Hey guys, glad to be here! This is my first post on the forum. I have to say this forum has been a huge asset to me while picking out my first Corvette. It's always been my dream to own one and this week I finally went out and got mine!

I found a 2013 Velocity Yellow Z06 (60th Anniversary Edition) in pristine condition at a dealership, test drove it, fell in love with it, and took her home. She's been a blast to drive this whole week. First car I've ever actually sat in the garage and just looked at... She's beautiful.

However... Here's where I'm somewhat conflicted right now... And was hoping I could get some advice from you all:

The dealer I purchased the '13 Z06 from ALSO had a 2009 Cyber Grey ZR1 on the floor with 15k miles on the odo. I also took it for a test drive and was blown away. However, it was priced at $58,000. I got my Z06 for $46,000 out the door.

Now, this dealership has an "exhange policy" where I can swap cars out at any time within 2 weeks if I'm not completely satisfied with the one I purchased. No questions asked. That ZR1 is still there and I'm conflicted as to what I should do.

Things to note:

-This IS my daily driver. Driving around town, to the office, parking garage, groceries, etc.

-I'm planning to H/C/I the Z06 to get more power, but from what I understand, the ZR1 with just a pulley and tune would smoke it.

-$12,000 price increase, and about $30 increase in insurance/month if I go to the ZR1 (already got a quote).

-The Z06 has 25k miles on it, the ZR1 has 15k.

-ZR1 is a 2009, but the Z06 I bought is a 2013, 4 years newer.

A part of me says to just keep the Z06 and enjoy the LS7, work on it, love it, etc. But another part of me is totally considering the ZR1 just because of what it is.

Can someone offer me some input on my situation? I'm 50/50 and just looking to hear some advice from some "Vette-Veterans" regarding what I should do.

Edit: I'm also considering waiting for the C7 Z06 to drop in price down the road, and not waste my time on an 8 year old ZR1... So that might make sense too. $58,000 for a 2009 Vette might not make sense considering the current market.

Thanks!!!

 

I say if you can swing the ZR1, get it. If you have the feeling, it will always eat at you. Thats how i feel right now with purchasing a base over a GS. I'm totally happy but the feeling IS still there. If you don't plan on keeping your vette very long anyway, just keep the Z06

 

Def swap for the zr1 if you can swing that extra money. You'll always be looking at your z06 with the thought of "I should've gotten that zr1" in the back of your head

 

Just some info for you. Your Z06 is 1 of 471 produced that year and 1 of the 27 Velocity Yellow. They made 1415 Zr1's in 2009 with grey the most common color at 502 units. The Zr1 will NOT have launch control or PTM, which came in 2010 and up. The seats and steering wheel are different, your 2013 having the better of the 2 cars. NO power hatch or pulldown in 2009 either. There are other small things too. You never mentioned Warranty as its possible you have or could extend the 2013.

 

Keep the Z06 and add a twin turbo kit.

 

I think I'm going to go ahead and swap out for the ZR1... It's such a beautiful car.

Edit: At the same time though, the 2009 year is giving me some doubt. KABAl's post up there ^^ makes me reconsider this now...

 

I have have many Corvettes and I am definitely in the Z06 corner....as KABAL stated..... there are not that many Z's around....then again I am biased...

 

I'd say that if you don't get the ZR1, you'll always wish that you had! Go for it!

 

If you are buying the car to drive/enjoy who cares if it was 1 of 27 VY Z06's made that year??? If it gets normal use that fact isn't going to get you any more at resale time when you start looking for your next one. Not to mention that you are going to have to invest even more $'s to even begin to approach the ZR1's performance, money once again you won't recoup at resale time.

Ultimately, ZR1's are more rare than Z06's in total anyway and you don't have to deal with potential LS7 valve issues.

Get the ZR1.

 

 

The rest of what you say has a definite bearing.

 

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here.

If you are buying either the ZO6 or the ZR1 as your only car daily driver, why do you NEED 600-638 horsepower? The manual transmission is going to become a PITA in city traffic, everywhere you park the car you will spend all day worrying about it. Any maintenance issues that arise will set you back big bucks and take two weeks to resolve (especially on the ZR1).
Keep the ZO6, buy a commuter Honda and wait for a C7 ZO6 (if you really NEED 650 hp)

 

Agree with what Ruxvette stated in his post, and after seeing your edit, if you are going to trade down the road the ZR1 will retain it's value more than the Z06, but the trade-off for YOU to decide is the initial investment required to obtain it.

 

Sounds like you already made up your mind and want the ZR1 but want us to confirm it for you If you can afford the ZR1 I say go for it because I would if I were in the market and one was available. Good luck with your decision

 

I would get the ZR1, but I would not have it as a daily driver. These cars are rare and should hold their value and may go up in value, but not if they have ton of miles on them and wear and tear from being a daily driver.

 

Ok team, long story short: I still have the Z06.

Longer story: I just couldn't trade it. I hopped in the bright yellow Z06 and headed to the dealer, but on the way there, the quirky noises of the LS7, the color, refinement, and overall joy of driving it made me second guess my decision. I figured, what the hell, I'm going to need a back-to-back test drive to make this decision.

I arrived at the dealer and jumped into the ZR1. First, there was an awful squeak in the back that made the car feel cheaper. It also had 3 previous owners that I know nothing about (mine has one who was older, didn't track it, babied it and showed it off at meet-ups). Once I got the car on the road, it just had a heavier, more "serious" feel to it. When I punched it, I let off the throttle, as I quickly reached 20 over the speed limit.

I went back to the dealer and left in my obnoxious yellow Z06. It's loud, has the meanest sounds, feels lighter, and I feel like I can drive it with some gusto that I couldn't in the ZR1. If I were looking for a track queen, I would absolutely hands-down take the ZR1. However, this car is for getting me to-and-from work, running errands, and taking it into Arizona's beautiful canyons on the weekends. Couldn't part with it, and she's here to stay.

Thanks for everyone's input, and I'm looking forward to continuing to enjoy my first 'Vette! **I should note: I knew I couldn't part with the Z06 when I went down to the parking garage twice at work yesterday to "just check on it" and make sure everything was OK. Never did that with a previous car, lol.

Edit: To add, I now finally understand what people have been saying about other cars over the years that I never understood: Real drivability. The Porsche Cayman is the perfect example. May not be a dyno queen, or run 10's, but there's something beautiful about being about to top out a car around town, stretch it's legs and hear the winding of the motor. Some cars really are just too powerful to enjoy in a daily driving environment.

 

If money is no object, I personally would prefer the ZR1, but I wouldn't kick the ZO6 out of the garage either

 

Someone mentioned that 2009's don't have the latch pulldown... Mine is a 2009 and it most certainly does, I don't have a ZR1 though.

 

Photos? Post them up and let's see how hot this Z06 is.