A Buddy and I went 12 hours ONE WAY (stopped for food and fuel only) on our way to a USPSA/IPSC shooting competition. Of course we had 7 guns, 5,000 rounds match ammunition, 5 days worth of clothing (2 Suitcases 42"x12"x24", 2 collapsible range carts, range ammo bags, umbrellas, 4 jackets, shoes and boots (4 pair) and a small lunch cooler.
It all fit beautifully.

Car was very decent. We hit light snow, rain, hail, and lots of sunshine.
We could not take the roof off because there was no space to store it, but the Vette has great A/C, decent stereo, seats are... not too bad for 5 hrs at a time, and we checked mileage... Average for the whole trip was 29 miles per US Gallon (try that in a V6 accord!!!)

Would I recommend it as a Grand Tourer? Heck ya! I even used mine as a Daily Driver last year. Not a 'Low Profile' ride by any metric, but very satisfying to drive, and more comfort and fuel efficient than most other offerings out there.

I racked up 38,000 miles (insured for 6 months as I live in the snowbelt) and no regrets. Some folks drive their Vette's only on "Special Occasions"

I say make every day "Special"

That is another thing that makes the modern Vette unique.....space to pack for a trip....
plus gobs of juice and great MPG.....only downfall is that low center of gravity makes it tougher and tougher to get in and out as you age....
my Dad(in pretty good shape for 75+) really wanted a Vette a couple years back and he just couldnt handle the egress,,,,,,,
he ended up with a Benz...

C7 improvements over previous generations make this new generation the best choice as the best Grand Tourer.

Sound cancellation and most improved interior along with the latest generation MRC shocks would be motivating factors to lead you to the c7.

There was a great leap from c4 to c5 and then again from c5 to c6. I would suggest the c7 will be the largest improvement in corvette history.

I daily drive my corvette. Third one and clearly the c7 is in my sights.

My suggestion is the MRC shocks for the Mrs to get the best ride over all types of payement. Just remember iall corvettes are lower than say a Cadillac CTS V coupe which by the way has MRC shocks too...(as do all new Ferrari s which utilize the same system from Delco)

I have a 2000 C5 Z51 Sport Seats, millennium yellow, Corsa Indy cat backs. 89,000 miles which are nearly all trip miles with some track time. My wife and I have done Route 66 3 times, up and down the PCH too many times to count, back and forth Tucson to San Diego (one tank each way) too many times to count (Interstate 8 is the US autobahn), CA to FL 2 times, CA to Midwest way too many times and the Bowling Green 50th anniversary party. I like the stiffer Z51 suspension on long trips but did like losing the run flats. The sport seats with the double lumbar supports have really helped. If I keep it around 70-75 mph I can get 34-35 mpg. We are usually running 85-95 (surprisingly no tickets) and get 30-31 mpg. We can easily put in 12 hours of continuous seat time, yeah some pee breaks. Our best run was Tucson to Houston by the first night. Love the sound of the Corsa Indy's on the open road and when I romp on it. The rev limiter is tested routinely. I am blessed to have a wife that loves corvettes and road trips nearly as much a I do. Really hoping the C7 Z51 will be as good of a road cruiser.

There is more to this new Corvette then some design features. I look forward to driving my new C7 from Pennsylvania to California, to where ever want to go

Fit ANYTHING in, huh?

As many have said here it can be used for distance travel. But the stiff suspension can be irritating on rough roads especially after many miles so you should test drive on some rough roads. The car is low to the ground so you have to be careful of curbs which could be a problem at night in a city that you don't know the roads. Parking can be an issue if you don't want your doors dinged. So now you have both sides to help with your decision.

Our C5 is an excellent tourer. We have made a lot of long trips, including 2 weeks to New England for the fall leaves and 3 weeks to the Monterey Historics. We even took our bag chairs.



Lots more in the sig and website:

Few things.

If you will be driving through the I70 tunnels in Colorado, the performance of n/a engines at 11,000 feet is gone. It's like a dream where you are trying to run, but moving in slow motion.

Be sure to get a front bumper, hood, and side mirrors film protection at least.

We have done the I70 tunnel in CO many times, summer only, would concur that he power is down, but compared to other cars and trucks on the road, seemed like they were is slow motion.

Last time I went through the Eisenhower (about 5 years ago) it was as rough as a bad county road. I trust it's been repaired.

Wow, I peed my pants laughing at your post.

If you don't consider the Corvette as a sports car, when appropriately optioned, you are truly missing what a sports car is all about.

It can be set up as an outstanding GT car also, but a GS, Z06 and ZR1 are sports cars in the truest sense. Or do you only consider kidney busting Lotus Super Sevens as worthy of that label?

driving my 2013gs home after purchase I found 10 hour days behind the wheel were not an issue...the wife is looking forward to doing it again driving to the NCM bash

I've taken a 2000 mile road trip from TX to CA (Back and Forth) and the rides great!
I averaged about 28 on the highway and it's fun to open it up sometimes and you realize how great your car looks in a sea of beige mobiles.

