Sept 25th: In depth Corvette C6

[TT]

Ok so, time for a new "in depth". And time to raise the power bar a little. Thanks, as always, to JC, we got this red lady for a couple of hours this morning. Of course now the Z06 is pretty close (first ones will arrive in November), but the base model could still be pretty interesting, and despite what some would say, the oppurtunity to have 400 wild horses for such "cheap" price, is tempting.

Untill today I never was in an american sport car, only in rentals and such, which never pretended to be special. Now finally I could have a taste of what everybody talk about... and sadly, even trying really not to be too picky, the interior is utter crap. The C6 might be "cheap", but just a little %age of this price is injected into the cabin. There is plastic everywhere, you already know it, and it's bad, hard plastic, not so well assembled, not so nice to the touch or the eyes. Some details like the part around the door opening button which want to be sporty or cool just look terribly shit IMO. The car had sat nav installed but we didn't tried it. Of course the HUD display is cool and you can put about everything there, but still, all the rest is pretty low grade, sorry. The seats aren't that bad, but while it was not a problem for me, behind the wheel it seemed kinda hard to match the seat to the steering wheel position. Luggage space is kinda huge afterall.
It had a manual tranny BTW. Now, the good part: the engine. It is pretty strong, you can't deny that. You still have a "endless US highway" feeling when you slot it into 6th and you cruise at around 130 km/h and 1800 rpm :shock: but despite 6 liters and 8 cylinders, when you floor it in 6th, nothing happens LOL. Almost nothing at least.
But once you drop a couple of gears, the car start to fly, the engine and its thunderous note invading the cabin!
Pushing hard in 2nd gear brings you beyond 100 km/h in a glimpse, bang, into third and the thrust seems to become even stronger. For sure the 200 come very quickly, no idea after that, but well, that's plenty enough.
The brakes seem pretty strong but we didn't work them really hard, so no idea if they fade quickly or not.
Steering as far as I understood is kinda direct, pretty well weighted, maybe too much.
What I know is that from the passenger seat the car seemed to float a lot on road surface's imperfections. but despite that feeling, the car always seemed well planted and the front never pushed wide.
What can push wide is the back, but even in "sport mode" there is still some sort of traction control, allowing you to powerslide but quickly taking control again. Weird, no idea if you really can totally kill any aid.

All in all, it is for sure a funny car that can be also a great cruiser. It didn't feel totally at ease in the mountains, but still managed to eat the tarmac and other road users very quickly.
Now, the C6 wants to steal customers from Porsche or even Ferrari (afterall JC has a 550 and was wondering if a C6 or even Z06 could be a more sensible option, especially considering trackdays and such too)... well, IMO it will never be able to steal that many. It's a great engine installed into a pretty well sorted chassis, that's a reality, but well, when you drive a Porsche or a Ferrari, no matter what, you still care about the badge, the quality and so on. The C6 might be cheaper to buy and to keep fit, but it's still a big step down the ladder, IMO impossible to be done. Yeh, you can't be as hooling in a 550 as in a C6, but still, the 550 even costing 3 times as much, offer much more that the price seems totally justified.
I am sure many will be charmed but such a car, it's good IMO and not totally wasted money, but if you had a try at its rival, expensive or not, the Vette all of a sudden does look plain boring.. just a mighty engine.

On a side note, if the trip computer was well set, we averaged some 15 liters / 100 km, which is kinda good considering the car was driven above the average rythm you will have on a daily basis!

23 pics can be found by clicking one of these previews

http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost/data/504/medium/Corvette_C6_045.jpg (http://www.swisscarsightings.com/indepth.html)
http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost/data/504/medium/Corvette_C6_044.jpg (http://www.swisscarsightings.com/indepth.html)
http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost/data/504/medium/Corvette_C6_039.jpg (http://www.swisscarsightings.com/indepth.html)
http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost/data/504/medium/Corvette_C6_036.jpg (http://www.swisscarsightings.com/indepth.html)

Finges crossed, I might have a Gransport indepth tomorrow ;)

[yeckmohr]

Nice pics as always.

