348SStb

Hello All,

I have a Z06 convertible reserved with an allocation fairly soon, but I am having second thoughts.

Let’s get this part out of the way first:
“Most people don’t buy a Z06 and worry about mpg numbers.”

I’m not worried about mpg numbers or spending money on gasoline. I’m worried about going to the gas station every second time I sit in the thing or possibly twice in the same day if enjoying the car on an extended run. I can’t imagine most people wouldn’t find that annoying and a detriment to enjoying the car.

The tank size is 18.5 gallons. City mpg rating is 12. If not driving like a p*ssy, that’s exactly what I expect to achieve — and usually the number is lower than city. Do the math: 18.5 x 12; then subtract 50 miles because you don’t want to go venturing around in a gas guzzler with a range much lower than 50 miles.

That gives the car an effective range of 172 miles! That is downright putrid, no?

I owned a 2007 Ferrari 599 which had a 27.7 gallon gas tank! However at *spirited* driving (not going near the redline most of the time but spirited), I saw about 8 miles/gallon despite the EPA city rating of 11mpg. Doing the math on that, range was 171.6 miles after the deduction of 50 miles. I hated going to the gas station all the time. Same thing with my 2009 BMW M3 Convertible - range on that was 180 miles at same mathematical methodology. I sold the car within 6 months specifically because of the annoyance of trips to the gas station every day or every other day.

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I am wondering if folks might chime in:

(1) If you own a Z06, what is the real world mileage you’re seeing overall? Care to share your total odometer accumulated so far and any changes you may have noticed?

(I wouldn’t be surprised if it were 10 mpg. If lots of highway driving then your figures may not apply- my driving is mostly suburban and spirited backroads.)

(2) Without any wise comments about caring about fuel economy — is this an issue you are considering did consider?

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Sure there are thousands and thousands of people lining up to buy Z06, but maybe this issue is not well known or oft-discussed; at some point the inconvenience of going to the gas station all the time is a factor. For example if the fuel capacity were 10 gallons and the range were 120 miles at a 12mpg city rating (70-mile range after deducting 50 miles), I think review journalists would be forced to not overlook that attribute and folks might have serious pause.

I’m blessed to own or to have owned all kinds of sports cars from literally every brand; the average car has a range of around 250 at city mpg rating after the deduction of 50 miles. The Porsche 911 variants are way above 300 miles because they are fuel efficient and also have a huge 23.2 gallon gas tank.

I wish someone at GM had looked at the 12 MPG city number and demanded a 21-gallon tank at minimum. We are talking an extra 15 pounds in weight here. My 2023 Audi R8 Spyder Rwd drinks fuel but at least it has a 21.1 gallon tank.

Even my 2014 C7 Stingray was impressively fuel efficient, and it had fairly high mpg ratings from the EPA to start with — so the 18.5 gallon tank wasn’t an issue there.

I do not track my cars. But I did buy a home at the foothills of the mountains of Western North Carolina recently specifically for the purpose of enjoying my cars on some of the best backroads in the world. I drive in a safe, spirited manner — I don’t often go up to redline — but I do not imagine there’s a way I would be seeing more than city rating.

Thanks in advance for input!

LowcountryVette

Sounds like its not the car for you.

wthensler

Interesting POV, and well written.

I’ve never measured my mpg in the 458 or Lambo STO, but the range is well over 200 in both. And that’s a mixture of normal and spirited driving.

Track them, and all bets are off. Fella running his new Z at Watkins earlier this week was fueling up after every session, now I know why.

FWIW. I was at NCM a few weeks back in a rented C8, and the low fuel icon came on. Car didn’t make it around the track. Was super embarrassing!

18 gallons is tiny for such a car. Go figure.

shatter

A comparison to consider:
With 50 miles of reserve, that puts the GT3RS just over 200 miles per fuel up.

348SStb

Your analysis is not exactly accurate due to the following:

GT3RS and most other 911 variants have a maximum fuel tank capacity of 23.2 gallons. It’s a factory option. (In the past it was a $0 option but since everyone took the option Porsche decided to charge and pocket $230 for the option.)

Not a single GT3 variant is known to have been ordered with the standard size fuel tank. You will not find a GT3RS that doesn’t have the 23.2-gallon tank.

AzDave47

I average about 200-240 miles per fill-up, but not one full tank of highway cruising yet. What I have done would indicate about 21 cruising at 80 MPH on the interstate. 1600+ miles so far.

It looks like it will be about like my HCI 09Z with ~600 rwhp was.

lewislgZ06

Subscribed, great topic for some of us average folks that are on the fence about getting a Z06.

I have a Z51 Stingray on order, but am also on a Z06 list. Will eventually have to decide and this is one of the things that I certainly care about.
I’ve been in places where gas stations are few and far in between, and fuel capacity/mileage became extremely important.

MattMD

It is sorta weird it’s the same tank size as my C8. Will definitely cut down the range. I get like 250 miles between refuels. For me it’s twice a month which isn’t too bad. But certainly the Z will get less mpg.

jjsaustin

12 mpg is what I'm getting

jjsaustin

12 mpg is what I'm getting

John510

12 mpg isn’t bad. That’s what my Camaro and my Trail Boss both get.

Howydo

Haven’t actually calculated mpg but it’s bad, lol. Amazing car but it’s not really very practical. I of course don’t care as I bought mine for fun.

PuffC8

I average 11mpg in my Stingray, I can only imagine what it'll be like in my Z lol

jerrsvette

sounds like some of you will need the NO3 big tank option as in the 1963 z06 .

348SStb

Do you feel like you’re always at the gas station with it?

Howydo

Not really but it’s not my daily driver ..

348SStb

Right but I figured during the honeymoon phase you might have been driving it often. I know when I’m trying to break a new car in so I can let it rip, I’m in the thing for big chunks of mileage at a time.

Ramv

Guess it’s just a matter of preference. I used a sport bike as a daily driver for 65 mile round trip commute for many years. filled up every second day. Could be in and out of the station in three minutes. Towing my pickup range is 170 miles or so, stop every couple of hours for ten minutes.

biggest issue I ran into was commuting to the track on the sport bike and running out of fuel at the end of the front straight resulting in the tire locking up in a right corner. Obviously this was inexperience and no fuel gauge.

For anything other than pure expedition (I carry several VP fuel jugs in my pickup) I don’t have an issue with 150+ miles of range.

JerriVette

Best not to take your allocation.

good luck and thanks for letting us know.

Z0HS1CK

The tank should've been closer to 20 gal IMO but the car is already heavy as it is lol.

We can't have it all.

At 12MPG, i wouldn't complain. Like many, or maybe all people here, the z06 will be a toy as we ALL have other cars to drive during the week, other toys to play with etc.

I honestly didn't think for once at all, during this whole waiting period, to even now, what about MPG?

GM literally gave us a race car for the street, with a 5yr/60k warranty.

This is similar to us back in the day when we modified our cars for 500rwhp or 600rwhp and we got the same 12MPG. And we didn't have a warranty because we modified our cars so heavily just to achieve the 600rwhp.

I didn't get my z06 yet but i should have it by sept/oct btw.