RE: Driven: Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

RE: Driven: Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

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Discussion

PaulFontaine

629 posts

153 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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To an extent they are stiffly suspended but with the exception of some of the inter cities here most of our infrastructure is wide smooth pavement. It is a focused car yet most owners still use them as daily drivers. It's closest competition in reality is the 911 and for the Z06 the GTR and the Zr1 the 911 turbo

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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PaulFontaine said:
It is a focused car yet most owners still use them as daily drivers.
Yup, not least because it's properly engineered, properly built and reliable so cheap to run.

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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I like the Z06, I just wish they would do a RHD version.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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Wills2 said:
I like the Z06, I just wish they would do a RHD version.
RHD/LHD really makes very little difference.

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
quotequote all
ewenm said:
RHD/LHD really makes very little difference.
I've struggled with this and have been thinking about what difference it would make whilst driving around, have you got a LHD drive? As my first thought is oh no it won't work but would welcome opinion..

I have a daily driver so it would be to replace the 911.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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Wills2 said:
I've struggled with this and have been thinking about what difference it would make whilst driving around, have you got a LHD drive? As my first thought is oh no it won't work but would welcome opinion..
I've got a 67 Mustang which is LHD (obviously!). The only problem I encounter is when getting tickets at carpark barriers but I so rarely do that it's not really an issue. Overtaking is another thing people worry about but again, with good technique (so not right up behind the car in front), it's no more difficult than in a RHD car, especially with a decent amount of power under the right foot.

Of course, driving a 1967 car presents other challenges but a modern Z06 (for example) would eliminate those too.

Spiritual_Beggar

4,833 posts

193 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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ewenm said:
RHD/LHD really makes very little difference.
Maybe on an automatic...

I like using my left hand for shifting gears. I'm used to it after all these years of driving.

And I like being able to see past cars I'm about to overtake.


Not major things...and can be learnt to live with...but it's the little things that can make a difference as the price range increases.


Still....if you can afford the £70k price tag....you could probably stretch the extra £30k to jump into a ZR-1. Now that is a car I wouldn't mind putting up with LHD for biggrin

Edited by Spiritual_Beggar on Friday 2nd September 23:08

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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Well that's food for thought, thank you

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
quotequote all
Spiritual_Beggar said:
Maybe on an automatic...

I like using my left hand for shifting gears. I'm used to it after all these years of driving.
I find I can switch between the two without problem (have to move a manual RHD car to get the manual LHD one in and out of the garage).

Spiritual_Beggar said:
And I like being able to see past cars I'm about to overtake.
I tend to be far enough back behind the car I'm planning to overtake that the sight lines aren't significantly impeded by sitting slightly further to the left. Additionally, on many roads you can see down the inside of the car ahead.

Spiritual_Beggar

4,833 posts

193 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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What's the market like for Corvette's over this side of the world though?


I've often wondered if they'd actually benefit from producing some RHD models.

Especially in recent years...after some very successful motorsport results, not least a strong performance at Le Mans each year, their appeal across Europs must certainly be rising.

I've noticed a quite a few on the roads in recent years...so people obviously want to buy them. Question is whether enough people would want to buy them. Still.....a limited run out couldn't hurt biggrin

Spiritual_Beggar

4,833 posts

193 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Spiritual_Beggar said:
Maybe on an automatic...

I like using my left hand for shifting gears. I'm used to it after all these years of driving.
I find I can switch between the two without problem (have to move a manual RHD car to get the manual LHD one in and out of the garage).

Spiritual_Beggar said:
And I like being able to see past cars I'm about to overtake.
I tend to be far enough back behind the car I'm planning to overtake that the sight lines aren't significantly impeded by sitting slightly further to the left. Additionally, on many roads you can see down the inside of the car ahead.
True enough.

I can't say I'm speaking from experience, as haven't driven an LHD car.

It's probably easy enough to get used to.....and would come in handy for those trips to Le Mans each year smile

I am a creature of comfort though....and so I prefer things I'm used to.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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The problem is recouping the development, tooling and legislative costs of producing a mass-market RHD model, and Americana owners don't want everyone owning one either hehe

Spiritual_Beggar

4,833 posts

193 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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ewenm said:
The problem is recouping the development, tooling and legislative costs of producing a mass-market RHD model, and Americana owners don't want everyone owning one either hehe
That's true...


I just wish it wasn't always about the money.

Take the Clio V6.......there is absolutely NO WAY that would have been made if it was about the money. They did it because they felt like it (and probably had too much wine at the time hehe)

A bit more difficult to see anyone doing that in the car industry these days...what with the economic problems and all....but still....a man can dream.



