Comparisons
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,974
Likes: 1,254
Comparisons
I took delivery of my Z06 yesterday. Only put 50 miles on it thus far .
First impression, quality car. I feel the weight of the car and that is not a bad thing (at least if not in competition). Compared to the C8 Z51 I sold, this car feels more "substantive". For example, I own a Mercedes S63 AMG and a Cadillac CTV5 Black Wing. I truly enjoy both cars, but the Cadillac "feels" light and to be thrown around, while the Mercedes, has presence in both stature and weight, and is as fast.. Both are good cars, but different. I have owned a Ford GT 500, and whether more power or not, the Ford's throttle pull is so "long" it is difficult to enjoy the supercharge on the street, almost impossible. The cars power may be there but the feel is sluggish by comparison. I recently sold a Porsche GT3 RS. For those who have never driven one, it is a race car that is permitted on the street as compared to the Z06, which is a very comfortable car for the street that can be raced. The GT3RS has less power, and the exhaust and suspension abilities cannot be enjoyed until 8,000 plus RPM (hard to do on the street). The Z06's being wider than the prior C8, gives it a more aggressive stance, looking ready to pounce.
Thus far my only "problem" is that I do not see the lights or sound of forward parking assist. The lift and front/back camera's work fine, and the yellow, green, red, lights when near something when backing up, light up, but not the front. Is this a malfunction or does not exist?
First impression, quality car. I feel the weight of the car and that is not a bad thing (at least if not in competition). Compared to the C8 Z51 I sold, this car feels more "substantive". For example, I own a Mercedes S63 AMG and a Cadillac CTV5 Black Wing. I truly enjoy both cars, but the Cadillac "feels" light and to be thrown around, while the Mercedes, has presence in both stature and weight, and is as fast.. Both are good cars, but different. I have owned a Ford GT 500, and whether more power or not, the Ford's throttle pull is so "long" it is difficult to enjoy the supercharge on the street, almost impossible. The cars power may be there but the feel is sluggish by comparison. I recently sold a Porsche GT3 RS. For those who have never driven one, it is a race car that is permitted on the street as compared to the Z06, which is a very comfortable car for the street that can be raced. The GT3RS has less power, and the exhaust and suspension abilities cannot be enjoyed until 8,000 plus RPM (hard to do on the street). The Z06's being wider than the prior C8, gives it a more aggressive stance, looking ready to pounce.
Thus far my only "problem" is that I do not see the lights or sound of forward parking assist. The lift and front/back camera's work fine, and the yellow, green, red, lights when near something when backing up, light up, but not the front. Is this a malfunction or does not exist?
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 249
Likes: 135
From: Palm Beach County, FL and Pickens County, SC originally from Long Island, NY
I took delivery of my Z06 yesterday. Only put 50 miles on it thus far .
First impression, quality car. I feel the weight of the car and that is not a bad thing (at least if not in competition). Compared to the C8 Z51 I sold, this car feels more "substantive". For example, I own a Mercedes S63 AMG and a Cadillac CTV5 Black Wing. I truly enjoy both cars, but the Cadillac "feels" light and to be thrown around, while the Mercedes, has presence in both stature and weight, and is as fast.. Both are good cars, but different. I have owned a Ford GT 500, and whether more power or not, the Ford's throttle pull is so "long" it is difficult to enjoy the supercharge on the street, almost impossible. The cars power may be there but the feel is sluggish by comparison. I recently sold a Porsche GT3 RS. For those who have never driven one, it is a race car that is permitted on the street as compared to the Z06, which is a very comfortable car for the street that can be raced. The GT3RS has less power, and the exhaust and suspension abilities cannot be enjoyed until 8,000 plus RPM (hard to do on the street). The Z06's being wider than the prior C8, gives it a more aggressive stance, looking ready to pounce.
Thus far my only "problem" is that I do not see the lights or sound of forward parking assist. The lift and front/back camera's work fine, and the yellow, green, red, lights when near something when backing up, light up, but not the front. Is this a malfunction or does not exist?
