is my question / problem ?
My girlfiend is a bit of a hammer head and she is used to driving some pretty fast cars. She spends a bit of time in our 911TT with out geeting carried away.
I have realized if I get a vette I am going to want to drive it as much as she does and it will become a car we share along with our P cars.
That being said, I feel I need to go ahead and get the GS or the Z06 version or I will just wind up buying a base car and then upgrading almost immediatly.
We do a lot of very spirited driving in the TX hill country so here is my questions.
1. Are the bettter brakes on the GS worth the premium and do they hold up to repeated hard stops and abuse ? ALso, how are the brakes on the base version are they adequate for the speed and weight of the car ?
I think the base brakes are fine for "spirited" street driving. My C5 has the base brakes and I've never had an issue with fade on the street, or the one time I was on a track. Our C6 is an F55 car (more on that later), and thus has the Z51 brakes. These are an upgrade to "base" and are awesome. They will dust a bit more, and perhaps not last quite as long as the base brakes, but well worth it... I only mention the C5 because it is the only Vette I've driven with the base brakes.
2. Does the GS version still provide for a soft ride for city driving and touring or is it considerally stiffer than the base version?
I'm not familiar with the suspension options on the GS. They may come with a minimum of Z51, and offer the F55 as an option. The F55 (magnetic selection) is a great system for "spirited" driving. A bit more comfortable than the Z51, but in sport mode will corner every bit as well. As for the "soft ride for city driving", don't expect a noticable difference in the feel between "soft" and "firm", in the city. The difference really shows when you corner aggressively (on the Hill Country drives...
).
3. What kind of clutch life are you guys seeing on these cars when driven hard, but not tracked ?
Again, since our C6 is an A6, I'll defer to the C5 for a clutch reference. I don't believe you'll ever have to worry about clutch life unless you track the car A LOT. However, several here have mentioned, although I've never experienced it, that the clutch pedal will "stick to the floor" during aggressive shifting. This is more prevalent in modified high horse power cars, but does occasionally happen to cars in stock form.
4. If I get her a vert,, what is the rollover protection on these cars ? Is there a rollover bar that pops up behind the seats in case of an accident ?
Have never had a vert so I can't answer this one.
5. It seems that every car we drove had a removable roof panel that rattled. Is there a coupe version without a removable roof panel? I failed to ask this question during our test drives.
Yes, the Coupe version does have a removable top. I've never heard anyone mention "rattles", but have heard and experienced "squeaks" of "groans". Most times a little dielectric grease on the weather stripping will take care of this. The removable top can either be solid (matching the color of the car) or clear (dark tinted see through).
6. Are the seats in the GS version the same as the base car or do they come with more adjustablity or firmness ? ( failed to ask this question as well )
I'm pretty sure the seats in the GS are "functionally" the same as the base Coupe, but may come in different "looks".
7. Clutch pedal stiffness on the GS. Is it stiffer than the base car and will the girlfriend be ok with it?
Again, I defer to my C5. My wife, and both of my daughters have driven my C5 (although not for long periods of time) and have not had any issues with the clutch. The clutch in the only M6 C6 that I've driven felt a bit softer than my C5. I doubt it will be an issue, and there would be no difference in the clutch between the GS and base Coupe.
8. ONboard Nannies,,, Do all the cars come with equipped with computor controlled devices that can be turned on and off ?
How intrusive are they when left on ? I was not able to really test this during the test drive as it did not seem appropriate to get into a full lock power slide on a test drive car !
Yes, all cars come with Traction Control, and Active Handling. Traction Control prevents rear will spin when accelerating to hard. Active Handling will monitor the wheel spin of each tire, and the attitude of the car to apply a little brake to the proper corner to prevent the car for swapping ends (this is a very rudimentary description). Both, or Traction Control only, can be turned off.
Thanks in advance .
FS
New to the forum as I am currently shopping for my first vette.
Lots of fast and slow Porsches in my garage at the present time.
I started down the path for a Corvette for my girlfriend and frankly I was not that excited about it.
I had driven a few through the years but had never driven one of the latest generation steeds.
We set out last weekend for a few test drives and I am now hooked!
The latest vettes are great and I cant wait to find the ONE !
So here is my question / problem ?
My girlfiend is a bit of a hammer head and she is used to driving some pretty fast cars. She spends a bit of time in our 911TT with out geeting carried away.
I have realized if I get a vette I am going to want to drive it as much as she does and it will become a car we share along with our P cars.
That being said, I feel I need to go ahead and get the GS or the Z06 version or I will just wind up buying a base car and then upgrading almost immediatly.
We do a lot of very spirited driving in the TX hill country so here is my questions.
1. Are the bettter brakes on the GS worth the premium and do they hold up to repeated hard stops and abuse ? ALso, how are the brakes on the base version are they adequate for the speed and weight of the car ?
I think the base brakes are fine for "spirited" street driving. My C5 has the base brakes and I've never had an issue with fade on the street, or the one time I was on a track. Our C6 is an F55 car (more on that later), and thus has the Z51 brakes. These are an upgrade to "base" and are awesome. They will dust a bit more, and perhaps not last quite as long as the base brakes, but well worth it... I only mention the C5 because it is the only Vette I've driven with the base brakes.
2. Does the GS version still provide for a soft ride for city driving and touring or is it considerally stiffer than the base version?
I'm not familiar with the suspension options on the GS. They may come with a minimum of Z51, and offer the F55 as an option. The F55 (magnetic selection) is a great system for "spirited" driving. A bit more comfortable than the Z51, but in sport mode will corner every bit as well. As for the "soft ride for city driving", don't expect a noticable difference in the feel between "soft" and "firm", in the city. The difference really shows when you corner aggressively (on the Hill Country drives...
