I'm very interested in knowing your opinions on the last gen corvette.
I liked it. I've driven a couple of C5s and they have a lot of appeal, mostly in the powertrain dept. Great low end, pretty good throttle response. Great noise. The suspension and tires have a lot of stick, but you're not really sure where you stand because the Vette doesn't tell you much.
The steering is accurate in it that the car goes pretty much where you point it, but offers almost no feedback. It's vague. I mean really vague like the steering isn't really attached to anything. Of course it is, but if you're just driving along, hands on the wheel, the car gives you the same sensations as if you were in a Malibu or Silverado.
But once you pick up speed, the C5 becomes really enjoyable because you can go stupid fast. Good balance at the limit, mostly benign. It's not all that intuitive because you have to trust the car --there is very little feedback about what's going on at the contact patches. But pretty much nothing will touch the performance for the price.
I personally think the C5 is a good looking car. Low, broad and dramatic. The thing about Corvettes is that you have to come to terms with the rental car interior. (Well that and the Nondisclosure Agreement the steering racks have to sign before installation at the factory) If the swaths of cheap plastic and hand-me down switch gear doesn't bother you, then it's a good bet. If you want something more involving to drive, you will have to look elsewhere.
On a personal note, I think Corvettes are a terrible first sports car for a younger driver. Lots of power. Lots of stick from the tires. It's not the sort of car you want to cut your teeth in. It's not a bad handling car or anything, but it's limits are so high, when you DO make a mistake, you will be
flying. I think autocross or track time is wise with the purchase of
any high performance car regardless of age. For younger drivers, I think it should be mandatory.
M
