So about driving the Corvette...

"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake) 06/22/2014 at 00:57 • Filed to: None

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People say you should never meet your heros. I disagree: I met one of mine today, and it was better than expected

I walked into carmax this afternoon and asked to drive the 2008 Corvette Convertible on the lot. It was a slow day (multiple people pointed that out to me) and they said yes. So after some awkwardness and difficulty getting off the lot, I finally got a chance to stretch the legs on my '5 year plan' car, a car I hope to own someday soon but can't afford just yet.

Now I'm not really a very good writer, nor am I much of a wordsmith. I'm just a guy who likes driving cars, and all I can really say is HOLY CHRIST THE CORVETTE IS AMAZING!

I'm not really a stranger to fast cars. I've driven a Boxster S, Cayman R, STi, S2k, RX8, Mustang GT...this was nothing like those. This was on an entirely different level. When people say the Corvette is a budget super car there's a good reason: compares to other fast cars I've driven, this felt super car fast.

The clutch feels a bit weird at first. It's very hard to describe, but as I let my foot off the clutch it didn't release as expected. There was almost this dead zone of force where I had to lift before the clutch would move. I got used to this quickly though, so it was fine, just something to note. Once in gear the car happily toddles around at a few hundred RPM. Once you find some open road and put your foot down, well, hold on tight because you don't stay where you were for long,

The 6.2L V8 roars to life with what can only be described as the sound of murica. It throws you back in the seat and takes off like a fucking bullet. It goes from zero to illegal in no seconds flat. The gearing is insane, you can't even shift into second without losing your license. When you do shift though, good god! There's a nice pop as you let off the throttle, the short and crisp gear box snaps into the next gear, and the car slams you back again as it accelerates to plaid.

There is power everywhere. It doesn't really matter what gear you're in, put your foot down and you will go. I took it around a circular highway on ramp and holy crap. This isn't a muscle car, this is a true sports car. It stays totally flat, steering response is fast, and it grips like crazy. At corner exit in 3rd gear I floored it and watched the awesome HUD climb...50. 60. 80. 103! They might as well call it the license killer, it just begs you to drive like a maniac and never stop. Put it in 6th and hold 60 mph at 1200 rpm...insanity.

I took it through a tunnel. God damnit that sound should not be legal. It roars like nothing else. I could not remove the grim from my face for the next half hour, it was that good. I could spend all day blasting through tunnels and never get tired of it.

(skip to 52s if it doesn't work)

So what are some negatives? The car feels very wide. That's not that bad, but driving around the lot (which I had to do, salesperson didn't know how to drive stick) was a bit frightening. You sit super low and there's a mile of hood in every direction so it feels like you are going to hit something. That also makes it feel badass, but it made me a bit nervous. The steering is heavy, not bad on the road but again in parking lots it's a bit much. It also doesn't really straighten out very quickly which sounds as weird as it feels.

The interior is cheap. I know everyone says this, but holy crap is it cheap. Honestly the material quality is fine, but there's no design. Sitting in it in a parking lot it kind of sucks, but you don't notice it on the road and frankly you shouldn't give a crap. It drives so well that a shit interior is not a problem. If you want a nice interior buy a Porsche. Oh and that joke where Clarkson pushes in the bumper? Yeah, that really works and it's hilarious.

I got a bit long winded here, but here's a conclusion. The corvette is incredible in it's own awesome way. It won't be for everyone, but it hits all the right notes for me. A Cayman is fast in a refined German way, a Corvette is fast in a brutal and raw American way. It's something you need to experience to understand, and it's incredible. I don't just want one of these anymore, I need one. I'll never be the same knowing what it's like to drive this car.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 01:06

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Dat sound.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 01:11

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Is that a check-engine light I see?

Either way, dat sound, dat handling, dat literally everything.

Jayhawk Jake > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 06/22/2014 at 01:14

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Not my video

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 01:16

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Makes more sense. I didn't think CarMax would have a car on their lot with the CEL on.

