Timmy's C5

We were told that the LS6 motor couldn't be put in a C5 coupe or vert because the chassis wasn't up to it. Now we expect the C6 will have at least as many horses as the current Z06 with t he same chassis as the C5. What did I miss?

Adam Bruce

When did GM ever say that? :confused:

Pipes

Plus, the C5 and C6 chassis are NOT the same!

H82BFST

Chassis isn't up to it in the coupe/vert??? Okay, now I have to definitely see the documentation where GM says this...

WallyWest

1. I never heard them say that. They said they wouldn't put the LS6 in the coupe or vert, just because they wanted to prop up sales of the FRC.

2. The chassis on the C6 is new.

3. If they did say it then it was obviously a lie, since there are plenty of C5's out there pushing more than 400 hp.

Jinx

Dave Hill et al have used a couple of different EXCUSES for not placing LS6 in C5 coupe and convertible. Lies? No, clever dodges. Every comment I've heard in response to the LS6-in-coupe-and-convertible question has been a non-answer.

Dave Hill should have been honest and simply said "Z06 is a valuable, profitable brand, and we're not going to dilute it by putting its most distinctive component in lesser Corvettes."

The same rationale is being applied to C6. The big motor won't end up in coupes or convertibles unless somebody buys it over the counter (or out of a wrecked Z06) and does it himself.

GM: You still SUCK.

.Jinx
SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK!

LongTimer

When reduced to writing, they are far more careful than to say the "...chassis is not up to it" as I recall. They give a lengthy description of the Z06 mission statement emphasizing its more rigid construction and lighter weight. Officially they say that the Z06 is intended for all out, no compromise performance and the LS6 is intended to be their all out performance engine. I have read and spoken to several GM reps about this issue. None has ever directly demeaned the coupe / vert chassis, only talked up the Z06 chassis. This is, of course clever manipulation using corporate policy statements.

Regardless, GM will no doubt say that "... the C6 Coupe / Vert chassis has been designed to easily accommodate the needs and capabilities of the 4XX HP LS2." They will never "put down" the chassis of these two, because they don't know if or when another HP bump might be required due to market competition. We all know they have more capability in their arsenal - Huh Jinx?

Butta

For starters the Z06 chassis is the same as the Coupe/Vert. So no, that's not what they said. What they said is that they want no compromises, they want to put the most powerful engine on the lighest and stiffest body, that way you get a true performer.

mitchydkid

Ya, from what I remember reading, the reason the LS6 is only available in the FRC is because GM wanted Z06 to be the no compromises, synergistic product of engine, suspension, chassis (stiffer when there is no removable top), and other upgrades. The idea was to make sure Z06 was NOT just an engine upgrade, but a total performance upgrade...therefore, only the stiffest version of the Vette would do. This approach appeals to those Vette owners who want to wear the badge of "enthusiast" and those who truly do want the most performance possible. It is like a niche within a niche I guess.

LongTimer

IMO GM thinks it is being a responsible corporation by keeping some of us from harming ourselves. IMO they think that some buyers would call the salesman and say, "Every option, in red next week." This class of buyer frequently is not skilled to handle the hottest vette ever made. So GM chooses to package for (as MITCHYDKID quoted), "those who truly do want the most performance possible" as defined by GM. I must agree with Jinx here. GM, this decision sucks.

Scissors

Side note: The C5 'Vert is 20 Hz, the Coupe is between 21 and 23 Hz depending on if the top is on, and the Z06 is 24 Hz for torsional rigidity.

Another side note: Cars with much worse than these numbers have been able to handle more power with no problems.

Adam Bruce

It's funny to follow the development of the FRC/Z06..

Originally the FRC was going to be a stripper Vette, possibly even a V6 with cloth interior set to debut after the C5 built a wave of enthusiasm for a bread and butter Vette. The C5 Coupe sold better than expected and it was determined a super low end FRC wouldn't compete with the top level Camaro, rather it would steal sales from Coupe buyers who "just wanting to drive a corvette".

So, in order to save better than expected coupe sales, the FRC came out as having many of the same options and about the same price as the coupe. Sales where less than spectacular, Chevy was going to loose money on this design and the FRC model was not going to "pay for itself" to cover R&D costs. Enter Z06. They had always planned on making "another ZR1" if you read "All Corvettes are Red" you see this.

The stroke of genius came when they made it FRC only. Why? Because had they made the Z06 an option on all Vettes, the FRC would have been discontinued and would have been a money looser. More so than any increased sales from an "up level Z06 coupe and convertible". Secondly this focused the Z06 brand creating it's own synergistic marketing. That is, a "Regular Coupe" vs. a Z51 Coupe. Your average Joe on the street wouldnÂ’t know the difference, indeed how many outside of the Corvette fan club know what Z51 is? "Z06" would have had similar dilution. However by placing the motor in the FRC they focused brand image, almost creating a new car in the eyes of the press, and recovered the cost of the FRC line.

Not only does GM employee hire the best engineers on the planet, they also hire the best bean counters money can buy. They moved the entry level stripper V6 vette from the bottom of the pile to the top of the heap, even making it one of the most strongly identifiable vettes yet.



[Modified by Adam Bruce, 1:36 PM 11/21/2003]

Bad-79

GM never lie. They always said the C5 will be more of the same, just an updated C6 why mess with a good thing, Even though I would never own a C5 with that fat butt and all.

bhamvett

The C6 chasis is all new!
:iagree: