C6 Z06 vs F430

Do you guys think the new Z06 might take out the F430 both in acceleration and on the track? According to the manufacturer's estimates, the Z06 should be equal to if not better than the F430 in acceleration. Also, because the Z06 weighs less than the F430 and because the C6 has already been praised for having significantly better handing than the C5, could it actually be more nimble around a track as well? In fact, I have even heard that the Z06 achieved a 7:43 lap time around the nurburgring, though I'm not sure if thats 100% true. Either way, which would you guys pick to have on the track and in your garage?

Just as a side note, I can't wait to see how these two cars will stand up against the "Blue Devil" (if it comes into production), the 997 TT, and the 600hp gallardo when they come out....

In a straight line, C&D has done a 1/4 mile in 11.7 @ 123mph, and 0-60 in 3.5 (January 05'). Thats pretty damn fast, but until I see some solid times for the Z06, I can't be sure between the two. The F1 style gearbox + launch control might give the F430 a bit of an advantage over the manual Z06 (its nearly impossible to shift faster then F1), but the Vette' has a small power to weight advantage. Should be a close call.

As for handling, the October issue of C&D compared the F430 with the Gallardo, DB9, SL65, 911 Turbo S, and the Ford GT; and the F430 completely demolished the competition.

"F430 was a transcendental experience. This is surely the most interactive high-performance car on the road right now, combining vivid acceleration, sensational engine sounds, razor-sharp steering, and lucid feedback in one charismatic package." (C&D August 05')

I'd like to see the Z06 succeed, and the Vette's always competed with far more expensive cars, but it might be a stretch to see it outhandle the F430.

If I could choose either car to own, I'd take the F430.

All other car magazines have gotten similar results, sorry about all the C&D references, its right by my desk while im writing this.

The F430 has pulled some quick times no doubt, but the mfr estimates I'm hearing for the Z06 put its traps in the 127-128 region!!! Like you said, we won't know for sure until any official tests are done, but if the estimate is close, then we may have some trouble on our hands. Also, about the 7:43 ring time, I originally heard it was from the Z06, but now I'm hearing that it could be from the "Blue Devil" prototype. If anybody knows for sure I would gladly appreciate some clarification.

At this point, I feel that the Z06 is going to be slightly faster than the F430 and will pull similar if not better lap times, but will still not beat the ferrari in terms of sheer enjoyment. Numbers never tell the whole story , and so I bet that even if the Z06 pulls better lap times, the FEEL of the car won't be as good as the F430. Hell, the C5 Z06 has a faster lap time around the ring than the 360 Modena, but we all know that the handling feel and agility of the modena far surpasses the Z06. Then again I may be wrong, but only time will tell....

the zo6 might be faster, but i think the real battle will be in the handling department. Initially, I will give my nod to the ferrari, but we'll have to see if Chevy managaed to match the best in the biz.

i have my bets on the Z06, the handling i think will be close but probably go to the ferrari

well I guess that I'm the first one to answer the other question...


In the garage definitley the Z06, just for the simple fact that I would definitley be able to do a lot more research on it and learn more about it. People nowdays do drive the other cars in its class but you figure you buy the cheaper car that everyone can afford to get and then more people are going to talk about it the problem is however that people buy the higher cars and don't know everything that their doing. You would want something in your garage that is easy for you to find answers to if something goes wrong while your upgrading your beast...

Well I would biasedly (word? don't think so haha) take the Z06. Being on the C6R platform, its going to have one heck of a ridgid chasis. And considering that it spends a lot of tunning time on the Nurb, I wouldn't be suprised if it does lap faster. But either way they will probably be as close to equal as you will get. I'm not really up-to-date on the 430 so I don't really have to much to say about it.

Of course my bias will lead me to take the F430 :D


But I do think the Z06 will take the F430 in a straight line and out of corners quite easily, however the F430 has the huge advantage of an MR layout, as well as F1 inspired handling that should make it more of a hoot than the Z06.


Neither car is particularly attractive in comparison to its predecessor, though.

