Why do I think a Corvette is a waste for daily street driving?
12-13-2018, 09:15 PM
#41
Racer
If it weren’t for the warranty on the A8, TT and the dreaded warble I’d be at LMR getting the 800hp kit on the GS. My wife asked why I need all that HP and my response is if I have to explain you’ll never understand. It’s all part of the fun of owning a car like a Vette. I enjoy the HP. Health is not on my side so I want to do it while I can and I will. Enjoy that Miata and I’ll enjoy my Vette. That’s why there’s so many options for us to buy. Neither one is right or wrong, it’s all a personal preference. Kinda like black or chrome...
12-13-2018, 09:30 PM
#42
Melting Slicks
The C7s are way, way overpowered for the streets and highways. That becomes crystal clear when driving one using any of it's raw power supply. The Grand Sport, Z51 and ZO6 versions are ridiculously powered. The Grand Sport is bought mostly on looks and bragging rights - of course most all of the Grand Sport chest-beaters claim their C7 is faster than yours, only they've probably never raced anyone, much less raced anyone on their keyboards. LOL! It just gets worse with the ZO6 version of the C7. Ungodly power, and the associated bragging rights it buys on the Internet. LOL!
Your assessment of the power of these (C7) monsters mirrors mine. FWIW, I've never used more than 3/4 throttle accelerating - I've never needed to, I have no complaints about this massive power, even in my base-engine C7. Mine's lit-em-up from a dead stop light with 1/2 throttle, even with the Traction Control engaged! I knew these things were scary quick and fast before ever buying one. I keep the horses under control by not using them. My reasons for buying a new C7 were; I'd owned a new one previously a C3 42 years ago, so I was already Corvette-approved in my mind. That is, I didn't have to sell myself on the Corvette C7 as a model or brand. I was in. Secondly; I wanted a stick shift, manual transmission car. Check. Thirdly, I love the looks of the C7 - esp. the convertible. They're beautiful cars. And of course I could afford any new C7 model I chose. Check, check, and double CHECK! I've never had even one mechanical issue with the two new Corvettes I've bought. I could not have made a better choice.
Your assessment of the power of these (C7) monsters mirrors mine. FWIW, I've never used more than 3/4 throttle accelerating - I've never needed to, I have no complaints about this massive power, even in my base-engine C7. Mine's lit-em-up from a dead stop light with 1/2 throttle, even with the Traction Control engaged! I knew these things were scary quick and fast before ever buying one. I keep the horses under control by not using them. My reasons for buying a new C7 were; I'd owned a new one previously a C3 42 years ago, so I was already Corvette-approved in my mind. That is, I didn't have to sell myself on the Corvette C7 as a model or brand. I was in. Secondly; I wanted a stick shift, manual transmission car. Check. Thirdly, I love the looks of the C7 - esp. the convertible. They're beautiful cars. And of course I could afford any new C7 model I chose. Check, check, and double CHECK! I've never had even one mechanical issue with the two new Corvettes I've bought. I could not have made a better choice.
OP: thanks for a thoughtful post - I've enjoyed thinking about what you said and some of the responses.
12-13-2018, 09:37 PM
#43
Racer
12-13-2018, 09:40 PM
#44
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Apr 2005
Location: West Burbs of Chicago IL
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I stopped listening after “I currently have a '16 Miata...” 
But seriously, Here are a few reactions to your walk on the wild side:
1. You’ve been driving a Miata for too long.
2. Yes, you’re getting old.
Upgrade to extra strength polydent, pull up your big boy pants and give it another try.
But seriously, Here are a few reactions to your walk on the wild side:
1. You’ve been driving a Miata for too long.
2. Yes, you’re getting old.
Upgrade to extra strength polydent, pull up your big boy pants and give it another try.
Last edited by Big Lebowski; 12-13-2018 at 09:41 PM.
12-13-2018, 09:51 PM
#45
Drifting
I drive my Corvette most everyday. is it a waste to drive on the street. NO its a blast to drive even if am driving around town. Its very enjoyable. I dont have to be going a 100 mph or doing 1g turns to just enjoy driving it. I mean the same could be said about driving 3500 diesel PU with their 900-1000 lb ft of torque most probably only use it once in a while they probably enjoy their trucks as much as we enjoy driving our vettes 
12-13-2018, 09:52 PM
#46
Burning Brakes
I owned a 2016 Miata Club with the BBS/Brembo package. The Miata is a blast to drive and as you mention you can pretty much make full use of all its power and you can approach its limits much easier on the street than a Corvette.
