C6 Makes Top Gear Top 10!
Discussion
With Clarkson, it's any excuse to say something for effect - the witty put-down. Well that honour went to patrick Kielty who said to Jeremy "The trouble with you is that you confuse fact with your own opinion". Thanks, Patrick, you played a blinder (sorry about the Cayenne and the DeLorean though...)
The leaf springs that Clarkson equated to a Silver Cross pram is in fact a transverse composite plastic spring. Old technology that like a pushrod V8 has been brought sceaming and kicking into the 21st Century and guess what...it works. They use them because they're traditional, cheap and also take up a lot less space under the bodywork - important when you've got a 6.0 V8 and a rear transaxle to package. Just like a pushrod engine doesn't have all the height of an ohc design. They have got this suspension right on the C5 Z06 but they're presumably keeping it for the next Z06.
Other suspension solutions are going to be expensive and probably not a whole lot better. Clarkson keeps missing the point (except when it comes to the Ford GT) - this car is CHEAP to buy in the US. It's owned by 20 year old students in the US who run it by working in MacDonalds. That's why everything about it has to be built down to a price and why they're working on a Supervette. It's more expensive here in the UK of course but blame the Government for that.
What annoys me about Top Gear is that when you analyse it, the criticism doesn't really hold water but the overall impression you get is that it's a bad car. For example, I can't detect stones beneath the tyres of my Z06 and I find the suspension pretty supple for a sports car - just a cheap exaggeration. I've driven an Elise and that crashes into drains like Lesley Whittle (No Jeremy, you can't use that one).
The cheap interior. Have you seen a Lotus Elise or Vauxhall VXR interior - naff as Lego and nearly £30k. Best idea for the Corvette seems to be don't fit an interior at all. Just leave all the hydroformed chassis and technologically advanced sandwiched floor exposed.
Pliable rear panel. Crash regs - wouldn't want a direct hit on the hydroformed solid chassis. The Vette will absorb and shrug off dents. A Lotus will explode into a million pieces of glassfibre which will penetrate your eyeballs and cost a minimum of £3000 to repair.
Leaf springs - well, whatever else, they seem to work to the tune in 1:26.8 round the track despite trying to harness a heavy V8 engine and the laws of physics. I seem to recall a TVR 350C having a lot of trouble turning in a good time. Perhaps they should try leaf springs?
Heavy clutch? Is Hammond real? My Z06 hasn't got a heavy clutch at all. Granted the gearbox is a little agricultural but a Hurst shifter can be fitted in half an hour and for those of you who don't get it, GM leave you to finish the car yourself via the aftermarket. In the meantime, you can still afford a 400bhp car.
The drag race. Can Hammond drive? I say this because if you look at any American road test, the car will run the quarter in the 12's and the NSX runs it in 13.4. I'm not going to argue about the TVR as that was devastatingly quick but they quietly ignored the slaying of the Porsche didn't they? I'm sure the mid-engined NSX is easier to get a good time out of but ultimately, I think the Vette would take it but then I'm not making excuses, if it lost on the day, it lost.
I'm still not quite sure why a £37000 Holden VXR is "great value" and a £40000 C6 is a "sports car with Vietnamese suspension". I'll have to work on that one. Inconsistency is a great journalistic trait.
Still, we did get away without a single reference to cowboy hats, line dancing and the Dukes of Hazzard.
The leaf springs that Clarkson equated to a Silver Cross pram is in fact a transverse composite plastic spring. Old technology that like a pushrod V8 has been brought sceaming and kicking into the 21st Century and guess what...it works. They use them because they're traditional, cheap and also take up a lot less space under the bodywork - important when you've got a 6.0 V8 and a rear transaxle to package. Just like a pushrod engine doesn't have all the height of an ohc design. They have got this suspension right on the C5 Z06 but they're presumably keeping it for the next Z06.
Other suspension solutions are going to be expensive and probably not a whole lot better. Clarkson keeps missing the point (except when it comes to the Ford GT) - this car is CHEAP to buy in the US. It's owned by 20 year old students in the US who run it by working in MacDonalds. That's why everything about it has to be built down to a price and why they're working on a Supervette. It's more expensive here in the UK of course but blame the Government for that.
What annoys me about Top Gear is that when you analyse it, the criticism doesn't really hold water but the overall impression you get is that it's a bad car. For example, I can't detect stones beneath the tyres of my Z06 and I find the suspension pretty supple for a sports car - just a cheap exaggeration. I've driven an Elise and that crashes into drains like Lesley Whittle (No Jeremy, you can't use that one).
The cheap interior. Have you seen a Lotus Elise or Vauxhall VXR interior - naff as Lego and nearly £30k. Best idea for the Corvette seems to be don't fit an interior at all. Just leave all the hydroformed chassis and technologically advanced sandwiched floor exposed.
