Discussion
Hi folks.
I have never considered a corvette before but from reading various road tests it appears that the C6 could be in the running for my next daily driver. I want a car that is reliable, comfortable, feels and looks special, quick and handles. I can live with reasonably high running costs as long as I enjoy driving and owning the car. In the past I have found that no matter good a car is when it is running, consistent problems and unreliability soon taint the ownership experience. I would be grateful if you could provide answers / feedback on the following issues. With my budget I will be looking at a C6 from late 2005 / early 2006. I’m not in a position to buy yet and it will probably be towards the end of the year.
1. I will be using the car as a daily driver. What mpg can I expect based on a mixture of town and rural driving. I know that a 6.0 litre V8 is never going to be economical but will I be looking at 12 or over 20 mpg?
2. The Corvette looks big in photographs and in the metal but I have read in magazines that it is in fact only fractionally bigger than a 997 model 911. Is this correct and can anyone confirm the length and width of the car?
3. I like my cars small and light and whilst I know that a corvette is neither of these things I have read that it is lighter than the C5. My current daily driver weighs 1500kg. What does a standard C6 coupe weigh?
4. Does the C6 use the same engine that is fitted to the VXR8 / Holden?
5. Any ideas on what I can expect to pay for insurance? 35 year old male, full no claims, semi-rural postcode in good area, car not garaged. No points on licence.
6. Are there any known issues with the gearbox? Is it strong enough to handle the torque?
7. Do all cars come with A/C as standard?
8. How big is the boot?
9. Do owners tend to get their car serviced at VX dealers? What are the service intervals and what can I expect to pay for a minor and a major service?
Thanks and all the best.
I have never considered a corvette before but from reading various road tests it appears that the C6 could be in the running for my next daily driver. I want a car that is reliable, comfortable, feels and looks special, quick and handles. I can live with reasonably high running costs as long as I enjoy driving and owning the car. In the past I have found that no matter good a car is when it is running, consistent problems and unreliability soon taint the ownership experience. I would be grateful if you could provide answers / feedback on the following issues. With my budget I will be looking at a C6 from late 2005 / early 2006. I’m not in a position to buy yet and it will probably be towards the end of the year.
1. I will be using the car as a daily driver. What mpg can I expect based on a mixture of town and rural driving. I know that a 6.0 litre V8 is never going to be economical but will I be looking at 12 or over 20 mpg?
2. The Corvette looks big in photographs and in the metal but I have read in magazines that it is in fact only fractionally bigger than a 997 model 911. Is this correct and can anyone confirm the length and width of the car?
3. I like my cars small and light and whilst I know that a corvette is neither of these things I have read that it is lighter than the C5. My current daily driver weighs 1500kg. What does a standard C6 coupe weigh?
4. Does the C6 use the same engine that is fitted to the VXR8 / Holden?
5. Any ideas on what I can expect to pay for insurance? 35 year old male, full no claims, semi-rural postcode in good area, car not garaged. No points on licence.
6. Are there any known issues with the gearbox? Is it strong enough to handle the torque?
7. Do all cars come with A/C as standard?
8. How big is the boot?
9. Do owners tend to get their car serviced at VX dealers? What are the service intervals and what can I expect to pay for a minor and a major service?
Thanks and all the best.
All these questions have been answered before and you can easily find out the specs from the manufacturer's website. For insurance you need to get quotes as it doesn't matter what anyone else is paying from my experience!
Also you need to drive one then only you can tell if you like it and can live with it.
Malc
Also you need to drive one then only you can tell if you like it and can live with it.
Malc
1. >20. A perfectly fine daily driver.
2. Smaller than it looks in pictures.
3. Small and light.
4. I think it's the other way round.
5. I've used moneysupermarket.com to compare companies before.
6. No. Yes.
7. I think so.
8. Huge for a car of this type.
9. Wavendon or an independent. Not expensive at all.
Other details, owner feedback etc. on wibblywobblyweb and on PH/corvettechat.co.uk and the CCCUK site.
GO FOR IT! You will not regret it.
2. Smaller than it looks in pictures.
3. Small and light.
4. I think it's the other way round.
5. I've used moneysupermarket.com to compare companies before.
6. No. Yes.
7. I think so.
8. Huge for a car of this type.
9. Wavendon or an independent. Not expensive at all.
Other details, owner feedback etc. on wibblywobblyweb and on PH/corvettechat.co.uk and the CCCUK site.