First impression, quality car. I feel the weight of the car and that is not a bad thing (at least if not in competition). Compared to the C8 Z51 I sold, this car feels more "substantive". For example, I own a Mercedes S63 AMG and a Cadillac CTV5 Black Wing. I truly enjoy both cars, but the Cadillac "feels" light and to be thrown around, while the Mercedes, has presence in both stature and weight, and is as fast.. Both are good cars, but different. I have owned a Ford GT 500, and whether more power or not, the Ford's throttle pull is so "long" it is difficult to enjoy the supercharge on the street, almost impossible. The cars power may be there but the feel is sluggish by comparison. I recently sold a Porsche GT3 RS. For those who have never driven one, it is a race car that is permitted on the street as compared to the Z06, which is a very comfortable car for the street that can be raced. The GT3RS has less power, and the exhaust and suspension abilities cannot be enjoyed until 8,000 plus RPM (hard to do on the street). The Z06's being wider than the prior C8, gives it a more aggressive stance, looking ready to pounce.
Thus far my only "problem" is that I do not see the lights or sound of forward parking assist. The lift and front/back camera's work fine, and the yellow, green, red, lights when near something when backing up, light up, but not the front. Is this a malfunction or does not exist?
I have a 2020 Shelby GT350 which has the best power steering setup of any car I’ve ever owned and that has included 991.2 GT3 Touring, McLaren 650S, various Ferrari, and various others totaling more than 40 European top trim models. Your GT500 had almost the same power steering setup as GT350 but it was acruelly improved still by Ford Performance over the that of GT350. What makes it great for me is it’s the closest thing to having no power steering at all: very high communication to the driver about what’s going on under the front tires.
What’s your opinion about the steering in Z06?
I took delivery of my Z06 a week ago and from what I can tell, there is ZERO road feel in the steering. In track steering mode, the steering feels better than in the other modes — good resistance and weight to the steering feel — but there is absolutely no communication to the driver from the road. I have no idea what’s going on with the front end.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 2,784
Likes: 3,566
Steering feel is absolutely lacking in the entire C8 platform. I'd go so far as to say the Z06 is actually worse than the Stingray perhaps due to the wider front tires. I really hope this is one area that GM can step up in the C9. I know they can do it, some of their alpha platform cars had great steering feel.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 249
Likes: 135
From: Palm Beach County, FL and Pickens County, SC originally from Long Island, NY
Steering feel is absolutely lacking in the entire C8 platform. I'd go so far as to say the Z06 is actually worse than the Stingray perhaps due to the wider front tires. I really hope this is one area that GM can step up in the C9. I know they can do it, some of their alpha platform cars had great steering feel.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 3,353
Likes: 3,739
Steering feel is absolutely lacking in the entire C8 platform. I'd go so far as to say the Z06 is actually worse than the Stingray perhaps due to the wider front tires. I really hope this is one area that GM can step up in the C9. I know they can do it, some of their alpha platform cars had great steering feel.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 2,784
Likes: 3,566
It's not terrible, just one of the weaker parts of the package. I've improved things a bit in my Stingray with an alignment halfway btwn. the GM track spec and standard and the replacement of the runflat tires with regular PS4s. At some point you just come up against the software and the way they've tuned the feedback. It's this and the brake feel that are kind of the biggest letdowns of the Z in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, the car is great and as long as you keep it on the right side of $140K, it's kinda hard to beat but our job as car enthusiasts is to bitch about everything, right 
?
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Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 35
Likes: 2
It's not terrible, just one of the weaker parts of the package. I've improved things a bit in my Stingray with an alignment halfway btwn. the GM track spec and standard and the replacement of the runflat tires with regular PS4s. At some point you just come up against the software and the way they've tuned the feedback. It's this and the brake feel that are kind of the biggest letdowns of the Z in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, the car is great and as long as you keep it on the right side of $140K, it's kinda hard to beat but our job as car enthusiasts is to bitch about everything, right ?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 3,353
Likes: 3,739
Hoping sphericals, several times stiffer coilovers, and a race seat will send enough tactile feedback to the back and thighs to inspire confidence to dance on the limit.
The petals do let you know when abs is kicking in at least?
The petals do let you know when abs is kicking in at least?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,974
Likes: 1,254
Our comfortability may be different. I found, even on the "comfort" setting with the GT500, it was too "hard" to steer (after awhile my arms tired). The Z06 steering is responsive but I agree "road feel" is not there yet for me, although I have not experimented. I race cars and do know when I am receiving input or not. Thanks for response.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 249
Likes: 135
From: Palm Beach County, FL and Pickens County, SC originally from Long Island, NY
In the Z06, I step on the brake and very little happens. Yes I only have 170 miles on the car and I need to become accustomed… but I approached some corners at decent speed and the damn car didn’t slow down — I felt like I had to stomp on those brakes to get it to stop. Definitely doesn’t feel like any other car I own which are Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ford Shelby and previously all the other luxury brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari. I expect the pedal to bite with basic to moderate pressure… Z06 requires way more than moderate pressure. I would like to know why it’s tuned that way. (Incidentally, brakes on the Shelby could stop Mack truck and they bite almost immediately on pressure… best brake feel of any road car I’ve ever driven.)
