C7 Z06 owners experience/impressions

Bought one new in '14 - z51 auto, 3lt.

I kept it until last year (40k miles) when it became financially irresponsible not to sell it. Completely trouble free and much more solid than the couple of c6's I had.

I don't track my cars, but I thought the car handled well and was more than fast enough.

Probably not much help, but I thoroughly enjoyed mine and had covid not turned the world upside down I'd probably still have it.

 

Sorry Mr. Chupacabra, somehow I missed the zo6 part of the title.

 

Former 2016 Z06 Z07 owner here. Owned one from 2016 to 2019 when I got my ZR1. Z06 is an absolutely fantastic car. Corners and accelerates unbelievably. Has a beautiful sound. You can dial in the ride and handling that fits your mood or the occasion. It was dependable and in 3 years, other than gas, oil changes and tires, it needed nothing. The Michelins did seem to wear out quickly, I think a typical set lasted somewhere between 5 and 7k miles. I do not think there is a downside to ownership.

 

have a 19. amazing car, sounds great, no traction under 60. cameras are outdated by today's standards. not a single problem.

 

Bought a 19 as a daily and got rid of it 6 months later. It would be an amazing track day car though. The motor sounds just amazing and the shifter is nicely weighted. What drove me up a wall was the throttle input would always change each time you went to take off in the car. This is due to Chevy using a truck throttle body. The second thing that bothered me was the power/chassis. It just was not designed well enough to put the power it has down. By the time you get traction with gradual throttle application you are well beyond the posted speed limit (highway limit). Having all that power and not being able to utilize it just led to frustration when I would drive it. If it’s a weekend car this May not be a problem. The thing that broke the stew for me was it developed a rattle after 100 miles and wouldn’t go away.


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Image Unavailable, Please Login I've got a 2013 427 convertible which only came in manual. It's got a mild BTR stage 2 cam, long tube headers, cold air intake which I bought in Jan 2021 with 6800 miles. Just put on new contis extreme contact sports to replace the original Michelins and it helps to have fresh rubber.

Car handles great, sounds nuts when the exhaust opens above 3500rpm. It's plenty fast and I haven't taken the traction control off yet.

After driving my Boxer 12K miles, my 308 28K miles and Jag XKE for 14 years and TVR for 33 years I wanted a muscle car of sorts.

I would not DD it, but I would not dd any sports car, I have them for fun and drive them that way.

If the c8 had a manual I might have tried to get one but I'm not there yet.

 

Have a 19 Zo6. Nice car, sounds great. Has no traction under hwy speed. The user interface is dated as well. Only have 8k miles on mine and its worth more than what I paid new. I agree with the poster above that it makes a descent weekend car or track duty.

 

Had a ‘19 Z06 3LT. Liked it a bunch. Was comfortable with plenty of grunt. Not as big as C8, which is a good thing for some.

I miss the car as could drive anywhere without any worries. Think it’s a great used car value.

 

I own a 2015 Z06 with Z07 package. Have 33k miles on it.

Personally I like the car a lot, it's quite fast.

Comparing it to my 812 Superfast though it's a different world. The Z06 is more brutish, has less visibility and in general doesn't deliver the same road feel and control that the 812 has. Obviously the engines are worlds apart. Overall once I got the 812 I stopped putting miles on the Z06. Probably going to list it for sale next week.

All that being said I'm getting a C8 Z06 to play around with. I'm hoping they've taken it to the next level.

 

Before buying the F430 I test drove the C7 Grandsport and Z06. Based on a test drive, the Grandsport (MT), was great, but felt a bit dull in city driving. When I tried the Z06, it honestly scared me. I felt like I couldn't give it full power because I'd feel the back end twitch on me with every shift; and not in the nice chirp way, as in wanted to really let go. Decided it wasn't for me; as I'd probably get myself killed in it with the way I like to drive during spirited runs. I had high hopes because back in 2010 I'd rent the Hertz Z06 convertible during my rotations home, and it was a blast.

My next sports car is going to be that C8 Z06, I'm really excited about it. Hadn't been this pumped about a car since searching for my first (only) Ferrari. Plan to sell/trade my F430 for it once the flippers and high rollers are done doing their thing with the first waves that get produced.

 

For AutoX I’d go with the Grandsport. I watched and read a bunch of reviews when I researched them; from the impression the Grandsport was best all around on the track for most people. It has been a few years since I researched them, and I haven’t owned either of them, so curious to see what others impressions are.

 

Honestly, this is the first corvette I ever have owned. I drove a few stock versions and bought this car sight unseen after many conversations with the PO who was a really good person and had loads of videos, pictures, the build and answered all my questions.

I have never driven a C7. I like the looks of the C6 and wanted the 427 convertible for Florida as I just love the motor. I currently have the car up in NY to really appreciate it for more than straight line speed. It does not disappoint, but even though I consider myself a decent driver I can never come close to exploring this cars limits on public roads, nor do I want to.

Go drive some cars and see if you like them. This is my first relatively modern sports car. As with other modern stuff the steering, and other feedback is much more muted than I've experienced with the other fun cars I've owned. Not saying it's bad, just so different.

Good luck and don't procrastinate. It's the curse too folks make, they just never pull the trigger.

 

Is the 997 a manual?

 

Chupacabra, the 427 has my vote. Picked one up in 2015 and enjoy it on par with the Ferrari. As mentioned above it is not a Ferrari but for a nice Corvette, it’s a lot of fun. The 6 speed with a 7000 rpm naturally aspirated motor, great exhaust note when the baffles are open, and especially when the top is down. Reasonably low mileage cars are now appreciating. Only 2552 units built. You should be able to own one relatively cheaply depending on your driving mileage. And maintenance on these things is basically fluids, minimal.
One note on a used sports car is to keep in mind the age of the tires, I’ve found that it can make a big difference on the 427 as to ride quality. The Mag ride helps a lot over the earlier cars but a hard ride from older Michelins can challenge it. The factory Michelins are run flats. Good luck with you decisions.
Bill
FL
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I actually owned a 2009 Black C6 Z06 as well. I did really like that car. It was a lot simpler and less fancy than the C7 version. The C6 is really just a really polished version of the C5 and of course the 427. I actually had a ton of engine work done because of the lifter problem (all under warranty).

As for the lack of traction in the C7 Z06, I drove the car a lot in the rain without a problem. You gotta keep your lead foot under control and then the car does just fine.

 

The ZO6 has no tractions problems.

Try the C7 ZR1 and you'll soon realize that GM failed to build a proper chassis for that engine putting out something like 750+ hp all to the rear wheels.

It's almost hilarious how that car tries to maintain grip even when you're trying to be gentle on the throttle.