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Old 07-02-2018, 03:54 PM   #1
Blackbirdws6
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Millstone Township, NJ
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Z06 10k Mile Impressions

I believe I did a similar thread for the Hellcat so figured the Z was due. I've had the car for a little over a year so far and if I needed one word to describe it, that would be "amazing".

Is it perfect? No and although it's not cheap, it does some amazing things for the money. I've pushed the car pretty hard on the street/track and so far it's only needed oil changes and a couple new wheels.

Pros:
  • Styling is really on pt IMO. I don't know how well it will age but I still just look at the car for no good reason.
  • Performance, performance performance. The car has run consistent high 10s with no weight reduction and on runflat tires. It is a beast on the road course with really helpful electronic aids in case you get a bit too over the limit.
  • Reliability - knock on wood but so far I've just had the oil changes regularly.
  • Comfort - I'm not a small person but I fit comfortably in the car. The ride is pretty good IMO for what the car is capable of doing. The seats are well bolstered and the mag shocks do a great job with controlling body motion.
  • Infotainment - With the advent of Android auto, it doesn't get much better plus on the 2LZ the audio system is pretty solid for a stock audio system.

Cons:
  • Small paint defects - The hood to bumper fitment could be a little better on the drivers side. Typical of Z's, the fender vent pics can dig into the paint at the bottom corner. One side of mine has it but the other doesn't. A little touch up and it's fine but that should be an issue that gets corrected.
  • "Soft wheels" - The Z does not come with forged wheels and they are known to bend. I smacked a good size pothole on 287 which bent two wheels. Honestly though, I think the crater I couldn't avoid would have bent just about anything.
  • Transmission - The A8 can crack off the shifts very quickly but only when you are essentially WOT. It doesn't matter if you have the car in track or touring, you need to tell the car deliberately "let's go" otherwise it will shift slow. The shift paddles work fine but the response could be better. I wouldn't use them for any serious track work.
  • Exhaust settings - I like the fact you can change the exhaust profile from stealth, touring, sport or track but it's buried in the infotainment settings. I would much prefer a separate button to change the cars tone. Right now I have it in sport which is pretty good but it will sometimes be quiet and then crack open when you reach a certain throttle percentage. Think of merging on the highway, smooth and somewhat quiet and you give it a little more which suddenly brings all the bald eagles out.
  • DOT3 factory brake fluid fill - Now I know the reasons why they do it, I just don't like it. Before my first track day, I heard the horror stories of DOT3 fluid boiling within a few laps. Not wanting to ruin my day or my car, I swapped out for some magical Castrol SRF which seems to be doing it's job. Just annoyed it had to be done.

So those are the quick pros/cons. I've taken the car to about 4 drag racing events, maybe 5 actually and 2 road course days. I just came back from a SCCA Track Night at NJMP which was an absolute blast. So much so that I'm going back on Sept 11 (who wants to come). I will also be taking the Z to the UMI Event in August as well. I fully expect between the next two track days, I will finally need a new set of tires. The brake pads are OK so far but we will see how the next two events go.

I will leave you with a couple pics from NJMP and a quick video (don't mind the wrong overlay. I botched putting it on the proper setting).





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