Z06 kill

This may start off sounding like one of those letters to a magazine of a certain type.
I never thought it would happen to me, but last night something amazing occured. I was out for a spin, stopped for fuel (having just located a station that has 94 octane) and was on my way to the beer store when I pulled along side of a C5 Z06. This thing was sort of beige metalic, dirty and had a permit from Nevada where the plate should be. Possibly the guy had bought it there and was just getting home (?). Long story short, we ended up in front of the traffic with clear 3 lane ahead. From a roll, and in second, he got the jump on me but by the time I was in third I'd pulled a solid 1 1/2 lenghts on him before I let up. We went our separate ways at that point but a few minutes later as I was approching a red light he shows up again, this was off the beaten track and I figured he wanted a re-match, but he wouldn't even look over, instead he pulled off onto a residential street and that was it.
Now I know some will dissapprove of the 'street racing' aspect of this post, and I did feel some regret about that after. To the Z06s credit he did have a passenger.
This never happens to me, usualy the 'other guy' is too intimidated to even try something in the first place, so I thought I'd share it with you folk.

If it was beige it was not a Z06, probably just a 2000 FRC (350 hp)since they came in Pewter. Nice kill anyway.

Z06's come in Silver, Red, Yellow, Blue, Black and White (01 only).

beige metallic?

doesn't sound like a Z06-was it a hardtop? the '99 FRC came in a pewter color

Even if it was a Z06, you shoulda been able to hand him his ***! 405hp with what 375lbs tq, easy prey.

Even if it was a Z06, you shoulda been able to hand him his ***! 405hp with what 375lbs tq, easy prey.

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That's not quite true. I don't think a stock Gen II Viper will pull a 2002-04 ZO6 by much until you're into 'going to jail' territory. 1st and 2nd will be a horse race. Not much difference. 3rd gear is where the displacement and extra power start to come into play. Even then, up to 110-115 or so, there probably won't be a huge difference.

Steve

It was a Z06, not sure what you'd call the colour, to me it looked biege, could have been silver. It was dirty with road grime and brake dust like he'd just come off the hi-way (which I know he had, from the south). Besides it was about 8pm local, cloudy and getting dark/dusk. It had the right wheels, badges and 'look'. Definitly a Z car. Not sure of the year, end of the C5 era, though.

"That's not quite true. I don't think a stock Gen II Viper will pull a 2002-04 ZO6 by much until you're into 'going to jail' territory. 1st and 2nd will be a horse race. Not much difference. 3rd gear is where the displacement and extra power start to come into play. Even then, up to 110-115 or so, there probably won't be a huge difference."

well...
We (or at least I know I did) got into third a part way, up to 140-145kph (85-90mph-ish) when I braked down to 80kph(the limit there).
Not getting deffensive, just clarifying.

"doesn't sound like a Z06-was it a hardtop? the '99 FRC came in a pewter color "

Hardtop, the kinda funny looking one, not sloped but more 'coupe' looking. Not a lift back/fast back look.

Even if it was a Z06, you shoulda been able to hand him his ***! 405hp with what 375lbs tq, easy prey.

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That's not quite true. I don't think a stock Gen II Viper will pull a 2002-04 ZO6 by much until you're into 'going to jail' territory. 1st and 2nd will be a horse race. Not much difference. 3rd gear is where the displacement and extra power start to come into play. Even then, up to 110-115 or so, there probably won't be a huge difference.

Steve

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1st, a win is a win. How much of a win is a matter of interpretation as far as big or small. 1/4 mile racing? If you win by a tenth, that's pretty big. So how is my statement not true? You saying that the Z is faster?
2nd Have you driven a Z06? I have driven my buddys Z06 around a road coarse up here. Give me back my Gen1 (that's what I was driving at the time) is all I could think about the whole time I was driving his Black Z.
Hell he must of felt the same way, because last year he bought a RED SRT and gave his wife the Z.
Don't misunderstand, the Z is a fast car.
But learn to shift and you'll leave it eating your dust.

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Even if it was a Z06, you shoulda been able to hand him his ***! 405hp with what 375lbs tq, easy prey.


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That's not quite true. I don't think a stock Gen II Viper will pull a 2002-04 ZO6 by much until you're into 'going to jail' territory. 1st and 2nd will be a horse race. Not much difference. 3rd gear is where the displacement and extra power start to come into play. Even then, up to 110-115 or so, there probably won't be a huge difference.

Steve


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1st, a win is a win. How much of a win is a matter of interpretation as far as big or small. 1/4 mile racing? If you win by a tenth, that's pretty big. So how is my statement not true? You saying that the Z is faster?
2nd Have you driven a Z06? I have driven my buddys Z06 around a road coarse up here. Give me back my Gen1 (that's what I was driving at the time) is all I could think about the whole time I was driving his Black Z.
Hell he must of felt the same way, because last year he bought a RED SRT and gave his wife the Z.
Don't misunderstand, the Z is a fast car.
But learn to shift and you'll leave it eating your dust.

