re: Jeremy Clarkson, formerly of Top Gear UK, dumps on Corvette Z06

quote:

---

You know your country doesn't produce shite when you have to lay claim to the continent to seem relevant.

---

technically, he wasn't even praising his country b/c the UK isn't part of "the continent". i presume he was referencing germany primarily

After all of these years, those Brits still haven't figured out the electrical portion of building a car

quote:

---

technically, he wasn't even praising his country b/c the UK isn't part of "the continent". i presume he was referencing germany primarily

---

I didn't know Shakespeare was German.

Also important to remember that this is a $181,000 car in Britain, at current exchange rates. I would never dream of dropping $55,000 on a new Tahoe because of GM build quality - so I understand his reservations. Also he's dead on about the terrible automatic transmission, but of course GM doesn't give it a DSG because that would make too much sense.

quote:

---

The Porsche Cayman S shits on the corvette. Both are around the same price also.

---

Yeah, actually it doesn't. The Z51 C7 has beaten the Cayman S in many head to head shootouts. In pure speed, the Vette just smokes the Cayman S. Lap times are pretty damn close. And the Vette is a fair amount cheaper, equally equipped. I came real close to buying a new Cayman S when I bought the Vette. After my first track day with it, I'm so glad I went with the Vette. And as a daily driver, it isn't even close. The raw power of the Vette blows away even the 911 - and it's much more fun to drive.

quote:

---

A lot of heat issues on the new Z06 for those that track their cars.

---

I'm sure they'll get those issues sorted out by the next model year. But yes, I've heard that if you are going to track the car regularly, the Z51 is more suited than the Z06.

Everyone is having the wrong discussion. He isn't talking about build quality in how long is lasts, but in how it drives as a brand new car. All cars have their niggles.


For some reason Brits have this idea we build the Vette to compete with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston. When in reality it's price point is designed to compete with Porsche, the R8(v8 not v10), and the like. Even "low end" super cars like the Lamborghini Huracan are well out of it's range. However, this model Vette was designed to at least hang with the R8(V10), the Huracan, 911 GT2...etc, on the track, instead of getting blown away like in the past. Basically, not embarrass itself if it doesn't have a straight line to hurtle down. It accomplished that. The car is way beyond its price range in ability. Leaves it's price point competition in the dust, figuratively and literally.

Clarkson is right, it probably is unpleasant to drive in a lot of scenarios. His grandstanding about

quote:

---

on a skid pan the size of Texas, where there’s nothing to hit if you overstep the mark, it can generate some extraordinary lateral G. But it’s not nice to drive.

---

is him trolling. On the show itself they proclaimed it fantastic. He knows it can flat drive. I would almost say it scares them, this idea that Americans might finally be figuring out how to make a car. On a car lot as a brand new car, for the price range, it is the most track ready car you can buy.

He is feeling irrelevant after a few weeks away from the limelight. As a life long pot-stirrer he needs an outlet. So he found a way to generate some buzz.

If I had a choice between the Z06 and the 917, I would take the 917.

No doubt, it is rubbish

So uh where is he wrong? You are letting your pride get hurt. European cars are meant to be monsters in every facet of the game whereas the corvette though they keep trying to change is a straight line machine, until they can manage to make a mid engine vehicle that is competitive with Porsche and Ferrari we will always be the red light racers and most Americans are just fine with that.