C7 vs C6 Z06


REDEEMED

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So at the end of the day is the C6 with N/A 427 and 320 fewer pounds to tote around gonna be the better road course car vis-a-vis the 2015 650/650 blaster?? Except, of course for the impeccable shifting of the auto tranny.
 

nota4re

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I think that depends on how serious of a road course car that you are looking for. Out of the box vs out of the box, the C7 Z51 and the C7 Z06 will whoop the C6 Z06 despite the extra weight. Thank all of the sophisticated nannies in the new car which allow the car to drive closer to the limits without fanfare.

If you will drive in warmer weather 75F +, the car may have trouble keeping cool with the auto but you can beat the crap out of the manuals.

If you modify a C6Z06 I suppose you can make it substantially faster than the C7 - but far less streetable. So, if it is a dedicated road-course car, the C6 Z06 is definitely worth consideration. If dual duty, then maybe the C7 is better - and choose the trans based upon how much track duty you anticipate.
 

dbk

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Street car C7 Z06
Track car C6 Z06

That would be my opinion. It will be absolutely no contest in a one lap shootout, creature comforts or street comfort, but I'd just rather have a N/A car that weighs 400 lbs less if it's for consistent track duty. My guess is down where you live Bert that blower is gonna heat things up pretty quick, and you don't putz around out there.
 

Copenhagen GT

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I have been looking into possiby buying another Corvette C6 ZO6 again - and have tried to research on what ever the internet has to offer comparing the new C7 (not the Z06 as it would be way too expensive in import & registration taxes) with the old C6 ZO6.

As far as I can see, the regular C7 is almost as fast as the old ZO6 ... but the old is still doing really well compared to almost anything except in the interior quality.

I have now however started considering the ZR1 instead - and on a good day I can probably find a perfect 2009-10 ZR1 in the 60-68K range - where a 06-07 Z06 will still cost me around 38-45K for the perfect car.

I know the ZR1 is not much faster than the 06 Z06 - but to me it is a bit more exotic and also pretty cool looking in red or jetstream blue.

To me, the C6 is much prettier than the C7 .....



so many choices to make :biggrin:facepalm:
 
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junior

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C7 ZO6 manual (ZO7 perf. packg. optioned), and don't look back- Just a much better car all the way around.
 

Kayvan

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ZR1 will be more collectible long term
 

FBA

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Don't underestimate the new Z..it's a beast and has all the creature comforts. It's well priced and will hang with the best of them, not to mention it's absolutely stunning! No stock C6 Z06 will be able to beat it on a course, or drag strip.
 

dbk

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No stock C6 Z06 will be able to beat it on a course, or drag strip.

Don't wander into the C7 Z06 section on Corvetteforum then. Multiple freak-out threads of C7Zs racing Vipers, Mustangs, GT-Rs and losing. The power loss issue is definitely real. Stock GT-R vs. Stock C7 Z. First race Z06 wins to 150 mph by 1.5 cars, by race 5 it's even; at race 6 it's losing. And that's in cold December New Jersey air. I'd be really surprised if this doesn't translate to the road course.
 

BAT

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Don't wander into the C7 Z06 section on Corvetteforum then. Multiple freak-out threads of C7Zs racing Vipers, Mustangs, GT-Rs and losing. The power loss issue is definitely real. Stock GT-R vs. Stock C7 Z. First race Z06 wins to 150 mph by 1.5 cars, by race 5 it's even; at race 6 it's losing. And that's in cold December New Jersey air. I'd be really surprised if this doesn't translate to the road course.

Yeah, I was disappointed they had to SC the C7 Z06. Having a few hours behind a C6 Z06 at the track, I was really considering the C7 for a track toy. Not any longer....
 

FBA

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Don't wander into the C7 Z06 section on Corvetteforum then. Multiple freak-out threads of C7Zs racing Vipers, Mustangs, GT-Rs and losing. The power loss issue is definitely real. Stock GT-R vs. Stock C7 Z. First race Z06 wins to 150 mph by 1.5 cars, by race 5 it's even; at race 6 it's losing. And that's in cold December New Jersey air. I'd be really surprised if this doesn't translate to the road course.
That board is full of uneducated and jealous idiots...I don't subscribe to their stupidity. Yes, I have read all about the issues in one thread with over 1000 replies, most of them suppositions from guys who just want to find a reason to stay with their current rides...and who can't speak, write or spell for that matter.

In the example you refer to above, those guys were roll racing...hardly a measure of what the car can do. And we have to assume that the guys knew what they were doing, which I'm quite sure, they didn't. I saw a Viper video in that same thread where some guy in a stock Gen IV was beating everything including bikes...zero credibility there.