). 3. What kind of clutch life are you guys seeing on these cars when driven hard, but not tracked ?
Again, since our C6 is an A6, I'll defer to the C5 for a clutch reference. I don't believe you'll ever have to worry about clutch life unless you track the car A LOT. However, several here have mentioned, although I've never experienced it, that the clutch pedal will "stick to the floor" during aggressive shifting. This is more prevalent in modified high horse power cars, but does occasionally happen to cars in stock form.
4. If I get her a vert,, what is the rollover protection on these cars ? Is there a rollover bar that pops up behind the seats in case of an accident ?
Have never had a vert so I can't answer this one.
5. It seems that every car we drove had a removable roof panel that rattled. Is there a coupe version without a removable roof panel? I failed to ask this question during our test drives.
Yes, the Coupe version does have a removable top. I've never heard anyone mention "rattles", but have heard and experienced "squeaks" of "groans". Most times a little dielectric grease on the weather stripping will take care of this. The removable top can either be solid (matching the color of the car) or clear (dark tinted see through).
6. Are the seats in the GS version the same as the base car or do they come with more adjustablity or firmness ? ( failed to ask this question as well )
I'm pretty sure the seats in the GS are "functionally" the same as the base Coupe, but may come in different "looks".
7. Clutch pedal stiffness on the GS. Is it stiffer than the base car and will the girlfriend be ok with it?
Again, I defer to my C5. My wife, and both of my daughters have driven my C5 (although not for long periods of time) and have not had any issues with the clutch. The clutch in the only M6 C6 that I've driven felt a bit softer than my C5. I doubt it will be an issue, and there would be no difference in the clutch between the GS and base Coupe.
8. ONboard Nannies,,, Do all the cars come with equipped with computor controlled devices that can be turned on and off ?
How intrusive are they when left on ? I was not able to really test this during the test drive as it did not seem appropriate to get into a full lock power slide on a test drive car !
Yes, all cars come with Traction Control, and Active Handling. Traction Control prevents rear will spin when accelerating to hard. Active Handling will monitor the wheel spin of each tire, and the attitude of the car to apply a little brake to the proper corner to prevent the car for swapping ends (this is a very rudimentary description). Both, or Traction Control only, can be turned off.
Thanks in advance .
FS
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,664
Likes: 49
From: Atlanta GA
Life Time NCM #2196
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 82,586
Likes: 1,698
From: Converse TX
Welcome aboard, unless you are doing HPDEs all the time the Coupe is no slouch, (I have had our base coupe at .98g in the Hill Country) especially with upgraded sways and the brakes are just fine in the Texas Hill Country drives, now with that being said better brakes are good espcially with more power like the Z has
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Thanks for the great info and advice.
I am a bit hung up on the whole removable top thing, as I really prefer a permanent hardtop. I see this narrows the search a bit.
I do realize that whatever model I purchase that these cars are easy to mod and upgrade without braking the bank.
The bug is in me and I am sure I will have a car within the month.
Onward and Upward !
I am a bit hung up on the whole removable top thing, as I really prefer a permanent hardtop. I see this narrows the search a bit.
I do realize that whatever model I purchase that these cars are easy to mod and upgrade without braking the bank.
The bug is in me and I am sure I will have a car within the month.
Onward and Upward !
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 219
Likes: 82
From: TX
I live in the heart of hill country, in Lago Vista, TX. I have driven these roads for several years in my 2005 Vette, which has the high performance option. I would be glad to discuss driving a Vette in hill country with you. Send me a PM if you want to do so.
steve
steve
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,154
Likes: 27
From: West Des Moines Ia
It would appear to me that you need to drive a couple different Corvettes yourself. Then, you will see for yourself what your options are. Several people can explain these things to you but there is nothing like driving the cars for yourself. Just my 2 cents worth...
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
I have a Z06 and it is very tight, nary a squeak or groan. Brakes are super, power is exhilarating, and I've driven it 160+ MPH at Talledaga without any concern(I'm 69 YO). I've also driven the car on 10 day trips and the last one I drove 14 hours straight with minimal discomfort(no greater then driving that long in my Mercedes sedan). You have some great roads in south Texas(my folks live in San Antonio) so the Z06 suspension should do you well. The Grand Sport has a little smoother ride but lower on power. Grand Sport can be had with either an auto or a manual transmission but the Z06 only has the manual(auto won't stand up behind the LS7 engine in the Z06)
Both the Grand Sport and the Z06 have the Goodyear Supercar tires which have a lot of road noise. Many of us install either the Michelin PS2 or Bridgestone RE050A run flat tires as soon as the Goodyears wear out(which dosen't take long).
I never turn the nannies off. They don't bother me as I don't feel they're that intrusive.
Both the Grand Sport and the Z06 have the Goodyear Supercar tires which have a lot of road noise. Many of us install either the Michelin PS2 or Bridgestone RE050A run flat tires as soon as the Goodyears wear out(which dosen't take long).
I never turn the nannies off. They don't bother me as I don't feel they're that intrusive.
Last edited by JoesC5; Dec 14, 2011 at 12:26 AM.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 623
Likes: 4
From: Stuart Florida
Thanks for the great info and advice.
I am a bit hung up on the whole removable top thing, as I really prefer a permanent hardtop. I see this narrows the search a bit.
I do realize that whatever model I purchase that these cars are easy to mod and upgrade without braking the bank.
The bug is in me and I am sure I will have a car within the month.
Onward and Upward !
I am a bit hung up on the whole removable top thing, as I really prefer a permanent hardtop. I see this narrows the search a bit.
I do realize that whatever model I purchase that these cars are easy to mod and upgrade without braking the bank.
The bug is in me and I am sure I will have a car within the month.
Onward and Upward !