sandcracker21

Now that a good chunk of members have had a Z06 for awhile and have upgraded from the base stingray, I was looking for some direct comparisons.

I have the opportunity to order a Z06 finally (at MSRP) but money doesn't grow on trees for me and I recently got a 2023 Z51 that I'm in love with.

How much better is the Z06? Obviously it's pretty impossible to test drive one before hand for me to compare. Whenever I see one I'm blown away by how much BIGGER it is and I honestly like the front end of the stingray a bit better. Does the Z06 feel like a boat when driving? Does the extra power just blow you away though?

...that sound is so intoxicating tho!

saleen556

For the street it’s just bragging rights and having the baddest Corvette available. However if you can get one I’d snag it. If you don’t think it’s worth the upgrade you’ll make some cash on it.

JerriVette

The sound, the wider wheels and tires.

I would suggest if the opportunity arises take the z06.

love my z51 but if the chance came up to get a z06 I’d recommend going for it if the extra 30 or 35 grand for the wide body z06 ..

love my stingray z51 for the past 25 months but still I’d grab the z06…if for nothing else but the sound and visceral increase as it’s quite dramatic.

an amazing POV later on in the video on the driving experience from the cockpit



go to 17:30 to get what’s different.

hope this helps

RBK

I sold my C8 Z51 a few weeks prior to the arrival of my Z06. I have the money, so it was an easy decision.
Admittedly, I only have about 250 miles on the car and drove the Z51 11,000.

Comparing the cars: The power of the Z51 was less than desirable for me, however, the low end torque is comparable to that of the Z06 and therefore, when leaving a stop light, the Z51 actually felt better. The odometer reads about the same but the "feeling" is better. The cars interiors are identical. The motor is the big deal. I wake up the neighbors when starting the car (the loudest start I have ever heard made by a street car). The Z06 feels "heavier", maybe not a good thing for the track, but for the street it feels substantive, something I like. The fit and finish of the two cars are virtually the same. The Z06 is wider and viewing from the front provides a more aggressive stance. Maybe irrelevant, besides being the most powerful naturally aspirated V8, it may be the last one Corvette makes.

If money is an issue, my rule has always been "responsibility" before " fun". There are many cars now and coming.

Good luck

Nitro-C5

I owned at C8 Z51 HTC for 2 years and got my C8 Z06 HTC a few months ago. Here is the best way I can describe it. During Break in procedure and/or at very low RPM with both cars in Touring Mode on the highway not a huge difference...that said at higher RPM and when getting into the corners (harder driving) they are like not only feel like (2) different cars but feels like (2) different manufacturers! The difference is quite extreme and the Z06 is absolutely intoxicating to drive over 5,000rpm and the deceleration burbles coming from higher RPM in the Sport/Track Mode sound like the most exotic of cars!!

In the most simplistic of descriptions the Z06 is the Z51 turned up to "11". Would I get it, yes of course which is why I did. Zero regrets.

RapidC84B

I owed 3 mag ride Z51s as follows:

2020 1LT Coupe
2021 2LT HTC
2022 1LT Coupe

I put 5K on the 2020, 5K on the 2021, and nearly 10K on the 2022. I tracked the 2020 and the 2022 at VIR a few times and have extensive history tracking/racing cars at the club level (NASA).

My neighbor picked up his C8Z HTC via MacMulkin / NCM a couple of months ago so it was broken in when he got home. I got to take it for a 30+ min drive on some back roads. That experience immediately convinced me to sell the '22 and not entertain keeping both cars. I had started a track-oriented build on the '22 and put it back to stock and sold it. My main takeaways:

1. The Z06 "fixes" everything the Stingray is lacking; it's a Stingray turned up to 11.

2. The sound... nothing you can watch online captures it and watching people do little revs at C&C events is nothing like being in the car WOT to redline. I could barely hear my Stingrays once going; especially with the top out/down. Z06 fixes all that. It's exciting.

3. Chassis feel / Steering feel - The Z51 mag ride car feels soft in comparison, but the Z06 isn't harsh. It's not "too much". I was surprised by how quickly I could feel it in the steering and ride. It feels tighter and more athletic. As it should given the stiffer control arm bushings, higher spring rates, and revised mag shock tuning. FWIW the car I drove was a regular non-Z07 HTC.

Picking up my 1LZ coupe from the museum 8/29; car was built last week.

AzDave47

Not having driven a Z51, but having run the first RF Spring Mountain Z06 course, the Z06 at the limit is incredibly balanced. Even at less than full out, on the street it conveys the same balance when driven hard in the corners (I have extensive racing experience in formula cars, low powered front and rear drive cars and in 5#/HP rear drive cars). The Z06 is the first mid-engine car I have driven hard on the track.

Ragtop 99

I put 10K on my 2021 Z51 w/MRSC and have 4500 mi on my Z06.

