New Z06, first experiences...

ImportConvert · 03-17-2011, 06:53 AM

So, I took delivery and drove the car for the first time (About a 150 mile trip there and back to another town to get the windows tinted--awesome, F1 Ceramic 30%, turned out great).

My perceptions of the car as a 25 year old, first-time 'vette owner.

Background:

-1988 5.0 GT, TKO500/4.10's, lots of mods, 244whp@5600rpm and climbing (didn't dyno further, they were used to 5.0's nosing under by that rpm, power was still peaking).

-1995 A4 2.73 Trans Am, Moroso CAI. Stock otherwise.

-2001 WS6 M6, bone stock.

-Other non-performance DD's.

Anyway, my perception of my Z06 by system...

...Interior was very nice. It is a 1LZ, and "base", and yet it has dual climate control? Awesome. Interior was a 7/10 for me. The reason for the 7/10 is simply that it looks a bit dated. Had I bought the car in 2006, it would get a 9/10. The extra missing 1/10 is because the speaker causes a bit of resonance in the door panel on some songs with some balance settings on the bass/treble.

Exterior...I love it. It's classic and timeless. I am so glad the 'vette wasn't a retro throw back, and hope it continues to progress instead of regress.

Gauges...easy to read, very good.

HUD...more of a toy, but neat! I never looked at it except when I was playing with it as a gadget.

Suspension...firm. It handled bumps well, but if you are the whiny type, you will probably think it's too rough.

Sound...decent amount of road-noise from the tires. Not out of line for tires that wide, but it was loud. Long road-trips will leave your head feeling slightly "fuzzy", if that makes sense. Again, not a complaint for the car, but if you whine about a sports car that rides/acts like a sports car...

Radio...this is the base sound system, an really liked it. Do not wish I had gotten the 2LZ/Bose.

Transmission...butter smooth. Nothing else to really say here other than it shifts like butter. Very precise. However, the driveline does make noise like marbles in a can at low rpm. Normal, but again for the whiny types, you should have gotten a BMW 525i or something...

Engine...it makes all sorts of noises. I love it. However, lots of people not familiar with the LS series will post "Is this tap normal..." threads regarding it. Only worry if you hear 1 in 16 tapping or 1 in 8 tapping. At idle, there will be a reasonable pause between taps, not a taptaptaptap but more like a tap......tap......tap....then you should post the "my engine is making...." thread. Just my .02 having had the aforementioned cars and the cammed 5.0, etc. The LS7 is like an LS1, except more--in EVERY way. This includes little idiosyncratic noises.

Tires...I know the F1 G:2's are a hot topic. Weather today was around 60-65*, sunny, and dry. The tires hooked great for 1-st gear roll-ons. After I got 150 miles on the car or so, I would take it up to 6-6500rpm in 1st, WOT. IT never spun. The 1-2 shift at that rpm, granny-shifting, would not illicit a tire-chirp. The tires are very good. They were also a bit over-inflated (37-40psi hot), and I need to fix that.

Power. This car truly scares me. I think it is too much car for me to explore the limits of for quite a while. I really don't want to ever find out where I end and in begins . I plan on going to the free racing school offered with my purchase, and taking it very easy with my investment. The car is an absolute monster and makes my LS1/WS6 experience seem like a child hunting cardboard cutouts with a rubber band gun compared to lions in the bush on Safari. I'm smart enough to know what I don't know.

Perceptions of the Z06 by others on the road...most women were snotty, tail-gated, made faces, etc. Some men gave nods, thumbs ups, etc. Some men made frowns, etc. My former roommate was with me, and we are in our mid 20's and so I think part of the "hate" I experienced was because people felt we were "privileged" or mommy/daddy bought the car or something and were bitter. When I parked the car at my apartment to run in and grab something, it drew a small crowd/people came and looked at it. I was in a rush to get it back to the garage, so did not have time to talk, but reception was positive.

