Shelby GT500 vs. '06 Vette Z06?? A decent comparison?

Ya think?

C'mon guys. You really think that the GT 500 can hang with a C6 in the curves, even with some mods? I dunno, just looking at weights and suspension set-ups, I'm hard pressed to feel that a GT 500 can stick with a C6. Don't get me wrong, I would give a major organ for a GT 500 but compared to a C6 I just don't think the handling will be in the same league. Of course, this is based on what I've read. I haven't driven a C6 and definitely haven't driven a GT 500 so take what I say with a grain of salt. :shrug: Oh, and I gotta say, the direct linkage of the Corvette shifter (still true for the C6, no?) feels so damn nice...on my friends C5 Z06 anyway.
 
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The 2000 Cobra R handled better then the Corvette of that year, the 2003/04 Cobra had a .85 on the skidpad and did 64.1 in a slalom, while the '03 vette had a .88 and did 66.4 in a slalom. With stiffer springs the '03 Cobra handled better then the '03 vette. If history proves anything then they will be surprisingly close in handling. Remember the stang is on a new chasis, it it a lot tighter then it used to be. Saleen's $800 suspension upgrade for the '05 GT does .97 on the skidpad and 69.9mph in the slalom. The '05 z51 does .95 and 66.2 mph.

The stang isn't as much of a poor handling pig as it used to be. :rolleyes:
 
03 SVT VERT said:
Remember the stang is on a new chasis, it it a lot tighter then it used to be.


yes but isnt also the vette? i dunno maby im just ignorant but i do believe it is a 3100lb monster that is 5some inches shorter than the previous years. but thats from no named unreputable sources like car and driver and motor trend... so they both get new chasis, i would put my money on the vette for the race even with a modded gt 500. but then again, im not buying a corvette now am i?

---Sy
 
There is no comparison. The Z06 is the second fastest production car to make laps around the Nurburgring. The Stang, while an entirely respectable vehicle, will never come close to the time set by the Vette.

And not to knock the Ford GT, but I just can't believe Chevy came out with a car that costs half as much and will probably out run the GT. And no, I'm not some Chevy troll. I sold my Vette and I'm getting back into a Stang within the next couple of months so there :D
 
Sanctus said:
yes but isnt also the vette? i dunno maby im just ignorant but i do believe it is a 3100lb monster that is 5some inches shorter than the previous years. but thats from no named unreputable sources like car and driver and motor trend... so they both get new chasis, i would put my money on the vette for the race even with a modded gt 500. but then again, im not buying a corvette now am i?

---Sy

The '05 Vette is on the same chassis as the C5, but slightly modified. The '05 stang has a completely new chassis, the one in the '04 Stang and previous was basically the same Fox setup for 25+ years.
 
03 SVT VERT said:
The 2000 Cobra R handled better then the Corvette of that year, the 2003/04 Cobra had a .85 on the skidpad and did 64.1 in a slalom, while the '03 vette had a .88 and did 66.4 in a slalom. With stiffer springs the '03 Cobra handled better then the '03 vette. If history proves anything then they will be surprisingly close in handling. Remember the stang is on a new chasis, it it a lot tighter then it used to be. Saleen's $800 suspension upgrade for the '05 GT does .97 on the skidpad and 69.9mph in the slalom. The '05 z51 does .95 and 66.2 mph.

The stang isn't as much of a poor handling pig as it used to be. :rolleyes:

Though I hate magazine racing, some mags (C&D inparticular) pegged the Z51 optioned C6 at .98G though not sure of the mph. I had an 03 Cobra and beleive me, adding springs wasn't going to out handle my Z51 C6. It's night and day between the two (though I know you were comparing it to a regular 03 Vette). Not only that, the C6 is so damn easy to drive. I assume the new Stang is as well, at least better than the sn95 versions. I have confidence in the upcoming GT500's, they will be great cars.
 
IDK, I was going by MT's numbers since I have one in front of me. Even so, both magazines agree with the base suspension it only does .92 and it still cost atleast $4,000 more then the GT500. Even if the GT500 comes with the base GT suspension (which it wont) an $800 kit will bring it up way past the base vette in handling (by magazine standards). That leaves $3,000 or so to put "go-fast" parts on a car that is already faster then the base vette. So, IMO the GT500 is a lot more bang for your buck then the base C6, and even the Z51. Which is how it should be, traditionally Ford always tried to keep the Cobra inbetween the Base Vette and Z06 as much as it could.
 
