C6 Corvette at the Dragstrip!

[UB2 SLOW]

Here's the entire Top Gear list, per their website. The C6 is 10th which is pretty damn good considering the competition.


1 Porsche Carrera GT - 1:19.8
2 Mercedes-Mclaren SLR - 1.20.9
3 Ferrari 360 CS - 1.22.3
4 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - 1.22.3
5 Lamborghini Murcielago - 1.23.7
6 Pagani Zonda - 1.23.8
7 Koenigsegg - 1.23.9
8 Noble M12 GTO-3 - 1.25.0
9 Lamborghini Gallardo - 1.25.8
10 Corvette C6 - 1.26
11 Lotus Exige - 1.26.4
12 Porsche 911 GT3 - 1.27.2
13 TVR T350c - 1.27.5
14 BMW M3 CSL - 1.28.0
15 MG SV - 1.28.6
16 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII - 1.28.9
17 Alpina Roadster (Z8) - 1.29.0
18 Subaru Impreza STi - 1.30.1
19 Aston Martin DB7 GT - 1.30.4
20 Audi S4 - 1.30.9
21 Porsche 911 Turbo - 1.31.0
22 Vauxhall VX220 Turbo - 1.31.3
23 Honda NSX Type R - 1.31.6
24 BMW M3 - 1.31.8
25 Nissan 350Z - 1.31.8
26 Mazda RX-8 - 1.31.8
27 Ford Focus RS - 1.32.2
28 Lotus Esprit V8 - 1.32.5
29 Audi TT V6 - 1.32.7
30 Noble M12 - 1.33.1
31 Mercedes SL55 AMG - 1.33.2
32 VW Golf R32 - 1.33.2
33 Volvo S60R - 1.35.0
34 Ferrari 575 - 1.35.2
35 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - 1.35.6
36 Lotus Elise - 1.35.6
37 Aston Martin Vanquish - 1.36.2
38 Renault Clio V6 - 1.36.2
39 Honda Civic Type R - 1.36.5
40 Saab 9-5 HOT Aero - 1.37.9
41 Maserati Coupe - 1.38.0
42 Bowler Wildcat - 1.39.4
43 Bentley Arnarge - 1.40.8
44 Range Rover overfinch - 1.44.0

According to this list his precious Brit cars did not fare to well against a VietNam Leaf spring with bad suspension. :L

 

[6 Shooter]

It's the American Revolution all over again . . .

. . ., you would find a bunch of insecure brits still embarassed and smarting about that whole American Revolution thing :L

I think Chevy's current marketing "An American Revolution", might be getting under the Mother Landers Skin.

Yes the Colonies r back @ it again . . . I don't think the Brit's in the Flick know the rest of the story . . . wait a short while and the New C6 Z06 will b out . . . :blow

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[MsSchroder]

I think Chevy's current marketing "An American Revolution", might be getting under the Mother Landers Skin.

Hey, I'm glad you picked up on that! I believe we've found what's really rubbing them the wrong way.

Patrick- "if we could have gotten the host to shut his pie hole..."
OK, I vote for another overthrow. Who else is on board? :L

 

[WhalePirot]

OK, I vote for another overthrow. Who else is on board? :L

I'm busy building, rebuilding, troubleshooting, driving my FAV marque. Maybe if we ignore them, they'll die in their own wretched pile of disgusting alimentary expungement.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Note to Corvette Engineers: Once and for all, please give us the C6 Z06 that will permanently leave the Brits (along with all the other benchside critics) suffocating in their own tea and crumpets.

They'll do exactly that.

Once the 06 Z06 arrives, whatever the f***ing Brits say will be completely irrlevant---which it almost is, now.

 

[Shriker]

Funny video......the Ford GT is actually third on their list (not shown there) and VERY well liked by the tall gentleman , Mr Clarkson or whomever. Ran a 1.21 or so .....
That drag race was ridiculous.....the new Vette will outrun all but MAYBE the TVR in a real race with real people the majority of the time. And given their results.....look how much better the Vette lapped even though it was beaten in their dragrace by others , it slaughters the TVR and NSX R in lap times as well as the 911 GT3 and Turbo. Yet they think leaf springs are "old tech" .... so are pushrods and so are ..... wheels, funny.

