I drove a C7 today.

[heath1225]

The local billionaire just got his new C7 Z51, to add to his world class car collection, which includes a Ferrari 599 GTO, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 997 Turbo S, 911 Twin Turbo, Panamera Turbo, COPO Camaro, Mercedes S65 AMG, and more classic cars and his drag cars (just broke the world record in the Super Street 10.5 class- 241mph in the 1/4). And he is 85 years old. I was driving down the highway near his garage and he waved for me to stop in. I had never met him before. He was just admiring the car. Vipers even attract the people that already have it all, I guess. He asked if I wanted to see his new Corvette and I said sure. I asked if he wanted to take it for a spin and he said he had something to do, but told me to take it out myself. How could I say no? lol

So, for the Vette.... Its nice. Very nice. The interior was very nice. It was comfortable. The speedometer display on the windshield was pretty cool as well. It was an automatic and it changed gears incredibly fast and smooth. Comparable to the Porsche 997 he owns. It sounded great and handled great and the brakes were excellent. The only thing I was disappointed in was the power. I know its the base c7 engine. But with all the hype, I guess I just expected more. I drove it in sport and track mode, with and without traction control. With traction control on, it took off pretty fast, but not like my 97 Viper. Seemed to sputter some, but I guess that was to prevent spinning. With no traction control it spun a little in first, but thats it. Still, not as fast as my Viper, even with the Viper spinning in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd. For comparison, my friend met me out later in his heads, headers, exhaust, cold air intake, and tuned ZO6, and his was much fast than the C7. He also went for a ride in my Viper and remarked on how fast it was.

All in all, its a great car. It looks good, has a great interior, sounds awesome, handles awesome, brakes awesome. For the price, it cant be beat. I wouldnt take it for my Viper though.

 

[Vipes]

Talk about being in the right place at the right time, awesome!

 

[Allan]

Wow. to test drive the new car without a sales guy breathing down your neck.
That's killer.

Good to hear your old 97 can slap the crap out of it.

The Corvette is the best car on the planet...........for the money.
like it or not.

But that being said, I would never chose any Corvette (ZR1 / Z06 included) over any Viper.
I have a C6 for a daily driver, And I will not trade it for a C7.

 

[heath1225]

My 97 isn't stock, just bolt ons basically, but its not got a fortune dumped in it. You're right though, for the money its the best.

 

[heath1225]

I have actually driven his 997 turbo, when his son had it out. Its been nodded and produces 640 whp and is AWD. Now that is a bad car. After driving it my car feels a little slower. LOL

 

[Allan]

Yeah, I hate those turbo P-cars.
They are one of the few cars that can pull away from me on the straights or out of the corners.

Those things are way fast.

.....makes me consider the head/cam upgrade to be able to slap those cars silly down the straight.

 

[v10enomous]

I got behind a gray one the other day out on the road in my DD and it's no Viper... that's for sure. The car is sort of strange looking from behind and it's not the tail lights. There is something about the way the rear glass tapers to the center and intersects with that big flattish rear fascia. The further back you get the weirder it looks. The C7 looks better in pictures than in person imo. I guess the guy was going easy because I didn't hear a thing. It's a Cute car

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[PDCjonny]

The power versions are coming, that you can bank on. I know several guys waiting to see what the Z07 is going to do and are ready to buy.

 

[Nine Ball]

Any bets that the higher-hp Z07 or ZR1 will be released, and will have performance modifications released, sooner than Mopar offers any performance parts for the Gen V Viper?

C7 is a great car for the money. The higher hp C7's will be no joke.

 

[DrumrBoy]

I saw some spy photos of the Z07 in an auto mag this weekend....can't see much because of all the camouflage but ptognostication suggested 550 crank HP. More importantly, if they're testing it now, it will likely be released this time next year. Nobody really knows, but its pretty light and perhaps with a little more juice from the factory those things are going to be pretty bad for straight-from-the-showroom rides.

 

[Nine Ball]

Loose rumor mill is hinting at the Z07 being a 5.5L supercharged "LT4" with the direct injection, roughly 600 hp. The ZR1 is likely to have twin-turbos and 700 hp.

SRT better get on the ball.

 

[heath1225]

I had heard the ZO7 will be a 6.2L twin turbo..... That would be pretty awesome. If that's the case what could the ZR1 be!?

 

[DrumrBoy]

If that's the case what could the ZR1 be!?

Bada** ;-)

 

[Paul Hawker]

Still a dog...compared to a twin turbo Viper. (aftermarket of course)

 

[Camfab]

If they come out with twins on the Vette, I'd say it's curtains for the Viper. Without an ACR version with a serious powerplant GM will sew the game up. It's great to see GM kicking some serious butt.

 

[Allan]

Chevrolet is out for blood.

