Edmunds American Exotic Test

[ENZO BTR]

Hey guys, we posted our American Exotics test today (actually yesterday, since it's early Saturday morning). You'll notice wonkawonka's car in much of the photography, but the Tungsten car was used for all the video shooting (and testing).

Here's the link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=108567/pageId=67618

I'll wreck the suspense and say that the Corvette Z06 won. Because we use a formula for our tests that takes price into account there's just no getting around the $100,000 advantage the Corvette has over the GT. We only counted price for 10% of the total score, but the Z06 was pretty close in performance and better in feature content (things like real cargo space and stability control). So even if price wasn't a factor the Corvette probably would have won.

Of course, this is based on playing by the rules and using the logical side of your brain (which we have to do for all of our comparison tests). Obviously you know which car I think is the best one, even with the Corvette's price advantage.

Oh yeah, the Viper got spanked. Slowest, worst build quality, lowest feature content and hardest to get in and out of. Plus we felt like the handling is almost too conservative now. Dodge needs to give it a major upgrade.

Anyway, check it out if you get a chance. :thumbsup

 

[dbk]

Good stuff. Wonka's car looks to be hauling ass in some of those shots. I definitely never thought I'd hear the handling of a Viper compared to that of a Neon!

The Z06 is a great car. You can't beat it...for the money. I'm still waffling on buying one in the spring, but something about it just makes me shrug my shoulders (what kind of performance car world is it that I can say that?). Having done the high-rev, big cube Vette thing already, and seeing your same car 50 times a day, I think the "holy shit" factor just isn't there for me. It's impressive on so many levels, but the ones that count the most which you just can't calculate, come up short.

 

[wonkawonka]

Nice picts
The guy driving the white car looks familiar. :cheers

I understand that you need properly structured tests, but you're looking for CUPHOLDERS in supercars? Come on, Karl. :ack

 

[mardyn]

There's absolutely no doubt that the Corvette is the best deal when it comes to the performance/dollar ratio... they're outstanding in that regard... but it's still only a Corvette... and until they put the engine in the middle, and make it a true exotic... I just don't have much interest in one.

It's still the Ford GT that blows my dress up! :biggrin

mardyn

 

[1418]

Damn it!!!

Who sells aftermarket cupholders?

All kidding aside, the chevy is a great car,but in my opinion it's just not as great as the Ford GT.

I'm off to K-mart, maybe they got 'em
Manny #1418

 

[ByeEnzo]

I had a 2001 Z-06 and just traded it in on a '05 GT (#421, white/blue stripes). I considered upgrading to a C-6 Z-06, but after sitting in one, it looked just my old car from the interior. The body styling did nothing for me. I own a '67 big block Stingray and GM tried to go retro but missed the mark with their styling. Looks too much like a Viper to me. I love the styling of the GT inside and out. The toggle switches and starter button are very similar to my '62 XKE coupe, another favourite automotive icon, IMHO. I see a bunch of C-5 and C-6 cars on the road daily, but have yet to come across a Ford GT. Yes it costs at least $80-100K more but the "coolness" factor and superior construction influenced my decision. I had previously considered supercharging my '01 Z-06 and would have gotten close to the RWHP the GT puts out, but still would have to deal with all the other gremlins that the car had (faulty relays, elec. windows, and an oil burner to boot). My Corvette mechanics drove my GT yesterday and were tripping all over their tongues. We are all impressed by the level torque all the way from the bottom up. I accept the lack of storage, poor visibility, no cup holder, no glove box, and lack of mats, etc. This car is the "bomb" in my opinion. I was lucky to find a post-recall car at an Autonation dealership 2 miles from my house. It had the lower $156K MSRP. I was able get my asking trade-in value on my Vette and also $5K off sticker. Must have been the end of year pressure to sell the car, plus and abundant supply of cars out there. I'm getting a Lojack installed and had a "clearshield" type product applied to protect against paint dings. Looking forward to lots of happy motoring.

 

[4ord GT]

Well said ByeEnzo.

 

[B O N Y]

ByeEnzo, agreed, plus you appear to be quite the horse trader, well done!! :biggrin

 

[50 BMG]

:thumbsup Good article.

 

[saber]

So let me understand this correctly, the Ford GT won every performance related test (except braking but including transmission) but it lost in an Exotics Performance Comparison Test. The word exotic does not mean best bargain, cup holders, climate control design or cargo space.
Exotic (Encyclopedia) means Intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange, not practical in the conventional sense: “If something can be explained simply, in a familiar way, then it is best to avoid more exotic explanations”

While I cannot debate the articles conclusion, what I am suggesting is that the name of the test should have been best all around American two seat car comparison.