Do you guys think the new Z06 might take out the F430 both in acceleration and on the track? According to the manufacturer's estimates, the Z06 should be equal to if not better than the F430 in acceleration. Also, because the Z06 weighs less than the F430 and because the C6 has already been praised for having significantly better handing than the C5, could it actually be more nimble around a track as well? In fact, I have even heard that the Z06 achieved a 7:43 lap time around the nurburgring, though I'm not sure if thats 100% true. Either way, which would you guys pick to have on the track and in your garage?

Just as a side note, I can't wait to see how these two cars will stand up against the "Blue Devil" (if it comes into production), the 997 TT, and the 600hp gallardo when they come out....

7:43 is the official time for the new Corvette Z06 at the Nurburgring. The "blue devil" seen recently was actually a new Z06.

A C6 Z06 would likely be faster than an F430 around a race track, but Ferrari will likely make a new higher performance F430.

Also, the C6 is around three inches narrower than the F430.

the new Z06 is going to be amazing. every preview or sneek peak i read in car magazine amazes me more then the last. just what chevrolet can do and still make it so cheap. i don't even like chevrolet and i have no intereset in buying a chorvette, so i if i could choose to buy one, of course it'd be the ferrari. just for the exclusivity of owning one, not to mention that they're gorgeous cars, but as far as performance goes, the Z06 is going to be crazy fast. hands down faster in straightline performance, and i wouldn't be surprised if it handled better than the f430 with all the work and hype that going into this car

chevy is going to take it

I'd take the F430 as the weekend car and the C6 as the daily driver

If only one was permitted, F430.

http://paul.gilpatrick.name/Photos/F430/f430_anteriore_grigia_340.jpg

I'd take the F430 as the weekend car and the C6 as the daily driver

If only one was permitted, F430.

http://paul.gilpatrick.name/Photos/F430/f430_anteriore_grigia_340.jpg



that is a hot picture

that is a hot picture

It's a hot car.
:naughty:

It is really tough to call without any proven times but I did hear that the Z06 is going to be faster...handling is still definately a toss-up but I do think the ferrari has an advantake from the start with its layout, and the fact that they really don't have to bother making it an everyday comfortable vehicle

I think at this point its almost certain the z06 will be substantially faster in a straight line. It has slightly more horsepower, WAY more torque, and has less weight to boot. The only time the f430 MAY have an advantage is at very high speeds, but with chevy's claim of 190+ mph top speed, even those speeds may favor the z06.

In terms of track abilities, any car that can manage a 7:43 lap time at the ring has to be SERIOUSLY fast. However, the driver of the z06 who posted that lap said that the car was so scary at the limit that he did not want to drive a single meter more. Then again, the GT2 is also quite scary at the limit, but is still regarded as an amazing car. Most likely the z06 won't have quite as much feel or communicative steering as the f430, but will still be pretty darn good.

Of course the ferrari wins in many non-performance oriented categories such as style, sound, quality, rarity, etc. But when you have a car that will very likely out-accelerate it and will at the very least keep with it if not beat it around a track, it is difficult to determine whether these subjective categories as well as slightly better feel are really worth the extra 150K-200K (not the difference in MSRPs, but the difference in actual prices you can buy them at after dealer markup). If someone were going to give me the car for free, i'll take the ferrari with absolutely no doubt in my mind. If I had to shell out the cash however, i might opt for a z06 and an M5 instead and still have money left over

The last Z06 couldn't beat the 360 and I don't think the new one will be able to beat the 430. I just hope that Top Gear gets their hands on a new Z06 and take it around the track since they have already taken the 430 around the track.

In a straight line, C&D has done a 1/4 mile in 11.7 @ 123mph, and 0-60 in 3.5 (January 05'). Thats pretty damn fast, but until I see some solid times for the Z06, I can't be sure between the two. The F1 style gearbox + launch control might give the F430 a bit of an advantage over the manual Z06 (its nearly impossible to shift faster then F1), but the Vette' has a small power to weight advantage. Should be a close call.

As for handling, the October issue of C&D compared the F430 with the Gallardo, DB9, SL65, 911 Turbo S, and the Ford GT; and the F430 completely demolished the competition.

