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Z06 guys are lucky

CBH

Seasoned Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2023
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367
Location
Austin, TX
V-Series Cadillac(s)?
'23 CT5 Blackwing w/ Clutch
I had the good fortune to borrow a C8 Z06 this weekend. The map below shows the route I took, illustrating how great it is to live in Central Texas !! Google 3 Twisted Sisters if you haven't heard of it.

I would not trade my CT5 BW with 3 pedals for the 'Vette, but for those fortunate enough to own a Z06, I am a little jealous.

First, is that soundtrack. It is mesmerizing. I am blown away that a factory exhaust is that loud and sounds so great.

Automatics do have one use - passing traffic. Its so effortless and so instantaneous - stomp the gas and disappear. It drops immediately to the lowest possible gear - ensuring you're always at WOT approaching redline as you actually pass them (allowing you to share that beautiful soundtrack with your victim :) ). Then it redlines the next gear, and by then you're already in triple digits and that traffic has long disappeared. Its intoxicating............and you get that soundtrack the whole time. Man was it great.

I did have a question and some nits to pick.

First, the HUD would never remember the setting. Z-mode nor driver pre-sets - nothing. I had to manually change it every time I started it. Is that normal ?

Visibility - forget about it............its infinitely worse than any Camaro. The windshield is the only thing you can see the road from. Even the exterior mirrors can only see the rear fenders !!

The G-force meters on the HUD are funny too. There are 2 different meters on opposite sides of the display to show Right and Left Gs separately. Does it really seem like a good idea to force your eyes to hunt over the windshield when the number - not the side - is all that matters ? I hit 0.72 once or twice. Just over 0.60 a few times, and >0.50 fairly often. I know the vehicle is rated at like 1.15 or higher, but how much do you think it could do on normal roads ? I doubt the rough asphalt in this area would support anything near the carefully preppped track I'm sure those specs are measured on.

I can't say its a bad daily driver, as much as it is such a striking contrast between the glory of the open road and the torture of sitting in traffic. This car just exaggerates that difference more than others.

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I owned one, it was awesome.

To your point, yes the sound is amazing and it was perfectly tuned. Put your foot down, away you go, no fuss, it was kind of sad, I was used to using a clutch pedal.

I will say you are wrong on visibility. Just like any car, you need to adjust tour mirrors properly and with the rear camera mirror there are zero blind spots. If you have blind spots and are seeing your fenders, you don't know how to adjust your mirrors (hint a lot of people don't).

Mine did have the HUD issue, its a software bug and I never experienced it my C7 or my other C8s but it is a thing and is fixable.

So I'm just going to finish this off by saying if you think a Cameo has worse visibility you don't know how to drive. You do know mirrors are powered these days and you can adjust them to not show the fenders right? Am I showing my young age?
 
If you have blind spots and are seeing your fenders, you don't know how to adjust your mirrors (hint a lot of people don't).

... if you think a Cameo has worse visibility you don't know how to drive.

The first sentence is generally correct, but the second quoted sentence is, dare I suggest, a bit harsh.

I owned a C5 Z06, which was only available with a manual transmission. I am in that small (and shrinking) camp of enthusiasts who think that any proper sports car or "performance" automobile should have a manual transmission, well aware that an automatic or DSG or DCT is actually "faster" but there is a factor of engagement that is missing. Again, IMHO.

And I write this knowing that the C8 doesn't have a manual option d/t packaging constraints (or so I've read) in the pedal box rather than just a increasingly lower take rate on the manuals and associated cost saving measures.

The Corvette is an interesting bit of marketing; I spend (spent) a lot of time on the Corvette forums and 99% of the C6 & C7 owners want a Z06 or a GS (a Z06 in appearance) and all the gizmos and features but the thing is just a garage queen, never driven on the track and likely never driven hard at all. It's one of the most capable road cars available, the absolute best performance bargain made, but most owners simply drive it to cars & coffee once a month, and then wax it again.

The C6 that I currently own was bought new by the original owner and he put 6500 miles on it over 16 years. That works out to an average of less than 500 miles a year. That's just criminal in my book.

But I digress. What was the question? :rolleyes:
 
I owned one

Wait. I missed this in my original reply. Your signature has this (edited):

2023 CT5-V Blackwing 6MT
6000 Delivered - 03/07/23
Sold 10/21/2023 for a 2023 Corvette Z06/Z07

So, it appears that you are even more fickle than I am, which is a difficult task. You had the BW for almost 8 months, and then the Z06 for less than a year. What are you driving now, and how long will that one last? ;)

FYI, I've had over 50 cars, and people kept asking me about that, so I started a spreadsheet to keep track of them and it looks like they average out to 13 months of ownership. And no, I'm not 90, often I've had 2 or more cars at a time...
 