Pliable rear panel. Crash regs - wouldn't want a direct hit on the hydroformed solid chassis. The Vette will absorb and shrug off dents. A Lotus will explode into a million pieces of glassfibre which will penetrate your eyeballs and cost a minimum of £3000 to repair.
Leaf springs - well, whatever else, they seem to work to the tune in 1:26.8 round the track despite trying to harness a heavy V8 engine and the laws of physics. I seem to recall a TVR 350C having a lot of trouble turning in a good time. Perhaps they should try leaf springs?
Heavy clutch? Is Hammond real? My Z06 hasn't got a heavy clutch at all. Granted the gearbox is a little agricultural but a Hurst shifter can be fitted in half an hour and for those of you who don't get it, GM leave you to finish the car yourself via the aftermarket. In the meantime, you can still afford a 400bhp car.
The drag race. Can Hammond drive? I say this because if you look at any American road test, the car will run the quarter in the 12's and the NSX runs it in 13.4. I'm not going to argue about the TVR as that was devastatingly quick but they quietly ignored the slaying of the Porsche didn't they? I'm sure the mid-engined NSX is easier to get a good time out of but ultimately, I think the Vette would take it but then I'm not making excuses, if it lost on the day, it lost.
I'm still not quite sure why a £37000 Holden VXR is "great value" and a £40000 C6 is a "sports car with Vietnamese suspension". I'll have to work on that one. Inconsistency is a great journalistic trait.
Still, we did get away without a single reference to cowboy hats, line dancing and the Dukes of Hazzard.
At what cost? Why not build the car properly and charge $100,000. You have to stop somewhere. I could never understand why the Camaro used cheap nasty lower control arms when tubular don't cost much but it's all to do with keeping GM profitable - otherwise we'd all be driving Toyotas. LOL.
I really liked the idea of the newer corvette as soon as I heard it was shorter. Sounds like its gonna be a fantastic car. I didnt like it in red though and those lights are gonna take some getting used too. From the back and profile views though it has all the classic 'vette lines. Lovely.
A few Q's for you lot.
1. Got any pics of them in different colours?
2. Where can I test drive one?
3. Have they made a full convertible yet?
4. How long has the LS2 been around?
5. Will there ever be a RHD one?
Dont analyse top gear, its trash and mostly always just about opinion rather than fact (although I did enjoy them slagging off the 4x4 school bus community
).
Plus, its just a bit of fun and without it Id have no reason to own a TV!
A few Q's for you lot.
1. Got any pics of them in different colours?
2. Where can I test drive one?
3. Have they made a full convertible yet?
4. How long has the LS2 been around?
5. Will there ever be a RHD one?
Dont analyse top gear, its trash and mostly always just about opinion rather than fact (although I did enjoy them slagging off the 4x4 school bus community
). Plus, its just a bit of fun and without it Id have no reason to own a TV!
DustyC said:
I really liked the idea of the newer corvette as soon as I heard it was shorter. Sounds like its gonna be a fantastic car. I didnt like it in red though and those lights are gonna take some getting used too. From the back and profile views though it has all the classic 'vette lines. Lovely.
A few Q's for you lot.
1. Got any pics of them in different colours?
2. Where can I test drive one?
3. Have they made a full convertible yet?
4. How long has the LS2 been around?
5. Will there ever be a RHD one?
Dont analyse top gear, its trash and mostly always just about opinion rather than fact (although I did enjoy them slagging off the 4x4 school bus community
Plus, its just a bit of fun and without it Id have no reason to own a TV!
It's not different enough from a C5 - performance very similar, looks similar (isn't that much shorter), engineering very similar. Save yourself the cash - buy the better looking C5.
In answer to your questions -
1. Look on the net - there are loads.
2. You can't yet - they haven't been released. Expect to see the first in about October, I think.
3. There is a convertible - dunno if it'll be available day 1, though.
4. Since the C6 was invented. It's new. It's very heavily based on the LS16, though.
5. God, I hope not. Every muppet in the UK would be driving one!!
Top Gear is a programme which thrives on the "sensational" in order to appeal to the masses which is what the BBC want (viewing figures). Nothing wrong with that as it probably achieves its objective. I don't believe that it is supposed to be enjoyed by the real motorist like the guys and gals who visit this site, but I admit I do watch it as it can be amusing.
However TG loses any credibility when its presenters slag off a car which then runs as high as the C6 in their league table. It is simply not logical and by doing so they look stupid in the eyes of the public, 99% of who would love to own such a car regardless of what TG says (I would).
The Daily Telegraph's report showed the car in the best possible light but unfortunately it does not get into as many homes as TG.
Clarkson and his puppets have really pissed me off this time.