"F430 was a transcendental experience. This is surely the most interactive high-performance car on the road right now, combining vivid acceleration, sensational engine sounds, razor-sharp steering, and lucid feedback in one charismatic package." (C&D August 05')

I'd like to see the Z06 succeed, and the Vette's always competed with far more expensive cars, but it might be a stretch to see it outhandle the F430.

If I could choose either car to own, I'd take the F430.

All other car magazines have gotten similar results, sorry about all the C&D references, its right by my desk while im writing this.


Just a bit of an add on, I think other people may have a different definition of demolished. The Ferrari was not the fastest car around the race track and it's handling numbers were good, but other cars did perform better in several categories. Because Car and Driver preferred the way the Ferrari handles hardly makes the Ferrari all-conquering, as this is strictly a subjective opinion. That said, the Ferrari was not the fastest car in this field, strictly by the numbers (acceleration or race track) the Ford was.

That said, I don't know if the vette can take the Ferrari in a straight line or not but my guess is yes. Do I think it can outhandle it? Unlikely.

The new Corvette Z06 weighs around 200 pounds less than the F430 so that obviously helps. It also has a top speed of 198 mph.

check here for more of the new Z06

New Z06 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=420611)

The last Z06 couldn't beat the 360 and I don't think the new one will be able to beat the 430. I just hope that Top Gear gets their hands on a new Z06 and take it around the track since they have already taken the 430 around the track.

Say what? The 405hp Z06s smoke 360s.
N'Ring times:
8:09 --- 151.656 km/h -- Ferrari 360 Modena
7:56 -- 155.798 km/h -- Chevrolet Corvette Z05
The Z05 is the 2004 Commorative edition Z06
A 13 second difference is HUGE.
Acceleration:
360 Modena 0-60-4.4 1/4-12.9
Corvette Z06 0-60-4.1 1/4-12.5
405hp Z06s have been known to break into the 11s bone stock.
http://gmhightechperformance.com/features/0410htp_zo/

First of all, nurburgring times are far from being the sole measurements of handling capabilities. The cars are run on different days, in different conditions, and with different drivers. Also take into account the fact that certain cars are better suited for the nurburgring or are even tuned specifically for that track.....some cars may be better at one track than they are at another. If we went by nurburgring times alone, then it would seem that the 360 should be trounced by the c5 z06 and 996 turbo all day long, but some of the comparisons done on other tracks have actually shown the 360 to be victorious. Both the 360 and z06 have won some and lost some, which means that the z06 does not in fact "smoke" the 360 but rather that they are quite similar in performance.

Similarly, the new c6 z06 time around the nurburgring, though hellaciously quick, does not necessarily indicate that it will be able to take out the F430 on all other tracks. Also, the fact that the driver of the z06 said that he did not want to drive a single meter more after running that lap demonstrates how scary and unstable the car must have been at its limits. Hopefully chevy has resolved this issue and will make the final production cars more stable at the limit, otherwise the scary handling might put many people off. I actually have good hopes for the new z06 and feel that all of the new engineering and testing that is going into it will result in it being an extremely good car and an incredible bargain at its price. But even with its incredible nurburgring time and acceleration estimates in ford gt territory, I still think the F430 has a better chance against it than some people may think. In fact, I have even heard rumors of ferrari giving the F430 a power boost if necessary in order to stay competitive with the z06. Bottom line is that we need a head-to-head comparison, and we need it soon!!!

ferrari are notorious for being tuned/set-up on fiorano; an almost perfectly smooth and flat track.
this doesn't translate well to something that is neither, such as the Nordschliefe.

ferrari are notorious for being tuned/set-up on fiorano; an almost perfectly smooth and flat track.
this doesn't translate well to something that is neither, such as the Nordschliefe.

:werd:

Nordschleife is widely regarded as the premier place to test a cars all around capabilities, that's why almost every performace car is tested there. Usually if conditions are not good the car will retested like the Carrera GT. Either way Corvette Z06s are faster in a straight line 360 Modenas are, period.

Nordschleife is widely regarded as the premier place to test a cars all around capabilities, that's why almost every performace car is tested there. Usually if conditions are not good the car will retested like the Carrera GT. Either way Corvette Z06s are faster in a straight line 360 Modenas are, period.