In addition, most of the forum members appear to have experience with racing cars in one way or another, including myself. The performance difference of 4 tenths of sec in 0-60 faster, 2 tenths of sec in qtr and 2 mph faster, 1.2 mph higher slalom mph, and a full half a sec faster overall lap times are significant differences. To me they are not, "pretty close in performance"

There was almost a dozen references in the "exotic" test to price, bargains or practicality, for example "The Corvette is simply the best performance bargain in the history” and “and it's a no-brainer daily driver” and “the fact that it blends into traffic far more easily than its opposition” Come on now is this really an exotic comparision test or is it a all around car test.

I am just taking issue with the name of the article. :confused
Happy Holidays

Performance
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Dodge Viper SRT10 Ford GT
Zero-to-60-mph acc, sec. 4.41 4.93 4.01
Quarter-mile acceleration, sec. 12.0 12.6 11.8
Quarter-mile speed, mph. 123.9 117.4 125.9
60-to-0-mph braking, ft. 106.52 108.44 115.49
600-ft slalom, mph 68.3 67.6 69.5
Max G's on a 200-ft Skidpad 0.92 0.95 0.92
Lap Time Willow Springs 1.33.04 1.33.30 1.32.45
Max Speed on Raceway, mph 141.0 139.1 140.9

 

[Kirby Vieira]

Exotic Test

IMHO, there is no important comparison other than price which favors the Z06 over the GT, and very few car people would prefer to have a Z06 rather than a GT if price were no object. With that said, I am high on a dealer list for a 2006 Z06 and 1st on that dealer's list for a 2007 Z06 because each year there will be a better Z06, and it will be a great car to drive until the next model is available. The GT is a keeper.

 

[samthejeepman]

all great points and comments
bottom line: what will this "new zo6" be worth in 3 years, in comparison with the rare, limited production "gt"
look at the last model zo6 !!!!!

sam
#1451 red/white

 

[FGT4me]

I also have a ZO6 on order for my daily driver.
A 2003 Viper was my daily driver previously.

The GT is in an entirely different category.

The ZO6 has more functionality, like my truck. I won't care if you see them everywhere 'cause I won't be trying to get noticed when I'm in it. Just reasonably priced transportation for a guy who likes some performance in his transportation.

 

[B O N Y]

I also have a ZO6 on order for my daily driver.
A 2003 Viper was my daily driver previously.

The GT is in an entirely different category.

The ZO6 has more functionality, like my truck. I won't care if you see them everywhere 'cause I won't be trying to get noticed when I'm in it. Just reasonably priced transportation for a guy who likes some performance in his transportation.

ditto, same here, I expect the Z06 to be a great grocery getter, hope to see mine towards the middle of 2006.

 

[Paul Vincent]

For me, what this brings to mind is the countless (over the years) magazine comparison tests involving a Corvette and some Porsche where the Vette wins the performance categories but the Porsche is declared winner of the comparison because of subjective categories (nicer interior, we like the steering input, etc.). Something tells me that the Edmunds comparison isn't considered any victory by many Z06 fans, and that they'd trade it any day for: faster 0-60 times, a quicker quarter mile time/ higher mph in the quarter mile, higher top end speed, etc.

 

[saber]

That is a good point. Remember 1/10th of a second roughly translates into a car length at the speeds we are comparing, so look at the 0-60 mph time difference and equate that to car lengths. By the way, I also have a Z06 on order myself because I am a covette fan and want the performance in a car I can drive on a regular basis. I am just not sure when people say one car doesnt "smoke" another because it is only 4/10ths of a second faster in 0 to 60 they really understand what a big difference that is. When you have cars performing at these levels, the performance differences we are reading about are significant. It is all relative.

 

[ENZO BTR]

It's true. If you stood at the end of a quarter-mile dragstrip and watched two cars race, and one car pulled an 11.8 and the other pulled a 12.0, the car that pulled the 12.0 would look really slow (even though a 12.0-second quarter-mile is flying).

 

[SteveA]

It's true. If you stood at the end of a quarter-mile dragstrip and watched two cars race, and one car pulled an 11.8 and the other pulled a 12.0, the car that pulled the 12.0 would look really slow (even though a 12.0-second quarter-mile is flying).

Then some know-it-all would pop off with the standard "dude, that guy got smoked". :bored