Thanks a lot Matteo.

Greetings Yeckmohr

[racer_f50]

Great to have another in-depth review from you :)
Haven't been in the cockpit of a C6 yet, but you seem to have the same impressions as most people who review it from Europe. I'm not sure it would really bother me, since I'd buy the car for the driving, not the interior (and plastic=light). Would certainly be a step up from my Celica's interior either way. :P
About 6th gear not having any pull, that's because it's a very tall gear. On the old Z06, 6th gear would theoretically get you to over 250mph, but of course that would never happen unless you installed massive engine upgrades. Simply meant for good fuel economy.

Looking forward to your Grand Sport review! :D

[TT]

Yes dude, I know it is still a bit picky to always attack the interior quality of the Corvette. For sure such car is meant to be driven, not to be used as a rolling living room, but still, when I sat down in my 1995 3 Series, well, I found better quality in there! And that's just weird! And the fact the C6 is a "bargain", means it will be used as a daily car for most ppl.. so yes, you will trash it up and down a mountain pass, on a racetrack, on the Autobahn and so on, but you will also end up in traffic jams, commute to work on a daily basis and just drive around as a regular person..

Also, forgot to say that there were weird noises coming from basically everywhere inside the cabin.. squealing, rattling... and the car doesn't have 100'000 km :bah:

[davide]

nice, corvette got some heavu duty V8's :D

nice pics by that lake there *saved*

[gucom]

wow nice review...shame u dont get to drive al lthose cars :P but hey u cant have everything...gransport would be great, i bet the interior os slightly better than the vette's :wink:

[ARMAN]

...but still, when I sat down in my 1995 3 Series, well, I found better quality in there!...

Damn, I gotta have BMW as soon as possible :twisted: Thanx for report and pix TT :wink:

[dingo]

I love the front look of the C6 (very 360-like) but the rear doesn't suit my tastes at all. :| I would buy something like this over one of our V8 beasts though, just looks different/better to the ordinary sedan. :D

Anybody that would buy one of these over a 911 or Ferrari needs their head read.....crazy people. :P

THanks for all the pics, the ones in front of the lake are great. :D

[gucom]

Anybody that would buy one of these over a 911 or Ferrari needs their head read.....crazy people

PLZ tell that to RC...PLEASE???

[TT]

Anybody that would buy one of these over a 911 or Ferrari needs their head read.....crazy people

PLZ tell that to RC...PLEASE???

Yeh, I fear this topic could burst into an endless debate as always :D and I think my opinion will feel a bit "biased".. but well, I have to be honest, haven't I?

Once and for all, the Vette is a great machine, but definitely not able to play in the same league as Porsche or Ferrari. Let's hope we will be able to put our hands on a Z06 soon ;) just in case

[graywolf624]

The better question is...
is the vette plus 100000 dollars able to play in the ferrari league.

[graywolf624]

what are you asking exactly?? if the vette with 100k in mods can play with a Ferrari??
Nope.. What Im saying is.. 100 k in the pocket.. Part of any products marketing position is the cost. Even for competing cars the cost is important.

and this proofs my point that a Ferrari is a total package and the vette is crap and nothing but a big engine.
That isnt exactly what tt said. Also you were discussing the zo6 not the vette.

it will never be able to steal that many. It's a great engine installed into a pretty well sorted chassis,

What can push wide is the back, but even in "sport mode" there is still some sort of traction control, allowing you to powerslide but quickly taking control again. Weird, no idea if you really can totally kill any aid.
Does only the zo6 come with competition and track modes?

[AlienDB7]

Nice in depth review TT. Now I wonder, did GM's marketing department force the designers to put a crappy plastic interior in the 'vette so they can sell the caddy XLR? I know you may think I'm crazy but isn't the XLR based on the C6 platform and engine as well? If people are looking for a high[er] quality interior, they probably should get a XLR instead??

[TT]

The better question is...
is the vette plus 100000 dollars able to play in the ferrari league.

Sadly not.. the Ferrari league it isn't about money... it is also about prestige, quality and "aura".. things a Ferrari owner can't find in a Vette.