Even the word out on the new Z-28 Camaro is intimidating. (for the Mustang guys)
LS-7 powered monster built for the track.

For us, the new Corvettes are nothing to laugh at anymore. -not that they have been recently anyway.
I still think the Viper in any form or generation is so much cooler, but you can't deny the Corvette's performance -at any price point.

 

[slowhatch]

Regardless it wont be called the Z07, it will remain Z06. You guys forget when the C5 Z06s came out they were supposed to be called the Z07s, and C6s, etc. Z06 is a motorsport heritage name, it would be idiotic to change it.

 

[PDCjonny]

Still a dog...compared to a twin turbo Viper. (aftermarket of course)

Which is a dog, compared to a twin turbo Gallardo.

 

[Caesar!]

Dont like the look of the new C7... The C6 Zo6 Looks good...but still nothing looks like a Viper and the new GTS Viper..Honestly looks pretty dam good.. next to my 97 GTS of course

 

[V10TT]

A TT Vette from factory with all the GM support for the aftermarket will be a BAD ****!, just look at how fast the GTRs (factory turbo cars with ton of aftermarket support)are now.

The viper will just become the "American Aston Martin".

 

[ViperSmith]

Chevy has done a great job with the C7.

The exterior just isn't for me though. Something about it isn't compelling.

But overall, it is leaps and bounds greater than the C6.

 

[heath1225]

The interior is as nice as any car I have been in, and this includes the best Porsches and Mercedes.

 

[ACRSNK]

Looks are one thing, but based on bang for the buck, kind of tuff to beat. I wonder just what they are going to do with their new and upcoming performance models. All I can say is if this SRT team doesn't get their act together, they will be facing some serious problems with the upcoming "performance model vettes".

 

[Invasivore]

I personally think before the Viper starts upping the power, they should start upgrading the brakes. They have been behind the pack in braking since the beginning.

 

[speedracervr4]

The brakes are much improved on the Gen IV and V.

 

[Invasivore]

The brakes are much improved on the Gen IV and V.

Yes Improved, but still comfortably behind the 2009 ZR1 brakes. I would have expected a 2013 Viper to have at least equaled the quality

 

[JeffInDFW]

I'm a Viper owner, never owned a Corvette. But, there are things I am -really- impressed with when it comes to the Corvettes. As mentioned, the ZR1 (and later the Z06 with the Z07 package) carbon ceramic brakes are simply unbelievable. GM also invested in their magnetic fluid shocks, and kept improving them. I was not impressed with the first generation of these shocks, but the generation that went on the ZR1 was excellent. Ferrari buys these from GM. The ZL1 Camaro got the NEXT generation, and they are truely incredible at what they do to a car being pushed hard. Third, GM engineers spent an insane amount of time/money over the course of years to refine what they call "Performance Traction Management". It is far beyond any traction control system I have ever experienced. I finally got the chance to experience this system on track, and it took me quite a few laps to get to where I could make myself trust it. But toward the end of the day, I was finally able to let the system do its magic. You basically go full throttle at the apex, and the PTM puts down exactly the max power the track can take. But, it also makes you feel like superman in that the car no longer scares the crap out of you. I remember when the Z06 came out in 2006. That car scared the crap out of me when at 9/10ths. FINALLY, the new Corvette Z51 has the new electronic differential. Again, developed entirely in house at GM. The more I read about this new e-diff, the more I am amazed at what it can do. I have NOT driven one yet, but I have seen the test results. It is very clear that this electronic diff gives the new Corvette a huge advantage on track.

Magnetic Shocks. Carbon Ceramic brakes. Performance Traction Management. Electronic Differential. All these systems are IMO superior to what is offered in the new Gen V Viper. We should know what the new Z07 will offer here in 2 months. For the first time, I am seriously considering buying a Corvette. But, I have to admit, there is just something about my 96 GTS that makes it really hard to think of selling it after having owned it since it was 6 months old!

 

[DrumrBoy]

Don't sell the GTS!!!! just add a corvette or two

 

[Viper4Christ]

Chevrolet is out for blood.

Even the word out on the new Z-28 Camaro is intimidating. (for the Mustang guys)
LS-7 powered monster built for the track.

For us, the new Corvettes are nothing to laugh at anymore. -not that they have been recently anyway.
I still think the Viper in any form or generation is so much cooler, but you can't deny the Corvette's performance -at any price point.

If SRT would unlock the PCM on these cars it would do a world of good to say the least. Their stubbornness over the last five years with the Gen IV and V models is costing them business as far as I can see, who wants to spend the $$$ for a new Gen V and be restricted to stock for the most part? Again, just my personal view but I think SRT underestimated the new generation of muscle from other auto makers when making the Gen V car and the results are showing...