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Tracy,

Don't get me wrong I did not say that a 2002-2004 ZO6 is faster than a Viper. I only commented on the fact that your statement seemed a little strong to me. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't consider a car length, up to 80 or so, an azzz thumpin' in a street race. Maybe that's where we disagree. If that's a thumpin' to you, I stand corrected. The magazine numbers to 60 MPH show the cars close. The Viper starts to take over as you work your way through the gears. The 1/4 mile times bear this out. The Viper is stronger down the stretch. 1st gear in each car is about a wash---now you're going almost 60. I believe a stock Z06 and a stock Viper, with stock drivers in each, will run pretty much neck and neck through the first 2 gears Again.....I guess the the definition of azzz thumpin' is in the interpretation. If gaining a car length at 80-90 MPH fits your definition of a big kill, well so be it. It doesn't fit mine.

Now for your second point. I do have some experience in a 2002 ZO6. 325+ track miles at Spring Mountain in 2002......which is the equivalent of about 4 average track days. I also have a couple hours of track time under my belt of running that same car at WOT up and down through the first 3 gears continously. My take on the ZO6 power was that the first 2 gears felt about the same as my Viper...maybe a very slight drop off in 2nd......and that the power difference was much more noticeable in 3rd. The ZO6 started running out of steam around 80.

I also had a Corvette riding buddy until last year when he retired and moved away. He had a couple of C-5s before he bought the 04 ZO6 in 2004. Now The C-5 is a different story. From a roll at 60 or so.......I could walk him like he was kind of standing still! Now that's an azzzz thumpin'!

Anyway---congrats to ASP MAN on his kill.

Steve

Nice kill. I am hesitent to step on the gas myself because my license is needed for my job. Don't lose sleep over your race. You said the 3 lanes in front were clear. As long as there wasn't any upcoming driveways, intersections, or kids, worst case scenerio it would be you or the Z06 in a wreck and nobody else involved.

First off, nice kill.

I'll agree that up to 60MPH the better launch in either car will take the lead, but from 2nd gear on the Viper walks away. Not runs, but steadily walks away.

I did some side-by-side runs in a friend's Z06 and the difference was pretty consistant, even when trading drivers between cars. And this was when my Viper was pretty much stock.

I owned a Corvette before my Viper and I still like them, but going back and forth between the two cars you cannot miss feeling the Viper's big torque advantage in every gear.

But this can bite the Viper owner because it's easy to blow a launch by spinning the tires badly with all of that torque in first and second gears. Personally I found the Z06 was easier to launch without being familiar with the car's power delivery.

I did like the overall feel of the C5 Z06, and it would be a more comfortable car for a daily commute, but for me the Viper is more stylish and rare.

Now the C6 Z06 appears to have all of the advantages of the C5 Z06, plus more power and refinement.
That's a car that I'd like to try out driving, and do some side-by-side runs against.

Even if it was a Z06, you shoulda been able to hand him his ***! 405hp with what 375lbs tq, easy prey.

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That's not quite true. I don't think a stock Gen II Viper will pull a 2002-04 ZO6 by much until you're into 'going to jail' territory. 1st and 2nd will be a horse race. Not much difference. 3rd gear is where the displacement and extra power start to come into play. Even then, up to 110-115 or so, there probably won't be a huge difference.

Steve

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Right on!!

I had a C5 Z06, and my buddy had a Gen II RT/10 who goes by the name of "Andy98 RT10"on this board. We ued to race ALL the time. EVERY race was always the same outcome. We were dead even through third gear every race. It is when I shift into 4th (103 mph) is when the Viper starts to creep away. A C5 Z and a Gen II are VERY close to 100 given equal drivers. Past 100, the Viper WILL pull away.

Andy, wanna chime in brutha?

I had a C5 Z06, and my buddy had a Gen II RT/10 who goes by the name of "Andy98 RT10"on this board. We ued to race ALL the time. EVERY race was always the same outcome. We were dead even through third gear every race. It is when I shift into 4th (103 mph) is when the Viper starts to creep away. A C5 Z and a Gen II are VERY close to 100 given equal drivers. Past 100, the Viper WILL pull away.

Andy, wanna chime in brutha?

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I was surprised too, but that's pretty much what happens every time. All you need to do is get two qualified drivers with a gen II and a Z06 at your local dragstrip to figure this out. It will be a drivers race to 100 mph, then the Viper will start to pull away more and more as the speeds increase.

I can't wait to find the new zo6 on the road.