[cwarren]

I know there is a guy on here who is a corvette fan and hopefully he can chime in on this. my brother in law is on a rampage for a corvette .
he would like to keep it in the 40-45,000 range .what im interested in is what year/model would be the best bang for the buck.backed up by facts as far as reliability ,hp,mod-friendly ,interior ect....and I do know he is looking 07 and newer if there is a big advantage to one model in particular he is willing to buck up more money.
any help is greatly appreciated ! as I know nothing on this car other than motor options.

[lcrain]

If I were buying a vette I would get the newest z06 I could afford. 07-09 models should fit quite well in that price range. All of the c6 corvettes are easy to modify. I think most mortals would find a stock z06 to have more than enough power. If not, he can get in the 600+ hp range without going to forced induction which is nice.

[ziominix]

2008 on up. This goes to the ls3- 436hp stock with dual mode exhaust, revised steering gear box and improved shifter. Marginal interior improvements to the dash as well. Z06 is a blast as well, the difference between 436 and 505 is noticeable, but not blow you away different. The only way to get a "nice" interior is 4lt with the leather wrapped dash. I had an 08 4lt z51. If its a driver car, not a track car, go for the magnetic selective ride. The z51 suspension will wear you out over highway expansion joints and any hint of rough road.

[swanson]

Thats a good price range to find a great vette. You can easily find an 07-08 Z06. I had mine for 5 yrs and loved every minute of ownership. You can check corvetteforum.com for more details and see what people are asking for their cars. Your brother-n-law will NOT be disappointed.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Well he should go for the 2008+ models.

Better trans. More interior options if you get the better packages as another person already said.

Of course I recommend a Z06. I see regular Vettes all the time but rarely see a z06.

I love mine but he has to remember the z06 is pretty much a track car. It's a bit noisey and a bit rough around the edges but it's a true performer so it comes with the price tag as the best bang for the buck supercar.

It's a bit quick for most people even in stock trim. If he really doesn't want all that power which can easily get out of hand he may want to go with a regular vette. I'm one of those people who can't by the slow option knowing there is a faster option. (Yes I know the ZR1 is faster but that's in completely different price bracket).

Best way to figure out what a car is worth is just go to auto trader and see what they are going for or go on www.NADA.com and see what they are worth.

[buildbright]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

Well he should go for the 2008+ models.

Better trans. More interior options if you get the better packages as another person already said.

Of course I recommend a Z06. I see regular Vettes all the time but rarely see a z06.

I love mine but he has to remember the z06 is pretty much a track car. It's a bit noisey and a bit rough around the edges but it's a true performer so it comes with the price tag as the best bang for the buck supercar.

It's a bit quick for most people even in stock trim. If he really doesn't want all that power which can easily get out of hand he may want to go with a regular vette. I'm one of those people who can't by the slow option knowing there is a faster option. (Yes I know the ZR1 is faster but that's in completely different price bracket).

Best way to figure out what a car is worth is just go to auto trader and see what they are going for or go on www.NADA.com and see what they are worth.

I would never recommend a Z06 Corvette to anyone unless they know true "car control". Corvettes are the most wrecked sports car ever made (insurance claim fact). The Z06 is even worse with that high revving engine and that notorious Corvette suspension that is sketchy on any road with some crown.

Don't get me wrong. Great Car in the right hands but a fiberglass coffin in the wrong.

[Foxrus14]

Z06... 2008-2009 will fit right into that price range. although the base corvette is the LS3 the Z06 gets the LS7... it is a beast. I had an LS7 in one of my Camaros. Any LS based engine is bulletproof and can be modded with exsisting lower end up to about 750 hp. You definitely want the look of the Z06 with the wider quarter panels gives it a more aggressive look and the mail slot in the front. The Z06 also has the mag ride suspension going for it with heads up display which is nice.
A little more of a budget Corvette would be the Grand Sport. Has the same body panels as the Z06 but has the LS3 motor for the mentioned years. Very Mod friendly and best bang for the buck car on the road.

[Foxrus14]

Originally Posted by buildbright

I would never recommend a Z06 Corvette to anyone unless they know true "car control". Corvettes are the most wrecked sports car ever made (insurance claim fact). The Z06 is even worse with that high revving engine and that notorious Corvette suspension that is sketchy on any road with some crown.

Don't get me wrong. Great Car in the right hands but a fiberglass coffin in the wrong.

High revving...? 7200 RPM is not high revving... A corvette is a drivers car... it is not for the novice... if you know how to drive and really drive it is amazing.

[buildbright]

Originally Posted by Foxrus14

High revving...? 7200 RPM is not high revving... A corvette is a drivers car... it is not for the novice... if you know how to drive and really drive it is amazing.

What I meant is it is a high rev powerband. Driving one aggressively can brake the tires loose suddenly because it makes it's power up top.

[swanson]

You can drive the Z06 just like any other car out there. You'll be impressed with its cruising ability. If you want to drive like an idiot, you can certainly crash it, but thats no different with any car. Its a very rewarding car in the hands of a skilled driver. Respect the power and its very rewarding. I had a blast with mine and a perma-grin each and every time I took it out. I loved my Z06 and will have another in the future. The 08 tranny is NOT better then the 06-07 T-56. It may be slightly smoother, but the T-56 has a nice mechanical feel to it. Its a very proven transmission. Mag. ride was not offered till 2011. It revs to 7100 and makes explosive power above 4500 rpm. I used to get 28mpg cruising on the highway doing 75-80 in 6th gear. Like I said, have him do some research on corvetteforum.com.

[See5]

I agree with the newest Z06 you can find although if he doesn't need all of that power, the '10+ GrandSport is still a great performer and comes with most 95% of the Z06 upgrades for cheaper.

As for the Corvette being most wrecked, I highly doubt it based on percentage of cars produced. I think the Viper takes that crown by a landslide. The Corvette insurance rates are very, very cheap(relative) for a reason.

[cwarren]

thanks guys for all the info ! at this point I do think he is leaning towards the 2011 grand sport with manual trans. thinking he doesn't need the z06 power .I will do alittle research on the corvette forum and see what there saying . heard the interior on these still suck a bit though .

[See5]

Originally Posted by cwarren

thanks guys for all the info ! at this point I do think he is leaning towards the 2011 grand sport with manual trans. thinking he doesn't need the z06 power .I will do alittle research on the corvette forum and see what there saying . heard the interior on these still suck a bit though .

You buy Corvettes to go fast not stare at the interior. Its comfortable anyway. If he really likes it, he won't care.

[cwarren]

Originally Posted by See5

You buy Corvettes to go fast not stare at the interior. Its comfortable anyway. If he really likes it, he won't care.

lol I buy cars to go fast but not sure he does .he wants people to think he is fast . told him when he gets it the race is on .think he will be shocked.

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by cwarren

thanks guys for all the info ! at this point I do think he is leaning towards the 2011 grand sport with manual trans. thinking he doesn't need the z06 power .I will do alittle research on the corvette forum and see what there saying . heard the interior on these still suck a bit though .

Ya a grand sport is the way to go. Z06 body, looks great.

Its a chevy, interoir will never touch BMW, at least C6 wise.