Oppo I dare you to find a better performance bargain than a C5Z06

"JR1" (type35bugatti)
11/25/2014 at 09:20 • Filed to: None

One rule, it has to be a stock car.

DISCUSSION (69)

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:26

Kinja'd!!!

—- is not amused by your "American sports car"

JK, C5's are pretty great, one of my junior Marines bought one, but didn't know how to drive manual, so I drove it for him for about a week until he learned. All things considered, I would have an e39 M5 over one all day, because despite the Z06's abilities, that interior is a genuinely horrible place to be.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:26

Simply impossible. I posted this long ago and even then I'd overestimated the price http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/0-60-in-3-9-ri…

Jayhawk Jake > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 09:31

I don't think the C5 interior is horrible by any means. It's not bad, it's just not great.

Roundbadge > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:33

My neighbor's son drives a C5 Z06. He's maybe 23 and a mechanic at a local Chevy dealership. She said he decided that, to be a Corvette mechanic, he had to drive a Corvette.

The thing is absolutely gorgeous and sounds ridiculous. I have to remind myself every time I see it that it's over 10 years old.

JR1 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 09:36

An M5 is an interesting alternative but the extra two doors makes it a little less pure in my mind. Sorry you have no convinced me it is better.

JR1 > Jayhawk Jake
11/25/2014 at 09:37

I mean I own a 2000 Chevy S10 and seeing similar cheap plastic buttons is a little disheartening. Nevertheless I would own the shit out of a C5 Z06

Cherry_man1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:37

What are the prices on them right now?

JR1 > Roundbadge
11/25/2014 at 09:38

I really think it is the greatest used car currently on the market. Nothing can really touch it.

JR1 > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 09:38

Roughly 20k

Cherry_man1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:40

Do I win?

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Jayhawk Jake
11/25/2014 at 09:41

Granted it is better than rental car cloth and taxicab but it is pretty bad for a high performance/high dollar car.

JR1 > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 09:42

Correct me if I am wrong but from a pure performance standpoint they are almost equal. And the Vette is 5k less on average.

DrScientist > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:42

you can easily get a boxter, perhaps a mint boxter ~2005-2006 for that money.

you could probably get a high mileage 996 if you hunted long enough.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:43

You must not have a dog, taking a spirited drive with your dog in the back seat is one of the best bonding experiences.

JR1 > DrScientist
11/25/2014 at 09:43

But does it have the performance capabilities of a Z06? Sure they are agile but they are not as quick in a straight line or around a track.

JR1 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 09:44

I have a truck throwing him in the bed is a great bonding experience or the passenger seat beside me. I don't see why you couldn't do that in a Vette.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:45

Fine........

C5's are good cars. You got me. :-)

Jayhawk Jake > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 09:45

But it's not high dollar anymore.

When it was new I'd argue that it was probably on par with cars costing a third less. But now it is the same price as a Mitsubishi Mirage, and it's way nicer than that. For $20k I have no problem with the interior

William Byrd > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:45

I'd like to play this game, but I don't think it's possible to beat that. I've driven one of those in anger and it's quite good. The C6 ZO6 is even better, can't wait til they drop lower in price.

JR1 > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 09:46

If the C6 Z06 ever drops to below 20k then I will know for sure there is a God and he loves me.

William Byrd > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 09:47

However, how would a C6 with some suspension mods and maybe an exhaust do against its older sibling? Basically the same engine output, improved bits all around in a lot of ways, I recall they were fairly close in performance back when the C6 first came out.

Cherry_man1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:48

the M3 will edge it out.

William Byrd > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:48

I'm a Mustang guy through and through. But I really, really, like the Corvette.

My buddy here at work has a new Stingray, PMYellow with pretty much every option including the Z51 package. Love it.

Sweet Trav > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:49

The pop-up head lights kill me.

Ruined this whole car for me.

JR1 > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 09:49

Good find. I am not sure I would take it over the Vette because of maintenance costs but this is a viable performance alternative to the Vette at a similar price.

JR1 > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 09:51

That is cheating I said stock! And I bet it would preform as an equal after a few mods.

