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2 fast cars.. one faster

 

even more proof why the Z06 > * for the money. $70k for a supercar-like Chevy; people may take that statement in different ways. I see it as a steal.

 

Still rather have the SRT10, when the rear end gear error (too low) is corrected it will say bye bye to the Vette, further the weekend warrior hot shoes still prefer the Snake on the track and it will always make more of a statement than the Z06. I love the Z06 and agree there is no better performance bang for that buck, but at Viper money I still think it is the King.

 

whats this about rear end gear error? I dont think there's any circumstance where stock SRT-10 will say bye bye to a stock Z06.. don't think gearing will change that either. I know you know this, but they have about the same power but the Vette is what, 400+ lbs lighter?

 

I disagree. I've seen both on the track last October and the C6 Z06 was faster. I don't know the drivers, so I can't comment on skill but there are several magazine articles that back this up. The Viper will get more looks, which includes looking at C6 rear.

 

If you're talking acceleration in terms of the Viper, you WANT a lower gear. What you probably mean is that the Viper has too high of a gear.

Lower gears aid acceleration, higher gears aid top speed.

 

No amount of gear trickery will make the SRT10 faster than a Z06 period.

 

damn, the z06 hit the 45 rol in first, i know first goes to like 60mph but u need to shift it quick as hell right away, prolly y he hit the limiter

 

I'm not so sure about that. First you'd have to define "gear trickery" and "faster". With a higher gear, the Viper may indeed be faster but it would not be quicker. And the reverse is true, too. With a lower gear, it may match the Z06's acceleration, but not its speed.

The thing is, the Z06 has a much smaller engine and two fewer cylinders, but the engine in the Z06 is better. Personally, I'd much prefer the Z06 over the Viper any day. Granted looks are all subjective but I just think the Z06 looks better and certainly sounds better. An American V8 is always going to sound better than a 5-cylinder engine and by that you have to remember that the Viper fires two cylinders at the same time so it is effectively a very large 5-cylinder engine, thus the crapped, almost Ferrari-like sound.

Yeah, I'd go with the Z06.

 

Frankly in that video, it didn't sound at all like the Z06 was full into it. Listen.. the R's just don't wrap up all that quickly.

 

Why would anyone have a video of them street racing, then post an email addy for more information?

 

^^hhahaaha.. that's so funny and ironic you mention that. I was in a Volvo S40 last night - first time I've been in a newer Volvo.. and my friend kinda has a "heavy foot".. anyway - its crazy but the damn thing sounds like a Viper!!! of course not as loud, but the engine has the same sound!! I was freakin out..

oh and imo the Z06 looks and sounds 10,000 times better than the SRT-10... I really dont like the new Viper.

btw someone on Corvetteforum ran 11.311 @ 126.92 in a Z06 w/ DR's. Everything else bone stock.

 

The Z06 makes more HP (look at the dyno's between the two - Chevy was very conservative with the 505hp rating), weighs significantly less, and does not make much less torque. The Z06 does not have a much smaller engine. It is quite large at 7.0L versus 8.3L. The advantage of the LS7 is that it revs higher and much faster then the SRT-10's derived truck engine.

Yes, you can add much shorter gears, but then you have to shift more often and you sacrifice top-end. Lastly, these cars are highly limited by traction, so a shorter first gear will only make more white smoke at launch. I highly doubt any modifications made to a stock SRT-10 gears will make it faster than a Z06. The stock performance figures for the SRT-10 are about the best you can expect of a 500hp RWD car that weighs as much as it does.

 

Actually 428 cubic inches (yes, the Z06 is a 428, not a 427) versus 500 cubic inches is a LOT smaller engine. But as you can see from my post, I personally favor the Z06. The small block Chevy is, and always has been a marvel. Some in the industry consider it to be the premere design of the 20th century, though that could easily be open to argument. Still, Chevy has done wonders with this new big cube small block. For example, it has 6 bold mains and the crankshaft will handle up to 1000 horsepower. The heads may be as good as it gets for a wedge head engine.

You and I are in the same boat since clearly we both like the Z06 better. And the beauty is that it can be had for nearly $20,000 less than the Viper. Is this the quickest 'Vette Chevy has ever sold to the public? No, but when taken in with everything else, it's the best of the quickest.

 

My customer lost his Z06 motor on the track about 2 months back, the tranny just froze up last week. He doesn't have details but thinks that maybe the dealership that put the new motor in forgot the trans fluid. Regardless he's trying to lemon it. I know now of 3 Z06's i've TOUCHED that have blown motors

 

Any word on the cause of the blown motors? I was thinking oil stravation, but the LS7 is dry sump.

 

What's faster? The ZL1 that you were probably thinking of ran 9" slicks and I wouldn't really classify that as "sold to the public".

 

I think the C6R is the fastest.

 

You're right about "sold to the public" and the ZL1. In 1969, Chevy build two of these and I have a mini road test of one of them. With street tires, it did a 10.30 at 130 MPH in the quarter. The 2006 Z06 is faster, but not quicker than that. And I agree with you that the ZL1, with only two made, could hardly be classified as something generally available. However, that same year, Chevy build 69 Camaros with the ZL1 engine. While not nearly as quick at the ZL1 'Vettes (stock exhaust manifolds were more restrictive on the Camaros), it was a true monster.

No, the engine I was thinking about was the 1967 L88. With 4.56 gears, this monster would manage 10 second E.T.'s with slicks, of course. And in the Camaro (Baldwin/Motion Performance out of Long Island), this combination guaranteed 11.5 E.T.s. But that was also a specialty car only available through one dealer. (I also have a road test of one of those).

