Motor Trends "laguna lap" Z06 test
 

http://www.motortrend.com/features/l...lap/index.html

Not many nice things to say about the Z06 on the track.......yet out of the top 20 times, the 2006 Z06 is 8th AND the oldest car in the top 20. ie: they are comparing the most raw Z06 to some of the newest cars in the competitons lineup

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - 1:40.92
1:40.92
October 22, 2009

Click to view GalleryDriver: Max Angelelli
Tire: Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar

We said: Quite simply, this car's surplus power and surfeit of rear grip overwork the stability control, the driver's nerves, or both, on public roads. Combine that with imprecise steering and a chassis that's easily upset in bumpy curves and pretty soon in a handling test, you're looking at a low ranking. Considering the rest of its impressive performance envelope, it's certainly a bargain supercar, but it turns out that handling isn't its longest suit.

The hot-shoe's take: "This one is definitely the most difficult to drive, because of the low rear grip and high power," Max Angelelli doubts tires are the only culprit. "The front seems soft and heavy, and the rear seems too stiff and very light. So when you go into all the corners, you have enormous oversteer. Off power, on power, on brake-everywhere."

That test is bogus. A three/four year old car against all new cars? And it's still one of the fastest cars in the group? I don't give that test an ounce of credibility with regard to a current year model Z06.

WTF? The pundits loved the Z06 when it first hit the market, now they write about it like it's a POS? Have standards really changed that much since the Z06 appeared? Of course not.

This is why my view is to go for the look, style, and feel that YOU like and take these writeups with a grain of salt.

You don't get to continue testing the latest vehicles from the world's makers if you show a older vehicle still holds it own just fine and probably out does many of them.

I haven't read the story since I wouldn't rear MT even if it was the last magazine available as I waited in the doctor's office. Rag++.

Motor Trend has always been the auto industry's shill/whore. They will *always* shade their "reports" to favor the newest vehicles and (I strongly suspect) those who ante up enough advertising dollars.

Take *anything* they say less than seriously.

Translation = "who cares?"

Z//

stock shocks blow~! their comments are correct.

Did you guys look at the whole test? There are a bunch of cars, both brand new and a few years old. It's not as if they were picking on the Z06.

Having driven a lot of sports cars, I wouldn't call the Vette a "brute" as some would, but it definitely has its own flavor. I personally like it and trust it a lot at the limit despite the lack of what some people call "precision." On the other hand, I can understand people (like journalists) who are less used to Vettes and more used to driving a wider variety of cars or people who are used to something with a lot less power and more "precision" just getting overwhelmed by the Vette's power. Pros like Larry Webster (former C&D) are big fans of the Vette because they're comfortable and familiar with it like we are around here.

The thing that is very surprising and impressive is that the R8 matched the Z06's lap time. This is a car that can't beat a base coupe in a drag race. I really would love to drive one of these things - sounds like an amazing car on a windy road or track - drag strip not so much.

I think that adding coilovers and bigger sway bars fix the handeling issues for $2500 if you drive your car on the street and if you push your car to its absolute limit frequently you will need to spend another $4000 on an upgraded oiling system. Now you have a true Super Car for less than $85,000 which will be right there with most any Ferrari or Porsche.

Then add Katech power and watch the others fade!

Jim

after seeing what this car can do when driven correctly i would say they are overdriving the car. if the rear steps out then they are forcing the car and not focusing on what it takes to get the car round a track properly.

quite simply we are taking the word of journalists not drivers. if any professional car driver were to say those things then i would strongly take most of what they say as good word but a journalist! hah they are biased and they get hot and in bed with the bigger better badder theory. if it is new and everyone wants one then that is what they will give the best review on.

I would agree but it says Max Angelelli drove the Vette. Don't think is just a journalist, right?

Despite its so called handling deficieincies there seems to be a lot of people switching to C6Zs for track cars.

Bill

Man i love the handling of my car. Street or track. My next mod are the bilsteins. That should help a little. Car is still badass just like it is.:thumbs:

Not to hijack this thread, but at this years Monterey Historics, Terry Gough won his 10 lap race with an AVERAGE lap of 1:42.0 in a 1965 Corvette roadster!!! Now if this is not significant enough, the Group 7 (CanAm-wings and slicks) race was won by a Lola with a 10 lap average of ONLY 1:41!!!

sorry i do not know who that is but from your post i will assume he is a known driver. so i take what he says a little more seriously. but i stand by my point that he was probably trying to drive the car too much and this car takes more finesse then push. these cars are VERY capable when the one behind the wheel knows what they are doing.

Please, do you think you this man doesn't know what he's doing?

MAX ANGELELLI
Career Highlights


2008
· Competed in the full Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule for SunTrust Racing, campaigned by Wayne Taylor Racing
for the second year, finishing sixth in the final team point standings and sixth in the final driver standings.
· Joined by full-time co-driver Michael Valiante, scored the season’s lone victory from the pole at Infineon Raceway (Sonoma,
Calif.). Added podium finishes at the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen (Watkins Glen International), New Jersey Motorsports
Park in Millville, and Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah..

