| Pete Ruff's Cars & Bikes | ||||||
| 2001 Corvette Z06 | ||||||
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| XK120M Jaguar | 1965 Mustang 2+2 | 1969 Corvette | 1986 Corvette | 2001 Corvette Z06 | The Workhorse |
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All Corvettes are Red! The rest are just mistakes.* | ||||||||||||
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I finally got my RED Corvette! The C-5, introduced as a 1997 model is the fifth generation Corvette. It is the most advanced, sophisticated Corvette and will be continue to be so until the C-6 makes its appearance on showroom floors in the Summer of 2004 as a 2005 model. My 86 C-4 was an order of magnitude better than my 69, and this 2001 C-5 is faster, tighter, and better than the C-4. The C-5 was ALL new. No parts were held over from previous models. Even the engine, though still a small block V8, is entirely different than the original small block, and is all aluminum. It has a six speed transmission - the first four gears are very similar to a normal four speed from the 60s. Fifth is a mild overdrive to enable the car obtain its top speed, and Sixth is a taller overdrive gear, to help acheive an EPA highway rating of 28 mpg. Acceleration in fourth gear at norman highway speeds is simply phenomenal, an amzaing rush that can startle an unsuspecting passenger. The transmission is in the rear with the diff., forming a transaxle, for better wieght distrubition, and more passenger room. The Z06 is the "hot rod" Vette, with 385 hp, 35 more than the standard Vette. It has wider tires and wheels, different transmission ratios, and only comes as a hardtop for greater chassis ridigity. It's also about 100 pounds lighter than the standard Corvette. Of course it has ABS (anti lock brakes), traction control, and active handling. It's a performance car, with luxury features like dual zone climate control, cruise control, CD player, etc. Top speed is supposed to be 171 mph, but I have only gotten this one up to 140 mph in fifth gear on a secret two lane highway. Ann was my witness!  |
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| Perhaps you think I'm crazy to compare this car to a 50 year old Jaguar, but they have more in common than you might think! | |||||||||||||
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| * This refers to the book, All Corvettes Are Red, sub-titled, Inside the birth of an American Legend, by the late James Schefter. The title is taken from this story: The one-millionth Corvette would be built in the next year or so and be painted in the old shop (St. Louis). At an earlier meeting, a discussion of paint quality and paint colors for future years of Corvette had dragged on so long that John Heinricy, then leading Corvette's development group of test drivers, could take it no longer. "Why are we even having this discussion?" He asked. "All Corvettes are red. The rest are just mistakes." | |||||||||||||
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