...

this is great to see a indepth review by someone like TT, and this proofs my point that a Ferrari is a total package and the vette is crap and nothing but a big engine.

thanx TT, great job!!!!

LOL, wait, it is NOT THAT crap. But yes, it's an powerfull engine with a car around it. Visually the C6 is quite sexy actually too! The performance is good and all. In isolation you would call it a good car. But since the basic idea when looking into a corvette, at least around here, is to have big performance at lower cost you also have to try and see if it's really worth... and well, it doesn't seem to be,

...
Does only the zo6 come with competition and track modes?

Uhm, no idea, this one only had three positions, the sportier beeing "sport mode" as said.

Nice in depth review TT. Now I wonder, did GM's marketing department force the designers to put a crappy plastic interior in the 'vette so they can sell the caddy XLR? I know you may think I'm crazy but isn't the XLR based on the C6 platform and engine as well? If people are looking for a high[er] quality interior, they probably should get a XLR instead??

IMO to try to sell the XLR just basing your marketing effort on the improved interior quality is pure foolishness :D BTW yes, the XLR is based on the C6 vitals. Let's face it, the XLR aims anyway to an older, less hooligan public, so it would be kinda dumb to downgrade the C6's quality just to sell more XLR (which is, frankly, ugly as fuck :D)

[komotar]

Thx a bunch for the great review. 8)

I like the looks of the car. I dislike the interior, but I'm open to a change of oppinion, if I'll come across one of these, but I doubt my oppinon will change....

Great pictures, saved alot.

Oh, and when I opened this pic,.......that house in the background looks huge....

http://www.swisscarsightings.com/variouscars/thumbs/Corvette%20C6%20040.jpg[/url]

[RC45]

Anybody that would buy one of these over a 911 or Ferrari needs their head read.....crazy people

PLZ tell that to RC...PLEASE???

Why?

What's the point of comparing the watered down, generic, hair-dresser C6 to the 911 or the 360? Wait - I know - image is seemingly very important to everyone.

The reason someone would buy a $50KC6 Coupe instead of a $70K Carrera or a $190K Ferrari is probably because they are not rich like you snobs ;) (real or imagined) - or they just didn't feel the need to blow their whole wad on a go-fast toy. ;)

There are however a number of people who have both a 911TT or F360CS and a C5 Z06 in a garage. The same will be true with the C6 Z06.

The reason that there is a way to get the same performance as th 911TT and F360CS without having to be a extremely wealthy.

If YOU are wealthy and can buy what you want - more power to you. If you are not wealthy but force yourself to NOT purchase the Z06 because it is not snobby enough for you - your loss - remeber there are still folks who will enjoy both.

Oh yea thats right - this "in depth" was about the hairdresser car that EVERYONE knows is a bland, poofta mobile - much like the base Carrera.

Also, forgot to say that there were weird noises coming from basically everywhere inside the cabin.. squealing, rattling... and the car doesn't have 100'000 km :bah:

Was it an abused rental car?

I have 100,000km+ on my C5 Z06 and I don't here weird nosies - even when I beat the crap out of it. :)

Comparing a rental car to a owner car is not realy fair. I remember reading about some folks who rented a Carrera and when to the Nurburgring.

The car was utter used up crap, loose, rattling, squeaking and a bad overall advert for Porsche - the same would be true of any rental.

You still have a "endless US highway" feeling when you slot it into 6th and you cruise at around 130 km/h and 1800 rpm :shock: but despite 6 liters and 8 cylinders, when you floor it in 6th, nothing happens LOL. Almost nothing at least.

Well - as pointed uot - it is supposed to react that way - 6th gear lets you cruise long distance using almost no fuel.

How many times does it have to be pointed out that 6th gear is a purpose designed tall cruise ratio. ;)


***

Now that you have tried a boring hairdresser car, let's get a Swiss C5 Z06 owner to give you go - and then hope a C6 Z06 car would come your way.

Your opinion will change drastically Because you will then realize that the hairdresser coupe is sold to keep the production lines rolling long enough to produce Z06's for people who want a loud, brash, fast and serious super sports car.

