Well, I guess its official??

[Viperfreak2]

Guys, the safety gurus on the gov't have left us alone because only a few Vipers and a few Ferraris, Lamborghinis and a few Mercedes/Rolls Royces go over the magic 500hp mark. Total volume of all those combined is under 10K. When you think about 10,000 Vettes added we may start to raise some unwanted awareness. So far it's quiet with the gov't, insurance companies and the Inside Edition types. Let's keep it that way. The 70's gas crisis killed the last horsepower war and muscle cars turn into pintos. Let's not end this war, ever!

 

[tattooed]

Like he said!

How do you think Bill Gates became the richest man in the free world? It wasn't by putting out the best product first.

heheh. bill gates has yet to put out any "best product". windows ain't bad, but it is far from great. bill became rich by being a very smart, very ruthless, very saavy businessman.

 

[fluffy]

Bill Gates became rich by breaking the law. He's a criminal, to be no more admired than a thief.

 

[agentf1]

Move over SRT10.

http://www.fast-autos.net/news/8703.html

Of course I will believe it when I see it.

 

[Viperfreak2]

That's some "official" photo!? Same cloaked prototype. VERY SRTish hood! Horrible roof bumps!

 

[Guyver1]

If you ask me, PVO should be on this right now. If the 500hp rumors are true (and many come from very reliable sources) then a Corvette is going to be faster than a Viper for a good 2-3 years.

 

[Janni]

Well, let's be serious here.

The press states the 2005 C6 will have over 400 HP - freaking whoop-de-do

Then the "next model year" the Z06 will have "close to" 500 HP with performance meeting or exceeding the SRT-10.

That's about as wishy washy as announcements get.

We'll be waiting until 2006 for a Z06 that MAY have performance equal to the EXISTING SRT. 3 years for catch-up - not impressive.

Hopefully, that'll be about the time a coupe is in the works at D-C.....

 

[Austin]

Well, let's be serious here.

The press states the 2005 C6 will have over 400 HP - freaking whoop-de-do

Then the "next model year" the Z06 will have "close to" 500 HP with performance meeting or exceeding the SRT-10.

That's about as wishy washy as announcements get.

We'll be waiting until 2006 for a Z06 that MAY have performance equal to the EXISTING SRT. 3 years for catch-up - not impressive.

Hopefully, that'll be about the time a coupe is in the works at D-C.....

I agree with Janni.



Austin

 

[Viperfreak2]

OK, so the Z06 MAY best the SRT a year from now. What about the standard C6? Same HP as the current Z06, but what will the weight reduction be? If they can take 100lbs out of it, and improve the handling....current Z06's are within .5 sec in most tests (0-60, 1/4 mile etc.) I think the bottom line will be sytle and price. The SRT is a beautiful Viper, with C3 Vette hints. The C6 looks like it has a little oragami roof with an SRT hood (minus vents) and the same oversized butt. I am one of the few (I guess) who see a benefit to the SRT's high price. If you can't afford to join the club, buy a Vette. If that club is too steep, buy a Mustang...and so on, Acura, Civic, Kia Rio, used yugo....Same thing the Ferrari and Lambo crowd says about us. No flame to anyone, JMO (unless you drive a RIO)

 

[fluffy]

Unfortunately, I think the new Z06 will best the SRT, that is assuming no changes to the Viper. If GM drops the weight of the Z06 to ~3000 lbs, bumps the horsepower to 475 or so with a nice little displacement increase, and shaves the drag coefficient down to match the C5 coupe (from 0.31 to 0.29) it will be a solid mid-high 11 second car at least. And with the lighter weight, shorter overall length, wider tires and (undoubtedly) better suspension, I think the Z06 will regain the handling and braking crown that has thus far been placed just out of reach by the Viper.

IMO, all PVO needs to do to keep the SRT ahead is to shorten the rear gearing to 3.45 or 3.55, bump horsepower up by about 50, and go on a weight-reduction rampage. Cut another 100 lbs or so (even if it raises the price of the car by $4k or $5k) by using balsa, carbon fiber and lightweight metals where possible, and the corvette will be once again trailing.

But when all is said and done, the 'vette is still a blandly styled coupe with wanna-be SRT and NSX design cues, and the SRT is a bad-ass roadster.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Fluffy, there is one fact you may not be aware of. Have you ever wondered why Chevy does not just crank up the horsepower? Surely they have the technology to do so. One major reason is that there has been a GM directive for many years that no GM car will violate the gas guzzler standard. That fact alone, which so far Lutz does not seem able to combat, (He has won every other war) will eliminate ANY possibility of a Vette approaching 500hp. Ain't gonna happen unless they change the rules.

 

[fluffy]

Yeah I know about the gas guzzler policy. And to be frank, I don't think they will make 500hp. But I also don't think we can be complacent about it. The word is 6.4 liters, and that is more than enough to push the Z06 to 450 - 475 hp without sacrificing gas milage, and with a few tricks 500 is possible. Couple that with shorter gearing, lighter weight and better aerodynamics and I don't think we can afford to count the vette out. I have no doubt at all that the new base model will be breathing down the gen II's throat, and the Z06 will easily beat the GTS in performance and probably the SRT as well.

The Viper is America's exotic, and I want it to stay on top. Even if GM introduces a "super vette" with 7 liters, 500 hp and a $100,000 price tag it will still just be a vette, and I don't want the Viper to play second fiddle to anything. The Ford GT is going to be stiff competition from above (but I think we'll take it, stock for stock), but we don't need it stiff from below too. In the coming GT/Viper/vette war, I want the viper to stay on top.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Even at 6.4L GM has to increase the performance from 71 hp/L to 78 hp/L to get to 500 hp. That is a lot to ask from a pushrod v8. The Viper, on the other hand, is 56 hp/L for the Gen II and 60 hp/L for the Gen III.

I predict more like 450 hp for the future Z06 with 390/390 RWHP/RWTQ. With the gearing and lower weight that should scare Gen II's but I think equally geared Gen III's should withstand the challenge. That is based on the Z06 being 7.9 lb/RWHP and the Gen III at 7.6. Getting too close for me.

 

[Viperfreak2]

Like he said....too close! A lazy shift, or a split second hesitation and the Vette wins? That would really ****. I will start saving my pennies for the GenIII supercharger from Roe.