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So I have decided to buy a c8 and I don't just jump in and buy stuff I take my time and read a lot and decide on options and what not before I buy.
However I'm having a hard time deciding on a getting a stingray or getting a z06. I'd love to get the z06 with lt2 package. However in my mind I think A) i dont need the extra hp and B) im nervous about the reliability of the z06 motor.
We will just use the car for local stuff and taking road trips so as much as i want the z06 i feel that the stingray is the smarter purchase .
I think you said it all in the Stingray vs. Z06 question. So the real question is which one do you really want and which one will you be satisfied with long term? Very few of us "need" a Z06, I don't but I'm waiting for an allocation and will trade or sell my 23 Stingray HTC-- because I want a Z06, really a ZR1 but that's too much in the future for me to wait.
Options will be your next decision.
I would love a Z06 but honestly it’s beyond my budget. However the SR really is a lot for the average street driver like me. I drive it very spirited at times and is very fun. I think the Z06 would be more of a bragging right for me as the SR checks my boxes and interiors are essentially the same, so no bonus there. If money is not object go for the Z06.
I wanted a 2023 70th Anniversary SR model until I saw the 70th Anniversary Z06 on BAT today. Go big or go home my Dad always told me. It's a nice thing to have the choice.
Good luck
Nobody “needs the extra hp”, but it’s nice to have, and reliability issues haven’t been widely reported. I struggled with the same decision when buying my C7, and ultimately went with a Z06 and had no regrets. When buying a C8 there were still ADMs and a long waiting list for Z06s, so I went with the Z51 and have no regrets. If you’re still on the fence, then I’d suggest taking some more time so you will not have any regrets.
Nobody "needs" a Corvette. .. (Well, there are some junkies, but really) ... For just around town, or long trips, No track, No autocross, you don't "need" the Z06 .. That's just for braggin' rights. The same is true (in my opinion but I'll put my flame suit on now) of the Z51 package. Unless you're tracking the car, a base with Mag Ride will suit just fine. Get the NPP exhaust and you get the same HP as the Z51. You'll get better fuel economy on road trips, and have a higher top end as well. The 2LT package is worth it for the improved seats, cameras, etc. So
Base Stingray, 2LT, MRR, NPP... and depending upon your location Front Lift.
Others will have other opinions but that's all they are, Opinions.
One of our club members has both and said the Z06 rides much rougher than the Stingray. For ME the Stingray 3LT with mag ride and front lift and performance exhaust with black tips was perfect. I have put over 18k miles on mine in less than a year... well 4 days less than a year.
Great question and you will get a lot of good information on this here in the forum.
The Z-06 is without question THE American supercar and it is THE "Top Dog" at the car shows and any car event.
With the Z-06, you can expect more than the average amount of attention at every stop, every local spot and everywhere you go with it.
The cost of the Z-6 is something to seriously consider, the additional amount you are spending over a Z-51 coupe for example is substantial.
The accessories and extras will also set you back a little more but since you have a Z-06, you are already into it.
For the average joe, the C-8 is more than enough high performance handling and power, I absolutely love My 2023 Coupe.
My build was a "mid-range" 2LT Z-51 with a few accessories to put Me in at around 89K, a somewhat "affordable" supercar.
I looked at many options, read a lot of forums and talked to several owners, even got to sit in a few and start one up.
The C-8 Stingray by itself is an amazing car, The Z-06 puts you into a whole different world. Go for it but just be prepared as this is not a normal C-8 at all.
I am more than happy with My coupe, I entered my 1st car show and was so proud of "My 1st Corvette" and patiently waited throughout the trophy presentation only to be blown away by the Z-06 guy.
The Z-06 IS that car.
Good luck and have fun, just do not forget to include "Option R8C" when you do it.
The stingray is so beyond what anyone needs on the road.... kinda hard to justify anything beyond that. Also, with the ZR1 coming out the Z06 tends to lose the most value from a percentage standpoint if that matters to you.
I like my C8 a lot, but I don’t LOVE it. I’m not sure the special sound and HP of the Z06 would change that, but it just might. The c8 is a reasonable price for what it is, what the Z06 adds for the extra price may not be what you are looking for.
Neither car has any real ‘bragging rights’, it’s just a machine made by a bunch of normal people in a factory. All we did was spend money, that’s not that hard.
