Sully C5

The longer wheelbase of the C6 is good, but looking at the dimensions of these cars, should GM have made the C6 wider?

http://c5.techbottle.com/carspecs.xls

When CCW set-ups C5 wheels for running a road course, they extend the hub to make the wheels farther apart. The C5R is much wider than the C5. Wouldn't the C6 be better wider?

lager99

It's 1 inch narrower isn't it?
Edit: I wonder if some how the 1" gain in wheelbase length works hand-in-hand with the width loss??

lager99

Or are we talking about track actually?

Sully C5

Exactly, but other cars...Viper, Ferrari, Lambroghini, C5R are all wider. My car for the track is wider than a stock C5.

Corvette Junkie

What is the width of the wheelbase?

Jinx

A lower center of gravity would be a good alternative to a wider track, would it not? What's C6's center of gravity compared to C5?

Z06 will probably be wider.

And anyway, the difference from C5 to C6 is hardly significant enough to be talking about "going the wrong direction." They just didn't grow the car this time. Not surprising since it's a design refinement, not a clean-sheet design. It's shorter, but that's really just a styling choice.

.Jinx

lager99

C5 track, in. Fr 62.1 Rr 62.2
C6 track, in. Fr 62.1 Rr 60.7

don527

if the C5R is wider than the C5 then I would imagine the same will go for the C6 in that the C6R will be wider... fullout race bodys are hard to compare against street cars.

As for C6s being better wider for tracking... i think it comes down to the overall package and considering they go around the track a few clicks slower than a Z06 and pull off .96g they have a platform that betters the C5 coupe while being an inch narrower and taller. impressed.

My gripes are more for aesthetics... I do like the car is 5 inches shorter and wheelbase is longer. But my gripe is I wish that it was lower and wider (as wide as the C5).

I don't know why they make these decisions try to 'europeanize' by narrowing and shortening and raising the height on the vette to try to apeal to the overseas market. The C5 sold 30,000 units a year at 50K a piece and the majority were US. How many do they wanna sell, 60,000 Vettes a year?

I would think they should remember the US buyers first and cater to our likings. This is an AMERICAN CAR and should take up the lane on an american road or even on the autobahn like an american car should. Build it (with an American flare) and they will come (buy)... at least the europeans with good taste.

Again, I do like that it is shorter... but wish it was lower and wider. The C6 Z06 will probably take care of the wider part if it does come with flared out wheel wells and 335s... Now that's what I'm talking about

Sully C5

There are several reasons for the improved time over the C5, but wouldn't it do even better if it is wider?


The C6 is such an improvemnt in performance, IMHO wider & lower would have even been better for both looks & handling. Since Ferrari & Lambroghini are decent European cars (they both have shorter wheelbase & are wider than a C6) a lower & wider C6 should have European appeal. But since GM engineers are much smarter than I am, they must have a reason.

Corvette Junkie

What I have says the C6 is Fr 62.1 Rr 62.1. So the C6 hasn't lost any width were it counts.

David Lasic

No Way

lager99

It would be good to get it clarified...I pulled it off the NCM site but it could be a typo too. Anyone else have the info? NCM

don527

here, let me not clarify this for you

Road and track says front track is 62.1 in. and rear is 60.7 in.

Looking at that I'm thinking... does that mean that in cars, the front is usually wider in track than the rear? I never knew.

But in the same mag, the width of the entire car is 72.6 in. where I believe that is the "one inch" they talk about when comparing the C5 (which is listed in Sully's excel sheet).... in the dimension of the car and not the track of the wheels.

Has this thread gotten all messed up

So it seems they really havent changed the width much in terms of track which may end the performance argument of this thread.

But my opinion still is, for aesthetic reasons, I wish it was still in overall dimensions as wide as the C5 and as low.

But seeing the C6 in person, I have to say I like it.

don527

here, let me not clarify this for you

Road and track says front track is 62.1 in. and rear is 60.7 in.

Looking at that I'm thinking... does that mean that in cars, the front is usually wider in track than the rear? I never knew.

But in the same mag, the width of the entire car is 72.6 in. where I believe that is the "one inch" they talk about when comparing the C5 (which is listed in Sully's excel sheet).... in the dimension of the car and not the track of the wheels.

Has this thread gotten all messed up

So it seems they really havent changed the width much in terms of track which may end the performance argument of this thread.

But my opinion still is, for aesthetic reasons, I wish it was still in overall dimensions as wide as the C5 and as low.

But seeing the C6 in person, I have to say I like it.

DudeWheresMyVette

Actually, being 5 inches shorter and only 1 inch more narrow, you could argue that to the eye the car looks 4 inches wider? I know not litteraly, but the car should look more stubby now. I always felt the C5 was too long. I'd say a nice wide body kit for the rear would make the car look menacing. A real kit, not Z06 flares.

Sully C5

I had found the rear track width of:

C5 -- 62.0 / 1574.5
C6 -- 60.7 / 1542

But maybe that is wrong.

David Lasic

It took a long time for me to get used to the C5's size, from my previous C4's. I've sold my '98 vert now and am waiting for my C6. When I saw that C6 in person, it righted all the wrongs for me. It is within an inch in length now of a mid year Sting Ray. Right On.

My wife ALWAYS negatively commented on the hide away lights when raised. She and I both love the new HID's.

That C6 is a real sports car.

Corvette Junkie

I got this from corvette.com. I think I will believe GM.

lager99

So then other than asthetics it's actually the same as the C5.

alleycat

C6 rear TREAD is 1542 mm, front tread is 1577. The rear tread is narrow than C5. This was done to align the outside face of wheel with the front tire/wheel. This improves aero drag/top speed and improves fuel economy at ultra high speed cruise. The C6 is 16 mm taller than C5 (doubtful you could detect with out side by side comparo). Approximately half the increase is the shape of the new targa and the other half is a lower wheel center and taller S.L.R. (this is the result of the increased jounce travel and larger tire O.D.) Hope this helps.