03 SVT VERT said:
IDK, I was going by MT's numbers since I have one in front of me. Even so, both magazines agree with the base suspension it only does .92 and it still cost atleast $4,000 more then the GT500. Even if the GT500 comes with the base GT suspension (which it wont) an $800 kit will bring it up way past the base vette in handling (by magazine standards). That leaves $3,000 or so to put "go-fast" parts on a car that is already faster then the base vette. So, IMO the GT500 is a lot more bang for your buck then the base C6, and even the Z51. Which is how it should be, traditionally Ford always tried to keep the Cobra inbetween the Base Vette and Z06 as much as it could.
Magazine racing :banana: AWSOME!!!!!
 
Well, you have to go by something if you can't drive the cars. If both mags agree then it has to be pretty close to reality. It isn't like 1/4 mile where one had a stock '03 Cobra coupe run a 13.5, while in another Evan Smith took a vert to 12.7. Measuring G-forces is a bit more constant.
 
03 SVT VERT said:
Well, you have to go by something if you can't drive the cars. If both mags agree then it has to be pretty close to reality. It isn't like 1/4 mile where one had a stock '03 Cobra coupe run a 13.5, while in another Evan Smith took a vert to 12.7. Measuring G-forces is a bit more constant.

True. I don't like magazine racing but if that's all you've got. Luckily, having had both an 03 Cobra (modified as well) and a C6 Z51, I've got some credibility in knowing how they perform. It would have taken a lot for the 03 to equal my Vette in the corners. That includes ease of driving. The Vette is so much easier to drive with better seating position, pedal positioning and positioning of the shifter. That's why it should be much closer for the GT500 to match the base C6. I still don't think it will match the Z51 without mods.
 
Yea, I have an '03 Cobra Convertable (stick obviously), my buddy has a 2005 Corvette vert with the magnetic suspension (auto), I test drove a 2005 GT stang (auto), and I rented a Hertz '05 V6 (auto) convertable stang for a recent trip down to SC. So, I've driven them all, but I still find it really hard to compare. Personally I found my '03 to be more comfortable to drive then the Vette since I feel like I have a lot more room (and I'm a big guy), but you loose a lot of the feel with an automatic that you would have with a stick, so it's tough to compare. Though, If the clutch is easier that right there might be enough for me to buy a Vette, the cobra's clutch kills my knee and back in NJ traffic.

I never said the GT500 would match the Z51 in handling without mods, I said you have enough money left over from buying the GT500 over the C6 Z51 to make it a match. It was a rebuttle to StangOwner2B saying how a Cobra could never hang with a Vette, even with mods. I used numbers from a modded GT setup to prove it could, even in base GT form, which won't have as good a suspension as the GT500 from the factory.
 
03 SVT VERT said:
Yea, I have an '03 Cobra Convertable (stick obviously), my buddy has a 2005 Corvette vert with the magnetic suspension (auto), I test drove a 2005 GT stang (auto), and I rented a Hertz '05 V6 (auto) convertable stang for a recent trip down to SC. So, I've driven them all, but I still find it really hard to compare. Personally I found my '03 to be more comfortable to drive then the Vette since I feel like I have a lot more room (and I'm a big guy), but you loose a lot of the feel with an automatic that you would have with a stick, so it's tough to compare. Though, If the clutch is easier that right there might be enough for me to buy a Vette, the cobra's clutch kills my knee and back in NJ traffic.

I'm surprised you have more room in the Cobra. I'm 6' and 220lbs and the cockpit was just to small for me. The C6 has so much more room, in my experience of course. Yes, the Cobra's clutch is very stiff. First time I drove my C6, I think I almost put my foot through the floor board.

I think the GT500 is going to handle well. In a straight line, it should be quicker than the C6. A new buyer just posted a C6 Z06 time of [email protected]!!
 
Speaking of Magazine racing, I just picked up a copy of MM&FF and it has an article that says the GT500 should be in the "mid 0.9 range on the skidpad and still have 20,000 mile tread life" while "You can get aftermarket tires that get you 1.1-1.15 g, but they'll only last 500 miles on the track." Not bad for a live rear in a 3,600lb+ car.
 
