1973 convertible needs a big brother. Top budget is $45000,so that puts C7 grand sports out of reach it seems. Opinions appreciated on c7 z51 or c6 grand sport? Car will be used for nice weather daily driver, road trips, track once a year. I'm thinking coupe, manual transmission. I'm not in a hurry, looking to buy in spring It's going to be a long winter. Happy Holidays Everyone

 

Two completely different choices, lookwise and performance wise. To me the C7 Z51 is the winner in both categories.

 

Get a C7, I've had 3 C6's and my latest '14 3LT vert is a major step up!
Happy hunting

 

I own a C6 base convertible and have driven a C7 GS. Both were manual trans, but the C7 had rev-match. I knew I wanted to buy my C6 after less than five minutes of driving it. This is with owning an example of every previous generation. The C7 I drove blew my C6 away. It felt more like a true sports car than the C6. I will eventually own a C7 to go alongside my C1-C6.

 

I've owned both a C6 Grand Sport and a C7 Z51. The C7 wins on the updated interior tech, the C6 GS wins on exterior looks due to widebody. That is my opinion, good luck Vette shopping, what a nice problem to have.

 

Beautiful 73. My 1st corvette was a 73 coupe, white on tan. Bought it when I was 18yrs old. Had a blast with that car. In my opinion the c7 is a much better car than the c6. Some of that is mostly personal preference because I think the lines of the c7 are close to the lines of the c3. Also the interior is way better on the c7. My wife didn’t like to ride in the c6 but likes to ride in the c7.

 

I loved my 2007 C6. I owned it for 10 years. BUT, my C7 is head and shoulders above my C6. It's a no brainer based on my experience, get the C7 and enjoy the heck out of it!

 

In my opinion:

C7 ZR1 > C7 Z06 > C6 ZR1 > C7 Grand Sport > C7 Z51 > C6 Z06 > C7 Base > C6 Grand Sport > C6 Z51(non GS) > C6 Base

I would purchase the best of your budget, obviously left to right on the above scale. The C6 ZR1 gets put up near the front because of the rarity and performance. But hands down, the C7's tech is far above that of the C6. If you care about Apple Car play then get a 2017 or newer C7.

 

No brainer........the C7.

 

You really won’t go wrong with either car, but I do agree that the C7 is a major step up over a C6. Your best bet is to just drive some examples of each car and then make a decision on which one meets your needs the best.

 

Yeah if you want a car that just looks more updated and a better interior, the C7 is the way to go. The C7 Z51 is a nice package that will give you a performance feel. No slam at all against the C6 Grand Sport. If you're shelling out the dough might as well get a newer version of the corvette. You won't be sorry.

 

Also since you are not in a hurry you may find a c7 Grand sport in your budget. I bought my 17' in July for 49,900. Its a 1lt with 35K A8 in very good condition with 2 tops. You may very well surprise yourself with what you find.

 

C7 ZR1 > C7 Z06 > C6 ZR1 > C7 Grand Sport > C7 Z51 > C6 Z06 > C7 Base > C6 Grand Sport > C6 Z51(non GS) > C6 Base 100%

 

Had a 2008 Z06 Just got the Stingray 2019 from Carvana paid 53,000 well worth it no brainer My choice last manual trans and front engine

 

How was the Carvana experience? They seem to have quite a few attractively priced Vettes but buying sight unseen with little review of mechanicals scares me.

 

Ask in the C6 Forum and the answers will be 180* of the C7 Forum. No surprise.

Have had both. Both have pros and cons.

 

No one can resolve the OP's question but the OP.

I suggest spending a bit of quality time with each - and then tossing a coin.

 

They showed 3 perfections on paint .It was nothing rubbed right off ,
The Corvette had 2090 miles on it
.You have 7 days to have it picked up if you aren't happy
IT did have a weird smell
I bought a ozone generator its fine now they paid for it Good experience
With that low mileage I had to go for it Happy I did.

 

Went through this same decision back in 2015/16.
Here's one person's analysis.
Engine: It's a toss up. The LS-3 is only 30 HP less than the LT-1. Some would argue that for only a few dollars, the LS-3 can be improved to have more HP than an LT-1. Slight advantage to the C7.
Exterior: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I like the front and sides of the C6. Then there's the rear end of a widebody C6. UGH!!!! First time I saw the rear of a wide-body C6 parked next to a C7 pretty much killed any purchase of a C6 widebody. To me, it just looks tacky, like an afterthought. But that's just my opinion. Some don't like the tail lights on the C7, but I think they're great. No advantage to either C6 or C7
Interior: Hands down the C7. This was one of the major upgrades of the C7. Superior design and superior materials. The C6 interior is reminiscent of the C5, launched in 1997. That's just too dated. Big advantage C7
Computer Controls: This is another area where the C7 excels over previous Corvettes. GM finally got the traction control module right. The C7 has never failed me no matter how hard I've pushed it. For me, the computer controls on the C7 put the fun back in pushing the Corvette. Then there's the rev matching if you go with a manual, one of my personal favorites. Big advantage C7.
OP the best thing you can do is drive a few of each, then make up your mind. PS: I went with a manual, Z51 with mag ride and 2LT interior.

 

Thank you all for your responses. C7 it is going to be. Also interesting to get feedback on Carvana. I was wondering if that was a viable option. They seem to have a good selection at times,and prices seem reasonable. They say all cars are accident free,plus seven day return. I sure do like looking at cars in real life though. Have all winter to look, and mabey gs prices will drop some by spring. Thank you all again and have a safe and happy holiday.