Z06 does it really have a chance?

[Awsum GT]

I heard the White with Blue striped GT's are the fastest of all of the GT's.

 

[50 BMG]

I heard the ones with the speed limiters removed were...

 

[B O N Y]

white GT's without the center strip are faster because of they weigh less :biggrin :biggrin :biggrin :thumbsup



I have a Z06 on order, way down on the list, but confirmed. I am expecting it to be quite civilized and will use it as a daily driver. I had a C5 and drove it 92k in one year. :thumbsup


I think they are two different cars, and are both great. It would be great to see
a GT on the Ring in the hands of a top driver.

 

[fordification]

it'd be really great to see a review from you sometime, comparing the two.

 

[SLF360]

Z06 vs GT

During a recent test on a tight track in western Michigan, the Z06 easily embarrassed the new Dodge Viper coupe and ran within 0.3 seconds (on a 92-second lap) of the hairy chested Ford GT. :biggrin

 

[centerpunch]

During a recent test on a tight track in western Michigan, the Z06 easily embarrassed the new Dodge Viper coupe and ran within 0.3 seconds (on a 92-second lap) of the hairy chested Ford GT. :biggrin

Details on page 54 of the November issue of Automobile Magazine, where they conclude (as you would expect) that if price is no object, the Ford GT is the one to choose, but if price is a factor, the Z06 is the choice.

 

[dbk]

Details on page 54 of the November issue of Automobile Magazine, where they conclude (as you would expect) that if price is no object, the Ford GT is the one to choose, but if price is a factor, the Z06 is the choice.

Is this currently on newstands? What is on the cover? :cheers

 

[centerpunch]

I received my subscriber copy today, it should be on the newstands soon, I suppose...

 

[dbk]

I received my subscriber copy today, it should be on the newstands soon, I suppose...

Drooooool. Who wins???? Can you scan in the stats... :eek I ran to B&N but they still had the Solstice issue.

P.S, is it just me, or have the tests of the SRT-10 been exceedingly poor? I saw C&D got 12.5@117? How is that even possible? I can understand one piss poor test out of MT, but there has yet to be a decent, or even Vert matching test of the coupe. :confused

 

[centerpunch]

Z06 4.1 0-60, 12.0 1/4 mile, 1:32.75 lap at Gingerman
Viper 4.3 0-60, 12.4 1/4 mile, 1:33.95 lap
Ford GT 3.8 0-60, 12.2 1/4 mile, 1:32.45 lap

 

[dbk]

Excellent! Good to see the GT won the road course battle, and going by the cover, the looks. Too damn good looking in Tungsten. :thumbsup Did they rank em 1-2-3?

 

[satx]

what were the trap speeds in the 1/4?

 

[centerpunch]

It wasn't really a test, it was more of a driving comparison. They don't list the 1/4 mile trap speeds.

There were three drivers: Executive Editor Mark Gillies, Technical Editor Don Sherman, Assistant Editor Rusty Blackwell.

Everyone loves the GT, because it feels and looks so special. Sherman would take it, because "it is the most collectible, the most exotic, and I would keep it for the rest of my life as a valuable heirloom to pass on. Plus it's great to drive."

Blackwell would take the Z06: "If I could afford a car like this, I would want to drive it a lot. It's such a stealth car, you could stay under the radar with it, it's easy top drive day to day, but it's nearly as quick as the GT."

Me? (Gillies) I love all three. Were money no object, it would be the GT. But for most of us, money is an object. Someone like me could afford a Z06 as a toy for track days and for blasting through the countryside.

 

[ENZO BTR]

Yee-haa! :banana I knew this test was coming and I was waiting to see how the Z06 did. Obviously an amazing car...but Ford GT is still faster/more capable.

I really feel bad for the Viper. It used to be quicker than the Corvette but a bit more difficult to take as a daily driver. Now it's slower, more raw, and it costs more. I'm a huge Viper fan, but it just seems like the car has been one-upped by the Z06 :frown (and don't get me started on what the GT has done to it :biggrin ).

