1963...it was a racing add-on option which included a HUGE (38 gal) gas tank

 

that's IF it can find traction on stock tires. that's another thing. what's the point of all that power if it only gets wasted? if it had all wheel drive, i could dig it, but who really wants a 575hp monster with just the rears trying to propel it? the tires are already on fire before you even think of giving the throttle a tap. i'd imagine there would be no worries about lighting them up in 3rd gear, maybe even 4th.

 

Magnum beat me.... damn it!

 

I think it was '63 and it was a sb, if I remember right.

 

Well neither car can hook up on stock tires. KB Cobras need slicks to run in the 10s. But a light car is easier to modulate to good times than a heavy car. A 575hp vette would easier to have fun with than a 700hp Cobra and would be more consistent on the street. I figure the vette can handle some 345 drag radials back there easily.

 

I don't buy this theory at all. Weight is nowhere near the sole determining factor in how well a car will hook...at the track or on the street. And light cars are not easier to control with big power than heavier cars. That's almost basic physics. Weight transfer, weight distribution, gearing, tires, hp/torque curves and I'm sure several items I've missed all work together. My 3700lb. (with driver) Regal has gone 1.71's on a 235/60 BFG/DR...and it's no lightweight.
Again...this is flawed theory. The Cobra will have more torque, be able to post similar trap speeds with less gearing and will handle as big of a tire as a C5/C6. Furthermore, '03/'04 Cobras are running over 126mph with the stock Eaton and bolt-ons...why is a KB or Whipple mandatory? It isn't.
The C6 is obviously going to be more well balanced (and much more expensive) than an '03/'04 Cobra. But in terms of absolute acceleration...I'll worry about it when it happens.
S.

 

BTW...in the end you'd still have to have a fairly well modded '03/'04 to hang with a stock Z06 if it makes it to production with 500hp or more.

S.

 

And yet you have fairly well modded Buick GS's that can run with a stock 03/04 Cobra. Remember stock vs stock is a good comparison and stock vs. mod is totally who has the most $$$ and the biggest need for speed.

 

Well I'm not talking about cars that "hook". I can guarantee you neither the modded Cobra nor this Z06 will hook up on stock tires. They'll both need slicks or drag radials with VHT on the track to launch hard.

What I'm talking about is given normal tires where you know ahead of time that you'll be spinning through 3 gears at least, that lighter car is easier to feather through and control. And given the Cobra's monster low end torque, it tilts even more in favor of the NA vette with its much more gradual torque curve. There's even a growing number of Cobra owners swapping out to Procharger centrifugals to give up some bottom end and gain it at the big end.

As for your GN, it had great weight distribution, a solid rear end, and an auto tranny. All 3 add up to the perfect bracket racing car or street racer.

Your figures for Eaton cars running 125+ are at the best tracks in the nation like HRP down here with great maintenance and traction and -100DA. Most pullied and well tuned Cobras are running mid low11s at around 120. Now if we are realistically talking about OUTPOWERING a 3000lb 575hp vette, you'll need about 700+hp crank(600+rwhp). The only way you get that is KB or Whipple.

Finally, the Cobra will not fit near as big rubber under the wheel wells as the vette. You can barely get a 315 under there with modded IRS bolts. The vette will probably come with 345s stock and prolly take 375s without a problem.

So what I'm saying is that if you're just packing pullies, catback and a tune and you run into this theoretical Z06 with a half decent driver in it, you won't stand a chance.

 

Huh? There are non-nitrous Regal GSs running high 12s? And how many tranny's did it take? Remember, we're not talking bad drivers thrown into the mix. And furthermore, it's about 800 bucks from high 12s to mid 11s for the Cobra.

 

I still say you guys are dreaming...

In all practicality, if we see a Z06 for $60K, it will not have 575 HP. It will have 500 or probably a little less. This 575 HP talk is just absurd for this time for any car under $60K, except MAYBE a Mustang.

Is this "clutchless transmission" the ZeroShift we've been hearing about?

 

You're not going to convince me. There is no merit to the comment that it's easier to control somewhat big power in a lighter car. Believe it if you wish, but it's simply not true. And until more specs come out about the new Z06, it's hard to speculate about it's torque curve, power production or delivery.
Maybe, but I've seen them doing it at Atco too.
This means nothing. A wider tire means a lower aspect ratio (otherwise you'd end up with 30" tall tires). The lower aspect ration yields a less forgiving sidewall, which doesn't store and release energy on launch nearly as well as a 50- or 60- (or higher) series tire. Put on 315's...345's...heck, find a set of 405's. I seriously doubt they'll hook better than a set of 275/50 DR's...60's if you want a 28" tire (or the new MT Radial ET's), which fit easily on an '03 Cobra.
If you've ever seen serious, tubbed, big tire cars on the street...you'd understand that the concept of wider tires hooking harder on the street is a myth.
With 500rwhp '03/'04's out there prowling the street...this is really stretching it. "Theoretical" is the key word.
S.

 

Man, the '03 Cobra has certainly reached legendary status. It's a great piece and certainly even nicer when modified, but swapping blowers is not necessarily cheap or close to keeping the car "stock" and even against a modified Cobra there's no reason to think a stock C6 Z06 simply could not handle it. That's partly because we don't know what the next Z06 will pack and partly because for every Cobra running deep in the 11's for $800 in mods there's also guys who can't break into the 12's with their Cobras (I've seen that side at the track too!)

That's my $0.02 and I'll leave it at that.

 

YOur now saying wider tires don't hook up better....LOL

245/45/17, 275/40/17, and 305/35/17 all have the same size side wall. The aspect ratio is just that, a ratio. Not all 50 series tires have the same sidewall height.

 

Welp, that's the first time I've ever heard that a wider tire doesn't hook better on the street.

BTW - the wider tire is probably the biggest advantage an SS/WS6 has over a Z28/TA. The uplevel cars DO hook harder on stock tires. Both types are clawing for traction, but I've seen it too many times in person.