The new Z06 is just what I thought it was going to be. This thing will be potent ! 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06: 650 hp, 650 lb-ft, Most Powerful GM Ever
That beast is going to move! I just hope it's handling characteristics haven't been hampered too much by its weight. Mark
Tell me why I should be buy a 991 GT3 over this new Corvette? To me, it makes little logic to spend roughly 150K for a GT3 vs a 100K for this Vette. BTW, the ZR1's for about 70K are a monster too.
No reason that I can see-even though I love the 911's in our little collection there isn't enough Kool-Aid in Stuttgart to blind me to what I'm certain will be the track superiority of the Corvette.
I guess it depends where your at and what you do for a living. 1. In Michigan there are few roads where you can realistically use the power of a 500+hp car. 2. Speeds over 100+mph are a great way for me to throw away the 3 years I spent in law school. 3. I can barely use the power my Mercedes has, let alone the power of these modern sports cars and supercars. 4. Their is always someone faster than you. 5. Even on "fun runs" traffic keeps the group together, I never see the guys in testarossa and Porsche Boxsters struggling to keep up with the pack. 6. In all likelihood, I would have more fun in an esprit, 360 modena, cayman s, etc than that Z06. Driving crazy fast cars slow is not exactly fun.
Wonder what it weighs My 06 Katech Z has around 650hp but only 3000# so I think she still has better power to weight than this new Z
Also interested in this number though I have to admit being very impressed with the work done on the ZL-1 is stunning. It is much "lighter" on the track than it is on the spec sheet.
I fear for the weight. But honestly, few care. You don't see huge press over low weight or even power to weight. But you do see press on hp figures and comfort, quietness (other than exhaust sound) and amenities. Luxury and sound deadening cost weight but sell cars. I am going to guess curb weight 3400. Not horrible, but not great, either. Problem is a light car will have all kind of road and tire noise and also draw complaints about "cheap" and "flimsy" materials and will appeal only to the lunatic fringe. Great GT car but I worry that it will not do well on track. Hard to dissipate all the heat and it will work the tires very hard. My Caddy Wagon has 556 hp but does not even come close to my 505 hp Z06
Chevy does it again! Just the entire "bang for the buck." The car isn't that far off from a la Ferrari, Porsche 918 or the mclaren Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, it'd be great if they made a 3100 lb Z06-R version for the lunatic fringe. Now that'd be a fun car.
I love Corvettes, and have owned a C5 Z06 before, as a track car. I also love the C7, but I just can't get excited about the C7 Z06. Can't quite put my finger on it; probably a combination of the over-the-top exterior and the blower. I'm sure it will be a fantastic ride, though, and I bet my views will change once I drive one.
I agree with most of your points, but I can tell you that my ZR1 handled 95 degree ambient temps just fine at MSR this weekend, terrorizing spec Miatas with the windows up and AC on, with a bone stock drivetrain, on Hoosier A6's. Oil temps stayed in the 260s. Granted, I do manage engine RPM carefully, unlike some drivers. There's no need to be above 4000 rpm except on the straights, with the LS9's prodigious torque, compared to the LS7. I had the 458 on track as well, and its oil temps never got over 220, if the factory gauges are to be believed. The cooling strategy on the C7 is much improved, and it will have even more low end, so while neither car is an endurance racer, I think it will comport itself quite well on track.
Lap times? It was Clockwise, so slower than CCW, but I'd expect to see sub 1:22 lap times in the ZR1 with R6s (A6s would last a couple of laps). In my Z06 I run 1:20-ish on slicks on the 1.7 CCW and water gets to 240, oil 305. I tend to thrash cars VERY hard and have driven only one car on track that did not overheat or fade brakes as it left the showroom floor: Lotus Elise. And that car would run 1:23 flat on the 1.7 CCW with just Toyo RA1 tires. Only 180 hp, but also only 1940 lbs curb weight. The CTS-V wagon will do 1:27 on the 1.7 CW, which I thought was pretty damned good! But it wants to chunk tires and melt down the brakes in about 5 laps.
Sorry, I should have specified MSR Houston. Was running low 1:40s. 1:20s here would be the domain of open wheeled racecars!
I wonder how much cheaper this will be than a base viper...After sitting in them back to back at Daytona, all of us were significantly impessed with the Z06