The only problem I have is you can't put the seat back at car stops...the passenger can a bit more but it's the price you pay for style, performance, and a sexy car ;]

Tiny, 2-seater, open-topped. Think: Miata, original Cobra, the 2-seater Bimmer and Porsche convertibles. Those are true sports cars. The Corvette is a GT. It's been that way for a very long time.

(And yes, I pound the snot out of my ZR1 (ie, GT) at the race track).

jas

Well I have been missing what a sports car is really about.. But I have driven thousands of miles at high speed in comfort. It is the way to go IMO.

Since 1971 I have driven all 6 generations of Corvettes probably in the neighborhood of 500,000 miles. Over 200,000 miles in my 65 which I have owned since 1971. Numerous long trips. My most memorable was a 7,400 mile cross country trip from Mass to California and back in an 87 coupe. I did Route 66 from Oklahoma to California, drove up through Big Sur and came back via Tahoe and Salt Lake City Utah. I was gone for a month all by myself. Great trip.

My longest trip in an older Corvette was when I purchased a 64 coupe in Key West, Fla while there on a brief vacation. I drove it all the way home to Mass. In 2002 I drove my 61 to Carlisle, a 1000 mile round trip. Long drive in a solid axle, but it was a blast.

With my newest car, the C6 Z06, I flew out to Missouri to buy the car and drove it 1,100 miles home to Mass. I spent 2 days at the Corvette Museum on the way home. 27 mpg with 505 hp. Lots of grins on that trip. Corvettes are world class touring cars and also make great track cars

Do it....."SEE THE USA IN A CHEVROLET"! I can't recommend it enough.

The current C6 is a ideal GT for long cross country road trips. Owned a few cars and the Corvette was among the best for 1-2 week long road trips. Great performance, comfort, room. Owned a '07 with Z51 and a '08 with F55 Magnetic Ride. The C6 trunk is HUGE, great MPG, the car is super fun to drive, excellent climate control, comfortable seats and unbelievably comfortable with either suspension package. Actually I replaced the stock Z51 shocks with Koni FSD shocks on the '07 because they were not a good match with he run-flat tires. The run-flats are great for long road trips though, no worries about having to carry a spare or change a tire on the side of a road. We were able to pack for 10-14 day trips with the huge trunk and hidden storage areas.

We did several long road trips in both cars. Definitely drive to or through the Bowling Green area to see the Corvette Museum and Corvette Factory. We did trips to the Tail of the Dragon area. That part of the Country has some of the finest driving roads in the world.

No one will really know about a C7 until they actually roll off the line and hit the streets. I would think the new C7 will be at least as good or probably better due to improved steering feel and other monumental improvements. Consider whichever optional package that includes the color HUD and memory seat if both of you are going to be driving. The memory function makes switching at rest stops much easier. The 2 seat choices are great. You probably would want the touring seats over the sports seats based on comments by Harland Charles. Definitely try both before checking-off the option box.

I also highly recommend a clear bra before the trip to protect the car. I tried them all, try getting Nano Fusion plastic film. The problem is you will have to wait a while for the clear bra companies to play catch-up on digitizing the patterns for a new car. Or have a very skilled installer custom cut one for you.

Enjoy!!

LOL. Buy the roadster version of the Corvette (the C7 will be announced very soon) with Z51 suspension. You will have a great sports car, just not the tiny kiddy-car scale that you deem as required for the genre.

And gotta be young if you only mention the Miata, girly BMW Z3 and Z4, and Boxster as sports cars you have driven to base your opinion on. I started in the 50s driving some friend's MGs (T models and the A), Triumph TRs, Austin Healey (including my 100-4 and a frog-eye), ACs and a few other unreliable, let alone uncomfortable riding, English sports cars of the day.

While I mention English cars specifically, the available Italian and German sports cars were no better.

If you truly limit your opinion of a sports car to those few; Oh well. Enjoy.

ps - A friend of mine bought his new 289 Cobra in '65. I did get to drive it once, and it was a hoot.

I was just thinking this as I opened up this thread today. Although, I didn't pee myself laughing because that post was also correct in a sense. It really shows the flexibility of the y-body platform. In one case you have this smooth yet powerful cruiser. It can take you to work, the grocery store, and the opposite coast, whatever you like. Add the fact that no matter where you are, if something breaks, there is knowledgeable and competent help not too far away. The GT car in the classic sense.

But if high performance track days are your thing, you can chose the Z06, or the ZR1 if it's obtainable for you and go whip on Euro garage queens all day at your local road course, and stop for pizza on your way home. Even if the Z06 is just out of reach for you, just replace a few of the stock parts with better ones, and it's just as much fun. The flexibility of the Corvette to appeal to so many different people for so many different reasons and purpose is what, I believe, sets it apart from the rest of the 'true' sports cars out there.