C8Z vs CT5BW

[jbawden]

I'm not sure I understand your bullet points; are you trading the BW for a C8 and adding a daily? Or is this a weekend car discussion? If you're going for a one car solution, C8 isn't solving those points and seems like a major step back in terms of your family needs.

I've never made a car choice based on what my kids like. That doesn't mean I didn't consider them (fitting in it), but the final choice of what to drive is for adults to decide. A car that forces you to leave one of them behind could be reframed as more "focused" time, but in reality it alienates one of them from whatever experience you had and that is sort of sucky.

 

[Clubracer6]

I'm not sure I understand your bullet points; are you trading the BW for a C8 and adding a daily? Or is this a weekend car discussion? If you're going for a one car solution, C8 isn't solving those points and seems like a major step back in terms of your family needs.

I've never made a car choice based on what my kids like. That doesn't mean I didn't consider them (fitting in it), but the final choice of what to drive is for adults to decide. A car that forces you to leave one of them behind could be reframed as more "focused" time, but in reality it alienates one of them from whatever experience you had and that is sort of sucky.

I was going to trade my BW for a C8Z. With 5 kids, I do my best to get some one on one time with each. Having a 2 seat sports car kind of forces that issue, although I did just take one of them for some fun driving with friends a couple weeks ago. He loved it and next time it will be his brothers turn. As a father of 5, it’s awesome to have them share your hobbies with you.

 

[wschomburg]

I posted this in the Corvette Forum, but posting here as well.

I know there are some of you that have both the CT5VBW and C8Z and just wanting to hear your thoughts on both.

I have a CT5VBW manual and I absolutely love it, but here I am about to close a deal on trading it for a C8Z.

Why?

• My commute is 4 miles and I regularly haul twin 8 year old boys who tend to destroy anything they come in to contact with.
• Speaking of them, they never want to go drive in it, just for the sake of driving, but I know that would be different in the Z and that would force some one on one time with them.
• As much as I would like to track this car, it’s still 4100lbs at the end of the day. The brake dust is already horrific in daily driving, my bronze wheels would never recover.
• Between work and family I don’t always have the time to handwash the BW and with daily use here in Chicagoland, it just does not stay nice as I’d like it to. Especially that brake dust. I clean the wheels more often than the whole car.
• The C8Z kind of checks that supercar box off that I have had since I was kid. The Italian stuff I grew up lusting after, is getting expensive to buy and maintain/repair these days. Plus I like that there are so many C8’s that it won’t exactly shock the neighbors like a 430 or Gallardo would.
• I’d feel better about going to Chicago itself or ORD in a not a nice daily.

I was not a big C8 fan and am a die hard manual guy, but I recently drove a C8Z and was blown away. It was the first time I didn’t care about a sports car not having a 3rd pedal.

So, for those who had both, would love to hear your experiences. Is the C8Z a more special driving experience? More engaging, even with the DCT?

I will miss this thing a lot, but if too much, I would another with the options and color I want.

I own a 23 CT5vBW 6MT and a 25 C8Z51 HTC. having owned several cars from Porsche, MB, Lexus, BMW, if I could only own one car it would definately be the BW. 4 doors, plenty of speed, engaging, quite when you want, hellraiser when you want. Plenty of room on the inside with trunk space, great comfort for 1k.mi road trips. C8 is fun, quick, the HTC is awesome but for 2 people interior space is very limited, seat are ok buy for.me max out after 5-6 hours. I say let one kid in the car at a time for some 1:1 time and do the same trip with the other one the next time. athrow in an Icecream cone and call it a day.

 

[CBH]

@Clubracer6 - you never said what you're adding as a daily driver ?

I think its already been posted - but being able to drive the 5BW all the time should seal the deal. I had kinda the same quandary when "justifying" my 5 purchase.

It was about the same total cost as a new 7-seat crossover + a C6. But then I realized I'd be stuck driving the soccer mom van nearly all the time while the 'Vette gathered dust !!

And I don't see how having just 1 kid in the 'Vette is a plus. You're always way better off bringing the whole gang in the BW. In reality, it seems much more likely to be a barrier that lets you use the 'Vette even less then you expect. The more the merrier !!

 

[jbawden]

I was going to trade my BW for a C8Z. With 5 kids, I do my best to get some one on one time with each. Having a 2 seat sports car kind of forces that issue, although I did just take one of them for some fun driving with friends a couple weeks ago. He loved it and next time it will be his brothers turn. As a father of 5, it’s awesome to have them share your hobbies with you.

Then you of all people should be manifesting the Bagon into reality in 2029!

 

[Atemoya]

5 kids? Time for an RV, summer family trip is priceless and memories will last their lifetimes.
1 on 1 time in the Vette pales in comparison.

 

[565565]

I was going to trade my BW for a C8Z. With 5 kids, I do my best to get some one on one time with each. Having a 2 seat sports car kind of forces that issue, although I did just take one of them for some fun driving with friends a couple weeks ago. He loved it and next time it will be his brothers turn. As a father of 5, it’s awesome to have them share your hobbies with you.

5 kids that’s amazing. I’m so jealous. We currently have 2 and my wife would only ever consider going to 3.

Your situation reminds me of this Porsche Ad.

 

[sonny200]

I took delivery of MY23 Corvette Stingray HTC 2LT (w/Mag Ride) in Sept 2022 followed by MY23 5BW MT in January 2023. I've since traded in the SR for a MY23 C8 Z06 HTC 3LZ a year ago. I found there is some overlap in the ride experience between the SR & the 5BW. With the SR in ride setting 1 or 2, it felt very much like the 5BW on the firmest setting.