I don't believe the car won't blow away the C6 on a course...and while there may be some issues stemming from heat soak, I don't believe their as dramatic as indicated on that board. The Viper board is no better either...
 

dbk

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Time will tell. If it was one thread I'd agree with you, but it's not. That I've seen, it's at least 4 threads with 4 different cars where C7 Z06s are losing in roll races to cars people were expecting it to beat. While roll racing certainly isn't a great reason to pick one car over another, it'd be a pretty big coincidence if it was 4 guys who couldn't drive who were all getting slower from one race to the next. And again, I'm not saying in a one lap road course shootout it wouldn't be much faster than a C6 Z06 because clearly it would. I think it will be capable of monstrous hero laps, but Bert was asking about which car would be better for track duty down in Alabama. It'll be interesting to see what happens after a full session or two in that type of climate between a C6Z and a C7Z.

Car and Driver had the C6 ZR1 trapping higher in the 1/4 and a second ahead to 150 mph to their own C7Z results. Their 2005 instrumented test of the $69,995 C6 Z06 was actually three tenths faster to 150 mph than their instrumented test of a $97,595 C7 Z06. I don't find it that implausible based on all this evidence from various sources that the C7Z and C6Z are very, very close in performance in a straight line. That will certainly matter to some typical Corvette buyers.
 

junior

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ECU factory calibration to "hold" for 100K mile warranty without blowing engines :rofl
 

Sinovac

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So at the end of the day is the C6 with N/A 427 and 320 fewer pounds to tote around gonna be the better road course car vis-a-vis the 2015 650/650 blaster?? Except, of course for the impeccable shifting of the auto tranny.

I think you are spot on. I wouldn't consider any supercharged car for serious road track work. I can't think of any of them, including the FGT, that effectively deal with heat soak over an extended track session in hot ambient temperatures. In my opinion, it's simply the wrong tool for the job.
 

REDEEMED

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So a few questions for C6Z cognoscenti. Given that I want manual 427, which C6 is lightest? ( I have no interest in straight lines---only road courses ) and weight is hugely important to me. Next, is there true progressive improvement in the suspension and magneto-shocks form year to year so that the last C6 was truly better from a suspension point of view? And later on, if one wanted more ponies, the boys in Decatur Indiana can do that--- do TT's have same or less heat soak issues as SC's and who has an estimate what the obesity factor of TT's is? Bert
 

Apollo

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I find myself in a position to comment on this as I have had experience in several of the mentioned cars. I have a bit of track time including schools in the C6 ZR1, C6 Z51, C6 Z06, and C7 Z51 and hope to have some time in one of the new Z06s soon. :thumbsup Here is my opinion based on what I have experienced.:wink

We owned a 2012 Centennial edition Z06 with Z07 package and carbon hood. I spent a lot of time tracking with this car so I know it very well. It was brilliant, and much, much better than the C7 for track use. I almost wish we still had it. I never got an exact weight but it was about 3100lbs. There was a very big difference in the pre 2012/2013 magnetic shocks because they were not available with PTM. In 2012/2013 PTM became available in the Z06 and the magnetic shocks were calibrated to work with the PTM system just like the ZR1. In my opinion, (and several magazine articles), 2012 is when the Z06 became a much faster and better track car than the ZR1. This system is what is being used in the new C7 with the electric diff (not impressed). The tires are narrower on the C7 than the C6 and again in my opinion, most of the performance increase over the old C6 vs the C7 is in the PTM and the new special tire compounds. You can literally mash the gas pedal to the floor before the apex and it will accelerate faster than a pro driver could do on his best effort.( not the same as being faster than a pro driver) :biggrin No more twitchy handling or throttle over rotation. This is not interference but truly an aid to make sure you got the best results and was certainly much safer than without it on such a powerful track car.

If I were looking for an ultimate track / street car, to me it is a 2012/2013 Z06 with Z07 and PTM. We have enough hot days at SM to witness SC and Turbo cars heat up and lose power including ZR1s and I am certain the new Z06... and my bet is that with same tires, the 2012/2013 Z06 would be faster than the new one after a few hard laps just like it was faster than the ZR1.

A couple more observations, 2012 and 2013 Z06 engines seem to have all of the valve and rumored bearing problems solved as well as upgraded cooling and a bigger dry sump tank to help with oil starvation on hard cornering. The Z06 engine is very good, and even though you can pull more power, they do not seem to hold up well to mods.
Hope that helps...:biggrin
 
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Nafod

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Great write up Apollo!

Thanks:thumbsup
 

GKW05GT

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Thanks Terry great write up from a family that knows how to go fast.
 

Sinovac

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Great response Apollo.

Bert, I'll add that you can build a killer N/A LS7 that will provide all the on-track power you'll ever need, all at a reasonable cost too.
 

REDEEMED

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Back to Apollo
You covered EXACTLY the areas I was interested in.
To be very precise, were there any differences between 2012 Z06 Z07 and 2013 Z06 Z07 with regards to suspension or weight? Or anything else that you're aware of for that matter. If 1 finds Z07 package in either of these years, were there any other options to decide on, like Aero? ... or was the Z07 package comprehensive?
I'd run the stock engine, at least initially. And then almost surely keep it N/A.
Looks like the build #s were small, and the 1 I've found so far the guy is still really proud of it!

Thanks for insights. Bert
 

Copenhagen GT

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Interesting read about the Z07 package for the 12-13 Z06s. Do the ZR1 get similar upgrades or are they all created equal from 09 and on?