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- #1
Yes....I have finally been christened.
I had to take my ZR-1 down to Pohanka Chevrolet in Manassas this afternoon for an emissions test. Pohanka sells approximately 60 Corvettes per year and they usually have anywhere from 3-8 new/used C5s in stock at any given time.
Usually when I go there for parts/service, I normally take a quick walk around and drool all over the new C5s.
One of their salesmen came over and asked if my Vette had a new paint job. I told him "no" that it was the original factory paint job; I just take good care of it. We talked for a while.
Since the service writer estimated that it might be between 1-3 hours before they could get my car back to me, the salesman asked me if I'd like to take a quick ride in a new C5.
I have only rode in a C5 once and that was in April of 1997 with another Corvette mechanic who was road testing a customer's new C5. The customer was apparently complaining that the car would stall when he was in gear and would take his foot off the clutch. The mechanic could not find anything wrong with it and determined that the owner may have been having a difficult time differentiating the correct gears. The ride was only about 3-5 minutes and included several stop-and-go's. I was still trying to get used to the overall look of the C5 and wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the car. It was nice and solid, but the exhaust/engine note was anemic. I felt that Chevrolet lost something somewhere along the way in the design process.
Well....I am happy to say, they rediscovered it! The salesman pulled the 2003 Quicksilver Z06 out of its spot and I climbed in. The first thing that shocked me was the amount of room in the interior. I forgot what it was like inside. I've judged several of them at Corvette shows in the past, but to stand on the outside looking in, is quite different from climbing in and strapping yourself down.
AWESOME leg room. Seats are nice and supportive....comfortable. The center console with the stick shift seemed a little high, but that was only a quick impression.
Because the salesman needed to get back to the dealership and they like to keep the test miles down on the Z06s, we only took a quick ride around the block - maybe 2 minutes. IT WAS ENOUGH.
To the C5/Z06 owners out there that are putting in these partitions in the back to cut down on "noise", I must ask....WHY?
The sound of the Z06 exhaust is nothing short of glorious. The roar was literally music to my ears. That stifled....muffled sound of the '97 C5 I rode in was gone.
I was dissapointed when GM axed the ZR-1, but the first thought that ran through my mind when we accelerated down the road in the Z06 was...."My God.....the beast is back."
We drove down a small road behind the dealership that was uneven with lumps and potholes and I was blown away by the ride quality. It is absolutely remarkable what Chevrolet has done with the C5. The Z06 soaked up the ruts and undulations like they weren't even there. Had we been in my ZR-1, the poor thing would have gone into convulsions at the mere sight of the potholes.
When all was said and done, I walked away from the Z06 back in the lot to see the mechanic pulling up in my ZR-1.
Alas, I can't help it....the ZR-1 still takes my breath away at the mere sight of it. The Z06 may be able to dance circles around the ZR-1, but there's a sense of uniqueness, history and even legend built into the ZR-1 that the Z06 doesn't have.
On the way home from the dealership I decided to play around with my own Vette enjoying the open road and reflecting back upon the quick ride in the Z06. (I must pass on a "Thank you" to the moron in the Subaru WRX who helped remind me why I love Corvettes so much...)
Would I sell the ZR-1 and go buy a Z06? I can honestly say, "no". The ZR-1 is the first Corvette I've ever owned. I bought it 8 years ago with 179 miles on it. It's been with me ever since - down to Bowling Green to see the last ZR-1 come off the assembly line in April of 1995 - back and forth to Carlisle, etc. I've had some of the most incredible drives of my lifetime in that car. There's history between myself and the car that can't be erased.
If I could afford it, would I go out and buy a new Z06 to share garage space with my ZR-1....IN A HEARTBEAT - NO SECOND GUESSING - NO REGRETS.
Keep in mind, we did not test the acceleration, braking or handling of this Z06....it was nothing more than a simple, short ride around the block but it was enough to convince me - what a phenomenal Corvette!
Now I just need to actually drive one. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. I have a feeling I might be forced to eat some of my words here regarding the ZR-1.