GO FOR IT! You will not regret it.
I have a C5 Z06 with the 405hp engine, but most of these comments will apply to the C6
1. I've never averaged under 20, even on a fast PH run through the Brecon Beacons.
It can acheive 30 on a motorway run.
2. The C6 is shorter and narrower than the C5. I don't have any trouble with the C5 dimensions.
3. The C5 Z06 weighs about 1410kg. I think the normal C6 is about 1470kg.
4. The Vauxhalls and Holdens uses the Vette motor.
5. I pay £460, fully comp, 10k miles a year. 39 year old male, car on drive, 3 points, full NCB, in a City
6. No issues with the box, built to handle the torque.
7. I would imagine AC is standard on all C6's
8. The boot is very big for a two seater car.
9. I take mine to a local garage for servicing. A monkey can service them.
1. I've never averaged under 20, even on a fast PH run through the Brecon Beacons.
It can acheive 30 on a motorway run.
2. The C6 is shorter and narrower than the C5. I don't have any trouble with the C5 dimensions.
3. The C5 Z06 weighs about 1410kg. I think the normal C6 is about 1470kg.
4. The Vauxhalls and Holdens uses the Vette motor.
5. I pay £460, fully comp, 10k miles a year. 39 year old male, car on drive, 3 points, full NCB, in a City
6. No issues with the box, built to handle the torque.
7. I would imagine AC is standard on all C6's
8. The boot is very big for a two seater car.
9. I take mine to a local garage for servicing. A monkey can service them.
Thanks for the replies. Sounds good so far. I would insist on a manual car so not sure how many will be available in the UK. I’ll go and have a look on the Autotrader website. The ‘Vette seems to tick all the boxes with the exception of RHD.
I have looked at M5’s and M3’s but these don’t really appeal. Too heavy, too complicated. I’m keen to try a proper blood and guts V8 sportscar before they die out completely.
All the best.
Martin.
I have looked at M5’s and M3’s but these don’t really appeal. Too heavy, too complicated. I’m keen to try a proper blood and guts V8 sportscar before they die out completely.
All the best.
Martin.
I wouldn't worry about the LHD aspect at all. You get used to it very quickly.
I have a RHD Golf and I swap between the two all the time with no problems.
In some ways LHD is easier. Being on the left means you can put the car within a gnats nut of the kerb or parked cars, which is useful when squeezing through a gap. It's also nice when you park on a busy main road, as you can enter/exit the car without risking your life by holding the door open an inch, whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic. This is even more satisfying if its p*ssing down.
There are some gripes such as overtaking on a B road. You just have to hang back a bit to see around the car, and you'll have plenty of grunt to pass when it's safe to do so.
Car parks will mean you have to get out of the car to get a ticket, but I don't leave mine in them anyway.
I have a RHD Golf and I swap between the two all the time with no problems.
In some ways LHD is easier. Being on the left means you can put the car within a gnats nut of the kerb or parked cars, which is useful when squeezing through a gap. It's also nice when you park on a busy main road, as you can enter/exit the car without risking your life by holding the door open an inch, whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic. This is even more satisfying if its p*ssing down.
There are some gripes such as overtaking on a B road. You just have to hang back a bit to see around the car, and you'll have plenty of grunt to pass when it's safe to do so.
Car parks will mean you have to get out of the car to get a ticket, but I don't leave mine in them anyway.
LightningMcSteve said:
Car parks will mean you have to get out of the car to get a ticket, but I don't leave mine in them anyway.
Not if you get yourself a 'litter picker'! I keep mine in the passenger footwell... gives people behind a giggle when they see a mechanical 'arm' extending out of my passenger side window when grabbing car park tickets, etc 
Hi Folks,
Thanks for all the responses.
I went to have a look at the C6 at my local Chevy dealer in Abu Dhabi yesterday and have a few more questions that.
1. Engine reliability and longevity – Old American V8’s have a great reputation for reliability and longevity, which may be partly due to their low specific output. Whilst a 6.0 litre engine producing 400bhp isn’t in the same league as say the engine in an M3 it is higher than older V8’s. Can I expect the engine to be reliable and still run sweetly after 150K miles assuming that it is correctly serviced? If the worst should happen what costs am I looking at for a rebuild?
