Grandsport vs Z06 comparison
07-11-2015, 04:24 PM
#41
Advanced
If you lived near Orlando I'd let you drive my GS with the ECS kit. You may change your mind then. All great cars. I was going to buy a Z06 but my 6 year old son was dying for a car that the top comes off. So I went GS. It'll probably be his some day anyway.
07-11-2015, 04:42 PM
#42
Drifting
The only downside to a Z06 is not being able to remove the top because of the noodle-like aluminum frame. Unless I was going to track the car, not being able to take the top off would be a deal breaker.
07-12-2015, 01:32 PM
#46
Race Director
Good luck with the Z06. It is hard to go wrong with the C6. I laugh at how some Z06/427 owners think they have the best C6 out there. ZR1 has 133 more HP which is like putting an average 4 banger on top of an LS7. More reliable HP also. It can also be modded.
Just enjoy your Corvette because you never know when you will have to go without one. There are definitely more important things in life.
Just enjoy your Corvette because you never know when you will have to go without one. There are definitely more important things in life.
07-12-2015, 02:08 PM
#47
07-12-2015, 02:27 PM
#48
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'22-'23
Greetings All,
This is the second thread that I have started on this forum. The first thread I asked everyone's opinion on a Z51 car vs a Z06. Following the comments from that thread, I dedicated a lot of time to researching the C6 cars exhaustively. I have watched almost every video, read nearly every thread (including every page of the valve guide issue thread from Hib), and gathered nearly every opinion that I could from online. The next step for me was to drive the cars and form my own opinion.
I will be purchasing a vette later this year, and I wanted to do my homework on which one would suit my situation best. This car will not be a DD, as I have a Honda Accord that serves that duty well. This will be a weekend/date night car/fun car. The decision was initially between a Z51 car and a Z06, but then I discovered the grandsport. I then sought out to drive both and form my own opinion.
As of today, I have been behind the wheel of a '05 base car, '11 grandsport automatic, '13 grandsport manual, '09 Z06, and an '08 Z06. The following is my experience:
I drove the '05 base car some time ago, and I was impressed with it then. We took a road trip from MS to TX, and I was not only impressed with how comfortable the car was but also the power and gas mileage. It was black and beautiful, and having the roof off made the trip that much more fun.
The '11 GS Auto was white, which is gorgeous, and had the NPP option which sounded terrific. This car had M2W installed, and I really liked the tone from the exhaust. The automatic transmission is not something I want, and I feel that this really detracted from the overall driving experience. The car rode smooth, power delivery was strong, and again having the roof off made the ride that much more fun.
Next up was the '09 Z06. This car also had M2W installed, and certainly had a noticably different tone from the exhaust than the GS. Hard to explain the difference, but the one thing that was instantly noticeable was the large 3" diameter exhaust tips. Those things are HUGE looking on the car, but not in a bad way. The clutch was smooth in and out, but the engage point was a bit tricky to find. I have a feeling the clutch might have been dropped at high RPMs a few times. Anyways, off we went in the Z06 and I must say that the pull through any gear when accelerating was enthralling. The car felt absolutely powerful. I was pleasantly surprised at the mild street manners from this 505 HP animal, as the car was very easy to drive. Another thing - the exhaust note when accelerating is phenomenal.
Finally I test drove the '08 Z06, and the drive was exactly like the '09, but without M2W. The M2W mod is an absolute must.
In conclusion:
After driving all four cars the decision for me is crystal clear - the Z06 is the way to go. If this was going to be a DD, or if I was looking for a more plush Corvette, then a GS may be the way to go. But for me, when comparing the Z06 vs Grandsport there is no doubt that I would kick myself every time I drove the Grandsport. The Z06 is nearly as comfortable as the GS, but the difference in exhaust note, and more importantly the awesome pull you get with the increased HP and torque from the 427 is absolutely noticeable. I read threads on here that state otherwise, but i will side with those that have driven both and say that they are completely different animals. The GS is a nice and fast car, but the Z06 is a kick butt car.
Now I have to find something to take my mind off of wanting one. Any suggestions?
This is the second thread that I have started on this forum. The first thread I asked everyone's opinion on a Z51 car vs a Z06. Following the comments from that thread, I dedicated a lot of time to researching the C6 cars exhaustively. I have watched almost every video, read nearly every thread (including every page of the valve guide issue thread from Hib), and gathered nearly every opinion that I could from online. The next step for me was to drive the cars and form my own opinion.
I will be purchasing a vette later this year, and I wanted to do my homework on which one would suit my situation best. This car will not be a DD, as I have a Honda Accord that serves that duty well. This will be a weekend/date night car/fun car. The decision was initially between a Z51 car and a Z06, but then I discovered the grandsport. I then sought out to drive both and form my own opinion.
As of today, I have been behind the wheel of a '05 base car, '11 grandsport automatic, '13 grandsport manual, '09 Z06, and an '08 Z06. The following is my experience:
I drove the '05 base car some time ago, and I was impressed with it then. We took a road trip from MS to TX, and I was not only impressed with how comfortable the car was but also the power and gas mileage. It was black and beautiful, and having the roof off made the trip that much more fun.