I did however think it was odd their comment about the suspension being harsh (the pebble they ran over). ALL other initial comments about the new Vettes suspension indicates it rides extremely well.....go figure.

The Vette sure didnt appear to be understearing much at all in stock form , very good news......

 

[JHL]

I am a bit surprised by some of the venomous comments towards us Brits (Mr Halverson for one, a man of some questionable literary talent but obviously not much else)

I don't agree with the some of the comments regarding the review of the C6 but not withstanding Jeremy Clarcksons comments the guy did have some valid points. Again in Europe this is a $75,000 car, probably more once it's loaded up with a few extras and it has some stiff competition from various other cars which are to numerous to list. There are also loads of, admittedly not new, but all the same with low miles, Ferrari, Porsche, TVR and so on falling out the pages of the European "Auto Trader" for similar or less money

Most people don't care that the Vette a few tenths quicker here and there, in most of Europe it is impossible now to drive any car to it's full potential without loosing your licence, in Holland they just take the car !!!! so people do look for a bit more than "Brute Force & Ignorance" from there cars. The TVR in question might only have 350hp but it's power to weight ratio is slightly better and then factor in gear ratios and it is more than possible. TVR's are renowned for outragous performance and have a reputation of taking on allcomers.

Bang for the Buck is unquestionable but it will take a bit more than that to sell the Vette in Europe. One thing that was also missed for all you people touting the Vette as faster than the GT3 Porsche, the GT3 ran it's lap in the wet.

I havn't seen a C6 yet unfortunately so the I cannot comment but I hope they are better finished than the C5's. I have ridden in a couple of C5's and the "fit & finish" leaves a lot to be desired. Pop down even to your local VW dealer and you would see better. My local UK GM dealer had a couple of C5's for sale. One was in the showroom sitting beside a Porsche Boxter, the price was about the same. When I was speaking to the salesman he told me he could sell 10 Boxters for every Vette so like it or not this is what the Vette is up against. Harsh but unfotunately true.

It was recently unbeleivable said to me by a rather oversized Texan who I worked with, that if for whaterver reason America shut down the rest of the world would close down. With statements like that it's hardly surprising that the general veiw of America by us Brits is slightly tainted.

Don't get me wrong I like Vette's, I own one, it is a good car but is it a great car, a world leader, I don't think so. I rarely promote another forum on this site but check out this thread and you will find some mor objective comments.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=874885

J.

 

[Gorgon]

I've watched the film several times and I think it was a decent review. Sure they were critical of a few things and they may have overstated them but that doesn't mean they aren't true to some fashion.

The interiors on Corvette have been criticized for some time. GM took the time to find new ways to make cheap materials look and feel like quality materials instead of just using quality materials. I have yet to see a C6 so I can't pass judgement for myself.

The gearbox on the C6 may be smoother than the old ZF6, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a bit clunky compared to other cars in its class. I'm not sure that the ride comment was valid as my C5 with Z51 handles very well and absorbs a bit of the road noise and vibration. I must say that on a trip to NC this summer there were several areas of I95 that sent shakes through the whole car, though I doubt that a pebble on a road course would cause vibration through the car as portrayed in the video.

The TVR should have eaten the Corvette at the strip. While the car has 50 less horsepower, the research I was able to do on the web found the TVR with ~2200 lbs. of curb weight. It would be close to about 60mph.

My take on the video is that it was a positive one. While they took the time to point out a couple of flaws they gave praise for being able to handle, one thing the Brits feel American cars can not do well at all. From the video they said that while it may be rough around the edges, the car was great fun. What more do you want?

From what I understand Jeremy Clarkson hates Corvette. Period. Richard Hammond is actually defending the Corvette from Clarkson at the end while he made his Vietnamese suspension crack.

While many may think Clarkson just doesn't like American cars or is "jealous" of the Vette I don't believe that to be the case. See if you can find and download the vid of Clarkson's latest drive in the Ford GT. I have never seen him gloat over a car more than he does this one. He will be owning one of the 28 Ford GT's heading to Britain. I hardly doubt he goes to sleep at night wishing he could have a Vette instead.

Leon

 

[tyrel]

I hate to say this, but I suspect that most people simply won't care what a British critic thinks of the C6. I think this is true of critics in general, British or otherwise, which is why I never, ever base my buying decisions on the opinions of other people. When the day comes that I get to drive a C6, I'll make up my own mind about it, thank you very much. No one is going to put their opinions in my head.

