Oh, no doubt that they are great cars, Just most of them GT cars, the 458 is about 3000lbs dry so probably about 3200-3300 (3400 is possible but would surprise me) wet, that is about as heavy as I can still consider a true sports car. But I would probably buy an old F40 if I had Ferrari money... It is the most pure of the ferrari's that is not ancient. There is nothing in my definition that says Sports cars must outperform GT cars or any other category.

 

The S2K and the C6 have a lot more in common than what you think, especially in Z06 trim. The Z06 has a high redline (for a 7.0L V8 anyway), precise suspension (Think snap-oversteer is a problem in the S? Try a Z06 or a 911) decent fuel economy for a sports car, light weight (A Z06 weighs 200~300 lbs more than a S2k) and you don't have to pay out of your ass to own these cars. They both have rather spartan interiors, and lastly maintenance costs aren't out of the roof like it would be for a Ferrari/Porsche/Lambo/etc. And good luck finding a mechanic willing to touch an exotic.

And let me repeat this again, Corvettes are NOT overweight. They are actually one of the few vehicles that GM makes that is actually light. And the Z06 is whopping 3,175 lbs. Save for a stripped out Porsche GT3RS, no sports car is lighter without making a compromise on power, driveablity, if not both.

Sorry, but I think it's very naïve to knock a car based on it's origin, it's engine, or the company that made it. All companies are capable of showing feats of engineering genius, and the Corvette is one of GM's finest.

 

I think the engine of a sports car is an essential part of the machine. I am not saying that Corvette has a bad engine, but I don't see why criticizing a sports car with a crappy engine can be considered a naive approach... Such a car will always be lacking.

No wonder why McLaren went to Honda first, to convince them to build the engine for the F1.

 

I fail to see what's so crappy about the LS2 and LS7. Sure it doesn't scream to a 9K redline like a S2K, have the roar of a flat-6 or even overhead cams, but that doesn't keep the Corvette from winning races or beating other supercars with "better" engines. Like I said before, it's kinda lame to say a engine is crappy because it's a pushrod.

There's more than one way to make a sportscar after all.

 

Me too. I never said it was a crappy engine. Not the engine I'd prefer in a pure sports car, but I don't think it is crappy by any means.

You did state however that it's naïve to knock a car based on it's origin, it's engine, or the company that made it. That doesn't make sense to me at all, especially the part about the engine.

Even the company could be important to a degree. C6 interior reflects the sub-par materials and built quality of most GM cars. Then again, GM improved a lot in recent years, so the next gen Corvette will probably have much nicer and solid interior.