2. Engine rev range – Does the LS2 / LS3 engine pull well all the way to the red line or is it our of puff at 5500rpm. Whilst I like my torque I also like a good rev range. It’s more exciting to drive and allows for safer overtaking.
3. The seats look a bit ‘squishy’. Are they comfortable over a long distance?
4. Tyre roar – Does anyone find this a problem? The tyres are massive and I have read in some road tests that tyre roar can become intrusive after a while.
5. Kerb weight (or curb weight!) How is this measured? Does it include all fluids and a full tank of petrol.
6. Shift quality – There is a lot written about the poor quality of the shift on the manual gearboxes. What are your opinions? Is the revised shift on the 2008 model year cars significantly better than the 2005-2007 model?
7. Boot cover – Am I correct in thinking that the corvette does not come with boot cover as standard. If true this seems very strange as surely in order to use the car as a daily driver there should be some way of shielding the contents on the boot from prying eyes.
8. UK corvettes vs European corvettes – Are most of the corvettes in the UK imports from the states and other countries in Europe? What is the difference in specification between UK registered vehicles and those registered elsewhere.
If I do decide on a Corvette I will be looking to use it 365 days a year covering around 15K miles so I need to be sure that I can live with it as a daily driver.
Thanks and all the best.
Martin.
Thanks for all the responses.
I went to have a look at the C6 at my local Chevy dealer in Abu Dhabi yesterday and have a few more questions that.
1. Engine reliability and longevity – Old American V8’s have a great reputation for reliability and longevity, which may be partly due to their low specific output. Whilst a 6.0 litre engine producing 400bhp isn’t in the same league as say the engine in an M3 it is higher than older V8’s. Can I expect the engine to be reliable and still run sweetly after 150K miles assuming that it is correctly serviced? If the worst should happen what costs am I looking at for a rebuild?
2. Engine rev range – Does the LS2 / LS3 engine pull well all the way to the red line or is it our of puff at 5500rpm. Whilst I like my torque I also like a good rev range. It’s more exciting to drive and allows for safer overtaking.
3. The seats look a bit ‘squishy’. Are they comfortable over a long distance?
4. Tyre roar – Does anyone find this a problem? The tyres are massive and I have read in some road tests that tyre roar can become intrusive after a while.
5. Kerb weight (or curb weight!) How is this measured? Does it include all fluids and a full tank of petrol.
6. Shift quality – There is a lot written about the poor quality of the shift on the manual gearboxes. What are your opinions? Is the revised shift on the 2008 model year cars significantly better than the 2005-2007 model?
7. Boot cover – Am I correct in thinking that the corvette does not come with boot cover as standard. If true this seems very strange as surely in order to use the car as a daily driver there should be some way of shielding the contents on the boot from prying eyes.
8. UK corvettes vs European corvettes – Are most of the corvettes in the UK imports from the states and other countries in Europe? What is the difference in specification between UK registered vehicles and those registered elsewhere.
If I do decide on a Corvette I will be looking to use it 365 days a year covering around 15K miles so I need to be sure that I can live with it as a daily driver.
Thanks and all the best.
Martin.
Hi Ecosseven,
I bought my C6 Z06 in Dubai and used it as a daily driver for 6 months before coming back to the UK and it worked great.
I found the seats to be comfortable for daily use if not the most supportive at the sides of the seat base, the car revs all the way to the red line as did the standard C6 I tested first.
Tyre roar was not a big issue and mine came with a boot cover. The gear change is not as bad as journalists make out but was improved on the later cars with a revised gearbox, from what I have seen on the forums it seems to have been an improvement.
The GCC vette is a bit of a hybrid between Euro and US spec vettes. It has the euro speedo and headlamp washers but the US lights and tyre pressure monitor systems. Apart from changing the rear lights to Euro spec mine sailed through SVA here, albeit that the Isle of Man test is a bit easier than the UK one.
reliability wise, if the 427ci engine has a 100,000 mile service intervals, you should be Ok with the smaller engine!
Tom
I bought my C6 Z06 in Dubai and used it as a daily driver for 6 months before coming back to the UK and it worked great.