Driving wise, there was no overlap between the SR & the 5BW. The SR felt sharper with more crisp initial turn in & you can feel how much lighter it is than the 5BW. Even though the Caddy is much heavier, it was still faster than the SR in a straight line but the SR was faster around corners on a track. In real world situations, the actual speed difference around corners was marginal. But the SR just felt different. Since the engines are essentially the same except for the SC on the 5BW, they sounded similar. The 5BW is a bit muted in comparison because of the longer exhaust pipes & bc Caddy.

Now, with the Z06, it is literally night & day in comparison to the 5BW. There is no overlap in ride quality no matter what the setting on the Z or 5BW. The Z06 is also ways faster than the 5BW in all respects -- straight line, around corners, out of corners. The Z06 feels "raw" in comparison to the 5BW. Don't get me wrong, the raw nature of the Z06 does not mean you can't daily it. My commute to work is 124 miles round trip & I usually drive the Z06 if there's no precipitation.

The sound of that flat plane crank on the Z06 never gets old. True, you need to rev it some to really feel the power but adding the Soler BT Controller greatly helps with that. (I also have one on the 5BW.)

IMHO, there really is no comparison between the C8 Z06 & the 5BW. They are worlds apart but I find both fun & engaging. This is why I have both. If you have the means, this is what I'd recommend doing.

(Regarding a track car, the answer is always, Miata/MX-5. However, for a race car on a budget, a Thunder Roadster with the Hayabusa conversion is the answer. I know bc I've had both.)

 

[Clubracer6]

@Clubracer6 - you never said what you're adding as a daily driver ?

I think its already been posted - but being able to drive the 5BW all the time should seal the deal. I had kinda the same quandary when "justifying" my 5 purchase.

It was about the same total cost as a new 7-seat crossover + a C6. But then I realized I'd be stuck driving the soccer mom van nearly all the time while the 'Vette gathered dust !!

And I don't see how having just 1 kid in the 'Vette is a plus. You're always way better off bringing the whole gang in the BW. In reality, it seems much more likely to be a barrier that lets you use the 'Vette even less then you expect. The more the merrier !!

I’ve tried that a few times and they get car sick if I push at all. With 5 of us in there, it’ pretty tight for them. I also they have become used to the power. No lift shifts don’t phase them at all.

 

[jbawden]

We dropped our last daughter at college last weekend, so our nest is empty. I love my girls, but between us I'm really enjoying a house that is free of 26 half full water cups, 11 wet towels in various rooms, clothes everywhere, free of the one that is obsessed with pan frying broccoli and making the house smell like bad feet...I walk in now and it smells like a new house.

Point is, I still love performance cars that aren't just two seats, kids or not...but I do have the weird compulsion to shop for white new balance sneakers to go with my jorts/Goodguys t-shirt outfit that I keep picking.

 

[+ManifoldPSI]

So if I am hearing everyone correctly, I need both!

Amen to that. Do what you have to do to make it happen!

76 cars in and maybe I finally found a keeper. Thanks all!

Amen to that too. When I got serious about getting one, I knew it was gonna be a keeper, just based on what it stands for in the performance world and how unique that package is nowadays. I wasn't going to sell anything though to make room for it, but more importantly, I plan to NEVER sell it to make room for whatever ends up being next! Which is only ever a growing list, especially in the wake of Monterey car week...

 

[0Vloc]

I've got both and I honestly believe that the CT5BW is more 'special' given it's the last of its kind. If I were you, I'd keep the BW and wait for an even better deal on a used C8Z in the future. There's going to be many more on the market compared to the BW.

That being said, both cars amazing. Both provide a visceral driving experience in my opinion, but delivering it very differently. I've got Miltek cats on the Z and the noise is sublime. Rowing the gears on the BW is something I'd certainly miss. I'm keeping both as long as I can!

 

[Kawman]

Which is only ever a growing list, especially in the wake of Monterey car week...

So, what caught your eye at Monterey?

 

[+ManifoldPSI]

So, what caught your eye at Monterey?

So much. Tons to see. Without hijacking the thread too much...


CLK63 Black Series is always a highlight. Those wheels... And now that they are getting a proper drive line revision, even better!

The 993 craze continues. Gunther Werks does a really nice job. CCBs and 800hp too.

Just a TVR Sagaris. No big deal. Like every other Sagaris you see on your daily commute, right?

Gotta love a clean E90. Seriously considering one of these next.
.

 

[hawk02]

I didn’t own a C8 Z06, but I did own a ’21 C8 Stingray HTC for 4½ years. I despised the Tremec DCT in my Stingray. The shift points sucked, the maintenance requirements were obnoxious and expensive, and at only 13,000 miles it started having reliability issues. It was my first Corvette, and it will be my last.

In my opinion, a manual 5BW is a far superior car to the C8 when it comes to overall build quality and driving experience. The Z06 is obviously a completely different animal from my Stingray, but its engine really comes alive when you get it up into the 7,000–8,000 RPM range. Unless you plan on spending a lot of time driving it there, I think you may be disappointed by the lack of low-end torque compared with the Blackwing. The 5BW gives you that shove almost immediately.

One other thing I’d consider is the market. C8 values have softened considerably, and there are plenty of used Z06s available. I also see C8 Z06s fairly regularly at car shows and cruise-ins. The CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings are much less common, especially with manuals.

If it were my money, there’s no way I’d trade a manual 5BW for a C8 Z06. I think the manual Blackwing is going to become increasingly desirable as cars like it disappear.

 

[jbawden]

@0Vloc Excellent parking spot discipline!