DanZman > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 01:32

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when I was deciding to buy a new a car I was strongly considering a C6 vette. I was coming from a 350z and had pretty much the same reaction as you. I even used carmax for my test drives. Honestly the interior didnt really bother me because the 350 was a genuinely TERRIBLE interior and it didnt bother me.

The thing is that you think to yourself that the car is amazing and then you drive a c6 z06... and it leaves all the bad parts exactly the same, but it makes ALL of the good parts soooo much better! It was worth every extra penny. You think the exhaust is great on base car? You have no idea!

You will quickly get used to how wide the car is, but if your not used to it, you might have problems with how low it is.

One more thing... I like how you called it a license killer. You couldnt be more right! And on that note I'd like to point out that power isnt everything. The top of second gear is 95mph; the top of third is over 120; and the top of fourth is over 160! You just cant drive this car with the kind of aggression that it begs for. I honestly had almost as much fun rowing through the gears on on-ramps in my 06 scion xB. It sounds crazy, but it can be really frustrating not being able to go through more than one gear.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > DanZman 06/22/2014 at 02:20

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I'm used to having to look around first if I want to open up a couple gears. Mid-way through third, or about where I'd be at the end of an 1/8th mile is usually where I draw the line. There's also no roads in my state where that speed is below the limit, so it doesn't get to happen much. And opening up a couple gears on the highway... much, much rarer. And this is with gearing that's considerably shorter than a C6 Z06. I understand your frustration.

Brian Silvestro > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 08:01

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I tried the Clarkson pushing the bumper trick on the C7 and it still works as well.

That's all I have to say about that.

Flavien Vidal > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 08:59

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Yup, being able to drive at 1400rpm in 6th is what I love about my corvette... Being able to get stucked to my seat from as low as 1500rpm is what REALLY love about my corvette haha

I'd personnally go the C5 Z06 way instead of the C6 way... cheaper, faster and more prepared for racetrack... Unless you have the $$$ for a C6 Z06 or Zr1 of course :)

DanZman > Brian Silvestro 06/22/2014 at 09:56

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Haha, I do it all the time with my c6z and people always laugh... then they go for a ride and their story changes

Brian Silvestro > DanZman 06/22/2014 at 09:57

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Lol it must be even more fun when you own it. Because then you get to DRIVE IT

Jayhawk Jake > Flavien Vidal 06/22/2014 at 11:21

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I need to test drive a C5. I doubt I'll actually be able to afford a C6 unless the prices start dropping quickly, and even a C5 Z06 will probably be out of reach.

I like Corvettes enough that my first Corvette probably won't be my last...so I'm curious to see what C7 values look like in 10 years.

Flavien Vidal > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 11:34

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C5 Z06 sell for as low as 19k$ nowadays... It's really quite reachable for anyone with an "ok" job. Or go the C4 way... Bought mine for 9500$, will sell it for the same price. Manual, 300hp and 0 to 60 in 5.1s... Plenty fast enough really... Not to mention the fact that it has more torque than any porsche under 150k$ :)

Shifty > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 12:49

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Everyone hacks on the Corvette as an olde-man's mid-life crisis car, but dollar-for-dollar, it's tough to beat for performance. Sure, there are problems here and there, but nothing that can't be tackled by a motorsport enthusiast.

quarterlifecrisis > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 13:51

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Well, now you don't have to get to NC to do it. Went out and drove this morning, swapped rides (well..each owner stayed in the car) with a guy that had a FiST. We each had similar reactions to each others cars, the're just polar opposites, yet each brings out some ridiculous sort of grin.

Jayhawk Jake > Shifty 06/22/2014 at 14:42

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What problems are you referring to?

After driving it I'm baffled as to how it doesn't get more attention, and more importantly how people can own them without driving them.