I found the seats to be comfortable for daily use if not the most supportive at the sides of the seat base, the car revs all the way to the red line as did the standard C6 I tested first.
Tyre roar was not a big issue and mine came with a boot cover. The gear change is not as bad as journalists make out but was improved on the later cars with a revised gearbox, from what I have seen on the forums it seems to have been an improvement.
The GCC vette is a bit of a hybrid between Euro and US spec vettes. It has the euro speedo and headlamp washers but the US lights and tyre pressure monitor systems. Apart from changing the rear lights to Euro spec mine sailed through SVA here, albeit that the Isle of Man test is a bit easier than the UK one.
reliability wise, if the 427ci engine has a 100,000 mile service intervals, you should be Ok with the smaller engine!
Tom
In my experience, and that of most people, the engines are pretty much bullet-proof. No idea what a rebuild costs as I've never come across anyone with an (unmodified) LS2/LS3 that's needed one.
I have an LS3, only mod is Borla Stinger exhaust system. I had it on a rolling road (well, Dynapack which is atached direct to the hubs) yesterday and it peaked at 380rwhp (about 445 at the flywheel) at 5800rpm and at 6400rpm was still kicking out out over 360rwhp (about 425 at the flywheel). Matches the seat-of-the-pants feel. Basically, it pulls well from idle, and from around 2K to the red-line it delivers over 85% of peak torque. I've been told that LS2s run out of breath a bit earlier, but I've never owned one so don't take my word for it!
Seats are great in the C6, although some Z06 owners don't like their seats (a common mod is to replace them with C6 seats....)
Tyre roar isn't a problem even on concrete, assuming you're used to sports cars. It's never going to be as quiet as a limo though. Better than a Z4 I used to have.
I believe kerb weight is measured in the same way as any other car. These are very light cars for the size/power.
UK corvettes are identical to European except for the headlights. There will be US imports, and they come in a wider range of specs. Obvious differences include lack of headlight washers, less obvious ones include the tyre-pressure sensors operating on a different frequency...but if you order parts using the VIN you should be fine.
I use my car as a daily driver, but only do about 8-10K miles a year. Used to use my C5 as a daily driver doing 15K miles a year and it was fine.
Basically, C6s are fantastic cars: cheap to run, reliable, torquey, fast, great handling, comfortable, exotic (to most UK folk), and usable as daily drivers. One warning: if you do buy one you'll find it hard to go back to more conventional "performance" cars...
I have an LS3, only mod is Borla Stinger exhaust system. I had it on a rolling road (well, Dynapack which is atached direct to the hubs) yesterday and it peaked at 380rwhp (about 445 at the flywheel) at 5800rpm and at 6400rpm was still kicking out out over 360rwhp (about 425 at the flywheel). Matches the seat-of-the-pants feel. Basically, it pulls well from idle, and from around 2K to the red-line it delivers over 85% of peak torque. I've been told that LS2s run out of breath a bit earlier, but I've never owned one so don't take my word for it!
Seats are great in the C6, although some Z06 owners don't like their seats (a common mod is to replace them with C6 seats....)
Tyre roar isn't a problem even on concrete, assuming you're used to sports cars. It's never going to be as quiet as a limo though. Better than a Z4 I used to have.
I believe kerb weight is measured in the same way as any other car. These are very light cars for the size/power.
UK corvettes are identical to European except for the headlights. There will be US imports, and they come in a wider range of specs. Obvious differences include lack of headlight washers, less obvious ones include the tyre-pressure sensors operating on a different frequency...but if you order parts using the VIN you should be fine.
I use my car as a daily driver, but only do about 8-10K miles a year. Used to use my C5 as a daily driver doing 15K miles a year and it was fine.
Basically, C6s are fantastic cars: cheap to run, reliable, torquey, fast, great handling, comfortable, exotic (to most UK folk), and usable as daily drivers. One warning: if you do buy one you'll find it hard to go back to more conventional "performance" cars...
Ecosseven said:
All these positive comments are really making me want one!! Good job I working overseas at the moment and won't be buying one until I get back to the UK.
If you are working out in Abu Dhabi for more than 6 months check if its cheaper to buy one out there, it certainly was for me.Tom
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