However TG loses any credibility when its presenters slag off a car which then runs as high as the C6 in their league table. It is simply not logical and by doing so they look stupid in the eyes of the public, 99% of who would love to own such a car regardless of what TG says (I would).
The Daily Telegraph's report showed the car in the best possible light but unfortunately it does not get into as many homes as TG.
Clarkson and his puppets have really pissed me off this time.
C5RagTop said:
Clarkson and his puppets have really pissed me off this time.
Yep, I was pretty annoyed by it, but double standards is TG all over...
But lest we forget: Joe Public, by all accounts, follows - and buys - the crap they're prepped to buy... and good for them: let them spend whatever they want, and think whatever they want, and - as we all know - here in the real world we show them 4 pretty tail-lights...
The whole TG team are a bunch of idiots I reckon. They bitch about how the Corvette has a flimsy interior and the rear is flimsy (is this for pedestrian safety regs?), yet the cars which UK make - TVRs for one, definately aren't reliable and people have to make posts about getting 1000 miles from them! What does that say about TVRs...
As for that drag race, the C6 driver definately can't race or launch.
The C6 press car was flimsy, why can't they at least have the few cars which are reviewed by the press and influential on sales (for those who live by the words of ignorant people) be made with no glitches at least, even if the production cars aren't? Maybe more expensive, but would make more sense.
And nothing wrong with the suspension component choice, it's actually more hi-tech than thought of. The only thing resembling old technology is just the name itself but I suppose Top Gear judge by the cover only.
Each decision has its own pros and cons, if the Vette used another system they'll still complain.
It's a 50k car with world class performance, and cars with very similar performance cost much more...you can't have everything at that price.
They hate the car on principle, even the director of the program was stereotypical...what image does that give out.
As for that drag race, the C6 driver definately can't race or launch.
The C6 press car was flimsy, why can't they at least have the few cars which are reviewed by the press and influential on sales (for those who live by the words of ignorant people) be made with no glitches at least, even if the production cars aren't? Maybe more expensive, but would make more sense.
And nothing wrong with the suspension component choice, it's actually more hi-tech than thought of. The only thing resembling old technology is just the name itself but I suppose Top Gear judge by the cover only.
Each decision has its own pros and cons, if the Vette used another system they'll still complain. It's a 50k car with world class performance, and cars with very similar performance cost much more...you can't have everything at that price.
They hate the car on principle, even the director of the program was stereotypical...what image does that give out.
Right, but that was with the older, slower Stig. But no worries, Motor Trend tested the old standard C5 against the Lotus Twin Turbo V8 and got the same exact lap time around a very short track. Both cars driven by the same driver on the same day. The C6 should be a noticeable improvement, I'd think.
I'd like to see a back-to back of the C6 against the C5 Z06. I really hope that's one they do.
Fair play to Clarkson though, the forums both here and in the US have been absolutely buzzing. I wouldn't mind betting the Top Gear website has had more hits than the Belgrano. The reference by Hammond to "the colonies" even elicited a furious Brit-bashing thread on Corvette Forum that had to be locked.
I guess being controversial is good for business. I wonder if he does it deliberately? Strangely enough, no threads defending the BMW X3....
Fair play to Clarkson though, the forums both here and in the US have been absolutely buzzing. I wouldn't mind betting the Top Gear website has had more hits than the Belgrano. The reference by Hammond to "the colonies" even elicited a furious Brit-bashing thread on Corvette Forum that had to be locked.
I guess being controversial is good for business. I wonder if he does it deliberately? Strangely enough, no threads defending the BMW X3....
I was disappointed when the C5 was announced with leaf springs and to put them on the C6 surely has to be a joke.
Chevy - put some coilovers on the thing!!!
I was surprisingly disappointed by the TG "test", a few posts here made me think it was going to be a better test than expected.
That pr*ck Clarkson really needs an excuse to slag off a vette doesn't he?
Biggest shock for me was not seeing the vette beaten by the TVR (now russian owned, what a joke) but by an NSX. That's got to be contrived hasn't it?
Chevy - put some coilovers on the thing!!!
I was surprisingly disappointed by the TG "test", a few posts here made me think it was going to be a better test than expected.
That pr*ck Clarkson really needs an excuse to slag off a vette doesn't he?
Biggest shock for me was not seeing the vette beaten by the TVR (now russian owned, what a joke) but by an NSX. That's got to be contrived hasn't it?
malc350 said:
Biggest shock for me was not seeing the vette beaten by the TVR (now russian owned, what a joke) but by an NSX. That's got to be contrived hasn't it?
Honestly - REALLY, I have beaten 2 NSX's on the street. They really were trying (gave up at about 120mph and 135mph resp.). Even my lowly old C5 is noticably quicker than an NSX.
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