Now that the Z06 reviews are out can we more fully appreciate the Gen V?

[Slaughterj]

Sometimes, you just don't want to have the rockstar effect that a Viper brings.

Said no one, ever.

[viperdan]

Perhaps it is really a milestone car.

My feeling is the obvious and that it is a fast car with all the right things that make it fast, rubber/chassis/nannies etc. My problem is this, why has GM been to the Ring twice now with the new Z51 and ZO6 and not recorded a hot lap? As for the Z51 they claimed the track was wet yet they ran the Z28 the same day and announced a lap of 7:37 in partial wet conditions. The ZO6 we all know wrecked and it is my feeling that Mero who has major seat time at the Ring knew the car wasn't going to beat the ZR1 so he pushed too hard. From what I understand they also had at least one other ZO6 there so why couldn't they get a lap, IMO it was because the car just couldn't beat 7:19 and they knew it. The car is nice but it's not going to be a successful track rat IMHO.

[Snakebit10]

Now that you mention it I wonder if it couldn't make it all the way around the Ring without severe heat soaking and overheating. You have to wonder since Pobst got one to overheat in about 4 laps on a comparatively short course which is probably short of the Nurburgring length of 13 miles in one lap. Pure speculation on my part of course. I hope we're both wrong.

[viperdan]

Now that you mention it I wonder if it couldn't make it all the way around the Ring without severe heat soaking and overheating. You have to wonder since Pobst got one to overheat in about 4 laps on a comparatively short course which is probably short of the Nurburgring length of 13 miles in one lap. Pure speculation on my part of course. I hope we're both wrong.

I thought about that also, I believe when they were there it was relatively cool so I'd imagine soak wouldn't have been an issue. GM spending all that money to go to Germany and coming back w/out a hot lap doesn't bode well for them.

[Bruce H.]

I don't question those RA lap times at all. I was there in '03 for the first time in my Supra doing a HPDE and ran a 1:40, and a buddy in a stock 405 hp Z06 was in the 1:36's. A friend did a 1:36 in a beat up MR2 in the Chump Series recently with not much over 200 whp.

The '15 Z06 these racers ran 1:30's in also had 1 degree more camber than stock Z06 alignment, and GM apparently recommends that custom alignment in the owners manual.

Hopefully no one is really sweating the possibility that the Z06 might be a fraction quicker on one track or another. Anybody buying a car because it was tested as being the fastest with a pro driver, or a random magazine tester, is sure to be regretting his purchase when another car is tested that's faster. The Viper's standing among the fastest production cars built is not going to change because at this rarified level of development there are very limited opportunities to find big gains. The quicker car on any given day and track is likely to be the better driven one, and that motivates the driver to improve, and he'll get a lot more satifaction out of that achievement than throwing more money into his track car. Buying speed with more expensive track day cars is big business, but at this level you also have to become an excellent driver.

I can't imagine anything better than the Z06 being tested as being faster than the TA...and me dicing it up on track with them and running quicker times in my TA. Heck yeah!!!

[ViperSmith]

What was really baffling was the press embargo up until a week before the car was in customer hands. To me that is fishy.

[VENOM V]

I don't question those RA lap times at all. I was there in '03 for the first time in my Supra doing a HPDE and ran a 1:40, and a buddy in a stock 405 hp Z06 was in the 1:36's. A friend did a 1:36 in a beat up MR2 in the Chump Series recently with not much over 200 whp.

The '15 Z06 these racers ran 1:30's in also had 1 degree more camber than stock Z06 alignment, and GM apparently recommends that custom alignment in the owners manual.

Hopefully no one is really sweating the possibility that the Z06 might be a fraction quicker on one track or another. Anybody buying a car because it was tested as being the fastest with a pro driver, or a random magazine tester, is sure to be regretting his purchase when another car is tested that's faster. The Viper's standing among the fastest production cars built is not going to change because at this rarified level of development there are very limited opportunities to find big gains. The quicker car on any given day and track is likely to be the better driven one, and that motivates the driver to improve, and he'll get a lot more satifaction out of that achievement than throwing more money into his track car. Buying speed with more expensive track day cars is big business, but at this level you also have to become an excellent driver.

I can't imagine anything better than the Z06 being tested as being faster than the TA...and me dicing it up on track with them and running quicker times in my TA. Heck yeah!!!

Amen, brother. You speak the truth

[elanderholm]

yeah, jalopnik and autoblog still haven't put up first drives or reviews of the Z06....surprised.

[Nine Ball]

Guys that buy cars solely based on magazine articles and internet bragging rights, sort of miss out on trying different vehicles and seeing the experience that each car provides. Some cars wow me. Some make me bored. Having the faster car on paper doesn't guarantee you'll beat the competitors at the track in it. I passed quite a few examples of beautiful track hardware, in my lowly stock 425hp Camaro last weekend. Including a ZR1, a C6Z, ZL1s, and Porsches. All of them stomp my car, on paper.