The engines in the corvettes are lovely though. The sound alone is almost worth putting up with any 'minor' obstacles

PaulFontaine

629 posts

153 months

Saturday 3rd September 2011
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Well you are lucky that america has the most stringent emissions and safety requirements as it can handily pass anything else globally. The germans scoop these up with no problem I think there is nothing that will touch it for the price and personally I would get the z06 before even the mighty zr1. I don't knw that the offset of tooling costs could be justified for a RHD version. The aussie's would love it but the problem there is one of tariff's and really they are not having an issue selling these.

GM I think will make more in creating small displacement 4 doors and HB's for your market or the diesels your market laps up. If I was running GM I make RHD versions but again readjust the price scale. Regardless you are talking about cars that while maybe not having the exotic good looks certainly have close to the performance of their itlaian rivals at half the price and keep in mind that the z06 and zr1 are lighter and have substantially more HP. Also really how many vette's would they really sell in the UK? a few hundred? Anyone that has driven one of these can attest now i feel a little better about living in the US so maybe it's time to go c4 or c5 shopping

big_rob_sydney

3,394 posts

193 months

Sunday 4th September 2011
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LuS1fer said:
Suspension has been an issue in the past but fairly recently EVO magazine gave a C6 convertible 5 stars and they don't do that easily.

As for convertibles and sunnier climes, you are partially wrong because sunnier climes don't actually like convertibles that much and prefer air con. The UK is one of the largest markets for convertibles hence the proliferation of ageing men with sunburnt foreheads and the sun being such a rare ccommodity means many will savour the droptop option even more. You need only look at the history of British sports cars tom appreciate that.

On your argument, saab shouldn't make their best-selling convertible and Porsche ought to stick to coupes.
Despite the obvious flaws in your final paragraph, let me put it a different way - living in the UK, I saw so many sunroofs and convertibles, that it made me laugh. Never let it be said that brits are without a sense of humour, nor can they be accused of not being optimistic. I am genuinely pleased at that.

But the simple fact is, that a convertible in the UK has no interest for ME. I dont want a car with a cloth roof, as there are too many idiots willing to slash it. Metal folding roofs are better, but they are generally heavy, and a lot of these cars suffer from poor structural rigidity anyway. I prefer a more solid car (sedan or coupe), as I think its generally faster and better built than a convertible.

OTOH, when in Spain, I do, in fact, see the point of a convertible. I still wouldnt buy one, but it comes in much closer as a proposition to own.

If you feel differently, great, no problem.

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Sunday 4th September 2011
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big_rob_sydney said:
Despite the obvious flaws in your final paragraph, let me put it a different way - living in the UK, I saw so many sunroofs and convertibles, that it made me laugh. Never let it be said that brits are without a sense of humour, nor can they be accused of not being optimistic. I am genuinely pleased at that.

But the simple fact is, that a convertible in the UK has no interest for ME. I dont want a car with a cloth roof, as there are too many idiots willing to slash it. Metal folding roofs are better, but they are generally heavy, and a lot of these cars suffer from poor structural rigidity anyway. I prefer a more solid car (sedan or coupe), as I think its generally faster and better built than a convertible.

OTOH, when in Spain, I do, in fact, see the point of a convertible. I still wouldnt buy one, but it comes in much closer as a proposition to own.
I'm with you all the way on a coupe, I rate handling over posing. I spend just as much time in Spain laughing at people in convertibles being burnt and blown about, especially the rear passengers in the "mid-life crisis 4 seater rental" that they've paid a small fortune to hire. I suppose it depends on the season but in the height of summer, we literally had to run to the hire car to get the air con going, we'd have fried in a vert.

thewheelman

2,194 posts

172 months

Sunday 4th September 2011
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I find it ironic the amount of people that like/buy American cars, that can't stand having their cars stereotyped, are often seen stereotyping others.

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Well that's not irony and it's just typical of people like you to say that. wink

thewheelman

2,194 posts

172 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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LuS1fer said:
Well that's not irony and it's just typical of people like you to say that. wink
laugh

macky17

2,210 posts

188 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Saw one of these (Gran Sports) in red recently and it was a stunning looking car - even the chrome alloys worked and I'm not a fan. I think for a convertible such as this, the slightly low rent interior IS a bit of an issue because soft tops, almost by definition, are as much about image as performance. I own a C6 Z06 in red and believe me, you don't spend much time looking at the interior in that! It's plenty good enough - better than my old 'Blob Eye' Suburu Impreza at any rate. I can also confirm that the suspension is relatively comfortable - better than my 911 turbo was. Ditching the runflat tyres (which I will do soon) will improve matters still further. LHD takes about 2 weeks to get used to, probably less in a narrower car.