I don't own a C8 Z06, however, my other "play" car is a 2021 Stingray hardtop convertible.

First off, let me say I despise the dual-clutch transmission. In my opinion, it is by far the biggest disappointment I have with the C8. I hate the shift points. First and second gear are way too short. I spend 99% of the time in manual mode because I want to determine when to shift gears, not some computer Chevy programmed for gas mileage.

The reliability of the transmission is the next big issue. My C8 with 13,000 miles spent 12 days at the dealer last month for a valve body replacement because the transmission decided it didn't want to shift to the even gears. It doesn't matter what model C8 you buy, the transmission can go whacky on you at any moment. I've seen people drive it off the lot and it set a code that requires replacing the transmission. It's a poor design.

As far as visibility, the C8 is a tiny bit better than the '17 Camaro ZL1 I traded in for the BW but not by much. The nacelles on the convertible block any view out of the back half of the car. You better make sure you have your side mirrors adjusted perfectly or better yet upgrade to at least the 2LT trim level so you get the blind spot sensors.

I know Corvette owners don't want to hear this but after owning a ZL1, C8 Stingray, and now a 5BW, the 5BW is the best performance car GM is building. I find the C8 to be a lot of fluff and no guts. But I will give it that the Z06 exhaust sound is intoxicating.
 
I don't own a C8 Z06, however, my other "play" car is a 2021 Stingray hardtop convertible.

First off, let me say I despise the dual-clutch transmission. In my opinion, it is by far the biggest disappointment I have with the C8. I hate the shift points. First and second gear are way too short. I spend 99% of the time in manual mode because I want to determine when to shift gears, not some computer Chevy programmed for gas mileage.

The reliability of the transmission is the next big issue. My C8 with 13,000 miles spent 12 days at the dealer last month for a valve body replacement because the transmission decided it didn't want to shift to the even gears. It doesn't matter what model C8 you buy, the transmission can go whacky on you at any moment. I've seen people drive it off the lot and it set a code that requires replacing the transmission. It's a poor design.

As far as visibility, the C8 is a tiny bit better than the '17 Camaro ZL1 I traded in for the BW but not by much. The nacelles on the convertible block any view out of the back half of the car. You better make sure you have your side mirrors adjusted perfectly or better yet upgrade to at least the 2LT trim level so you get the blind spot sensors.

I know Corvette owners don't want to hear this but after owning a ZL1, C8 Stingray, and now a 5BW, the 5BW is the best performance car GM is building. I find the C8 to be a lot of fluff and no guts. But I will give it that the Z06 exhaust sound is intoxicating.

What do you prefer on the 5BW vs the ZL1? Is it just practicality/usability or is there an improvement in driving dynamics?
 
... the 5BW is the best performance car GM is building.

FTFY. Of course, now that I think about it, GM doesn't really build that many cars any more, do they? It's mostly trucks and SUVs and crossovers, which are only good at being a lousy compromise.
 
Wait. I missed this in my original reply. Your signature has this (edited):



So, it appears that you are even more fickle than I am, which is a difficult task. You had the BW for almost 8 months, and then the Z06 for less than a year. What are you driving now, and how long will that one last? ;)

FYI, I've had over 50 cars, and people kept asking me about that, so I started a spreadsheet to keep track of them and it looks like they average out to 13 months of ownership. And no, I'm not 90, often I've had 2 or more cars at a time...
He sold the Z06 for a regular C8 as far as I know.
 
What do you prefer on the 5BW vs the ZL1? Is it just practicality/usability or is there an improvement in driving dynamics?
The build quality and ride of the BW are superior to the ZL1. I don't feel like I'm in a bunker in the Cadillac.

Having owned the ZL1 for almost 8 years I have a pretty good feel regarding the power of the stock LT4. It feels "goosed" in the Cadillac. More than just an 18-hp increase. I think the wideband O2 sensors are the reason. My theory is fueling is more accurate on the Caddy thanks to the wideband. As a result, the engineers have given the BW LT4 a little more timing. And you can feel it. 6th gear in the standard ZL1 was a total overdrive gear. Not much power if you needed to pass someone on the freeway. Can't say that about the BW. 6th has plenty of power to pass.

Overall the BW is a much better car than the ZL1. Of course, you have to put that in the context that it also costs more than the ZL1.
 