The skidpad numbers and slalom times are nice, but they don't capture the majority of how actually handles. It's like measuring height and weight and determining how good a basketball player somebody is. Not going to correspond all the time. Predictablility, feel, responsiveness are all factors that those numbers don't capture. Sure you can learn that it takes a few seconds after you turn the wheel to have the car turn, and once you know this, you can put up a fine time through a slalom course that is set, but if an emergency pops up and you need to react, you're screwed. And once a car is pushed past it's grip, how does the car react?

My mustang (granted it's a 2000) reacts unpredictably at odd times, and all hell breaks loose once grip is lost. True sports cars are designed to be remarkably consistent, and be able to be brought quickly back under control once grip is lost. If they could capture that in a number, it would be much more informative.
 
All I hear is making excuses by the people giving the Shelby the best bang for the buck.

Saying well you wont use the extra power of the Z06, lamest of them all. Thats like saying well you rarely use the extra power in an 04 Cobra so get a GT.

The vette is much lighter (600lbs), has more power, has much better suspension. So basically its faster and better in every single way. And yes even though its 25K more its a better performance bargain. The Z06 beats Fords 150K GT, 250K Ferraris, 150K Porshces, etc. Its the real deal.
 
I would say the Shelby has the better bang for your buck over the Z06, you can do a lot to the handling and power of the stang with the $25-30,000 one would save buying the Shelby instead of the Z06. However, if you don't want to do the work, have the money, and don't need a vert or 4 seats, then the Z06 is the better choice, but then again why buy a Z06 when you can buy a Viper for $10,000 or so more that is faster.

Like I said before though, I don't think it is a fair comparison. They are completely different cars. A better comparison would be made to the BMW M cars, Audi RS4, ect. A two seater sports car is a different class then a 4 seater pony car. A pony car has limits that a sports car wouldnt. For example people complain about an uncomfortable ride in a pony car, people expect an uncomfortable ride in a full blown sports car.
 
04DarkShadowGT said:
All I hear is making excuses by the people giving the Shelby the best bang for the buck.

Saying well you wont use the extra power of the Z06, lamest of them all. Thats like saying well you rarely use the extra power in an 04 Cobra so get a GT.

The vette is much lighter (600lbs), has more power, has much better suspension. So basically its faster and better in every single way. And yes even though its 25K more its a better performance bargain. The Z06 beats Fords 150K GT, 250K Ferraris, 150K Porshces, etc. Its the real deal.

I don't see how it is an excuse to say a car that costs about 50% more is going to get best bang for buck. The power differences are not terribly large ( A simple pulley for what $10 is going to make up the power difference). Weight you say is 600lbs. But I personally have not heard the final specs on the Cobra weight. But maybe you have more info than I do. I bet I could lose some of that weight difference (Take out rear seat. So it would be a 2 seater just like the Vette. Properly made Carbon fiber hood.). And I'd still be under what the Z06 costs. Better suspension. Well with the left over $20k. I could probably do some suspension mods to the Cobra. Actually a lot of mods to the cobra. And still buy a commuter car if I need something with 4 seats.
 
So you guys / gals are saying that you are willing to pay upwards of $40K for a Mustang....?

If the Cobra is under 39 on dealer lots, maybe. But at or near 40, I am spending my money on the corvette.
 
Why not, If I bought my '03 Vert new it would have been $41,000. Even at $40,000 it's still atleast $25,000 less then the Z06. That's basically another whole brand new car. If your talking about a base Vette I would definately buy a GT500 over a base Vette. If it is $40,000 off the lot that is still around $10,000 less then the Vette for a more powerful car, that can still handle ok, and has four seats so I can actually use it.

By the way, what about the guys that pay $200,000 for a classic Shelby stang, are they nuts for spending that much on "just" a mustang?
 
srothfuss said:
So you guys / gals are saying that you are willing to pay upwards of $40K for a Mustang....?

If the Cobra is under 39 on dealer lots, maybe. But at or near 40, I am spending my money on the corvette.

So you are not willing to pay $40k for a Cobra. But you are willing to pay nearly $70k for a corvette?