If posing and cruising and image are your goals, go buy a girly car like an SLK. :)

[AlienDB7]

Nice in depth review TT. Now I wonder, did GM's marketing department force the designers to put a crappy plastic interior in the 'vette so they can sell the caddy XLR? I know you may think I'm crazy but isn't the XLR based on the C6 platform and engine as well? If people are looking for a high[er] quality interior, they probably should get a XLR instead??

IMO to try to sell the XLR just basing your marketing effort on the improved interior quality is pure foolishness :D BTW yes, the XLR is based on the C6 vitals. Let's face it, the XLR aims anyway to an older, less hooligan public, so it would be kinda dumb to downgrade the C6's quality just to sell more XLR (which is, frankly, ugly as fuck :D)
Don't overestimate the intelligence of the GM marketing department :mrgreen:

Although they're probably a little bit more creative than the Chrysler one with their Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Neon. Maybe that's why it's now discontinued :roll:

[Wutputt]

Thanks for another in depth review TT. The pics taken at the lake with the statue in the water are just great.

[TT]

...
Was it an abused rental car?

Well, the car was one of the first arriving here, demo car from the start, racking just a few km. It was just rented by a car entertainment shop down the road as a long term rental (5 or 6 months), to use it as an advertising car, just parked outside their store basically, most of the time at least (BZW, the car has some huge stickers on the side which disappeared thanks to PS, really crappy looking LOL). It doesn't have many km, I can't really recall but it's really low. Probably abused a little, but well, all the cars we tested so far were demo cars, with more or less km and none was in such a pitifull condition... for sure I don't want to generalize, it was maybe just that car, maybe because it is also an early model...

We will try to test a Z06, but not many will arrive and the garages aren't willing to have a Z06 demo car :( so either we will manage to know an owner, either we will be owned :D

BTW, today we got another 400 hp demo car, a Gransport and well, it's another planet, but I know, we shouldn't compare such cars ;)

Anyway, for the ones able to read french: here is the review. it's quite positive and for the last time, I also think the C6 is a great car afterall! Still, when faced to the real life situation, around here, for a reason or another, most ppl (wealthy or not)buy something else :bah:
http://www.asphalte.ch/Auto/C6/C6-1.html

[RC45]

it's quite positive and for the last time, I also think the C6 is a great car afterall!
The Coupe is a poor example of what the car is supposed to be... think of the Coupe as what the accountants and focus groups decided the Corvette should be - while the Z06 is what the Engineers wanted it to be. ;)

For the record I dislkie the Coupe :P ;) hehe


Still, when faced to the real life situation, around here, for a reason or another, most ppl (wealthy or not)buy something else :bah:

The Coupe is over prices in Europe (and is bland performing everywhere.. ;)) - which is why the folks in the know (and money , as it costs a bit) imported C5 Z06's for themsleves.

I will see what I can do to get you some seat time in a Swiss C5 Z06.. ;)

[stmoritzer]

Thanks TT for another review, but I must admit I only had a look at the pictures. The ones at the lake are cool. The car itself does not bring any emotions to me.

The Gransport, if next :wink:, is more of interest.

[TT]

Hehe don't worry, the GS pics are basically read, I just need to wait a couple more days to avoid posting updates too often ;)

..

I will see what I can do to get you some seat time in a Swiss C5 Z06.. ;)

UH! Actually it would be just great if you could arrange something, I would owe you big time and I am sure I will like it :D

Glad to see another "in deph" review! :P The pics are superb, with the lake... really nice scenery. Do you chose them yourself or is JC who says "let's go there to take the pics - it's a nice place"? :D

Well, out test road is always the same one for every car. First because it is just a nice and pretty empty road not too far away and second because it is nice to test all the cars in the same conditions. As for the pictures locations, it depends.. sometimes it is me, sometimes JC.. most of the time it was just decided once there. For the Vette it was different, I discovered you can reach the shore while I was having fun in the CBR so I took a mental note we should take one of the car there. It was the Vette ;)