The day GM announced the C8 would not have a manual transmission option, a little piece of me died.

I have wanted a 'Vette since I was a little kid, but I vowed after my first car I'd never own another vehicle without 3 pedals. Of course that rule did not apply to my wife's vehicles :) But I have never regretted that vow.

I prefer the BW in all aspects - MT, comfort, and ease of entry.
 
The day GM announced the C8 would not have a manual transmission option, a little piece of me died.

I have wanted a 'Vette since I was a little kid, but I vowed after my first car I'd never own another vehicle without 3 pedals. Of course that rule did not apply to my wife's vehicles :) But I have never regretted that vow.

I prefer the BW in all aspects - MT, comfort, and ease of entry.
I had that same mentality but when they announced a mid engine.
 
Wait. I missed this in my original reply. Your signature has this (edited):



So, it appears that you are even more fickle than I am, which is a difficult task. You had the BW for almost 8 months, and then the Z06 for less than a year. What are you driving now, and how long will that one last? ;)

FYI, I've had over 50 cars, and people kept asking me about that, so I started a spreadsheet to keep track of them and it looks like they average out to 13 months of ownership. And no, I'm not 90, often I've had 2 or more cars at a time...
I own a C8 Stingray now. Car #16 in 5 years. How long will it last is anyone's guess, mine included. A few of those cars lasted a month.
 
The day GM announced the C8 would not have a manual transmission option, a little piece of me died.
I bought my 2007 Z06 new and I plan on keeping it as long as I am still driving.

Years ago a buddy had a 2nd gen CTS-V. I got to drive it for a week and fell in love (even though it was an automatic).

In 2012 I happened to find out that Spring Mountain was about to start its new V-Performance Academy. I had been to Spring Mountain a few times before (4th gen Camaros and C6 Corvettes) and signed up. Later, Hurricane Sandy disrupted the Cadillac transportation pipeline and so Spring Mountain didn't take delivery of their batch of 27 coupes, sedans, and wagons as originally scheduled. Since they wanted to put about 1000 miles on each before tracking them they decided to not sign up any more students for the first class. But I guess they decided they'd have a couple ready for the first date and could use me as a guinea pig for their new program. Which was awesome for me; I had my own personal instructor for two days!

When I say I'm the first graduate of the V-Performance Academy, no one else can make the claim because I was the only student in the first class.

Meanwhile the 3rd gen was just around the corner so I waited for it. And got totally disappointed when Cadillac failed to offer a manual transmission option.

My strategy shifted and I started looking at CTS-V 3-year lease turn-ins. I ended up with a 2014 with low miles which I still have.

(If I had known the 3rd gen was not going to get the manual I would have ordered a 2nd gen from the factory...)
I have wanted a 'Vette since I was a little kid, but I vowed after my first car I'd never own another vehicle without 3 pedals. Of course that rule did not apply to my wife's vehicles :) But I have never regretted that vow.

I prefer the BW in all aspects - MT, comfort, and ease of entry.
I figured out a while ago that if I ever own another automatic, it'll be an EV.

Still waiting for the opportunity to order a 2025 5BW.
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First off, let me say I despise the dual-clutch transmission. In my opinion, it is by far the biggest disappointment I have with the C8. I hate the shift points. First and second gear are way too short. I spend 99% of the time in manual mode because I want to determine when to shift gears, not some computer Chevy programmed for gas mileage.

The reliability of the transmission is the next big issue. My C8 with 13,000 miles spent 12 days at the dealer last month for a valve body replacement because the transmission decided it didn't want to shift to the even gears. It doesn't matter what model C8 you buy, the transmission can go whacky on you at any moment. I've seen people drive it off the lot and it set a code that requires replacing the transmission. It's a poor design.

I'm coming from a C7 Grand Sport and before that a C5 Z51, both manuals. Previously, I'd owned a RX7 FD, VW GTI, 911, Camaro, and Celica, all manuals. When the C8 was introduced, I wasn't deterred by the DCT, but I was holding out hope for a C8 Grand Sport.

When I finally decided that it was time to move on from the GS, I started looking into a Z51 Stingray because it didn't look like a C8 GS was forthcoming. That was when I started reading about the problems the C8 DCT was having and decided to look elsewhere.

Now that I have my 4BW, I wish I had made the decision sooner. It's a great car. Ironically, I went with an automatic this time. Traffic around here has become bonkers and this will also let my wife drive the car. She can drive a stick, but despises every second of it.
 