All-in-all, the seats aren't bad at all, the interior is great, but a bit dated in appearance, the ride is firm, and the crap roads in Louisiana make it uncomfortable at times going over bridges/transitions. The power simply cannot be tapped on public roads without risk of death and/or jail. The car cannot be driven the way it was intended on public roads, the way it is geared, with the power it makes. It's simply a beast and needs a closed track to enjoy beyond just ambling about.

In short, it's an anachronism in today's PC world full of regulations and rules designed to make self-harm through ignorance impossible. It demands respect.

ChrisSlicks · 03-17-2011, 08:02 AM

BAN!

Just kidding, congrats.

The reason it won't spin the tires in first gear is because the Z06's hold back power at low speeds so that you can actually accelerate without roasting tires.

ImportConvert · 03-17-2011, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

BAN!

Just kidding, congrats.

The reason it won't spin the tires in first gear is because the Z06's hold back power at low speeds so that you can actually accelerate without roasting tires.

Not really. I got into it (in a straight line) after it had cooled down into the 40's at night on some less than ideal pavement, and it did spin a decent amount, even with the TC on. I let out before TC intervened.

b1adesofcha0s · 03-17-2011, 08:09 AM

Congrats man, the car looks awesome

m4a1mustang · 03-17-2011, 08:16 AM

Congrats, man. Glad you got what you wanted.

Econ · 03-17-2011, 08:39 AM

looks awesome man.

so when you droping a 427 lingenfelter in it?

heh 0-200 in 18.34 seconds...do it.

I want a Z · 03-17-2011, 08:59 AM

nice chevy

ChrisSlicks · 03-17-2011, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

Not really. I got into it (in a straight line) after it had cooled down into the 40's at night on some less than ideal pavement, and it did spin a decent amount, even with the TC on. I let out before TC intervened.

Well at low temps even with the torque management your going to get some wheel spin. The torque management can be disabled with a tune if you want, although it definitely has its advantages for the street.

nuTinmuch · 03-17-2011, 12:51 PM

Vettes are great. The only thing that bothers me is the steering wheel, haha.

Cmike2780 · 03-17-2011, 01:04 PM

Tell that homeless dude not to touch your car!.....I kid, I kid.

Nice ride, congratulations.

christian370z · 03-17-2011, 03:10 PM

What a beast, congrats on finally getting the car you always wanted and not settling for anything else! One thing to note is that traction in first is decent only because 1st gear on the Vette is basically like second gear for most other cars since it is so long. Regardless, the Z06 is nasty!

ImportConvert · 03-17-2011, 03:25 PM

Thanks all. A lot of people tune these cars, and a lot of people have issues with them afterward. It voids the warranty. I have a 5/100 on the power train and 7/70 bumper to bumper. Don't want to void it.

As to the gearing, I am glad it is so tall. The thing winds out first gear so fast that if it weren't so tall, I would smack the rev-limiter before I knew it.

The 325's out back do help a lot!

Those brakes? They are insane. The dust they produce is insane, too. If you own one of these without the comp-gray rims, you are in for some serious work to keep it looking presentable.

spearfish25 · 03-17-2011, 03:33 PM

Sweet car. A ride like that doesn't need tuning. I'm pretty sure I'd be very happy with a bone-stock Z06

. It would be more than enough car for my limited skill level.

m4a1mustang · 03-17-2011, 03:39 PM

Yep, I don't think I'd be doing any tuning to a C6 Z06... doesn't need it!

spinhead · 03-17-2011, 03:48 PM

Congrats! You live in an apartment? Do you have a garage for it?

