WTFisTQ

I've loved my S2K for the past two years of ownership. Never a problem, a single issue with anything. It has has managed to put a smile on my face every time I get in. I've even posted threads on here just to express my appreciation for the wondrous car.

Unfortunately, last weekend a buddy of mine brought his newly purchased 02 C5 Z06 over to take me for a ride. I know fast cars, coming from a 400awhp Eclipse that was so unreliable I went for the S2K next. This Z06, which couldn't have more than 360rwhp pulled so damn hard I couldn't believe it. Perhaps it's the gearing or the aerodynamics of the car that make it so much faster (especially up top) than it should be. 4th gear pulls harder than 3rd. The car begs to go to 170mph.

That night a bunch of us guys went out to a bar. The Z06 owner(who wasn't drinking) wanted to run my 4.77 I/E S2K. I knew what the outcome would be but thought what the hell. I had been drinking however so I tossed the keys to my friend James, the only other guy there not drinking, who is a 350Z owner and has track time under his belt.

To my dismay, from the passenger seat of the Z06, I watched my S2K get destroyed. Even with a sizeable jump at the start. It faired much better 10-100 than 50-120. Ever since then I've been left wanting more.

Sure I could drop 10K on a 450rwhp turbo kit, but then I would be having the same reliability issues I had with the Eclipse. Any car with boost and a standalone seems to have issues. Even then, it would be near as stable as a Vette above 100 mph.

The C5 looks dated to me, especially the flip up headlights. The 400Hp/400Tq LS2 C6 looks great on the other hand and can be had for under 35K. The bang for the buck factor in that destroys the Nismo 350 and the CR at the same price. It is also incredibly easy to mod. With intake, headers, exhaust and a $400 cam they put out 420-440rwhp. I'm also 6'3 and the Vette would give me more room.

I know the S isn't intended for acceleration, but I forgot how much I missed that. What are your opinions on this? Also what color would you go with?

Thanks, Kevin

clawhammer

If reliability is your concern, go with a SC. You can make 350-400 rwhp with any of the SC kits out there: CTSC, VTSC, Kraftwerks, SOT (though you won't make 350 rwhp with it). All of them cost less than 10k even with the supporting mods.

hariku821

Will the car be your daily driver? Ive heard from many people that a corvett is one of the harshest riding cars they have ever been in. Even on top gear they said it was wonderful on the track but on the street it was awful. If you have another daily driver i would say go for it but if you dont then you might want to think about it a little more.


On the reliability note i have heard that the more torquey a car is the less reliability it will have. Its also an American car so it may not stand up to the s2k standards.

Dan H

The vette is comfortable with standard suspension and can make for a better daily driver than an S2K. Z51 suspension will be harsher.

I'm thinking about a C6 myself too. You can get a ridiculous deal on '08's and '09's at GM employee pricing now. Even '05 vettes can be had for a little over 30K.

ALFYonso

LoL I had this same debate before I got my S2000. I've never been a huge fan of the C5's styling, especially the Z06's with the rear window not sloping all the way to the rear. The C6 is a badass looking car though. Had a used C6 been cheaper by now (bought my AP2 for $21k), I probably would have got one. I would love to progress to a C6 Z06 eventually.

For that comment about the C6 being a harsh ride, do you own an S2000? I've never ridden in a C6, but how much worse would it be than an S2000? The S2K is pretty damn stiff in OEM trim.

rajun asian

Just because an engine has more torque it's less reliable. Are you kidding me? Also, the American car/ reliability issue is American engineered cars can be just as reliable as their Japanese counterparts. According to JD Powers, Buick along with Lexus ranked #1 in dependability. BTW, we me and GF) own 2 Hondas and a Nissan.

See for yourself: [URL=http://www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/2007-Vehicle-Dependability-Study-Results]

BTW, I think the C6 is the best looking Corvette yet. I wouldn't mind having one. But I really love my S a lot.

MitsukillinS2K

My dad had an 00 vette and he daily drove that beast for about 5 years. The only problem he ever had was his own fault and thats cause he tried to drive it in snow that was about a foot deep.

s2k_man

Get the vette. My dad has an 08 ls3 corvette and it is amazing. There is not ONE thing that I have to complain about. Power is there anywhere above 2k rpm. There is a TON of trunk space (enough for me and my dad to go on a weekend golfing trip). Going from a s2k to a c6 vette is nothing but an upgrade.

ace123

keep in mind the grass is always greener, and the car puts a smile on your face every time you drive it.

give it a few days. or weeks.
___

but if you really really want it and can afford it easily, then i'd think about it. the C6 is a great deal for performance per dollar.

however, i wouldn't consider high-whp turbo a viable alternative to a C6--with that much of an investment, you sound like you'd be happier to just get a C6 and be done with it.
i would consider cheaper FI solutions. i usually hear that a 300whp comptech supercharger or (better yet b/c of torque) greddy turbo kit can be had for around $3-4k. and that's a lot less money than selling your S to buy a C6 or dropping $10k in your S to put together a well-done reliable turbo system.
if 300whp--still slower than that C5Z06--would be enough to satisfy the itch, it will probably be cheaper/better for you in the long run to get that $3-4k kit than to sell yours and buy a C6. you'll lose quite a bit of money to depreciation over the next few years.

reliability-wise, i'd bet that a C6 will be cheaper to maintain than a 7 year old honda S2000. the C6 would still have the original bumper to bumper warranty, and GM now is a lot better than 10-20 years ago. but S2000s are very reliable, even with FI, so this doesn't really put the S at a disadvantage. and buying a new car is NOT cheap.

what's worth your money is the real question. do you own or want to own a house, and do you like to travel? do you want new furniture, a computer, a big TV? and which is more important--to spend your money on those types of things, or to have a faster car?

gfacter

100% Wrong, A C6 Z51 is super comfortable as a daily, quiet and smooth riding. Feels like a luxury car compared to a S2000.

Fit and finish not as nice, but close.

6th gear at 70MPH is ~ 1700 RPM, the car sill has legs.

That said, the car is much wider than a S2000 and just feels huge on tight back roads, steering is really numb (never drove a 08 car).

The car was devastating on the (road race) track and just stupid fast on the street, just a few seconds of throttle and you were in go to jail speeds.