I sold the Miata after a year and bought a 2019 GS Vert with the 7 speed manual. The limits are obviously much higher on the Corvette but I still enjoy it more. The vette is much more refined. Top up or down the the Vette is quieter. I The torque and sound is intoxicating. They are both fun cars but I found the Miata tough to live with. It is really small and top up on the highway the noise level was pretty much unbearable. I think it you had more time behind the wheel of the GS you would get used to 3 times the torque and you would like it. The GS is actually the most balanced C7. It has the Z06 suspension without the supercharged engine, which makes for less drama with all the power. The base Stingray actually gets loose pretty easily and the Z06 requires even more control over the throttle.
I sold the Miata after a year and bought a 2019 GS Vert with the 7 speed manual. The limits are obviously much higher on the Corvette but I still enjoy it more. The vette is much more refined. Top up or down the the Vette is quieter. I The torque and sound is intoxicating. They are both fun cars but I found the Miata tough to live with. It is really small and top up on the highway the noise level was pretty much unbearable. I think it you had more time behind the wheel of the GS you would get used to 3 times the torque and you would like it. The GS is actually the most balanced C7. It has the Z06 suspension without the supercharged engine, which makes for less drama with all the power. The base Stingray actually gets loose pretty easily and the Z06 requires even more control over the throttle.
12-13-2018, 10:04 PM
#47
Holy crap!... so many douche bags here! OP is not a troll or whatever else you want to call him, interesting perspective coming from a person who is clearly very interested in getting a C7.
Honestly i think the 2 cars are SO different that you need to get some real seat time in a C7 to get used to the size and power / torque difference....renting one is a good idea. It does sound to me like you are missing having some power since you mentioned a LS swap.
Give it another shot.
Honestly i think the 2 cars are SO different that you need to get some real seat time in a C7 to get used to the size and power / torque difference....renting one is a good idea. It does sound to me like you are missing having some power since you mentioned a LS swap.
Give it another shot.
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wadenelson (12-15-2018)
12-13-2018, 10:26 PM
#48
Race Director
I have a 94 NA Miata I bought last spring and fixed it up. I love the car. Absolutely love it. I can take it out on the local back roads and beat the snot out of it. And I won’t go to prison doing it. And throw the top down on a warm summer evening what’s better ? And to think I paid 2 grand and have another 2 grand into it and it makes an awesome little car.
I decided if I liked the NA I would love the ND. I didn’t. I tried. I wanted to but for some reason I just didn’t connect with it. I just like the NA better.
Now my primary car is a C7 z51. I love it as well. The Vette and Miata are the same and yet they are vastly different. Each does things better than the other. And I do agree you can drive a Miata to the edge on the street where you cant really do the same with the Vette.
Bottom line to me is the balance I have struck. Have one of each.
I decided if I liked the NA I would love the ND. I didn’t. I tried. I wanted to but for some reason I just didn’t connect with it. I just like the NA better.
Now my primary car is a C7 z51. I love it as well. The Vette and Miata are the same and yet they are vastly different. Each does things better than the other. And I do agree you can drive a Miata to the edge on the street where you cant really do the same with the Vette.
Bottom line to me is the balance I have struck. Have one of each.
12-13-2018, 11:12 PM
#49
You get used to it, at least I do. I went from a V6 Catfish Camaro to my 97 C5, bought a C5Z, cammed that one up to 440whp, sold it for the C7 Z51 I have now. The C7 is definitely punchy, but 3 months in I'm already getting my budget lined up to send it to ECS for a blower. I could see how it would be a performance shock coming straight from a Miata to a C7 though. Driving around town the power isn't necessary, but my drive to work is all back roads at 4 AM so I get to stretch it out a little and put that power to use.
12-14-2018, 12:01 AM
#50
Instructor
I'm fortunate to have one of each, both since new: 2000 NB Miata; 2018 Grand Sport. Viva la difference. They're not the same, don't need to be the same, and they're both fun.
The "little car" is a great commuter that you can rev the daylights out of, just to keep up with minivans and SUVs. The steering is lightning quick, the brakes are superb, and the suspension soaks up bad road conditions. Best of all, it's a one-handed drop of the top with dead-nuts Japanese reliability, On the other hand it is a very noisy and short-legged on the interstate. I still love it.
.
The "big car" is an absolute blast. Everything is effortless, with mountains of torque, excellent steering, and astonishing brakes. It too, has been dead-nuts reliable. Best of all, I can cruise all day on the interstate and get better mileage than in the Miata. On the other hand, its not as good with rutted roads, and the top takes both hands, some time, and more care. I love it.
Spring Mountain proved that I'll never come close to the Vette's limits on the street. So what, it's still fantastic. I don't come to the limits of the Miata, either. I'm glad to have the choice of what to drive each morning, and grateful my wife supports my fun.
The "little car" is a great commuter that you can rev the daylights out of, just to keep up with minivans and SUVs. The steering is lightning quick, the brakes are superb, and the suspension soaks up bad road conditions. Best of all, it's a one-handed drop of the top with dead-nuts Japanese reliability, On the other hand it is a very noisy and short-legged on the interstate. I still love it.
