Got to drive an '08 Vette today.

Very fun even though it was an autotragic. My friend let me drive it and I had to take it down a twisty road near where I live. Put it in sport mode on the trans, put it in competition mode for the suspension, and had at it. When I pulled onto the twisty road a guy on a crotch rocket turned in after me, I got on it and as I kept an eye in the rear view, I saw he was keeping up with me. When the road straightened out again, the guy on the bike went to pass, honked, and gave me a thumbs up. Also think I shook up my buddy a little bit (according to other people he drives like a granny)

Overall: Ridiculous acceleration. Great handling and brakes. Unfortunate "paddle shifters" from the factory (totally ass-backwards), but fortunate enough to be able to leave it in a gear without interference. Wonderful V8 exhaust note for factory exhaust. Very comfortable to drive. I hear a lot of complaints of the seats from the magazines, but they didn't bother me at all.

Now I wish I had Corvette money.

Sounds fun. I keep thinking about picking up a cheap c5 but i THINK id rather use that money on a Boxster. Weird, i know. Id have to be able to buy both before i could consider a c6, though.

Yeah it was fun, not everyday I have a friend let me drive their newer Vette.

I wish it had a manual. It would have been a little more fun.

I have a friend with one, and it's an awesome car. I've thought about it, but it's just not my thing.

I kind of see the Vette as a ready to go track car. I think it would be more fun to build my own.

Vette's are pretty amazing with the instant-on torque. I drove one right before I drove an RX-8. It was really hard to appreciate the Mazda's rate of acceleration after that.

My fear of owning a Vette would be that I'd try to drive it like it's supposed to be driven in places where it's unacceptable to drive like that.

1988RedT2 wrote: Vette's are pretty amazing with the instant-on torque. I drove one right before I drove an RX-8. It was really hard to appreciate the Mazda's rate of acceleration after that.

But everyone here still think the Miata is fast enough!

The Vette is proof that most people who post their perceptions on the web have never driven one. A stock automatic C6 will cream most performance cars in every performance category. A Z06 is a supercar with a handbuilt 427. A ZR1 is a war bird.

That doesn't mean they are fool-proof.

A former employer of mine gave up track days with his 04 because he was going through an engine every 1-2 years.

I drove a newer Z06. It's not advisable, as you will never be the same again.

I have a good friend who's on his third engine in an 07 Z06. In less than 15k miles. Lost the first one on Roebling Road from an oiling issue. Lost the second one because they didn't replace the cats when GM replaced the first one. Each engine would have cost almost as much as my Mustang did new IF they hadn't warrantied them.

But it is one unholy fast car.

My ex challange car out handled a couple of z06 in 09

In a autocross situation

I'd say that you out handled the Z06 drivers.

RossD wrote: My fear of owning a Vette would be that I'd try to drive it like it's supposed to be driven in places where it's unacceptable to drive like that.

This was exactly how I felt when I drove it. It was so hard to keep my foot out of it or go down that twisty road numerous times.

When I did my acceleration test, I let off at 80 mph, because if I didn't I would have been doing 140 before I knew it.

Seriously, even for those naysay Chevy (GM), you have to admit they're doing something right.

What other car will loaf along in air-conditioned comfort at 70 getting better than 30 MPG, and then surge all the way to over 175?

ultraclyde wrote: I have a good friend who's on his third engine in an 07 Z06. In less than 15k miles. Lost the first one on Roebling Road from an oiling issue. Lost the second one because they didn't replace the cats when GM replaced the first one. Each engine would have cost almost as much as my Mustang did new IF they hadn't warrantied them.

And people want to call the Mazda rotary a "fragile" engine???

1988RedT2 wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: I have a good friend who's on his third engine in an 07 Z06. In less than 15k miles. Lost the first one on Roebling Road from an oiling issue. Lost the second one because they didn't replace the cats when GM replaced the first one. Each engine would have cost almost as much as my Mustang did new IF they hadn't warrantied them.

And people want to call the Mazda rotary a "fragile" engine???

Rotary engines excel at endurance use. So much so that they are quickly banned in some cases....

You're talking into a black hole, Rotard.

ultraclyde wrote: I have a good friend who's on his third engine in an 07 Z06. In less than 15k miles. Lost the first one on Roebling Road from an oiling issue. Lost the second one because they didn't replace the cats when GM replaced the first one. Each engine would have cost almost as much as my Mustang did new IF they hadn't warrantied them. But it is one unholy fast car.

Did they know he was tracking it when the engine went? A lot of manufacturers like to void warranties if you have a failure while racing or doing a track event (Subaru/Mitsubishi?). I heard GM actually encourages track usage, so am just curious how they handled it.

There used to be a board member that have several vette track cars and raced them regularly, I'm not sure if he is still around, but would like to see his thoughts.

Z06's have hand-built 427 cubic inch dry-sumped LS7's. If you're blowing them up, there may be some sort of operator error at work. Just saying...

As for the OP, 'Vette's are awesome, aren't they? This is the real answer. Great handling, HUGE power, supercar killers for fractions of the price. Once you drive one, everything else just seems kind of limp in comparison.

Damnit, I had already put a 'Vette on the bucket list, and this thread (combined with the C5 article) isn't helping.

Good thing I stupidly keep throwing money at my foxbody... that'll keep me broke enough to stay out of a Corvette for a while, lol.

rotard wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: Vette's are pretty amazing with the instant-on torque. I drove one right before I drove an RX-8. It was really hard to appreciate the Mazda's rate of acceleration after that.

But everyone here still think the Miata is fast enough!

The quote should be "Fast enough for what it is"

Joey