 

[Bob_K]

1. What a bunch of pansy-assed princesses.

About sums it up for me. I believe the Mazda Miata was designed for ladies. Maybe even a New Beetle convertable. Maybe they should try those instead.

 

[Vettefan87]

Is it just me or did the guy driving it around the track look a little sloopy? I find it hard to believe that it handles that bad to do that on the track. I have come to the conclusion that it was that music he was listening to :L . Car and Driver, and Road and Track have always made fair comments about all cars they have tested, it would be nice if they could do the same. I guess I can live with tenth on there list considering the cars its up against and the people grading it.


Justin

 

[UB2 SLOW]

Further proof that I beileve the whole Drag race was BS!!

1999 Acura NSX Zanardi Edition 3.2 L DOHC V-6 3155 lbs 290 bhp @ 7100 rpm 224 lb/ft @ 5500 rpm 4.7 sec. 13.1 sec. @ 109.1

C6 Base Coupe 6.0L V-8, 3179lbs,400 hp@6000 rpm 400lb/ft@4400 rpm, 4.3 sec 0-60 and 12.6@114

The Vette is faster 0-60, the 1/4 and overall speed. How is it then that the NSX was losing by a couple of cars and then came back to win by a couple of cars? Once again BS!

Now lets talk about the TVR. They have not posted the 1/4 time anywhere! Why? Are they ashamed of it? Who knows, but the 0-60 time is posted and its 4.4 for the TVR vs 4.3 for the C6. MMMM Looks like it loses that race depending on the driver. And once again if you watch the video that driver sucked. He was actually looking around and talking at one point when he shifted gears.

While I agree that weight does play a big role in the performance, the TQ of the Vette would equal out. You have allot more TQ at a lower RPM. Now that being said, how the hell does the TVR just take off and leave the Vette like it was on N20 at the 35 second mark of the video? Because the tool that was driving the Vette was not driving it like it should and sandbagged the Vette in order to make the TVR look better.

TVR is 290 lb/ft@5500 rpm
C6 is 400 lb/ft@4400 rpm

I am not saying that the TVR is not a good car, I am saying that the way and the people testing it were BS. In order to get a true evaluation, they need to be tested by a 3rd party who is inpartial. Not by a Vette/American hater.

 

[Gorgon]

There are no TVR 1/4 times because it is only sold in countries that use the metric system. They are hardly ashamed of it. The only other metric seems to be the 9.5 second 0-100 time. We just need to find that time for the C6 for comparison. Personally I'm not sure that the extra 100 lb/ft of torque can make up for 1000 lbs of curb weight.

 

[UB2 SLOW]

I understand about the metric, but they usually still post the 1/4 time or they put it in metric. But if you want to use 0-100 time, both cars are at 9.5, this according to Motor Trend for the C6. So once again, I am calling BS on their video, because the video has it coming in a very distant 3rd against a car that is just as fast from 0-60 and 0-100. Oh and the NSX's time from 0-100 is 10.7, so how did it finish second? The driver could not drive the Vette or he sandbagged it.

 

[chevyaddict]

Corvette loyalty...... GOTTA LUV IT!

 

[Patrick]

Further proof that I beileve the whole Drag race was BS!!

1999 Acura NSX Zanardi Edition 3.2 L DOHC V-6 3155 lbs 290 bhp @ 7100 rpm 224 lb/ft @ 5500 rpm 4.7 sec. 13.1 sec. @ 109.1

C6 Base Coupe 6.0L V-8, 3179lbs,400 hp@6000 rpm 400lb/ft@4400 rpm, 4.3 sec 0-60 and 12.6@114

The Vette is faster 0-60, the 1/4 and overall speed. How is it then that the NSX was losing by a couple of cars and then came back to win by a couple of cars? Once again BS!

Now lets talk about the TVR. They have not posted the 1/4 time anywhere! Why? Are they ashamed of it? Who knows, but the 0-60 time is posted and its 4.4 for the TVR vs 4.3 for the C6. MMMM Looks like it loses that race depending on the driver. And once again if you watch the video that driver sucked. He was actually looking around and talking at one point when he shifted gears.