The '11 GS Auto was white, which is gorgeous, and had the NPP option which sounded terrific. This car had M2W installed, and I really liked the tone from the exhaust. The automatic transmission is not something I want, and I feel that this really detracted from the overall driving experience. The car rode smooth, power delivery was strong, and again having the roof off made the ride that much more fun.
Next up was the '09 Z06. This car also had M2W installed, and certainly had a noticably different tone from the exhaust than the GS. Hard to explain the difference, but the one thing that was instantly noticeable was the large 3" diameter exhaust tips. Those things are HUGE looking on the car, but not in a bad way. The clutch was smooth in and out, but the engage point was a bit tricky to find. I have a feeling the clutch might have been dropped at high RPMs a few times. Anyways, off we went in the Z06 and I must say that the pull through any gear when accelerating was enthralling. The car felt absolutely powerful. I was pleasantly surprised at the mild street manners from this 505 HP animal, as the car was very easy to drive. Another thing - the exhaust note when accelerating is phenomenal.
Finally I test drove the '08 Z06, and the drive was exactly like the '09, but without M2W. The M2W mod is an absolute must.
In conclusion:
After driving all four cars the decision for me is crystal clear - the Z06 is the way to go. If this was going to be a DD, or if I was looking for a more plush Corvette, then a GS may be the way to go. But for me, when comparing the Z06 vs Grandsport there is no doubt that I would kick myself every time I drove the Grandsport. The Z06 is nearly as comfortable as the GS, but the difference in exhaust note, and more importantly the awesome pull you get with the increased HP and torque from the 427 is absolutely noticeable. I read threads on here that state otherwise, but i will side with those that have driven both and say that they are completely different animals. The GS is a nice and fast car, but the Z06 is a kick butt car.
Now I have to find something to take my mind off of wanting one. Any suggestions?
Last edited by BearZ06; 07-12-2015 at 02:33 PM.
07-12-2015, 02:43 PM
#49
i got the z06 for the raw edge and the looks, personally prefer the wide stance and flared arches over standard but it was a disappointment about the roof.I think in real world driving the GS with the removable top is about the best package there is. Still I can always swap for a see through top and keep the windows open....
07-12-2015, 03:25 PM
#51
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07-12-2015, 05:05 PM
#54
Excellent analogy and I couldn't agree more. The GS's are great cars but still not a Z06. However if you're not prepared to deal with the known head issues the LS3 may be a better choice. As far as the top not being removable, that's a laugh at least for me. I never missed it on the Z06 and sure don't on the ZR1! Just push the pedal and all thoughts change! I love the ZR1 but do miss the NA power and sound of the awesome LS7, just an animal to itself.
07-12-2015, 07:23 PM
#56
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I was in the same situation, and I did some research as well. The main difference is that my car would be a daily driver.
I wanted a low mileage one owner certified centennial. I found that many guys were modding their z06. Sorry, if I'm gonna spend that much coin I really dont want something that was touched, however I want to be the one that mods it eventually.
The price difference for the z06 and the GS was going to cover the cost of a supercharger I could install on the centennial (which I may or may not).
However, I really wanted a removable top and the zr1/z06 stance, so for me it could only be a GS. I think that cutting out the top and reinforcing the chassis on a z06 is way way more expensive then throwing in a blower.
So I went with the GS, and saved some coin.
To each his own. Z06 is definitely a monster.
I wanted a low mileage one owner certified centennial. I found that many guys were modding their z06. Sorry, if I'm gonna spend that much coin I really dont want something that was touched, however I want to be the one that mods it eventually.
The price difference for the z06 and the GS was going to cover the cost of a supercharger I could install on the centennial (which I may or may not).
However, I really wanted a removable top and the zr1/z06 stance, so for me it could only be a GS. I think that cutting out the top and reinforcing the chassis on a z06 is way way more expensive then throwing in a blower.
So I went with the GS, and saved some coin.
To each his own. Z06 is definitely a monster.
07-12-2015, 08:04 PM
#57
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My reasoning is somewhat different I guess, couldn't afford either the ZR1 or the Z06 plus they were only manual so Grand Sport here I come, and after 8 months of ownership I believe I made the correct decision for me 
NSF
NSF
07-12-2015, 08:45 PM
#58
Le Mans Master
i got the z06 for the raw edge and the looks, personally prefer the wide stance and flared arches over standard but it was a disappointment about the roof.I think in real world driving the GS with the removable top is about the best package there is. Still I can always swap for a see through top and keep the windows open....
Kinda funny -- I'd really rather have the fixed top, but its not available on the GS. I'd have a Z06, but didn't want to roll the dice on the LS7 grenading issue, especially since my Corvette is my DD.
Last edited by Kent1999; 07-12-2015 at 09:02 PM.
Fess up. 