Yes, it is bigger and if you park it in lot with smaller spaces, it fills up the whole width of the space. With the wider tires, it trams a little more than the Z51. It hydroplanes a touch more in a heavy rain. The Z06 tires also generate a little more road noise. These are the downsides of its size.

The Z06 feels tighter wound than the Z51. The suspension is a little tauter; it feels more sporty than the Z51. It inspires a bit more confidence in its handling. People are surprised how mild-mannered the Z51 in tour felt. Ride in a Z06 and its clear this is a sports car. The Z06 ride is a little stiffer, but I adjusted after a couple days, and now drive the Z06 in sport, same as I did with the Z51. On the highway, the Z06 ride is pretty good; on beat-up pot-holed roads, the Z51 is much more forgiving.

The FPC fires up with a little vibration that reminds me of a mildly cammed car. It's enough to notice, but it isn't intrusive. Between the shorter gearing and the FPC's lightweight rotating assembly, the engine builds revs quickly. The engine sound above 3000 rpm is incredible; it pushes you to shift at high rpm. The motor lacks the low end TQ that most corvette owners are use to. It's not terrible at 2000 rpm in 1st - 4th gear for typical in-traffic driving. 5th - 6th are meh and 7th and 8th gear have no pull. At 3,000 rpm, the power starts to arrive, but the car really wants to be at 4000 rpm and higher for fun. Driving the Z06 means using more rpms and taking advantage of its gearing and high rpm power. Around town, I'm often a gear lower in the Z06 than I used in my Z51. When I want to really go fast, I downshift to at least 5,000 rpm and often to 6,000 rpm, whereas I typically used 3500 to 4000 rpm with the Z51. At higher speeds, the Z06 power is easy to notice. The top of 3rd and 4th gear are where the Z06 separates itself from the Z51. If you're mainly a 0 - 60 guy, I don't think you'll get much from the Z06.

Z06 Fuel economy is worse. Plan on spending 25% more in gasoline than you now spend with your Z51.

I really liked my Z51 and would have kept it absent the Z06 arriving. However, I like the Z06 better. I wanted a more powerful high revving NA motor and GM delivered a beauty. Is it worth that much more than a Z51? That's hard to say without knowing you and your finances.

GmdVT

is it really that much bigger? 3 inches wider and maybe 2 inches longer from the different front lip, also speaking of the loud startup can you start it in stealth mode? Hope I don't set off car alarms in my parking garage

AzDave47

Re gearing, at the RF Spring Mountain COS school on the 1.5 mile East Track, they use 3rd, 4th and 5th in the Stingray and 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Z06, with the revs occasionally dropping to 3500 RPM in the Z06 and running to 8000rpm+ several times per lap.

combatninja

The Z06 feels no bigger or smaller than the Stingray from behind the wheel.

The answer to this question comes down to use case. Is the car a 'toy' meant for occasional use? Z06 all day. Is the car a daily? Z51 (with mag ride) all day. Use cases in between of course come down to your own preferences for comfort and which direction your use skews toward.

harley2

I love the Z! It doesn't feel like a boat. it feels planted and you will automatically be a better driver! I had 2020 C8!

Jridden

I wish I was able to compare the two. Sounds like if you have the money the Z is a no brainer. I'm still waiting on the Ciocca and MM lists.....

sting ya

He probably wouldn't see it in his driveway for at least two years. not sure how the value will be at that point.

sting ya

These cars are toys. I cant imagine ever driving one as a daily driver. It comes down to if you have the funds. If you do then you go for the z06. Period..

GmdVT

I don't see any reason why you can't daily drive a z06 if you have moderate and above climate, at the end of the day it's a car, a very powerful car, but still a car

Ragtop 99

mine goes to work if I think I can put the top down at least one way. It has also been spotted in the total wine parking lot, among other retail establishments.

GmdVT

I'm really considering trading in my jetta and just using the Z as a DD, no regerts

combatninja

Why can't you daily a C8, exactly?

Wyldfyer

I agree 100% with this!!! The only comparison for me would be in weather mode (because even touring is the next level up as far as engine sound).

These are two entirely different cars. For me, the Z06 cleaned up some of the lines that I eventually wasn't a fan of on the SR. It is truly a sexy car. The sound is EXTREMELY intoxicating. You do not have the issue of not being able to hear it like I had with the SR (this improved with the SR convertible over the SR coupe). The backfires that occur when you let off the gas reminds you of something you hear on aftermarket cars.

Also, it can be very tame if you set all parameters in "my mode" all the way down. This is also the best way to keep cold start volume down.

Here's the kicker: All of this and I haven't even gotten past break-in. That means there are levels that I haven't even experienced. Haven't done any pulls with WOT. Have done my best to keep RPM's at 4K at the highest. And it's STILL insanely better that the SR!

The SR is impressive. The Z06 is just special...