JR1 > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 09:51

I agree I am a Mustang guy when it comes to muscle cars but the Vette plays in a different league.

JR1 > Sweet Trav
11/25/2014 at 09:52

Seriously? That is one of my favorite features. To each their own.

Cherry_man1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:52

It has the stick not the SMG

William Byrd > JR1
11/25/2014 at 09:53

How about a Z51'd C6 with any other factory option that might make it as good, or better than the C5? :)

JR1 > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 10:02

Engine is still a little too bespoke for my tastes if we are talking cheap performance.

JR1 > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 10:03

I once remember a comparison between the two with a magazine. I think the C5 Z was still a tad faster but the C6 was more predictable and livable.

William Byrd > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:05

In the end, I still notice a C5 ZO6 but typically don't look twice at a more "pedestrian" C6. That's probably enough to get my money.

DoYouEvenShift > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:08

When you consider the price, power, capability, reliability, cost of maintenance. Your not gonna find anything that comes close.

And the interior is fine. Sure its not perfect. But only the interior decorators will complain.

Cherry_man1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:12

well then how about like 1st gen viper?

Jayhawk Jake > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 10:12

Corvette trounces it in performance

Jayhawk Jake > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:14

C5Z06s are mind blowingly capable. They are always at the top of amateur racing standings. I think it could still give that M3 a run for its money.

It also looks far better

Jayhawk Jake > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:15

Itd be closer than you'd think, but the C5Z still has a slight upper hand I think

Jayhawk Jake > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 10:15

I dream of a $20k C6Z

Oontzoontzoontz > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:16

Damnit, now I'm looking at C5 Z06s on autotrader.

Jayhawk Jake > William Byrd
11/25/2014 at 10:16

It would cost quite a bit more I think to do that. C6s start a little more than C5Zs

Tripper > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 10:27

Agreed, all of the dash panel pieces look like they could pop out at any moment

JGrabowMSt > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:31

Kinja'd!!!

Under $15k, V12, timeless amazing looks, plenty of modern amenities, and damn the things move. Find the right shop and maintenance is nothing to be afraid of.

djmt1 > JR1
11/25/2014 at 10:37

Kinja'd!!!

Corvette V8s are probably my joint favourite sounding V8s alongside AMGs but...

Kinja'd!!!

V10s are my favourite sounding engines.

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift
11/25/2014 at 10:50

I just wish more of the gauges looked different than my 2000 S10. Small complaint when you look at the overall package.

JR1 > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 10:52

That V10 would be high maintenance and well . Plus I think one in good condition is around 30k. You can get some for 25k but I think they have been driven pretty hard. That is a viable option though if you don't mind little risk as is the M3

JR1 > Jayhawk Jake
11/25/2014 at 10:52

I think I would have to agree with you. One of the few cars of the era that would go around the ring in under 8 minutes.

JR1 > Oontzoontzoontz
11/25/2014 at 10:53

Haha just trying to make you unproductive.

JR1 > JGrabowMSt
11/25/2014 at 10:54

Harry's garage made me afraid of the car when he mentioned some of the maintenance costs. But I won't argue with a V12 when it comes to performance.

JR1 > djmt1
11/25/2014 at 10:55

There is a special place in my heart for a V10 wail.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Tripper
11/25/2014 at 11:03

Squeak and rattle all day.

JGrabowMSt > JR1
11/25/2014 at 11:05

I assure you, it's not that bad. I have a very good shop taking care of mine right now (Harry has an older SL600, I have a newer SL600 Sport).

Harry went to Mercedes, mine will never go back there, and that's the biggest difference.

Sunday morning when I went to leave Yorktown Cars & Coffee in NY, my car literally puked the tensioner pulley. Pretty ungodly sound, a lot of people were staring at me after that, but no fluids were leaking, so I had at it, and made it about 25 miles before the belt came off and I lost all accessories. How I made it 25 miles with no tensioner? Your guess is as good as mine. The good part is that I know my car, and I can recognize problems instantly. Anyone who didn't know anything about it would have overheated and killed the battery before realizing there was a problem.