.
The "big car" is an absolute blast. Everything is effortless, with mountains of torque, excellent steering, and astonishing brakes. It too, has been dead-nuts reliable. Best of all, I can cruise all day on the interstate and get better mileage than in the Miata. On the other hand, its not as good with rutted roads, and the top takes both hands, some time, and more care. I love it.
Spring Mountain proved that I'll never come close to the Vette's limits on the street. So what, it's still fantastic. I don't come to the limits of the Miata, either. I'm glad to have the choice of what to drive each morning, and grateful my wife supports my fun.
12-14-2018, 12:35 AM
#51
Hell, all I know after all the back and forth bitching, the C7 is the perfect car for everyday driving.
I know there is no way to fit a full commissary run (mounded full size cart), along with two cases of long-neck beers into a Mazda (of any sort), and drive home in style along with messing with the jerks that want to prove they are faster than a girl.
I know there is no way to fit a full commissary run (mounded full size cart), along with two cases of long-neck beers into a Mazda (of any sort), and drive home in style along with messing with the jerks that want to prove they are faster than a girl.
12-14-2018, 12:46 AM
#52
Instructor
I understand what the OP is getting at. My Trans Ams, by early 2000's standards, were fast cars. That said, when I got in, the first thing I did was shut off traction control (or on those models, the reverse throttle button), and I felt like I could do anything I wanted with the car no matter where the accelerator was. There was never a point where the car owned me or I felt like I couldn't control it or drive it out of any situation.
My C7 Z06 is a completely different story. I simply can't do with it what the car is built to do. It owns me, and I refuse to touch the nannys. You can't go WOT in it anywhere in the city. Even if I'm in a desolate area to have some fun, I still can't ask 100% of the car. It will put me someplace I don't want to be. I constantly want to put my foot to the firewall but I just can't do it.
The cheeseburger/steak analogy makes sense to me. But I'm not trading back to what I had before. Ever.
All that said, the Z06 is a perfectly drivable, streetable car. If you're not a moron, you can drive it all day, have a blast, and never be uncomfortable.
My C7 Z06 is a completely different story. I simply can't do with it what the car is built to do. It owns me, and I refuse to touch the nannys. You can't go WOT in it anywhere in the city. Even if I'm in a desolate area to have some fun, I still can't ask 100% of the car. It will put me someplace I don't want to be. I constantly want to put my foot to the firewall but I just can't do it.
The cheeseburger/steak analogy makes sense to me. But I'm not trading back to what I had before. Ever.
All that said, the Z06 is a perfectly drivable, streetable car. If you're not a moron, you can drive it all day, have a blast, and never be uncomfortable.
Last edited by xWS6guy; 12-14-2018 at 12:48 AM.
12-14-2018, 01:56 AM
#53
Eventually you get tired of eating cheeseburgers.
I like cars, fast cars, slow cars, domestic cars, foreign cars, the only thing that is certain is that no matter what car I have I will eventually grow tired of it and want to try something else. I had an FRS for a while, it was super fun to drive, I could drive the **** out of it and only be doing 50mph. I had a Z4M that is probably my favorite car to date and IMO had the perfect amount of power. Does the C7 have a ridiculous amount of power? Yes, but so do most sports cars. On the street it's not about going 120mph, but rather getting to 60 really quickly. Nothing like a naturally aspirate big V8 wether on the street or on the track.
Going from a miata to a C7 may seem like a big change in power, but you get use to it quickly and eventually it doesn't feel that crazy anymore.
I like cars, fast cars, slow cars, domestic cars, foreign cars, the only thing that is certain is that no matter what car I have I will eventually grow tired of it and want to try something else. I had an FRS for a while, it was super fun to drive, I could drive the **** out of it and only be doing 50mph. I had a Z4M that is probably my favorite car to date and IMO had the perfect amount of power. Does the C7 have a ridiculous amount of power? Yes, but so do most sports cars. On the street it's not about going 120mph, but rather getting to 60 really quickly. Nothing like a naturally aspirate big V8 wether on the street or on the track.
Going from a miata to a C7 may seem like a big change in power, but you get use to it quickly and eventually it doesn't feel that crazy anymore.
12-14-2018, 06:20 AM
#54
I Daily Drive My C7 and love every second of it, I have never owned a Miata but I did own a VW CC at about 300 HP tuned, fun for a year or so yes, awesome daily drive, no.. I would NEVER trade my C7 to get into a CC or MIATA.... 
12-14-2018, 06:49 AM
#55
Melting Slicks
I too fully understand what the OP is talking about. I have three two seaters... a 1971 Datsun 240Z (127 hp on the dyno; owned for 32 years), a 1995 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo (about 280 hp) and my 2017 GS. All three are completely different. The 240Z is probably close to the Miata experience (light, nimble, modest power). The 300ZX is middle ground and the Corvette is pretty much what the OP described. Is the Corvette overkill for the street? Absolutely, but only if you want it to be. Otherwise, it is docile, offers respectable ride and comfort (my 300ZX is much less forgiving) and it has the Corvette cache also.
