OT - Corvette Z06 Release Video

[Seramount]

yeah, new Vette has a lot of 'gee-whiz' engineering and some impressive performance stats.

but the only Corvette that I'd ever want to own is a 1967 model with a 427 ci rat motor (I'd swap in an aluminum head L-88 in lieu of the 435-hp tripower factory setup).

dark green with white stinger hood, please.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by texbike

I do like the new Z06 and the amount of development that's gone into making it an incredible car. However, I'm completely with you. The Z06 (and even the standard Vettes) along with the Ford GT, Macs, Ferraris, Lambos, Turbo Porsches, Tesla performance models, and even the American Muscle Cars all deliver WAY more performance than can really be enjoyed on the street in a reasonable, safe manner. As much as I like many of these cars, I just don't see myself as a consumer of most of them. I'm still a fan of the adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast. I have a 30-year-old play car that has a V8 with less than 300 HP. It seems to be a perfect level. Fast enough to be fun, yet slow enough to really be enjoyed.

Texbike

When I was a young snot with car lust, (there, I did it Dad, I became you), of course the Corvette was like the auto equivalent of Jane Mansfield to me, but, even then, thanks, but, the lighter and less obnoxious 327 was enough. Like that Cobra Matt Damon drove in Ford vs Ferrari with the small block in British racing green. Gawd, what a pretty car. Why more, unless you're actually racing? Today, if I was rich enough to have such a toy, a modified Miata or a Caterham would be in the garage. Light, nimble, fun at normal speeds.

[benb]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

You also would be wrong thinking these are NOT race cars. They actually are race cars. You can put this on a track and drive it all day long. Small things to change would be brake pads probably and you would be good. You can race it all day long and it will not overheat, the aero on these cars is very good. Put some sticky tires on it and you will have a capable car. The weight is not terrible, 3400lbs, probably dry.

They really aren't. They burn through tires & brakes & rotors at a prodigious rate due to the weight and all the risks & costs are greatly magnified if anything goes wrong.

Nobody is really buying these expensive street cars cause extensive track time is their major priority. It's gotta be about street bragging rights cause it doesn't make any sense at all to buy one of these cars if the primary goal is lots of track time and getting really fast.

There's too many track cars & even race series you can buy into and come in under the cost of the street cars.

Realistically (I went to a lot of track days) there are a lot of people there for a thrill. They've got loans on the cars and street insurance and they can't afford to crash the car or really go all out, lots of people are there with their only car they own and they drove it to the track with no real plan of how they get home if it breaks or they crash it.

I'd rather go karting than pay for track days in just about any street car I've ever been in. But I did a lot of track days in the past on motorcycles, so I just don't get excited about the straight line powers of high powered street cars.

If you're not trailering it there you're not even remotely serious maybe with the exception of an AutoX car pulling its race wheels/tires in a trailer to the track. Cause you'll eventually learn the lesson that it's very very silly to ride in/on your street legal vehicle to the race track without a good plan to get it home if you break it or crash it. Been there done that, luckily I was on a motorcycle and it's easy to find trailer space and a helping hand with a motorcycle compared to a car.

[Coffee Rider]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

I am surprised they made the high rev a goal. I guess they are all in on trying to go after that mid engine super car market.

I thought they would just bolt on a supercharger and call it a day. Cheap power when compared to the DOHC route.

I just don't understand the comparison to the Tesla. They provide totally different experiences for the consumer. Cars are much more than acceleration figures, even though that has been one of the main selling tools for a long time it is just one part of the experience.

No doubt the Tesla is super fast, it is also a super boring, like most modern cars it is almost too good to be fun.

People who buy these cars care a lot about sound and prefer the sound of naturally aspirated engines. The same thing about high revs. This might peel a few buyers from other manufacturers, but I think it's more about getting Corvette people to spend even more on a faster version.

[72gmc]

Chevy engines sound good at high revs, even at the lower spec levels (such as the V6 in the pedestrian Camaro).

I like the C8. Most of my exposure to it is through sports car racing--IMSA and WEC. I missed the C7R rumble for a while (and still love it when I watch old races) but I'm comfortable with the fact that this is not simply the next iteration of that car or that engine.

[FriarQuade]

Originally Posted by benb

I'd guess DOHC shouldn't be too much of a surprise when they're going for an 8400 rpm redline. I definitely like that part and that's why it sounds so good.

The flat plane crank has more to do with the engine note than the valve train.

