http://jalopnik.com/cars/detroit-aut...r+1-301413.php

 

Still think it should have more distinct styling for its $100k price tag.

 

Could not have said it better my self. Has the Chevy designers even seen Burning mans stingray concept? Now thats a Corvette!

 

Yeah, not a heck of a lot of difference looks wise on the base, z06, ZR1 (at least in mule form)

For those on the street...doens't really pop out and say 'Hey I'm something REALLY special!'

 

yeah...possible factory sleeper?

 

A normal Z06 runs mid 11's int he 1/4. Definnatly not a sleeper. Even though this car will no doubt hit 10's in factory form.

 

The original ZR1 was barely discernible from its normal counterparts, within 2 years all models adopted the same tail, albeit about 1" narrower. I don't think it needs obnoxious extra styling to make it worth the money...

 

The old ZR-1 also completely failed...

 

what i meant was...it looks like a modded corvette to the regular car idiot that wants to race in their 350Z.....then they get it handed to them. They may not realize it will flat out kill most anything.

 

I kinda doubt most of the people willing to drop $100k on a Vette are going to want a sleeper. Some of them, sure, but I wonder how many would pass it up because it's not flashy enough.

I suppose it's a moot point, they'll sell every one they can build either way.

 

GM really has this small block program working. A 200mph street Chevy?? Sheesh, I'm not sure who needs this but it's still amazing they have it.

 

As has been said, for 100K it should be more than just a faster 'Vette, but probably won't. Same 30K car interior, same "well, its a 'Vette" styling outside. For that money, I'd want 100k performance, 100k handling, a drop-dead gorgeous body like the new Callaway, and interiors at least up to par with a 50K Porsche.

Calling any Corvette model a sleeper is insane, btw. Sleepers look harmless and blend into the rest of the commuting public until you step on the GO pedal, unless they slap an Aveo Body on it the 'Vette will never be anything less than "LOOK AT ME, WEEEEEEE!!!!"

 

IMO GM really doesn't get it. The Z06 is already stupid fast enough, work on all the reasons that still keep people from buying a Vette before making a 'stupid faster' ZR1. My guess is that we can expect to see more of the same from GM for some time after seeing the bad joke that is the C6.5's interior upgrade option. To wit...if I am willing to drop just shy of another 10k on a car with a 45k base sticker I can surround myself in an interior that still has crappy seats and which still isn't up to par with what you will find in a Porsche Cayman or Audi TT. yeah, it comes with other goodies, but nothing worth 10k by any streatch of the imagination.

Frankly, this new option is a bigger slap in the face to those who want the option of buying a Vette with a suitable interior than if GM had done nothing to the interior at all. But at least it tells you what GM thinks of the folks who care about these things....and that explains why those folks will keep going somehwere else to scratch their sports car itch.

 

I agree, the Z06 now is an amazing achievement for the money. I don't see the market for the ZR-1. Don't sell Porsche up too much, their interiors and paint are terrible over time. They've gotten a bit better, but any Porsche over 4 years old's interior is absolute garbage, and they are rattletraps. Funny to hear the service writers talk about them when I bring them over for service with no customers around...

 

I know what you are saying and agree that the typical Porsche doesn't 'wear' very well. However, it certainly doesn't help Chevrolet that their interiors start their lives looking terrible. Chevy is missing a huge opportunity here.

 

id rather have the audi R8

 

Have you driven any C6's? I don't think they are that bad at all, particularly for price point/mechanical content, and I hate everything. They HUD is finally worth it, very clear with the g meter. Gaps are nice and tight, and controls are simplified and much better placed. Seats in the standard model LT3 package are very uncomfortable though, they tried too hard designing them.

 

C6's are a great deal for the money...C6.5 is even better for that matter. But I still think the interior looks pretty cheap. While they may not wear well the interior in a Boxster makes any Vette's look bad and the Audi TT makes the Vette' threads look like the automotive equivalent of lving in a box under a bridge. I genuinely think part of the problem is that Chevy is trying to make a relatively inexpensive interior look more expensive than it is and, in the process, ended up doing the exact opposite.

That said my biggest gripe with the Vette is the stuff that would be easy to fix and which they continually just don't. The seats are the first thing that comes to mind. If GM cannot figure out how to make a great seat on their own just copy something JCI or Lear is already making for another application, like the NSX or something. Why they don't do this is a mystery to me.

The following list is what currently seperates the Vette from being the hand down best sports car in the world.

1.Improved steering feel....C6.5 got better but from what I have seen there is a long way to go here still....to be fair the otherwise clever transverse leaf-spring front suspension is a liability here and this may not be so simple a fix...the rest are all relatively straightforward.

2.Better seats.....take the old ones, throw them off the nearest cliff, and start over.

3. Improved interior for every Vette...A decent interior shouldn't be a 10k dollar option...and even the interior package GM currently wants nearly 10k for isn't good enough!

4. Slightly better chassis integrity and chassis dynamics....car needs to be more linear and more predictable in terms of handling....body still creaks and groans a bit too much.

5. Better transmissions.....improved shifter feel, etc.

6. Slightly improved build quality...GM has gotten much better here but still has room for improvement

That is a very small list, and it is a shame that GM likely still wont have all of the above adressed by the time C7 arrives.

 

If I had the cash, I wouldn't mind. Honestly, how much of a step up is a GT500 interior from a Mustang GT's? - I don't like the answer to that one either.
Anyway, it sounds like Chevy ripped a page out of the SVT playbook for the engine. Roots or Lysholm style SC (& intercooler in the manifold) - Just wait till a KB blower makes its way under that hood...

 

3 problems with the "Well, the Mustang...." argument.

1. The base interior on the base Mustang looks like the $19,000 car it is. Its not the best interior for that price, but it fits. The Base 6.5 interior is better, but it still doesn't hold up to a 40K SUV, let alone other $40-50K sports cars. In a mid-30s GTO or Camaro it would be great, but against the $40-50KGermans its just short.

2. The interior on the $45K GT-500 isn't world-class, but its noticably better than the lower models. Better dash, better finishes, re-arranged gauges, its enough that you know you paid a bit more. The 6.0 Base and Z06 interiors mostly had different badges, and while I haven't sampled the 6.5s in person, I don't expect alot more from the ZR-1.

3. Noone says the Mustang's better! That's not the point! If Chevy wants the ZR-1 to compete with $100K sports cars, they can't say "Well, the Mustang..." when people point out faults. The Mustang don't cost a hundred thousand dollars! If the best counter-argument chevy fans have is to point out that a car that costs $60K less isn't hitting all its marks either, they're doing pretty poorly. If they aim at the all-mighty Turbo, they can't use the Mustang as their excuse for missing.