And it gets better fuel mileage than the other two!
And it gets better fuel mileage than the other two!
Last edited by NashvilleGrandSport; 12-14-2018 at 06:49 AM.
12-14-2018, 07:24 AM
#57
Intermediate
I get what the OP is saying. I had low-power, small 2-seaters for years (e.g. an MG, and a first-gen RX-7, for instance), and I loved the simplicity and nimbleness of those cars. I might even put a little car like that together again to have that "go-kart" fun again, some day. But I've been driving Vettes now since the mid-90s, and have learned how to appreciate the wider performance envelope and, especially in the C7, to appreciate the smoothness and quiet it offers in "tame" mode as a daily driver. It's an apples-and-oranges thing, but a lot of it is just getting used to the size and feel of the bigger, more powerful (and now smoother and more sophisticated) car.
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wadenelson (12-15-2018)
12-14-2018, 08:38 AM
#58
12-14-2018, 09:00 AM
#59
I currently have a '16 Miata and last weekend I took a test drive in a Corvette Grand Sport convertible. I did this for two reasons. First, I have never driven a Corvette (even though I have owned two Z/28's in the distant past, one of which could do low 12's in the quarter) and I felt I owed it to myself to consider one. Second, I have been very seriously considering doing the LS swap in my Miata from Flyin Miata.
Well, after driving the Corvette, I think I just cured my desire to do an LS swap, as I felt the Grand Sport had a totally ridiculous amount of power for the street. There was no way you can ever drive that car flat out often enough, on the street, to get comfortable with how it reacts at the limit. It also wanted to light up the tires from a rolling start in first gear when I put the pedal down.
What was really interesting was how fast things happen when gunning it. Time and distance seem to contract and I really questioned whether I could react fast enough if I a car next to me decided to do something unexpected.
I can only assume that a Miata with similar power would be even more ridiculous.
After the test drive, I got back into my Miata and, while certainly slower, the difference didn't feel as stark. I attribute this to the fact that I could give myself a feeling of "driving" the car, given the lower power level, a lot more than just feathering around in the Corvette. Yes, at WOT, the Corvette was a totally different experience, but one that could only be enjoyed in small bites.
Put simply, I feel like I would have more fun driving my Miata flat out all the time than I would driving the Corvette around most of the time at 20%. I guess for me I would rather have a huge cheeseburger as opposed to just a fork of filet mignon.
I plan to take another drive in a C7 convertible, just to see if I feel the same after another test drive.
Am I just getting old? Have you ever had these thoughts with your car?
Again, this is purely driving on the street. Obviously track driving is a totally different environment and one where the Corvette is at home.
I would really like to get some feedback from the owners here to see if they ever feel this way. Perhaps it is just my preferred driving style that is not necessarily conducive to driving a Corvette?
Well, after driving the Corvette, I think I just cured my desire to do an LS swap, as I felt the Grand Sport had a totally ridiculous amount of power for the street. There was no way you can ever drive that car flat out often enough, on the street, to get comfortable with how it reacts at the limit. It also wanted to light up the tires from a rolling start in first gear when I put the pedal down.
What was really interesting was how fast things happen when gunning it. Time and distance seem to contract and I really questioned whether I could react fast enough if I a car next to me decided to do something unexpected.
I can only assume that a Miata with similar power would be even more ridiculous.
After the test drive, I got back into my Miata and, while certainly slower, the difference didn't feel as stark. I attribute this to the fact that I could give myself a feeling of "driving" the car, given the lower power level, a lot more than just feathering around in the Corvette. Yes, at WOT, the Corvette was a totally different experience, but one that could only be enjoyed in small bites.
Put simply, I feel like I would have more fun driving my Miata flat out all the time than I would driving the Corvette around most of the time at 20%. I guess for me I would rather have a huge cheeseburger as opposed to just a fork of filet mignon.
I plan to take another drive in a C7 convertible, just to see if I feel the same after another test drive.
Am I just getting old? Have you ever had these thoughts with your car?
Again, this is purely driving on the street. Obviously track driving is a totally different environment and one where the Corvette is at home.
I would really like to get some feedback from the owners here to see if they ever feel this way. Perhaps it is just my preferred driving style that is not necessarily conducive to driving a Corvette?
12-14-2018, 09:13 AM
#60
Have never driven one and never will. I would consider buying my wife one (if she had a license) but seriously I would never consider one for myself. I've read that they make great track cars, but they are like half a step above a Volkswagen Beetle on the manly scale when it comes to cars. IMHO. 