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by FriarQuade

The flat plane crank has more to do with the engine note than the valve train.

Exactly.

[54ny77]

Simply, to coin a phrase from the HOG world, if you have to ask, you don't get it. You're either a Corvette fan, or you're not.

Corvettes sell out every year, every model. From C1 to the ugly wart years to the wondercar that is C8.

It will be curious, however, if new generations sustain the brand like every generation prior. I'll take a wild guess the answer is no.

For now, performance value bar none.

C8 Z06 or ZR1 (if they make it) might very well be the last dinosaur juice guzzler of the fabled platform.

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by rockdude

Looks like this is happening, Hertz just purchased 100,000 Tesla's.

www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/business/hertz-tesla-electric-vehicles.html

Tesla has a 400 mile range now which is around 6 hours of highway driving and in their next released vehicles, they will have a 500 mile model.

You live in Boulder and you should be seeing it. I was at the gym yesterday, 11 cars in the parking lot and 4 were Tesla's.

What's Boulder called, 35 square miles surrounded by reality? That range IS better altho most are still way below that..the BMW gets what, 75 miles on a cold day? And like car mileage standards, those tesla ones are a big YMMV.

AND, drive to Leadville for a nice WE stay...any charging stations there? Not even any in Glenwood Springs..

Like I said, e-cars ARE a comin'..kinda like disc brakes on road bikes but..ICE isn't 'on it's last legs'..not as long as gas is about $3.50 a gallon...

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by kppolich

-How many cuts do you want?
-Yes
-Ok

Unwatchable but I saw it was almost 30 minutes long which is also incredibly expensive and I bet their viewership drops off drastically after the first 60 seconds.

I think I made it about two minutes

[rockdude]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

What's Boulder called, 35 square miles surrounded by reality? That range IS better altho most are still way below that..the BMW gets what, 75 miles on a cold day? And like car mileage standards, those tesla ones are a big YMMV.

AND, drive to Leadville for a nice WE stay...any charging stations there? Not even any in Glenwood Springs..

Like I said, e-cars ARE a comin'..kinda like disc brakes on road bikes but..ICE isn't 'on it's last legs'..not as long as gas is about $3.50 a gallon...

Ha, Ha! When I first came to Boulder, I drove to the edge of reality and then took a sharp left and ended up here. . I can dive to leadville and back without charging, but if I needed one; Idaho Springs, Silverthorne, Vail, Glenwood, Aspen. These are the same place I would stop to get gas if I was in a ICE. GM, Ford, Volkswagen, Etc... all are committed to selling more EV than ICE in the next 10 years. They are all investing Billions in retooling for EV. As much as I hate it, your analogy of disk brakes is a good one. None of the bikes I want come in rim brakes. I can buy a rim brake TT bike but its a dog from a third level manufacture. I swear I am the last CX racer in CO still on Cantis. The only Market that disk brakes has not dominated is track bikes.

[Mr. Pink]

How long for a full charge at these stations?

[Dave]

No one has mentioned charging time at these easy to find and never fully occupied charging stations.

[rockdude]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

How long for a full charge at these stations?

I never run the battery all the way down nor do I top it off (Better long-term battery life I'm told), It takes me typically somewhere between 10-15 minutes. its about 5 mins longer than what you would expect to from filling up gas. If you empty the battery, I think its 15-20 mins. In reality we seldom use the charging stations, our 110v outlet keep the car charged and zipping around Boulder and Denver area. The electricity cost of driving the model X is about 1/3 of the cost of gas for the Audi Q7 when charging at home.

[bicycletricycle]

The analogy is a bad one. Discs seem to be in demand and manufacturers are making disc brakes to fill a market demand.

EV's are being made because of central planning

Originally Posted by rockdude

Ha, Ha! When I first came to Boulder, I drove to the edge of reality and then took a sharp left and ended up here. . I can dive to leadville and back without charging, but if I needed one; Idaho Springs, Silverthorne, Vail, Glenwood, Aspen. These are the same place I would stop to get gas if I was in a ICE. GM, Ford, Volkswagen, Etc... all are committed to selling more EV than ICE in the next 10 years. They are all investing Billions in retooling for EV. As much as I hate it, your analogy of disk brakes is a good one. None of the bikes I want come in rim brakes. I can buy a rim brake TT bike but its a dog from a third level manufacture. I swear I am the last CX racer in CO still on Cantis. The only Market that disk brakes has not dominated is track bikes.