I also cannot discern the difference between comfort, sport, and track settings of the brake feel. Maybe someone can share what he notices and what the factory intention is here.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 399
Likes: 486
That’s another thing: brakes.
In the Z06, I step on the brake and very little happens. Yes I only have 170 miles on the car and I need to become accustomed… but I approached some corners at decent speed and the damn car didn’t slow down — I felt like I had to stomp on those brakes to get it to stop. Definitely doesn’t feel like any other car I own which are Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ford Shelby and previously all the other luxury brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari. I expect the pedal to bite with basic to moderate pressure… Z06 requires way more than moderate pressure. I would like to know why it’s tuned that way. (Incidentally, brakes on the Shelby could stop Mack truck and they bite almost immediately on pressure… best brake feel of any road car I’ve ever driven.)
I also cannot discern the difference between comfort, sport, and track settings of the brake feel. Maybe someone can share what he notices and what the factory intention is here.
In the Z06, I step on the brake and very little happens. Yes I only have 170 miles on the car and I need to become accustomed… but I approached some corners at decent speed and the damn car didn’t slow down — I felt like I had to stomp on those brakes to get it to stop. Definitely doesn’t feel like any other car I own which are Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ford Shelby and previously all the other luxury brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari. I expect the pedal to bite with basic to moderate pressure… Z06 requires way more than moderate pressure. I would like to know why it’s tuned that way. (Incidentally, brakes on the Shelby could stop Mack truck and they bite almost immediately on pressure… best brake feel of any road car I’ve ever driven.)
I also cannot discern the difference between comfort, sport, and track settings of the brake feel. Maybe someone can share what he notices and what the factory intention is here.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 249
Likes: 135
From: Palm Beach County, FL and Pickens County, SC originally from Long Island, NY
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 1,361
Likes: 1,126
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 1,247
From: MD/DC/NoVA
That’s another thing: brakes.
In the Z06, I step on the brake and very little happens. Yes I only have 170 miles on the car and I need to become accustomed… but I approached some corners at decent speed and the damn car didn’t slow down — I felt like I had to stomp on those brakes to get it to stop. Definitely doesn’t feel like any other car I own which are Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ford Shelby and previously all the other luxury brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari. I expect the pedal to bite with basic to moderate pressure… Z06 requires way more than moderate pressure. I would like to know why it’s tuned that way. (Incidentally, brakes on the Shelby could stop Mack truck and they bite almost immediately on pressure… best brake feel of any road car I’ve ever driven.)
I also cannot discern the difference between comfort, sport, and track settings of the brake feel. Maybe someone can share what he notices and what the factory intention is here.
In the Z06, I step on the brake and very little happens. Yes I only have 170 miles on the car and I need to become accustomed… but I approached some corners at decent speed and the damn car didn’t slow down — I felt like I had to stomp on those brakes to get it to stop. Definitely doesn’t feel like any other car I own which are Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ford Shelby and previously all the other luxury brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari. I expect the pedal to bite with basic to moderate pressure… Z06 requires way more than moderate pressure. I would like to know why it’s tuned that way. (Incidentally, brakes on the Shelby could stop Mack truck and they bite almost immediately on pressure… best brake feel of any road car I’ve ever driven.)
I also cannot discern the difference between comfort, sport, and track settings of the brake feel. Maybe someone can share what he notices and what the factory intention is here.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 327
Likes: 232
fwiw, my track car for the past 6 years is a gt350r with st43 race pads. The oem pads worked great but burn up on track too fast. The st43 pads require only about 33% pedal pressure to lock up warm cup 2s and trigger abs. I also have a 2020 Aston Martin vantage that is imho overly brake sensation tuned with electronic braking and makes slow stops grabby until you get used to it. I am used to driving these cars and then when I get in my Raptor with a soggy *** f150 brake feel it’s quite irritating!
Eta; it just sucks doing non z07 and adding aero separate to wonder what I’m missing from the z07 firmer suspension/tuning wrt to track use.