I had the good fortune to borrow a C8 Z06 this weekend.
I would not trade my CT5 BW with 3 pedals for the 'Vette, but for those fortunate enough to own a Z06, I am a little jealous.


I did have a question and some nits to pick.

Visibility - forget about it............its infinitely worse than any Camaro. The windshield is the only thing you can see the road from. Even the exterior mirrors can only see the rear fenders !!

Wide angle replacement glass for the side mirrors that I did at as soon as my Z was delivered from Bowling Green, combined with the rear mirror camera, has made visibility a non-issue for my C8 ZO6 HTC.
This is coming from a guy who dumped his 6th Gen ZL1 after a few months because I could not tolerate the terrible visibility due to the horrible design of that car.

It would be interesting to hear from owners of both stickshift 5BWs and C8 ZO6, to hear which they would prefer to daily drive and why.

I may be willing to trade my C8 ZO6 HTC for the right stickshift 5BW if the right deal was presented to me.
 
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Wide angle replacement glass for the side mirrors that I did at as soon as my Z was delivered from Bowling Green, combined with the rear mirror camera, has made visibility a non-issue for my C8 ZO6 HTC.
This is coming from a guy who dumped his 6th Gen ZL1 after a few months because I could not tolerate the terrible visibility due to the horrible design of that car.

It would be interesting to hear from owners of both stickshift 5BWs and C8 ZO6, to hear which they would prefer to daily drive and why.

I may be willing to trade my C8 ZO6 HTC for the right stickshift 5BW if the right deal was presented to me.
Being the same underpinnings as the ZL1 just a revised ALPHA 2 you would think they are comparable with the visibility. My only issue is the useless side mirrors on the CT5 but forward visibility like the Camaro is totally different in Blackwing.
 
Being the same underpinnings as the ZL1 just a revised ALPHA 2 you would think they are comparable with the visibility. My only issue is the useless side mirrors on the CT5 but forward visibility like the Camaro is totally different in Blackwing.
Having owned a 6th gen ZL1, the Alpha 2 chassis is a noticeable improvement over the Alpha, in my experience. However, the biggest difference in ride quality between the two comes from the 4th gen Mag Shock on the 5BW. Faster software and accelerometers instead of ride-height sensors makes a world of difference.

The high doors and smaller side windows on the Camaro made it feel like driving a tank instead of a car.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my ZL1. It WAS the “Best Bang for the Buck” in the Chevy Performance line up. I spent close to $11K in option on my C8 Stingray just to keep pace with what came standard with the ZL1. BUT the 5BW is the better car by leaps and bounds. My wife asks all the time if I miss my Camaro. And the answer is always no.
 
Having owned a 6th gen ZL1, the Alpha 2 chassis is a noticeable improvement over the Alpha, in my experience. However, the biggest difference in ride quality between the two comes from the 4th gen Mag Shock on the 5BW. Faster software and accelerometers instead of ride-height sensors makes a world of difference.

The high doors and smaller side windows on the Camaro made it feel like driving a tank instead of a car.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my ZL1. It WAS the “Best Bang for the Buck” in the Chevy Performance line up. I spent close to $11K in option on my C8 Stingray just to keep pace with what came standard with the ZL1. BUT the 5BW is the better car by leaps and bounds. My wife asks all the time if I miss my Camaro. And the answer is always no.
Agreed.
How would you compare your 5BW to the C8 ZO6?
Which would you choose as a daily driver if you didn't NEED the backseat?
 
Agreed.
How would you compare your 5BW to the C8 ZO6?
Which would you choose as a daily driver if you didn't NEED the backseat?
I’ve never driven a C8 Z06. However, it still has the same crappy DCT that’s in my C8 Stingray. Plus if you’re a torque junky like myself, you may find the lack of low-end torque disappointing, especially for street use. I think people forget the C8 Z06 is the “track focused” model of the C8 line-up.

Now comparing my C8 Stingray to my M6 5BW, the BW is the way better car. The only area the C8 is better than the Cadillac is handling. The mid-engine design does make a significant difference in that regard. But the 5BW wins on ride quality, power and build quality. It takes something really special to beat 670 HP, a manual transmission, and Cadillac luxury.

Personally the only C8 I would consider as a daily driver would be the ERay. The AWD and All-Season tires give it the advantage in that regard. If you live in an area that has the potential to get more than 4 inches of snow, no sports car not even the Cadillac is a good choice as a daily driver. That’s when you look at a 4W drive pickup or Jeep as a daily.
 

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