Jayhawk Jake > quarterlifecrisis 06/22/2014 at 14:47

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The a FiST is more tossable than a corvette, and it's got the 'slow car fast' appeal of being able to touch the limits without losing your license.

That's the one issue I see with the vette compared to a Camaro or similar: the gearing is so long and it has so much power that you can't do much if you don't want to be going too fast. I still want it more than any other car, I'd still take a used Corvette over a new FRS, but it certainly seems like it could be too much performance for everyday fun.

Is yours a coupe? If so, how's the wind noise when the top is off? That was something I found a bit odd about the convertible, it was pretty loud and windy with the top down compared to other convertibles I've been in.

quarterlifecrisis > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 16:44

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Yup, the same roads in the FiST produced a bigger smile. There were 3 of us during the day, my car, the FiST, and an NC Miata. It wasn't much fun for them when I would lead, and I fell asleep when they did.

I don't think it would be any different in a Camaro, they've got the same gearing, don't they? The big thing of it is the fact that the torque is always available, so you can put it in 3rd or 4th on a country road, and just roll into it, the LS motor doesn't need to be at 5-6000 rpm to have fun. I love my car, but it can be a bit much.

Yep. Really isn't that bad, I can put the windows up, and have a normal conversation at a constant 120 mph. Talking on the phone at highway speed with the roof off is a pain, but, I take it off as often as I can. As hot as its been here lately, that hasn't been very often.

Jayhawk Jake > quarterlifecrisis 06/22/2014 at 17:23

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I suppose you're right about the Camaro. I haven't driven an SS, only the V6 so I'm sure it's different. Compared to a Mustang GT the Corvette felt far further from it's limits, and way more likely to get me in trouble with the law.

Good to know about he roof. I don't expect I would leave it on much either, but I definitely would prefer the coupe to the convertible. Is it easy to put on and off quickly?

quarterlifecrisis > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 18:02

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Well...

Not that a Corvette is the be all to end all, but, the limits are significantly higher on a 2 seat sports car than they are on a Mustang. Now, a Boss...I've had one royally ruin my day on a track lol. People don't realize how high the limits really are - it'll pull almost a G, run a low 4 second 0-60 (if you can get it to hookup), and a low 12 second quarter mile. All while not requiring excessively expensive maintenance.

I mean, it definitely spends more time on the car than off the car - but when it isn't 95 degrees out, the sun and breeze are nice. The convertible causes you to lose so much space, I couldn't DD one. Not to say I couldn't own one, because I'd love a 60th anniversary 427 convertible, in the white with blue color scheme, but not as a DD.

I can have the top off the car and stowed in ~30 seconds. It's easier with 2 people, but, most things are. Putting it back on alone is maybe closer to a minute. Nothing difficult.

Jayhawk Jake > quarterlifecrisis 06/22/2014 at 18:07

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I'm going to buy a cheap old Suburban or similar before buying the Corvette, so space isn't a big issue, but I definitely prefer the coupe so I'll stick with it. If it takes a minute to put the top on it's not all that much worse than raising the top on the convertible, it's not exactly the fastest thing in the world.

quarterlifecrisis > Jayhawk Jake 06/22/2014 at 21:51

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I have a second vehicle too, granted I don't need to haul planes around, but I have a full size Chevy pickup. Trust me, the space in the Vette is fantastic for road trips. Given the choice between bigass truck, and Corvette, Corvette always wins.

Jayhawk Jake > quarterlifecrisis 06/22/2014 at 22:01

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I should clarify I mean remote control planes.

We also get winter which I wouldn't subject a corvette to if I could help it. Since I'm in Kansas second hand Chevy suburbuns and similar are cheap. Just browsing craigslist any day there are plenty of nice looking GMT400s with ~150,000-200,000 miles going for $2000 or less. One of these days I'll just bite the bullet and buy one and free up getting rid of my Sonic for a vette. The vette would be my daily, with the truck only being used on shitty days and for carrying more stuff than will fit in the corvette.