The biggest most important thing with these cars is to do the maintenance on schedule to the T. It will bite you very hard when you don't. I have an oil leak that's being chased down currently, and once it gets all cleaned up and sorted out, the car will be good for another 100k miles (I'm at 99,8xx right now).

Doing a lot of the work yourself is very easy, so many people who don't know what they're looking at get overwhelmed by it, and most owners don't even know where the hood release is. Most importantly, I can guarantee you that the 12 spark plugs can be changed faster than you could change all 8 in a Corvette. That #8 spark plug on LS motors is a huge PITA.

Don't get me wrong, I love Corvettes, they're my favorite cars, but I've got a heartbreaker of a Benz now...

DoYouEvenShift > JR1
11/25/2014 at 11:24

Kinja'd!!!

Haha, you know, Ive driven countless C5s and many S10 trucks. I can see what your talking about. But it honestly never crossed my mind.

Oontzoontzoontz > JR1
11/25/2014 at 11:38

For some reason, none of my coworkers will lend me the requisite $20k. Jerks.

PilotMan > Cherry_man1
11/25/2014 at 11:47

FALSE, the Z06s are damn fast. With good tires and some power shifting you can pull off a 3.9 0-60, a full second faster than the M3 of the same years. 3100 pounds with 405 horsepower is hard to beat.

PilotMan > JGrabowMSt
11/25/2014 at 11:50

The Z is 3150 pounds and 400 horsepower, the Merc is what 4100 pounds and 400 horsepower?

JGrabowMSt > PilotMan
11/25/2014 at 13:02

The original manuals all differ between 387 and 410HP between model years, but thats 1997 numbers, and low balled at best. I would put the numbers closer to 450HP from experience...regardless of HP though, the torque difference and ride quality are bar none, and not comparable to the Z06 at all.

Sn210 > Sweet Trav
11/25/2014 at 13:12

Kinja'd!!!

Lingenfelter agrees

PilotMan > JGrabowMSt
11/25/2014 at 13:15

Ride compliance in the Merc is great but there's a cost for all that additional mass.

Sweet Trav > Sn210
11/25/2014 at 13:25

Great minds...

JR1 > JGrabowMSt
11/25/2014 at 13:36

Well your description makes me want to buy a SL600. I am not sure much can compare. That is a phenomenal grand tourer. Might be a little more relaxed that a Corvette but I awesome it is very fun nevertheless!

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift
11/25/2014 at 13:37

The Z06 isn't quite as bad the base C5 is the same font and everything. That is 90s GM for you though!

JR1 > Oontzoontzoontz
11/25/2014 at 13:37

What a bunch of ass holes! Let me talk some sense into them

JGrabowMSt > PilotMan
11/25/2014 at 13:52

Is there? Around town maybe, but on the highway I can do an easy 26mpg, the same as my dads friends C5.

There certainly os a big difference, amd the quality of the whole car is immensely higher.

PilotMan > JGrabowMSt
11/25/2014 at 14:04

Grip, braking, acceleration, turn in, lateral g forces... 1,000 pounds more is a huge amount of mass to move.

DoYouEvenShift > JR1
11/25/2014 at 14:15

Kinja'd!!!

Think about this though, you may not have to look down at the gauges. HUD!!

JGrabowMSt > PilotMan
11/25/2014 at 14:38

Thats true, and Im not saying youre wrong, but between a plastic sports car and a V12 powered GT car, my mind is set.

On paper, yes, the Corvette has a large number of benefits. From experience, the SL is in a class far above.

JGrabowMSt > JR1
11/25/2014 at 14:49

Its certainly a high class car, it has big differences from a Corvette, but consider them upgrades. They come at a cost, but you wont be able to look at other car the same way. Even the new SL cars are batshit insane but never fet talked about. SL65 has a twin turbo V12 good for over 600HP and over 700ft/lbs of torque, but everyone looks at the SLS or AMG GT instead. Thats fine, I certainly love the gullwing, and the new AMG GT is certainly a nice car, but the SL (if freed of limiters) would kick the pants off many other supercars, but gets left out of the pack.

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift
11/25/2014 at 20:38

Touché I do love the Vette HUD