Saturday, Andi was gracious enough to allow me to drive his C6Z. I'd sat admiring the car for about half an hour. The paint is incredible- yes there is minor OP (as there is but less so on my Turbo S), but the color is a phenom. This is what a yellow car should look like. Walking around the car reveals the many purposeful details that must be taken if a car is to push 200mph- flush foglamps, front and rear splitter/diffuser, wheel well softeners.

Andi says "Hop in." and I oblige. The seats are comfortable and well-bolstered. Instruments are intuitively present like in my Porsche- I can drive this car without missing a step. Once settled in and comfortable, I fire up the 427- the dash diagnostics urge me to shut down/restart 5-6 times, but for Andi I refrain. The engine, while a 427, sounds more like a 3-4 litre V8- responsive, almost edgy. We back out and I need to keep in mind that there is more car in front of me than in the Porsche. The interior is very nice- not fancy or pretentious- but nice. The torque pulls us at 15-20 mph through the parking lot at "idle". I advise Andi that I'm going to take it easy, but he insists that I get on it- at DE events, I'm advanced, and Andi is beyond that- neither of us is a bad driver.

Pulling onto the road, I notice a precision and tightness that is usually unique to German cars- if you've ever driven a high-powered, air/oil cooled 911, the C6Z has a similar feel with much better composure. I nail the throttle and the motor, with the help of TC/AH catapults me forward like nothing I've ever felt on four wheels. Over skitter bumps, the suspension is compliant. I hit a fast on ramp and the car's suspension transitions flawlessly without loadup launching me the other way. There are situations where I feel my Turbo S pulls harder, but a look at the speedo reveals second gear 95 instead of 77, third 125 instead of 110. In other words, similar pull, but time to speed and time to distance are warp speed compared to the Porsche in my garage, which is still one of the fastest cars you can buy.

Regarding suspension setup and road feel, motor responsiveness and seemingly endless power, comfort and layout, the C6Z is by far the best sportscar that I've ever driven, and I've driven lots, minus CGT, Ford GT or Enzo. It is balanced and a reflection of pinnacle-level engineering and design.

Comparing car to car, forgetting the sales/service/ownership experience, forgetting that my '05 Turbo S is one of 81 cars and uniquely optioned to make it one of a kind, taking off the badges and pure driving, yes, I'd take the C6Z over the 996 Turbo S. While the Porsche has very good midrange and top end power, the C6Z has power no matter where you are in the rev range. Regarding quality, interior, etc., I think some people complain just to hear themselves complain. I found the build quality of the C6Z to be on par with other expensive cars.

Aain, some folks knock the Corvette for having a disconnected road feel, and having driven a C4 and C5, this complaint had some basis in fact. With the C6/C6Z, I find road feel to be excellent, but I only have street experience in these cars, not track experience. I have no reason to believe the C6 or C6Z would become a different, unpredictable animal on the track. I don't find the 996 Turbo S or 997 S any easier to drive or any more connected than the C6Z, but maybe a little better than the C6 Z51

Porsches are great cars and that tradition will continue. When the 996Turbo came out, it was light years ahead of anything else- autorags said it did everything so well that it was boring. Release of the 996Turbo was supposed to occur in 1999, but development delays on the motor made it come out in 2000 as a 2001 model- when we compare new cars, we need to remember that the 996Turbo is nearly a seven year-old model. Still, the Ferrari 430 barely competes with a Turbo S and can't touch a GT2, much less a C6Z. I have about 30 minutes of seat time in a 997S. I find the chassis/suspension not quite on par with the C6Z. GM has clearly raised the bar in every way with the C6Z, and the challenge to Ferrari and Porsche is to strike the balance between comfort and visceral a little better and to find more motor, and the challenge to DC is to make the Viper more predictable and easy to live with- otherwise GM will have carved out a very nice niche with the C6Z. Team Corvette should be a model for the rest of GMs think tanks.

Originally posted by allanlambo
I like the new Z06. Gonna go see if i can test drvie one today.

Originally posted by DFW911T
Did AJ post that on a forum here?
Link to anywhere?
Not that I doubt you, I'd like to see the replies.

Originally posted by DFW911T
Did AJ post that on a forum here?
Link to anywhere?
Not that I doubt you, I'd like to see the replies.

Originally posted by variable
The poster has 81 cars? Damn...

Originally posted by 666 Z06
I think he means his 2005 TT is one of 81 imported to the US that year.

Originally posted by LUIS95993
... Its pretty good looking as well ...
Luis