Vettes fun/easy to drive?
08-09-2003, 09:39 PM
#1
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Vettes fun/easy to drive?
Are C5 vettes easy and fun to drive? I know they are fun straight line, but when it comes to the corners do you have always be careful?
08-09-2003, 09:47 PM
#2
I was at the Autoshow in Motion today in Alameda and got to drive a C5 coupe. I get in. And everything fit like a glove. The position of the steering wheel, the shifter, gas/brake/clutch pedals. The course was pretty nice. A long straight, 180 degree turn and a short slalom. This thing is fast. And my next car will be a Z06 or the 500hp C6 
. I have a new appreciation for Vettes. I liked them before. I love them now. I feel slightly bad for wanting my black S2K to be a yellow Z06.
. I have a new appreciation for Vettes. I liked them before. I love them now. I feel slightly bad for wanting my black S2K to be a yellow Z06.
08-09-2003, 09:59 PM
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Heh, I remember the video that was floating around here a few months ago of a stock C5 owning a Motorsport Elise on the Nurb'ring... The Elise def had an advantage in the corners but it wasn't night and day. C5's can handle quite well in the right hands. Seeing that vid made me think that perhaps many people put too much stock into those "WORLD'S BEST HANDLING CAR" articles that pop up all the time in the magazines.
At Mid-Ohio one time there was a guy with an S2000 that destroyed Boxsters, Corvettes, some 911's and other really fast cars too. Don't remember his name. This guy also raced a Camaro and did insanely well too. What it boils down to is that the driver matters a lot more than the car sometimes. That's the real difference. If you don't know what you are doing, in any fast car you = pwnd.
At Mid-Ohio one time there was a guy with an S2000 that destroyed Boxsters, Corvettes, some 911's and other really fast cars too. Don't remember his name. This guy also raced a Camaro and did insanely well too. What it boils down to is that the driver matters a lot more than the car sometimes. That's the real difference. If you don't know what you are doing, in any fast car you = pwnd.
08-10-2003, 08:28 AM
#6
If you put some good shoes (tires) on the C5, it will handle very nicely. I did not understand the depth and amazing ability of my C5 until I put on some R compound race tires. Man, did that wake up the cars very neutral balance and amazing grip. 
08-10-2003, 11:18 AM
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the run flats that come on the car....is that a soft compound tire. I always thought that they came with the Goodyear Eagle F1 which is the second best non-R compd tire good year makes.
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08-10-2003, 11:33 AM
#8
The run-flats are NOT very good tires. The next gen runflats are supposed to be better. Those will be on the C6. The Goodyear Eagle F1 supercar tires that come on the Z06 are very, very nice tires! I actually have those on my Coupe now as I bought them off a friend when he got his '03 Z06 and wanted aftermarket wheels/tires. Big, big performance difference! Then going from the Goodyear F1 to actually R compound race tires is another huge jump up!
Another thing, the runflats are very loud tires, that have very stiff sidewalls which significantly affects ride quality. Going from a runflat to a non-runflat will give you a quieter and smoother ride with better handling. Only downside is if you get a big flat that can't be fixed with a quick plug kit, you're in deep kimshi.
Another thing, the runflats are very loud tires, that have very stiff sidewalls which significantly affects ride quality. Going from a runflat to a non-runflat will give you a quieter and smoother ride with better handling. Only downside is if you get a big flat that can't be fixed with a quick plug kit, you're in deep kimshi.
08-10-2003, 03:30 PM
#10
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I just did an auto-x practice (plenty of laps) with my new bone-stock Z06 yesterday. I have to say it was amazingly neutral compared to my old S2000. Where you have to watch the S to avoid unrecoverable oversteer, the Z is a pussycat. The only thing is I needed better throttle control than I had in the S. That's what I was practicing for and now I can say the throttle response is fantastic. Plenty of modulation.
When it got out of shape it recovered more like a Miata. My old S, with stock tires, alignment, etc. was a huge handful. That's not just my opinion but also that of the hotshoes who tried mine.
I know the standard C5 is hampered by those run-flat tires. I'm told that's the biggest difference in the Z06, at least at auto-x.
Now give someone who can't drive well a Z and wait briefly for the accident when he drops the hammer... Of course, they'd still be okay if they leave the active handling / traction control on.
I also got a ride on the same course in the 2001 National Champ's (Leslie Cohen, SS-L) Z06, but driven by Mark Duerst. That beast was just a little bit MORE everywhere. My best practice lap was still over 4 seconds slower than Leslie's (I imagine the Hoosiers, Koni's, and alignment on hers makes up the difference).
When it got out of shape it recovered more like a Miata. My old S, with stock tires, alignment, etc. was a huge handful. That's not just my opinion but also that of the hotshoes who tried mine.
I know the standard C5 is hampered by those run-flat tires. I'm told that's the biggest difference in the Z06, at least at auto-x.
Now give someone who can't drive well a Z and wait briefly for the accident when he drops the hammer... Of course, they'd still be okay if they leave the active handling / traction control on.
I also got a ride on the same course in the 2001 National Champ's (Leslie Cohen, SS-L) Z06, but driven by Mark Duerst. That beast was just a little bit MORE everywhere. My best practice lap was still over 4 seconds slower than Leslie's (I imagine the Hoosiers, Koni's, and alignment on hers makes up the difference).