The Z06 is quicker in the quarter, but higher speeds would tend to favor the 360 or at the very least equal the Z06. I do agree though that the Nurburgring-Nordschleife is one of the best tracks in terms of testing a car's overall capabilities, which is why it would be nice if ferrari could follow suit like some of the other car manufacturers and actually test their cars there during development. Either way though, the ring lap times are far out of reach for even good drivers, and so in the real world the track performance of these cars with reasonably skilled drivers would be pretty much the same

F430 is just a better overall package in terms of not only great performance but luxury and prestige as well. It's got sex appeal and gawk factor...not that the ZO6 is a slouch in that category, but it's not the same.

A Ferrari is an experience to all 5 senses.

I think a closer competitor to the new Corvette Z06 would be a new Porsche 911.

I think a closer competitor to the new Corvette Z06 would be a new Porsche 911.

sounds like a good three-way to me...heck, why not just throw in the viper and the ford gt while we're at it. that would make one heck of a shoot-out. you know you're in good company when 3.9s to 60 (viper) would probably get you last place.

sounds like a good three-way to me...heck, why not just throw in the viper and the ford gt while we're at it. that would make one heck of a shoot-out. you know you're in good company when 3.9s to 60 (viper) would probably get you last place.

That would definately be an eye-catcher. You may not be far off either.

As far as the track times go between the 430 and C6 Z06: I believe they will be just as close as the previous 360/Z06 models were. Yes the Z06 has been driven faster on the Nurb, but considering its tuned on that track, how should I put it...that is one very big +. Both cars, being technically different in everyway, sure put down some remarkably similiar results.

Also, the fact that the driver of the z06 said that he did not want to drive a single meter more after running that lap demonstrates how scary and unstable the car must have been at its limits.

Ask Jan Magnussen for yourself. :)

http://www.janmagnussen.com/home.asp

http://www.janmagnussen.com/Gallery/2005/1124467865/431984004.jpg

F430 is just a better overall package in terms of not only great performance but luxury and prestige as well. It's got sex appeal and gawk factor...not that the ZO6 is a slouch in that category, but it's not the same.

A Ferrari is an experience to all 5 senses.

an F430 is a Ferrari, while the Corvette is a Chevy...and brand appeal means SO much to the people rich enough to afford these cars, especially those who can afford a ferrari

bang for buck the Vette wins hands down, but if you ask a corporate exec would he like a Chevrolet of a Ferrari that choice is obvious...then again I think if you ask anybody that question...

I wouldn't really say the Corvette is just a Chevy. The Corvette has its own engineers and racing team/drivers who went 1-2 in their class (GT1) at the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans for the fourth time in the last five years.

an F430 is a Ferrari, while the Corvette is a Chevy

I wouldn't really say the Corvette is just a Chevy.

can you spot the difference?

The C6 for sure but as far as which I'd take home definetly the F430!

an F430 is a Ferrari, while the Corvette is a Chevy...and brand appeal means SO much to the people rich enough to afford these cars, especially those who can afford a ferrari

bang for buck the Vette wins hands down, but if you ask a corporate exec would he like a Chevrolet of a Ferrari that choice is obvious...then again I think if you ask anybody that question...

Thats a smart answer.

You CANT compare a Ferrari 430 with a Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZO6/
Im sorry.

I agree, no one in their right mind is going to be cross-shopping these two cars. The C6 Z06 offers Ferrari performance at an affordable price, but in no way does that make it a suitable replacement for a Ferrari, if you can afford the Ferrari. Remember, with exotics, it's not about how good the car is for the money - it's about the price tag and the badge on the hood.

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that Ferrari is selling F430's for six figures because they can. Chevrolet are not selling Vette's for six figures because they cannot.

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that Ferrari is selling F430's for six figures because they can. Chevrolet are not selling Vette's for six figures because they cannot.


Amen

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that Ferrari is selling F430's for six figures because they can. Chevrolet are not selling Vette's for six figures because they cannot.

I'm with stupid... :biggrin:

I will take the Z06 thanks.