[J TNT]

Well said "Nine Ball" !

[Shooter]

I don't question those RA lap times at all. I was there in '03 for the first time in my Supra doing a HPDE and ran a 1:40, and a buddy in a stock 405 hp Z06 was in the 1:36's. A friend did a 1:36 in a beat up MR2 in the Chump Series recently with not much over 200 whp.

The '15 Z06 these racers ran 1:30's in also had 1 degree more camber than stock Z06 alignment, and GM apparently recommends that custom alignment in the owners manual.

Hopefully no one is really sweating the possibility that the Z06 might be a fraction quicker on one track or another. Anybody buying a car because it was tested as being the fastest with a pro driver, or a random magazine tester, is sure to be regretting his purchase when another car is tested that's faster. The Viper's standing among the fastest production cars built is not going to change because at this rarified level of development there are very limited opportunities to find big gains. The quicker car on any given day and track is likely to be the better driven one, and that motivates the driver to improve, and he'll get a lot more satifaction out of that achievement than throwing more money into his track car. Buying speed with more expensive track day cars is big business, but at this level you also have to become an excellent driver.

I can't imagine anything better than the Z06 being tested as being faster than the TA...and me dicing it up on track with them and running quicker times in my TA. Heck yeah!!!

That's a good post Bruce.

[Dusty1]

I just think its great the level of all these new cars out, we have the machine that requires the most skill and in my experience provides the greatest feedback and reward, what is not to like!

Richard

[TitleMine]

Guys that buy cars solely based on magazine articles and internet bragging rights, sort of miss out on trying different vehicles and seeing the experience that each car provides. Some cars wow me.

This x1000. Aston Martin's are slow as hell but I'd die happy if I had one of the old manual-transmisison V12 Vantages from 11/12. Bench racing is for the birds.

[FrgMstr]

And how many of those guys do you think will ever see the top speed of that car lol.

See a hell of a lot more Vettes at TX Mile than Vipers ever. Just sayin'.

[C.J]

See a hell of a lot more Vettes at TX Mile than Vipers ever. Just sayin'.

Makes sense when you look at sales numbers. There are a ton of Vettes out there.

[72hemi]

Makes sense when you look at sales numbers. There are a ton of Vettes out there.

They did sell more Corvettes in 2014 compared to sales of Vipers since 1992.

[FLATOUT]

See a hell of a lot more Vettes at TX Mile than Vipers ever. Just sayin'.

Modded guys are a different story, these are people complaining about stock top speeds. I don't think Vettes hit their stock top speed in the mile do they?

People that mod them for the mile will make those platforms do what they want them to do in terms of aero, gearing, and power. I guess my comment was towards internet forum guys complaining about stock top speeds that they most likely will never hit.

[Nine Ball]

The first customer-bought car has been dynoed today. Ron at Vengeance Racing, I know him. Manual trans car, 585 rwhp and 617 ft-lbs, but SAE or STD or actual not confirmed yet.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...one-stock.html

LOL at the burnout in the dealership parking lot. That is how you do it.

[FLATOUT]

Interesting.

[VENOM V]

The first customer-bought car has been dynoed today. Ron at Vengeance Racing, I know him. Manual trans car, 585 rwhp and 617 ft-lbs, but SAE or STD or actual not confirmed yet.

LOL at the burnout in the dealership parking lot. That is how you do it.

You sure that isn't just steam pouring from underhood due to overheating? LOL, just playing!!!

[v10enomous]

I wouldn't do this but I certainly encourage others...

The first customer-bought car has been dynoed today. Ron at Vengeance Racing, I know him. Manual trans car, 585 rwhp and 617 ft-lbs, but SAE or STD or actual not confirmed yet.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...one-stock.html

LOL at the burnout in the dealership parking lot. That is how you do it.

[ViperSmith]

thats the most uneventful burnout i've ever seen.

[Nine Ball]

100% stock C7 Z06 vs ZR1, same dyno. Impressive, makes the ZR1 look very weak.

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[VENOM V]

Something doesn't add up. If the new Z06 is that powerful, why isn't it trapping higher in the 1/4?

[FrgMstr]

Makes sense when you look at sales numbers. There are a ton of Vettes out there.

They did sell more Corvettes in 2014 compared to sales of Vipers since 1992.

Modded guys are a different story, these are people complaining about stock top speeds. I don't think Vettes hit their stock top speed in the mile do they?

People that mod them for the mile will make those platforms do what they want them to do in terms of aero, gearing, and power. I guess my comment was towards internet forum guys complaining about stock top speeds that they most likely will never hit.

My point is you can pick on that point all day long, but there are a hell of lot more garage queen Vipers percentage-wise I would bet. Buying a sub-10K Viper from damn near any year in production is easy to do. We can beat our chests all we want, but I know a load of Vette guys that drive the shit out of their cars.