Thanks for posting the figures! :thumbsup

 

[FordGTGuy]

why do other mags get 11.7 when this one gets 12.2? :willy

we need to get one of you gt owners to get to the track or use some of those electronic toys! :banana

 

[w. mitty]

I havn't read the article yet, but the synopsis as set forth in this thread seems to be just what I expected -- GT is superior, but is it worth the price over the Corvette? That is a question that has no right answer, except on an individual and personal basis. As for me, the GT offers so many things that the Z06 cannot touch, primarily in the engineering department.

The GT vs. ZO6 debate is one that will go on and on ... the real test would be the following: If someone were to offer you a Ford GT or a ZO6, for no cost, with the only restriction being that you could not resell the car you chose, which would it be? I suspect that if the Corvette guys were being honest, they'd do exactly what we did, go with the GT. :thumbsup

 

[centerpunch]

I'm too lazy to scan the whole thing, but I found it here (scroll to bottom):

http://www.supercars.net/PitLane?viewThread=y&gID=0&fID=0&tID=57302&bottom=20

 

[bitzman]

Z06 fun to drive but...

I only drov ethe last gen Z06 so my comments aren't 100% applicable to the new one. I found it a sweet car that can be driven in traffic with no problem and yet, on a back mountain road, driven like a Ferrari race car.

But the Ford GT engineers told me they had a C5 Z06 for comparison and just tabled it, it wasn't built with the same dedication toward making a car as much like a race car as you can. Admittedly the new one with alloy frame is a big step forward, but it bols down to physics,
the mid-engined car has a lower polar moment of inertia.

Besides Chevy always shoots themselves in the foot with tacky plastic looking interiors and badges that look like rodeo cowboy belt buckles

 

[ENZO BTR]

I havn't read the article yet, but the synopsis as set forth in this thread seems to be just what I expected -- GT is superior, but is it worth the price over the Corvette? That is a question that has no right answer, except on an individual and personal basis. As for me, the GT offers so many things that the Z06 cannot touch, primarily in the engineering department.

The GT vs. ZO6 debate is one that will go on and on ... the real test would be the following: If someone were to offer you a Ford GT or a ZO6, for no cost, with the only restriction being that you could not resell the car you chose, which would it be? I suspect that if the Corvette guys were being honest, they'd do exactly what we did, go with the GT. :thumbsup

Excellent way to put it. You can argue cost all you want (as I'm sure the Corvette guys will do...), but that's thinking with your "right" brain, :ack and when you're talking about cars like this we know it's a purely "left" brain appeal -- no matter what the MSRP is. I agree that nobody would turn down a GT over a Z06 if price wasn't a factor...and assuming they were being honest with the questioneer and themselves. And that pretty much says it all.

 

[wonkawonka]

Excellent way to put it. You can argue cost all you want (as I'm sure the Corvette guys will do...), but that's thinking with your "right" brain, :ack and when you're talking about cars like this we know it's a purely "left" brain appeal -- no matter what the MSRP is. I agree that nobody would turn down a GT over a Z06 if price wasn't a factor...and assuming they were being honest with the questioneer and themselves. And that pretty much says it all.

Agreed. It all boils down to the following:
A car is defined by 3 dimensions: price, performance and looks.

I define performance by "the way it is used", not only its top speed or acceleration.
It is understood that those dimensions aren't completely orthogonal (i.e. they affect each other), where for example a car with very high top speed will need a shape that minimizes air friction. However, a human brain will consider those dimensions as quite distinct.

The other interesting point is that the most subjective dimension of all is not the obvious one. Price is much more subjective than design appeal, i.e. its importance can vary enormously on a case by case basis. $100k is nothing for someone making $5MM/yr. Design appeal on the other hand has some objective component, such as certain culturally understood canons of beauty.

So in the case of comparing the Z06 to the GT, the Z06 wins big on price, is close on performance, and is widely agreed to be significantly inferior in looks.

For someone who considers price to be a non-factor , it's therefore pretty clear that the GT will crush the Z06 considering today's view of car design appeal.