LS6v

After reading two reviews in (car and driver, motor trend?) I was surprised to see that. Would you guys say the car is prone to snap over steer when you're pushing it through a turn? Or, was something out of wack on the test cars ( Like Tire pressures, toe, camber... )?

I understand that 500HP can spool the rear tires up in a hury but both cars have 500+.

WhiteDiamond

The one thing I have never enjoyed about our Auto mags is the fact that under comparision, there can be no outright looser. Car and Driver was very critical of the Z06 in this newest issue and I'm not sure why. I have the issue where they first got a chance to drive it and no mention of this handling 'flaw' on the track. Last year, by C and D's own terms, the Z06 and Viper could not be compared due both being in seperate classes. Now that the Z06 is in that class and can and does compete extremely well, they can't just tell us the Viper lost, end of story. They have to give the Z06 a flaw that didn't appear in other tests.

With that said, I know the C5 is prone to instability on certain types of manuevers across rough pavement. I think C and D was a little overly critical, though, as the comments made it appear almost uncontrollable at times.

Todd

DDSLT5

The suspension geometry of the Viper is different than the vette. Also - the Viper comes with coil-over shocks. I doubt anyone is going to notice the handling differences unless on a track session. I'm not sure why GM still insists on sticking with the monoleaf fibreglas spings - and yes, I know it works ok, but truth be told, coil-overs work better.

VetterMan

glass slipper

After extensive analysis and exhaustive trouble shooting, GM discovered the problem to be loose nuts behind the wheel!
Journalists typically don't have a clue about cars from a technical standpoint and wouldn't know a good design from a bad one if it hit them in the face. Hey journalists, explain why the Z06 did significantly better than the Viper at the 'Ring even though they are close (as in tenths of a second and less than 10 feet) in acceleration and braking. Has to be the Z06's superior handling, and I'm not talking skidpad numbers...

vegasdude

er, um, geeze. I can't actually believe that I agree with glass slipper....................is it midnight?

Joe C

88BlackZ-51

that a neon?

ClayZ06Vette

^ if that's a neon, I want one

Lazerwolfe

I don't remember that in any of the reviews.

Mark VerMurlen

I read the review in C & D this morning and I too was a bit surprised. Their main complaint about the Z06 seemed to be the issue with bumps upsetting the rear of the car. I think GM adjusted the shock valving on the C5 Z06 a couple of times and I expect that they will adjust the shocks on the C6 Z06 too over the next couple of years. It would be nice to see them fix this trait. You can bad mouth the journalists driving abilities, but they are probably better indicators of us "normal" guys rather than the top shelf race car drivers.

- Mark

MitchAlsup

I wonder if this could be fixed by going back to an 18" rear wheel?

Andi

This trait might have been there on the old Z06.. but now, the trait *IS* fixed... PERIOD. Larry Webster is dead wrong. I wish C&D would've let Csaba Csere do the C6 Z06 test/review. This was too high-profile a test to let Larry have, and he botched it with these comments.

The stability of the C6 Z06 is second to none. I always said the C5 Z06 had ****ty stability (and got flamed on here for having the nerve to criticize a Corvette)... do a search on here and look for my impressions of the new C6 Z06 -- GM fixed it. The C6 Z06 has incredible high speed stability. Bumps do NOT upset this car.

I drive mine every day w/ the AH/TC off, at high speeds, near (and often past) the limits of adhesion, often times over bumps and what not. Larry drove it around a pretty smooth track and got scared when he hit a bump or two. There's a reason Larry drives it with the AH on, and it has nothing to do with the car. There's also a reason the C6 Z06 posted a 7:42.9 around the Nurburgring Nordschelife, one of the bumpiest, harshest, and most gruelling tracks in the world. Q.E.D.

Long live the king.

Andi

Mark VerMurlen

You're probably right that I'm giving Larry Webster more credit than perhaps he deserves. Its still early and we'll have to wait and see what the court of public opinion thinks after a year or 2. I know that Dave Hill has said they've increased the suspension travel significantly on the C6 and that would make me think it would better handle bumps than the C5. It still wouldn't surprise me if GM tweeks the shocks between model years.

- Mark

greenshirt77

Yogivette

Yeah one of those rear tires is probably as wide as all 4 of a neons tires side by side

DDSLT5

Nice pic. See how the a-arms aren't horizontal like the vette? This trait helps it plant the power better than the vette. The coil-overs are hidden. I like what the vette has to offer - but the handling of the Viper is nothing to sneeze at either - and having drive one with 1000 hp, they are VERY adept at planting the power.

CFRA_7

Please note that most of the people on this list don't have a clue about high performance driving (note I said most and not all), they have never done same day back to back comparisons and they criticize any magazine that doesn't kiss the Corvette's butt. The truth is that for street driving, who cares what a Corvette and a Viper do at the limit. You'll never be at that limit on the street. The Z06 is a better street car than the Viper and a slightly better track car. It just may be a little tricky at the limit compared to a Viper. Just take your time in learning the car or leave the track control switched on.

DDSLT5

Word!

ivan111

There will be always certain challenging tracks like Grattan with elevation changes, undulations, bumps, blind corners, off camber etc... that will exposed handling flaws if any....

From what the mags have reported it seems to me that shock revalving should correct the oversteer tendency in bumpy corners.....