I had to take my ZR-1 down to Pohanka Chevrolet in Manassas this afternoon for an emissions test. Pohanka sells approximately 60 Corvettes per year and they usually have anywhere from 3-8 new/used C5s in stock at any given time.
Usually when I go there for parts/service, I normally take a quick walk around and drool all over the new C5s.
One of their salesmen came over and asked if my Vette had a new paint job. I told him "no" that it was the original factory paint job; I just take good care of it. We talked for a while.
Since the service writer estimated that it might be between 1-3 hours before they could get my car back to me, the salesman asked me if I'd like to take a quick ride in a new C5.
I have only rode in a C5 once and that was in April of 1997 with another Corvette mechanic who was road testing a customer's new C5. The customer was apparently complaining that the car would stall when he was in gear and would take his foot off the clutch. The mechanic could not find anything wrong with it and determined that the owner may have been having a difficult time differentiating the correct gears. The ride was only about 3-5 minutes and included several stop-and-go's. I was still trying to get used to the overall look of the C5 and wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the car. It was nice and solid, but the exhaust/engine note was anemic. I felt that Chevrolet lost something somewhere along the way in the design process.
Well....I am happy to say, they rediscovered it! The salesman pulled the 2003 Quicksilver Z06 out of its spot and I climbed in. The first thing that shocked me was the amount of room in the interior. I forgot what it was like inside. I've judged several of them at Corvette shows in the past, but to stand on the outside looking in, is quite different from climbing in and strapping yourself down.
AWESOME leg room. Seats are nice and supportive....comfortable. The center console with the stick shift seemed a little high, but that was only a quick impression.
Because the salesman needed to get back to the dealership and they like to keep the test miles down on the Z06s, we only took a quick ride around the block - maybe 2 minutes. IT WAS ENOUGH.
To the C5/Z06 owners out there that are putting in these partitions in the back to cut down on "noise", I must ask....WHY?
The sound of the Z06 exhaust is nothing short of glorious. The roar was literally music to my ears. That stifled....muffled sound of the '97 C5 I rode in was gone.
I was dissapointed when GM axed the ZR-1, but the first thought that ran through my mind when we accelerated down the road in the Z06 was...."My God.....the beast is back."
We drove down a small road behind the dealership that was uneven with lumps and potholes and I was blown away by the ride quality. It is absolutely remarkable what Chevrolet has done with the C5. The Z06 soaked up the ruts and undulations like they weren't even there. Had we been in my ZR-1, the poor thing would have gone into convulsions at the mere sight of the potholes.
When all was said and done, I walked away from the Z06 back in the lot to see the mechanic pulling up in my ZR-1.
Alas, I can't help it....the ZR-1 still takes my breath away at the mere sight of it. The Z06 may be able to dance circles around the ZR-1, but there's a sense of uniqueness, history and even legend built into the ZR-1 that the Z06 doesn't have.
On the way home from the dealership I decided to play around with my own Vette enjoying the open road and reflecting back upon the quick ride in the Z06. (I must pass on a "Thank you" to the moron in the Subaru WRX who helped remind me why I love Corvettes so much...)
Would I sell the ZR-1 and go buy a Z06? I can honestly say, "no". The ZR-1 is the first Corvette I've ever owned. I bought it 8 years ago with 179 miles on it. It's been with me ever since - down to Bowling Green to see the last ZR-1 come off the assembly line in April of 1995 - back and forth to Carlisle, etc. I've had some of the most incredible drives of my lifetime in that car. There's history between myself and the car that can't be erased.
If I could afford it, would I go out and buy a new Z06 to share garage space with my ZR-1....IN A HEARTBEAT - NO SECOND GUESSING - NO REGRETS.
Keep in mind, we did not test the acceleration, braking or handling of this Z06....it was nothing more than a simple, short ride around the block but it was enough to convince me - what a phenomenal Corvette!
Now I just need to actually drive one. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. I have a feeling I might be forced to eat some of my words here regarding the ZR-1.
!
Mike! and thats one nice vette ya got!