Someone that owns a Z06 can better comment. But, comparing the horsepower and torque curves of the two engines, you are not going to feel a difference (other than sound, maybe) until you push it beyond 5000-5500 RPM. The LT2 has more torque below about 3500 RPM, and the torque and hp are comparable between about 3500 and 5500 RPM. So, unless you like to push it really hard all the time, you are not going to experience a big difference.
I've owned both. They are completely different animals.
The horsepower is not what sets the Z06 apart from the Stingray, if thats all you care about its the wrong car.
The way the engine sounds and revs is something that has never been done by GM. Its the entire star of the show and basically requires you to drive it like a fool or take it to the track if you want to stretch its legs.
The Stingray is more docile, you can putter around in it, its comfortable. Its your typical GM V8.
If you are just doing cars and coffee, the Z06 will make a statement with the sound but if you aren't going to use its capabilities its wasted. The engine doesn't come alive until about 3.5-4k rpms and the noise under that rpm range is not very nice. You will have to drive the car in manual mode because to get any joy out of it at normal speeds.
I love my Z06 but I do have to drive it like a fool to enjoy it, which is not the case for the Stingray. I liked my Stingray, but I didn't love it, however my priorities are different. The Stingray is to quiet, to docile, to grand touring, not enough feel. Its capable but almost a bit to clinical.
The Z06 is the opposite, it brings back the charm of prior generation Corvette's, its loud, its stiff, it an absolute hoot, but you have to drive it hard to truly enjoy it which is very difficult on public roads.
Even if they were priced exactly the same? I would agree with you $/hp but the flat plane crank is special.
Yep, I still would choose the ERay over the Z06 and it has nothing to do with cost....Simply because of the low-end response which is far more exciting to me...
Very simple answer...... There is no doubt that the Stingray is the smarter move.
This decision has absolutely nothing to do about 'intellegent' decision making. It is ALL ABOUT EMOTION!
Nothing is more boring than an excess of moderation. (Mark Twain said that.)
I've had well over a dozen new Corvettes dating back to the late 1960's. Not one made any sense. We had an early C8 HTC and now a 2024 Z06 HTC. In a nod towards doing the 'smarter' thing, we got the '24 because of the enhanced safety equipment.
Someone that owns a Z06 can better comment. But, comparing the horsepower and torque curves of the two engines, you are not going to feel a difference (other than sound, maybe) until you push it beyond 5000-5500 RPM. The LT2 has more torque below about 3500 RPM, and the torque and hp are comparable between about 3500 and 5500 RPM. So, unless you like to push it really hard all the time, you are not going to experience a big difference.
Yep, frankly if you are not going to use the power, i.e. for the Z06 wind past 6000 rpm, why bother. EPA average for the Z06 is 15 mpg and the base C8 19. That's 26% better.
About the same for the E-Ray, why pay extra unless you are going to use the extra power or AWD is important? Again it only gets the same EPA 19 mpg average. And in my current ~1700 miles am getting about the same mpg on average as I did for 4 years with my 2020 C8. It's a benefit IF you use the wasted braking, coasting and reduced idle energy saved (yep I find Stop/Start unobtrusive to don't shut it off) IF you use the power! In my case I do, to accelerate and have fun. (In fact since I got mine late February have had a lot of fun and my mpg is slightly less than my prior 2020 C8. )
Waste if you don't use the extra power at least occasionally. If you do, like the Z06 it's a ball! Unfortunately some think "OH a Hybrid like a Prius." Nope not even close. It's a Performance Hybrid more like an F1 race car. Small battery and driving in "only EV Mode" can only go 2 or 3 miles. I have tried going the ~2 miles from my home to the 4 lane highway at the end on our twisty, 25 mpg limit road. At 30 mph when I make one of the several sharp >45 degree turns, a slight throttle increase and the ICE starts. Someone worked hard to see what mpg they could achieve and found the same when going up a slight include. And once the ICE starts, going back to EV requires shutting the car off and a special sequence to get back- PIA! Nope it's designed with a small battery for power.
Now AWD is a great feature. My Prior 6 Vettes I hesitated taking to town IF there was a change of a storm, which we get many in the hot summer late afternoon. I have driven the E-Ray when It's raining cats and dogs, handles great. In NE SC we don't get snow but if you live where you should be fine in light snow. Also unlike the Z06 that has race car stiff springs and sway bar, the E-Ray rides like my 2020 C8 Z51, both with MRC. I drive with ride in Sport in the two modes I use, Z-Mode and MY Mode.
Having a hard time picking a model.
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