C6 Z06 test drive, impressions
Discussion
Had a test drive in the Stratstone Z06 this morning, not sure what to make of it really! Clearly the car is fast in a straight line, and there is masses of grip, but I felt rather disconnected from the whole experience. I'm not sure if the car is too civilised and comfortable, or maybe *too* competent, or perhaps I just wasn't pushing it hard enough, but I never got an real sense of drama from it. Turn in was very crisp, none of the understeering-type tendency I have felt before in non-Z06, but the steering felt a bit anaesthetised - lacking in weight at low speeds and feedback at higher speeds. Gear shift felt fine, don't know where all this "agricultural" nonsense comes from. The engine seems to take an AGE to drop revs when the throttle is shut which really annoyed me, don't know whay they designed in such a pronounced flywheel effect on what is supposed to be a racing engine for the road!
Driven a few vettes now but not yet completely used to LHD and positioning the car correctly, so maybe I wasn't comfortable enough to commit to corners fast enough to get the car working under me. (I think the most I saw on the G-meter was 0.6 or so.) Obviously familiarity would bring more confidence with the car, but what concerns me is that on the average a-road/b-road your lack of sight-line through corners would limit your speed such that the car was never really being pushed. I was encouraged to find that the width of the car wasn't a problem on my favourite routes, and as others on here have mentioned there is no real issue with overtaking despite the LHD.
What do other owners find? Is the car so quick that you can never approach its dynamic limits on the public road? I know you can always sneak out for a 150mph blast on an empty motorway, but can you ever reach cornering speeds that get the car working hard, without running the risk of rounding a bend to find a horse/tractor/coach in the road and not being able to stop in time?
Driven a few vettes now but not yet completely used to LHD and positioning the car correctly, so maybe I wasn't comfortable enough to commit to corners fast enough to get the car working under me. (I think the most I saw on the G-meter was 0.6 or so.) Obviously familiarity would bring more confidence with the car, but what concerns me is that on the average a-road/b-road your lack of sight-line through corners would limit your speed such that the car was never really being pushed. I was encouraged to find that the width of the car wasn't a problem on my favourite routes, and as others on here have mentioned there is no real issue with overtaking despite the LHD.
What do other owners find? Is the car so quick that you can never approach its dynamic limits on the public road? I know you can always sneak out for a 150mph blast on an empty motorway, but can you ever reach cornering speeds that get the car working hard, without running the risk of rounding a bend to find a horse/tractor/coach in the road and not being able to stop in time?
aww999 said:
...but I felt rather disconnected from the whole experience. I'm not sure if the car is too civilised and comfortable, or maybe *too* competent, or perhaps I just wasn't pushing it hard enough, but I never got an real sense of drama from it. Turn in was very crisp, none of the understeering-type tendency I have felt before in non-Z06, but the steering felt a bit anaesthetised - lacking in weight at low speeds and feedback at higher speeds.
Yep, the steering is sh1te - the Z06's one big defect, to my mind.
aww999 said:
...can you ever reach cornering speeds that get the car working hard, without running the risk of rounding a bend to find a horse/tractor/coach in the road and not being able to stop in time?
Yes, definitely. Endless grip helps!
Sorry to hear that. 
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