2007
· Competed in the full Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule for SunTrust Racing, campaigned by Wayne Taylor Racing
for the first time. Helped the team finish third in the championship point standings, SunTrust’s fourth consecutive top-three
finish in the team standings since joining the series in 2004.
· Finished third in the Rolex Sports Car Series driver standings.
· Scored a pair of Rolex Series victories, co-driving with Jan Magnussen, at Virginia International Raceway (Alton, Va.) and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal).
· Totaled nine podium finishes, and 11 top-fives and 12 top-10s in all in 14 events.

2006
· Competed in the full Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule for SunTrust Racing. Helped the team finish third in the
championship point standings.
· Finished third in the Rolex Sports Car Series driver standings.
· Accumulated nine top-five finishes during the 14-race Rolex Sports Car Series schedule.
· Won Rolex Sports Car Series race at Laguna Seca (Monterey, Calif.) with co-driver Jan Magnussen.
· Competed in two International Race of Champions (IROC) events at Texas Motor Speedway and Daytona (Fla.) International
Speedway, respectively. Finished sixth at Texas and seventh at the Daytona road course. The Texas IROC event was
Angelelli’s first race on an oval in a front-engine race car.
2005
· Won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona with co-drivers Wayne Taylor and Emmanuel Collard.
· Shared Rolex Sports Car Series driver championship with teammate Taylor.
· Helped capture the Rolex Sports Car Series team championship, as SunTrust Racing completed every lap in series competition.
· Won the Grand Prix of Miami with co-driver Taylor in the second-closest finish in Rolex Sports Car Series history by beating Butch
Leitzinger to the line by just 1.198 seconds.
· With two wins to start the season at Daytona and Miami, Angelelli and Taylor became just the second set of co-drivers to win the first two races of the season in Rolex Sports Car Series history. Mauro Baldi and Didier Theys were the only other teammates to sweep the first two races of a season, accomplishing the feat in 2002.
· Won at Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham, Ala.) with Taylor.
· Won at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) in August with Taylor.
· Captured series-high fifth win of the season at Watkins Glen in September with Taylor.
· Named to the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) All America First-Team.
2004
· First year of competition with SunTrust Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series. Helped the team finish second in the
championship point standings.
· Finished fourth in the Rolex Sports Car Series driver standings.
· Captured first ever Rolex Sports Car Series win at Phoenix with Taylor.
· Won at Daytona in July with Taylor.
· Won third race of the year at Virginia International Raceway in the VIR 400 presented by SunTrust with Taylor.
· Accumulated 10 top-five finishes during the 12-race Rolex Sports Car Series schedule.
· Competed in a Cadillac CTS-V in the Speed World Challenge GT Series. Won twice, captured two poles and finished third in championship.

2003
· Worked with Cadillac as a test driver to develop the Cadillac CTS-V race car.

2002
· Competed for Cadillac in the American LeMans Series (ALMS) with Taylor as a teammate. Collected four podium finishes.

2001
· Competed for Cadillac in the ALMS with Taylor.

2000
· Competed for Cadillac in the ALMS with Taylor.

1999
· Finished second in the 24 Hours At Daytona with Doyle-Risi Racing and teammates Taylor and Allan McNish.
· Competed in the European SportsRacing World Cup in a Ferrari.
· Competed with the Panoz LMP team at the 24 Hours of LeMans with teammates Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell.

1998
· Competed in the FIA GT Championship and the Japanese GT Championship.

1997
· Competed in the FIA GT Championship in a Porsche 911 Gt1 and a Lotus Elise Gt1.

1996
· Competed in the BPR GT International Series in a Ferrari F40.

1995
· Competed in the German F3 Championship for VW Motorsport BR team.

1994
· Competed in the German F3 Championship for VW Motorsport BR team.

1993
· Competed in the German F3 Championship for VW Motorsport BR team. Won two races.

1992
· Captured Italian F3 Championship title with RC Motorsport.
· Won four races in the Italian F3 Championship.
· Secured two podium finishes in German F3 Championship.

1991
· Competed in the Italian F3 Championship for Venturini Racing before finishing season with RC Motorsport.

1990
· Finished third in Italian Formula 3 Championship standings with a win at Monza.

1989
· Moved up to the Italian Formula 3 Championship with Venturini Racing.
· Captured Italian F3 “Rookie of the Year Award.”

1988
· Finished third in the Italian Formula Alfa Boxer Championship standings.

1987
· Competed in his first season in the Italian Formula Alfa Boxer Championship, finishing 8th in the championship standings.

1985
· Competed in his very first auto race, the Vado-Monzuno hill climb, at the age of 15 in his Father’s A122.
· Took part in first single-seater race in the Formula Fiat Abarth race at Imola. Finished fourth among 30 drivers.

http://www.truespeedcommunication.co...Highlights.pdf

I highlighted the important bits for you.

Testing a 4 year old car leaves to many unanswered questions. The condition of the tires, brakes, suspension and alignment can all have a large effect on how the car performs.

Big difference in tires too. Check the top runners, all have much better shoes.

Did they really test a 4yr old car or was that from some previous test they did and just tossed it into the mix as a data point? It looks a bit confusing to me and it's hard to tell with all the different drivers, etc. Not even sure if conditions were similar. All in all though, where it placed is damn respectable. Happy to own one :)

Well, they used the same driver, so I assume it was at the same time.