Normally when we talk about the 2018 C7 Corvette Z06, we speak of track times, drag strips and more. That’s not what this video is about, though.
The Drive aimed to see if the Corvette Z06 can be a legitimate daily driver. According to the video, the publication had a track day scheduled with the sports car, but it was canceled. So, plans changed.
Our host takes us on a journey of normal daily routines to show how practical the Corvette Z06 can be in a somewhat humorous manner. Can an adult man fit in the trunk? Yes. Will groceries and rolls of bubble wrap fit in the trunk? You bet.
Then we come to fuel economy. In the first day of driving, the car actually managed an impressive 28 mpg combined. Our host achieved this with Eco mode, which shuts down four cylinders, and seriously gentle driving characteristics. As the days marched on, the fuel economy average began to seriously slip down to 18 mpg.
So, can the Corvette Z06 be a daily driver? Sure, but this certainly isn’t the most fun to be had with one, especially with 650 horsepower lurking under the hood.
Comments
Yes, Corvettes overtake me on the freeway, and their drivers give me a lot of respectful room (cheers and thanks!) as they blast by me on the track.
But,
I never see any Corvettes up in the Sierra in Amador and El Dorado county twisties, even though there are hundreds of them living in this area. Nobody gets near me there, no WRX’s no Evo’s, no ponies, nothing.
And I have never seen less than 26mpg. I can get a full set of 4 race tires and wheels secured inside the cabin. Because of all that room, I can sleep in there easily even though I am 6’5”. New Michelin PS4’s cost $160 per tire. A full set of Conti ExtremeContacts fitted is less than $650. Pads are virtually free, and because it only weights 2850lbs, everything lasts longer.
I think of my car as a Kei-Corvette. It’s an FR-S…
How many miles can you put on the drivetrain while still having reliability?
Chevrolet engineers made this possible with their active cylinder deactivation meaning that at slow commuter traffic, the Corvette runs as a four cylinder car and it’s surprising that the author of the article managed only to get 28 mpg.
Well, at least you won’t have overheating issues experienced with previous C7 ZO6’s around town or at the track. Now if your expecting great gas mileage as more of a daily driver than a track car, the Grand Sport would be a better choice. The supercharger is parasitic by nature and always engaged unless they switch it to clutched based engagement like an AC compressor. This is why you see GM and many manufacturers switching to twin turbo’s which are not parasitic and, if you keep your foot out of it, will not hurt your MPG’s. Furthermore, turbo lag has virtually been eliminated with new technology like Audi’s electric turbo/pre-turbo system which is quite clever.
It’s demand…More of GM’s gearhead customer base prefers superchargers to turbos…Automakers have known for decades that turbos are more efficient, look at the Cobalt SS Coupes, first version had a supercharger while the second received a turbo…The turbo Cobalt produced more power and slightly better MPG than the supercharger…Most OEM supercharged cars for decades including the Cobalt had some form of supercharging “free-wheeling”…If people only cared about 0-60, quarter miles times and mpgs, there would be less Z06s and more ludicrous Teslas on the road…
Demand might be a factor but I believe it is more about consumer ignorance and fear. Ignorance based on the fact that a lot of people don’t understand the complexity of turbo’s vs. the long understood simplicity of a “blower” from the dawn of drag racing and WWII aircraft. As for fear, many remember the failures of Chryslers endeavor in the mid 80’s where the tech knowledge did not match the turbo’s capabilities, like “lag”, and idiosyncrasies like requiring proper cool down to prevent coking of oil in the turbo. That is all history now and turbo’s are the wave of the future.
As for production numbers, Google is your friend. For 2017, ZO6 production numbers are 7273 coupe & conv.
http://www.corvettemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-Corvette-FINAL-Year-End-HWC-UPDATE.pdf
While Tesla’s numbers are over 103,000 and climbing in 2018.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/502208/tesla-quarterly-vehicle-deliveries/
What I was asking was could you put 200k on a c7 zo6? That is what the definition of a daily driver.
Of course you can, especially if it’s being driven as a daily driver vs. track only and is properly maintained. The LT engine is based on the LS and that engine has shown well over 200k as a daily driver on every platform. What appears to be the biggest drawback according to the article was the 18mpg average which I addressed as being a parasitic supercharger issue. The better daily driver would be the Grand Sport based on MPG. The question to ask hypothetically is how would the new ZR1 fare regardless of MPG?
Boot? Dude, you’re not European. In this country, it’s called a trunk. And unless you’re going all in (calling hood “bonnet”), then just don’t, please.
I have a 2016 C7 z 51 and thinking of Chevrolet Corvette 2019 Z06 Coupe w/ 3LZ with the Optioned with Z07 Performance/Suspension Packages
How would this drive as a Daily driver. Is the ride more harsh then the C7 Z51
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