While I agree that weight does play a big role in the performance, the TQ of the Vette would equal out. You have allot more TQ at a lower RPM. Now that being said, how the hell does the TVR just take off and leave the Vette like it was on N20 at the 35 second mark of the video? Because the tool that was driving the Vette was not driving it like it should and sandbagged the Vette in order to make the TVR look better.

TVR is 290 lb/ft@5500 rpm
C6 is 400 lb/ft@4400 rpm

I am not saying that the TVR is not a good car, I am saying that the way and the people testing it were BS. In order to get a true evaluation, they need to be tested by a 3rd party who is inpartial. Not by a Vette/American hater.

Bryan,
I don't know if I would go far enough to say the two guys in that video clip were America and Corvette "haters." They are certainly patronizing and condescending where American cars are concerned, but that puts them more in the category of America bashers. (I wonder if they're actually French, and just don't want to admit it. :L )

Is it possible they're just threatened by the C6?

I completely agree, though- the comparisons they are drawing between all four of the vehicles in that drag race are to be taken seriously, a neutral third party needs to be called in to run the race in a fair manner.

-Patrick

 

[ImpalaPete]

I suspect if somebody here checks to see who sponsors that television show, at least one sponsor will prove to be a British "sports car" manufacturer. Hey, "British" + "sports car", now there's a profound oxymoron. Clearly the driver of the Vette was a complete bumbling idiot when it came to the handling massive torque throughout the entire RPM range. Seems like he was far too used to smashing the gas pedal to the floor because of prior experience with gutless V8 wonders whenever an extra 25ft-lbs was called for. Definitely not the way to drive powerful American iron. So far as knocking the plastic and fiberglass goes, cry to me about it next time your British "sports car" gets a big door ding or someone taps the rear end and does $10K of damage because it has no give. When you do, don't feel bad when I thwap you upside the head and tell you to get away from me. The constant leaf spring comments do only one thing, make pompous pretenders look even more like intellectual buffoons. I can imagine these guys heading up a British "sports car" R&D team and spending tens of millions of dollars designing the world's best rear suspension, only to have it cost $100K per car, have a useful life of 10K miles, and be as loud as a firecracker dropped down the back of your shirt. All in classic British fashion, of course. And what the hell is up with the girly Jefferson Starship music during the test drive? Pure-blooded heavy metal, how about some classic Sabbath like "Iron Man" or "Into the Void", would be much more like it. Whatever. Just a bunch of prissy wankers.

 

[chevyaddict]

I suspect if somebody here checks to see who sponsors that television show, at least one sponsor will prove to be a British "sports car" manufacturer. Hey, "British" + "sports car", now there's a profound oxymoron. Clearly the driver of the Vette was a complete bumbling idiot when it came to the handling massive torque throughout the entire RPM range. Seems like he was far too used to smashing the gas pedal to the floor because of prior experience with gutless V8 wonders whenever an extra 25ft-lbs was called for. Definitely not the way to drive powerful American iron. So far as knocking the plastic and fiberglass goes, cry to me about it next time your British "sports car" gets a big door ding or someone taps the rear end and does $10K of damage because it has no give. When you do, don't feel bad when I thwap you upside the head and tell you to get away from me. The constant leaf spring comments do only one thing, make pompous pretenders look even more like intellectual buffoons. I can imagine these guys heading up a British "sports car" R&D team and spending tens of millions of dollars designing the world's best rear suspension, only to have it cost $100K per car, have a useful life of 10K miles, and be as loud as a firecracker dropped down the back of your shirt. All in classic British fashion, of course. And what the hell is up with the girly Jefferson Starship music during the test drive? Pure-blooded heavy metal, how about some classic Sabbath like "Iron Man" or "Into the Void", would be much more like it. Whatever. Just a bunch of prissy wankers.

:dance ;worship

 

[vetteboy86]

Every time i see this thread I read this months issue of car and driver. If you wanna know what the car is and want some good reviews take a look at it. I personally like the car, and like what car and driver has to say about it including it bieng a ten best car again easily.


Craig

 

[John Doe]

It made me laugh!!! :lol: Very funny video!! It was satire, wasn't it? I love that dry British sense of humor!!! And some of you actually took it seriously!!

but really... what a bunch of A-holes! :eyerole