Still, I think when all is said and done, the new 2006 Z06 is the best of the lot. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. With this car, you can manage 11.7's in the quarter and still get 27 MPG on a trip. You can take it on vacation or to a nice restaurant with the wife or girl friend and she won't even be reminded of what lurks under the hood. Plus if you are of a mind to do a few simple bolt-ons and tires, you should easily see times under 11.5 with this car.

I love the 1966 427 Corvettes with their in-your-face lopey cams and extended valve overlap and great sounding side exhausts. It's the car I ordered but never got. But I really love the Clark Kent Z06 with it's ability to do everything so damned good. Thing is, now I COULD buy the Z06, but I really like my '04 TL.

 

The 2006 Z06 is faster but the ZL1 '69 Corvette is far quicker. The ZL1 would hand the Z06 his lunch.

 

Word is that Dodge will have a 600hp Hemi for the 08 model year.

 

Interesting read for you others:
http://www.autofacts.ca/classics/FAPC/ZL1Corvette.htm

I still think the C6 Z06 is the fastest production Vette for now until the Blue Devil becomes available. If you ran Mickey Thompson ET Drags on a Z06, I wouldn't doubt high tens stock given the trap speeds I have seen. That would be a apples to apples comparison. Also from what I understand, the trap speeds back then weren't very accurate.

 

I love the new Z..its pure sex!

 

Lower gears: Numerically higher numbers
Higher gears: Numerically lower numbers

 

I love when I make a provacative statement then leave the computer for the day...


The stock Viper has the 3.07 "miser" gear in the pumpkin so it is too low (numerically). When I bench race 2 American big engines cars I revert to those high school days when hanging out at Bud Moore's shop everyone referred to gears in terms of numerics despite being somewhat counter intuative. Dropping in a 3.73 is a common approach. You will have to be more careful with your launch and will lose top end speed but the 1/4 mile times drop like a stone.

Some issues about "quickness" the Viper is considered easier to launch (more weight on the rear and bigger meats are a big part of that) and easier to row through the gears so "correcting" the rear end gear isn't a huge liability, the Viper does weigh about 300 lbs more than the Viper so the increased torque multiplication takes care of that. The Viper has more torque and a much wider flatter torque curve also. Stock for stock the Vette is quicker (and faster) but with a more track worthy gear in the rear IMHO the Viper will be quicker and more consistent, even with the change I agree that I wouldn't want to drop from 100mph in a Snake with a Z06 in the next lane.

Now onto the road track. No question the Z06 is a track monster but is better for the professional than the weekend warrior set (which I will ASSUME covers all of us here). Bottom line unmodified every comparo I have read gives the nod to the Z06 as being faster on the watch around the circuits the mags have used, BUT every one of those comparos also pointed out the fact the Viper was easier to drive fast. My take on this (and will admit to having driven only one of the two on the track) is that if you have been a regular at the "Run offs" or have a pro license you will be faster in the Vette, if you are like most of us mere mortals and get 5-6 track events in a year you will likely be faster and more comfortable in the Viper.

Finally, when I consider two sports car options I see it as a mental exercise where I determine which car I will be faster and more comfortable around Road Atlanta, Barber, VIR and Carolina and although it is pure bench racing I am fairly confident I would be faster in a Viper (with a "proper" gear in the rear) on every one except possibly RA where the .8 mile back straight might throw the time to the Z06.

 

Yes. For example, a 4.56 is a very low gear and a 2.73 is quite high.

 

Yeah, they were accurate. I rather doubt a stock Z06 on good rubber would run in the 10's.. more like 11.4's.

 

A 3.07 gear is pretty high.. much higher than you would normally have seen in the 60's. A 3.73 was considered kind of a mid-range gear.. well suited for either a wide or a close ratio box (I had a 3.73 and a close ration M21 Muncie in my '66 396 Chevelle).

Lower gears with a lot of torque are easier to launch than higher (taller) gears with a lot of torque because you can stay in a lower gear longer with a higher rear and the amount of torque is still plenty sufficient to work the tires. Launching a car with 4.10's and 440 lb/ft of torque is not as hard as doing this with the same engine and running 3.23's.

Trust me on this. I've been there.

 

My dad told me that they weren't very accurate during that time because of the technology. He used to drag race his Mustang thru the late 60s.

 

I think your statements are too broad regarding launch, it depends on the torque curve of the engine and chassis/tire combo. Monster torque and high numerical gearing are a recipe for overwhelming the chassis and tires but I would say that you could argue neither is harder to launch since it is easier to bog the low numerical gear and easier to break loose the higher numerical gear, again the torque curve and launch RPMs would play a huge part. The hardest car I ever owned to launch at near its potential was a 67 Mustang with stroked, 6-71 blown 351W with a Lenco and 5.60 rear end though is was also the quickest car I have owned, but certainly not the fastest as it ran outta gear about a millisecond past the 1/8 mile line. In the end however I think it is easier for the average driver to deal with engine bog than traction loss.

I do think however most would agree the 3.07 is a rediculously conservative gear in the Viper, and is usually the first mod by owners.

 

Actually, I think you and I are pretty much on the same page, really. Launching takes different techniques for different cars for a variety of reasons, not to mention the chassis setup. GM Supercars of the mid 60's came from the factory with traction bars (they were called trailing links). Because these were connected to the chassis to the rear of the halfway point of the wheel base length, you would get lift in the rear on launch. This is most desirable because of the added weight transfer that takes place.

My '88 Mustang LX 302 CID was a had car to launch because of the lack of chassis movement. I installed 3.55's in that car, replacing the higher 3.08's I ordered with the car.

I think you and I are pretty much in the same area in this.