djroze

Hi all,

I'm currently looking into the 2016 Vette convertible as my new daily driver and I'm interested in either the Z51 or the Z06. I know there are already a number of threads discussing the Z51 vs. the Z06 from a performance perspective, but I haven't seen too much about the practical issues associated with daily driving these cars. I know they are both excellent cars, both *can* be daily drivers, and that they are notably different models, so no need to debate any of those points. :-P

I live in an urban part of Northern California, in an apartment building with an underground garage, and will mostly be using this for commuting and driving around city areas. I have never taken a car to the track but if I end up with a Vette it's possible I would want to go experiment with that. However, track use will likely be a small portion, if any, of my use of the car.

I like the idea of the extra horsepower, mostly just to know I have it, and I probably prefer the appearance of the Z06 from a purely aesthetic perspective. However, I am pretty paranoid about door dings, which would be more likely with the wider car, and scraping the front of the car on dips. I haven't found very clear information on whether the Z06 actually has a lower approach angle or not, and whether this is adjustable through different body options (stage 1 / 2 / 3? ground effects?) or removable parts, but there seems to be mention of the front splitter scraping often relative to the Z51 and being more expensive to replace than the air dam. If it turned out that the inclines for the ramp into my building's garage or the driveway entrances at work were problematic for one of these models, and it scraped frequently just coming home or going to work, this would probably be a major issue for me.

The speed limit on my commute gets up to 50 so there is some opportunity to open it up on a daily basis, but I'm not sure how much of a difference the extra horsepower makes for street use at this level. I will almost certainly take it out some weekends to more fun roads for some joyriding.

Anyone have comments on these issues who is familiar with driving and parking these cars in a city? Are there other differences between these cars as a daily driver in urban settings that I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance!!!

- Daniel

Bucknut2006

If you have the means, a stage 1 Z06 is a great car. I have the stage 2 splitter on my car and would not want to deal with city living. Even my previous CTS-V scrapped when in the city too often and the Grand Sport was worse.

Zymurgy

Speed limit on your commute gets up to 50 and that's a "chance to open it up"? Based on that, you don't need the Z06. More than enough ponies in the Stingray. 50 is not much more than idling.

djroze

Well, I'm not saying I would or wouldn't observe the speed limit. Just that there is a section that's more like a highway and allows for more than the 35mph limit sections do. :-P

EDIT: A friend of a friend told me you can easily go 70-80 on that road.

ZEEEE06

My DD is a Z51 with A8 trans. That's my vote for an urban C7. The z06 would be overkill.

z edge

While not my DD, i have a Z51 with A8 and it's plenty of car, and it does fine in urban environment when driven. Also it doesn't scrape nearly as bad as my 09 coupe did. For some reason that car was really really low and rode rough as hell compared to my C7 and my old C5.

dovervold

Read Road & Tracks recent article, Performance Car of the Year. They included the Z51 in 2014, and the Z06 in 2015. Your choice will be easy,

Jus Cruisin

Neither is all that practical. I have a truck for "urban" driving. The Z06 is for pleasure as is my 32. If 1 vehicle is all you can have, get the one you like to sit in and look at.

Blvdbrawler

Honestly, any Vette is a bit overkill for a daily driver IMO but hey, many people do it. Dont know any who use the Z as a daily driver but Im sure there are a few out there. I know theres no way I could use my Z everyday as my DD although I could drive it everyday. (Theres a difference)
But hey man, do what you think best fits you. Just remember, both these cars bring with it a LOT of attention...Sometimes the wrong jealous attention so you really gotta be careful where you park it. Good luck and Happy New year!

Bucknut2006

Just curious, but why a Corvette? Might be blasphemous here, but there are other fun cars that may be easier to live with and exploit the performance of in a city environment. I personally would look elsewhere if I had to deal with parking garages, low speed limits, congestion and so on.

dvilin

Neither one is ideal for DD as you describe it, but for the weekends when you have freedom to go where you want the Z would be my choice.

djroze

Well my primary criteria are a two-seater convertible with an automatic top, a relatively nice interior, and a manual transmission, which seems very hard to come by these days. I have a MINI Roadster S right now which I really enjoy but I think I'm ready for a little (or a lot :-P) more power. I probably also want my next car to be a bit of a head-turner.

I've been very impressed with the Corvette's combination of crazy power, awesome looks, and (at least for the recent years apparently) a really nice interior, all for a much better price than it seems you can find in anything else. I considered Porsche as well but it looks like I would have to spend quite a bit more to get something with comparable interior features and it still likely wouldn't be as fast as the Vette. It seems like with Porsche you're paying a lot just for the name, which was a bit off-putting to me. Even if I won't be using the extra power most of the time, it's just kind of neat knowing that the 0-60 time on the Vette is faster than most high-end sports cars. And for the times when I do go out for more aggressive driving I'm sure the power will be quite welcome. I've also heard that the maintenance costs and suitability as a daily driver are better than most other options with similar performance.

Also, I've never had something like a big beefy American sports car before, so I feel like it might be a nice change of pace to try something outside of my familiarity. However, if you have other suggestions you think I should look at based on these criteria they are certainly welcome!

jim2092

I DD my 2016 A8 ZO6 everyday and I cannot see any reason why a Z51 would make a better DD than a Z. Unless you want to try (to no avail) to minimize attention. The Z looks like a beast and is one.

djroze

The narrower body, possibly steeper approach angle, and I suppose gas mileage would all be factors I would credit to the Z51.

wonka12_98

The thing is these cars are not practical and none of us needs a corvette! I have a newer Honda Accord for my commuter/practical car and a Z06 being built in 2 weeks. If I was going to use at as a daily driver I think I would be inclined to get a Stingray. Get what car makes you happy though!

Bucknut2006

Just me personally, but if I was mainly looking for a car for in the city, it would be something like a Miata or maybe a base Cayman/Boxster. Even a Lotus would be a blast, but getting in/out may prove difficult depending on your stature. Of course this is just my opinion, but I often feel like I have to tip-toe around with parking decks, curbs and all the other nuances of the city when I've gone to large cities in Corvettes. Out in the burbs, I don't have to be as cautious as everything more spread out and built to accommodate large SUVS.

HogwildC7

Z51 LT2 or 3 is the best option. The Z06 is wide and not good for some areas

WMark

You want a Corvette as a DD, get a Corvette. If focused on the DD part, you will save a few bucks on gas with the Z51. If that isn't an issue, and you also want a weekend road warrior, then the the Z51 still a great choice. Z06 would ratchet it up a bit. Okay, quite a bit.

Fun having choices!

Rooster OG

I have an M7 Z51 and it's great around town, I find it really easy to drive. It's happy cruising around and it's really happy when you get on it. I imagine the z06 is much the same, just on steroids. I think if you find one more appealing in the looks department, that's what you should go with, it's win win in my book.

1%r

I'm on my 3rd generation Z which are all fine with urban driving. The c7zo7 with mag suspension makes it the best out of the bunch.

Their starting to discount 12% on rays 9% on the Z. Hold off till the end of Jan even into Feb. if you have the opportunity to buy either or hands down buy the Z. Get the base model with the 3LZ interior, you'll never look back.