03-17-2011, 06:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
ImportConvert A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: SWMO Posts: 4,454 Drives: 2019 CX5 GT Reserve Rep Power: 7627	New Z06, first experiences... So, I took delivery and drove the car for the first time (About a 150 mile trip there and back to another town to get the windows tinted--awesome, F1 Ceramic 30%, turned out great). My perceptions of the car as a 25 year old, first-time 'vette owner. Background: -1988 5.0 GT, TKO500/4.10's, lots of mods, 244whp@5600rpm and climbing (didn't dyno further, they were used to 5.0's nosing under by that rpm, power was still peaking). -1995 A4 2.73 Trans Am, Moroso CAI. Stock otherwise. -2001 WS6 M6, bone stock. -Other non-performance DD's. Anyway, my perception of my Z06 by system... ...Interior was very nice. It is a 1LZ, and "base", and yet it has dual climate control? Awesome. Interior was a 7/10 for me. The reason for the 7/10 is simply that it looks a bit dated. Had I bought the car in 2006, it would get a 9/10. The extra missing 1/10 is because the speaker causes a bit of resonance in the door panel on some songs with some balance settings on the bass/treble. Exterior...I love it. It's classic and timeless. I am so glad the 'vette wasn't a retro throw back, and hope it continues to progress instead of regress. Gauges...easy to read, very good. HUD...more of a toy, but neat! I never looked at it except when I was playing with it as a gadget. Suspension...firm. It handled bumps well, but if you are the whiny type, you will probably think it's too rough. Sound...decent amount of road-noise from the tires. Not out of line for tires that wide, but it was loud. Long road-trips will leave your head feeling slightly "fuzzy", if that makes sense. Again, not a complaint for the car, but if you whine about a sports car that rides/acts like a sports car... Radio...this is the base sound system, an really liked it. Do not wish I had gotten the 2LZ/Bose. Transmission...butter smooth. Nothing else to really say here other than it shifts like butter. Very precise. However, the driveline does make noise like marbles in a can at low rpm. Normal, but again for the whiny types, you should have gotten a BMW 525i or something... Engine...it makes all sorts of noises. I love it. However, lots of people not familiar with the LS series will post "Is this tap normal..." threads regarding it. Only worry if you hear 1 in 16 tapping or 1 in 8 tapping. At idle, there will be a reasonable pause between taps, not a taptaptaptap but more like a tap......tap......tap....then you should post the "my engine is making...." thread. Just my .02 having had the aforementioned cars and the cammed 5.0, etc. The LS7 is like an LS1, except more--in EVERY way. This includes little idiosyncratic noises. Tires...I know the F1 G:2's are a hot topic. Weather today was around 60-65*, sunny, and dry. The tires hooked great for 1-st gear roll-ons. After I got 150 miles on the car or so, I would take it up to 6-6500rpm in 1st, WOT. IT never spun. The 1-2 shift at that rpm, granny-shifting, would not illicit a tire-chirp. The tires are very good. They were also a bit over-inflated (37-40psi hot), and I need to fix that. Power. This car truly scares me. I think it is too much car for me to explore the limits of for quite a while. I really don't want to ever find out where I end and in begins . I plan on going to the free racing school offered with my purchase, and taking it very easy with my investment. The car is an absolute monster and makes my LS1/WS6 experience seem like a child hunting cardboard cutouts with a rubber band gun compared to lions in the bush on Safari. I'm smart enough to know what I don't know. Perceptions of the Z06 by others on the road...most women were snotty, tail-gated, made faces, etc. Some men gave nods, thumbs ups, etc. Some men made frowns, etc. My former roommate was with me, and we are in our mid 20's and so I think part of the "hate" I experienced was because people felt we were "privileged" or mommy/daddy bought the car or something and were bitter. When I parked the car at my apartment to run in and grab something, it drew a small crowd/people came and looked at it. I was in a rush to get it back to the garage, so did not have time to talk, but reception was positive. All-in-all, the seats aren't bad at all, the interior is great, but a bit dated in appearance, the ride is firm, and the crap roads in Louisiana make it uncomfortable at times going over bridges/transitions. The power simply cannot be tapped on public roads without risk of death and/or jail. The car cannot be driven the way it was intended on public roads, the way it is geared, with the power it makes. It's simply a beast and needs a closed track to enjoy beyond just ambling about. In short, it's an anachronism in today's PC world full of regulations and rules designed to make self-harm through ignorance impossible. It demands respect.

