C4 low-end power
 

I test drove a 2006 C6 the other day. It has more total horsepower but I was surprised to find that it didn't seem quite as fast instantly off the line, like from a dead stop, as my 94 coupe. My 94 feels more visceral and raw and pushes me back into the seat almost immediately when floored. This initial low end power has come in very handy when merging into heavy traffic. Is this just perceived or does this have something to do with the difference between the LT1 versus LS2? Has anybody else noticed this?

wait till you try an lt4

I haven't noticed it because I've only driven one. It was everything a C4 is...and more.

That said, sound insulation removes the "feel" of speed. I'm guessing newer cars have better "isolation". Also, over half of 2006 Corvettes had the highway gear in the rear end. Depending on what gear is in your 94, the "effective" torque to the ground could be what you feel....along with any improvements in isolation/sound deadening.

Never drove an LS2 but I will tell you the LS3 is a beast. I thought my LT4 was but after a week of driving the LS3 to work and then getting back in the LT4 was like night and day. I had to learn to drive it all over again. The LS3 will run away and hide from the LT4 even on a bad day. More power all around and better manners. Although, take the traction control off of either and you better be on your ready. Both are manuals BTW but I don't recall the rear gear ratio for each at the moment.

Now, there are some things about the C4 I prefer over the C6. I love my C4 seats. After a few hours of driving, the C6 becomes numbing on the buttocks and my back hurts due to (IMO) the weird lumbar support.

I love how small the C4 feels compared to the C6. The C6 is a big car compared to the C4.

The C6 has a stiffer chassis. You can take the roof out and it is just as solid (to me as a non racer) with the roof in. My C4 does have the shakes now and then but is better than a lot of other C4's I have seen.

Stock C6 should run mid 12's in the 1/4 & as stated they are more refined than a C4 = less driver feel/feedback.

Might be the throttle by wire thing every car that I have driven with that set up has a different throttle feel.

I have one in the barn now with throttle by wire that is dead for the first 1/8" of throttle apply = a giant PITA to drive in urban traffic. Another one I drove went from idle to 1600 rpm just looking at the gas pedal = also a PITA to drive, it was a rental.

I Have a cammed LS3 in my other car and used to have an LS6. The LS3 is a beast, the LS6... not so much. I found the LS6 had disappointing low end power but a decent amount of top end. The cammed LS3 has a lot more low end, probably due to the extra C., LS3 has great high-end power. Overall though my heavily modded L98 certainly has more low-end then even the LS3 but the LS3 wins by a mile at high RPM. I'm thinking the so-so low end power of the LS motors is why GM went to direct injection on the new 'LT' motors.

Before I got my 85 Corvette I had a Mustang with the new 5.0 coyote. On paper the two cars aren't even close. But when it comes to real world driving on the street the low end torque of l98 feels pretty close to what I had with the Coyote. However, once the tach winds out a bit that's a completely different story. For tooling around town the l98 is fine with me. One problem I see with modern performance cars is by the time you can make use of the power available you are easily breaking laws on the street.