03-17-2011, 08:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 653	BAN! Just kidding, congrats. The reason it won't spin the tires in first gear is because the Z06's hold back power at low speeds so that you can actually accelerate without roasting tires. __________________ Hotchkis ARB \| Stillen CAI \| Art Pipes \| Berk CBE \| Stillen AP Racing Brakes \| AE Performance Oil Cooler \| BC Racing ER Coilovers \| Doran Control Arms

03-17-2011, 08:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
b1adesofcha0s A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: MD Posts: 40,963 Drives: HypeTrain Choo Choo! Rep Power: 141	Congrats man, the car looks awesome __________________ Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) \| Uprev Tune by AAM Competition \| Berk Exhaust Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) \| Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

03-17-2011, 08:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Congrats, man. Glad you got what you wanted. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

03-17-2011, 12:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
nuTinmuch A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,092 Drives: PG 7AT 370Z Rep Power: 17	Vettes are great. The only thing that bothers me is the steering wheel, haha. __________________ nuTinmuch! -- Platinum Graphite 370Z -- Check out my Gallery thread here!

03-17-2011, 08:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
Econ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York City Posts: 2,546 Drives: Fiat? Rep Power: 19	looks awesome man. so when you droping a 427 lingenfelter in it? heh 0-200 in 18.34 seconds...do it.

03-17-2011, 08:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
I want a Z Base Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: MD Posts: 225 Drives: 03 Chevy Avalanche Rep Power: 15	nice chevy

03-17-2011, 01:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
Cmike2780 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 5,059 Drives: slowwww Rep Power: 29	Tell that homeless dude not to touch your car!.....I kid, I kid. Nice ride, congratulations. __________________ [09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R] [ArchitTEK Photography]

03-17-2011, 03:10 PM	#11 (permalink)
christian370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Newport Beach Posts: 3,900 Drives: 2010 370Z/Saab 900se Rep Power: 432	What a beast, congrats on finally getting the car you always wanted and not settling for anything else! One thing to note is that traction in first is decent only because 1st gear on the Vette is basically like second gear for most other cars since it is so long. Regardless, the Z06 is nasty! __________________ -320whp / 259wftlbs- SP Rays -- RE-11s -- SpecialtyZ Tune -- Swift Springs -- Stillen 25R Oil Cooler -- Stillen G3 Intakes -- Berk HFCs -- F.I. 12" CBE -- Stillen Sway Bars -- Es14 Spring -- INGS+1 lip -- CF Spoiler -- GTR Start Button -- VLED Parking Lights -- PWJDM V2 shift knob

03-17-2011, 03:25 PM	#12 (permalink)
ImportConvert A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: SWMO Posts: 4,454 Drives: 2019 CX5 GT Reserve Rep Power: 7627	Thanks all. A lot of people tune these cars, and a lot of people have issues with them afterward. It voids the warranty. I have a 5/100 on the power train and 7/70 bumper to bumper. Don't want to void it. As to the gearing, I am glad it is so tall. The thing winds out first gear so fast that if it weren't so tall, I would smack the rev-limiter before I knew it. The 325's out back do help a lot! Those brakes? They are insane. The dust they produce is insane, too. If you own one of these without the comp-gray rims, you are in for some serious work to keep it looking presentable.

03-17-2011, 03:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	Sweet car. A ride like that doesn't need tuning. I'm pretty sure I'd be very happy with a bone-stock Z06 . It would be more than enough car for my limited skill level. __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

03-17-2011, 03:39 PM	#14 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Yep, I don't think I'd be doing any tuning to a C6 Z06... doesn't need it! __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

03-17-2011, 03:48 PM	#15 (permalink)
spinhead Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: N. Bethesda, MD Posts: 162 Drives: 09 370z BS 6MT Rep Power: 3387	Congrats! You live in an apartment? Do you have a garage for it? __________________ Consequences will never be the same.

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