Car & Driver's Best/Worst Perfromers of 05

[Joey D]

10 Best:

Acceleration, 0 to 60 mph: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 3.4 sec
Street start, 5 to 60 mph: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 3.8 sec
Quarter-mile: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 11.6 sec @ 125 mph
Top-gear acceleration: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 4.1 sec
Braking, 70 to 0 mph Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 144 feet
Roadholding, 300-foot-dia skidpad: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper SRT10 coupe, 1.01 g
Interior sound level @ 70 mph: Lexus GS430, 63 dBA
EPA city fuel economy: Lexus RX400h, 31 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: Chevrolet Cobalt LS, 27 mpg

10 Worst:

Acceleration, 0 to 60 mph: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 14.4 sec
Street start, 5 to 60 mph: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 15.5 sec
Quarter-mile: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 19.8 sec @ 68 mph
Top-gear acceleration: Nissan Xterra Off-Road 4WD, 32.4 sec
Braking, 70 to 0 mph: Dodge Dakota SLT, 229 feet
Roadholding, 300-foot-dia skidpad: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 0.61 g
Interior sound level @ 70 mph: Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet, 82 dBA
EPA city fuel economy: Dodge Ram SRT10 Quad Cab, 9 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 8 mpg

Blazin's Note

Best Performer:

Worst Performer:

Wow Car & Driver really should have left out the Topkick for this one, I think.

 

[xXSilencerXx]

I wonder what the worst would've been if htey left out the DUMPTRUCK. Oh well GM made the best and the worst.

 

[Emohawk]

10 Best:

Acceleration, 0 to 60 mph: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 3.4 sec
Street start, 5 to 60 mph: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 3.8 sec
Top-gear acceleration: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 4.1 sec

10 Worst:

Acceleration, 0 to 60 mph: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 14.4 sec
Street start, 5 to 60 mph: GMC TopKick C4500 by Monroe Truck, 15.5 sec
Top-gear acceleration: Nissan Xterra Off-Road 4WD, 32.4 sec

-Why are both the best and worst slower from 5-60 then from 0-60?
-The 'top-gear acceleration' stat is completly meaningless. Top gear at what RPM? What speed is that? Acceleration to what, redline? The Xterra's probably going from 60 something to maybe 80 mph, and the SLR is probably going from 170 to 200. Meaningless!

 

[Joey D]

-Why are both the best and worst slower from 5-60 then from 0-60?
-The 'top-gear acceleration' stat is completly meaningless. Top gear at what RPM? What speed is that? Acceleration to what, redline? The Xterra's probably going from 60 something to maybe 80 mph, and the SLR is probably going from 170 to 200. Meaningless!

Well with the Z06 I would assume you'd get wheel slip, with the Topkick I have no idea.

For the other comment I don't know, I'm just relaying an article from Car & Driver.

 

[JCE]

Worst Performer:Wow Car & Driver really should have left out the Topkick for this one, I think.

Only thing left would be the Kia Rio.

 

[Poverty]

Are these from cars on sale in the US today? The z06 is very fast but it aint doing 0-60 in 3.4 secs no way.

 

[Joey D]

The regular Vette will hit 60 in a tick over 4 seconds. Add a 100 more ponies and put the car on a diet and I wouldn't be surprised it could do it in 3.4. As I remember when I worked on the Vettes the one drive got it to 60 in 3.55 seconds.

 

[Tornado]

-The 'top-gear acceleration' stat is completly meaningless. Top gear at what RPM? What speed is that? Acceleration to what, redline? The Xterra's probably going from 60 something to maybe 80 mph, and the SLR is probably going from 170 to 200. Meaningless!

Actually, The Mercedes always win that category (for as long as I can remember) because the tranny's won't let you put it in top gear and floor it below a certain RPM and automatically goes back to it's normal gear that it would be in. So that's isn't a very good indicator of acceleration anyways. What is measured os the sum of top gear 30-50 MPH acceleration times in addition to 50-70 MPH acceleration times.

 

[Emohawk]

-Blazin: So they don't even tell you what the test measures in the magazine? Good thing we've got Tornado around then.
And wouldn't there be less wheelspin from 5mph then from zero? I'm sure there's a reason, I just can't think of what it could be. Maybe it's harder to launch.

-So the top-gear stat is seperate 30-50 and 50-70 mph runs added together? That's not only bizzare, but useless as well.
There's a Canadian auto journalist who's stuff I read who always gives 80-120 km/h times as an indicator of highway passing capability. I think that's actually a usefull point of comparison, but you can't use it as a benchmark because nobody else does it. How does C&D expect their top gear test to mean anything?

-The inclusion of the Topkick here is pretty strange. Do they give any rationale for it? It can't be consumer market. Were there Freightliners and Caterpillers in the running as well?

 

[Joey D]

Car and Driver just went through all the numbers they ran this year and picked the best and worst ones. I guess they tested the Topkick at one point and time.

 

[Seanman]

Well, in the 0-60 times, they rev up the engine and makes a full on acceleration run similar to that of a drag race. In the 5-60 street start, they merely just floor the throttle while rolling at 5 miles per hour. So, the 5-60 time will be useful in measuring how your car will perform normally.

 

[Wolfe]

Well, in the 0-60 times, they rev up the engine and makes a full on acceleration run similar to that of a drag race. In the 5-60 street start, they merely just floor the throttle while rolling at 5 miles per hour. So, the 5-60 time will be useful in measuring how your car will perform normally.

In other words, what to expect if you don't want to melt your clutch.

 

[Seanman]

In other words, what to expect if you don't want to melt your clutch.

Pretty much.

 

[JCE]

In other words, what to expect if you don't want to melt your clutch.

Yes, and I would prefer ALL naught to 60 times be displayed in this manner. Just seems to make more sense to me.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Were all the tests carried out on all the cars?

I only say because I have heard alot about the SLR's brakng capability and not so much the Vette's.

 

[Poverty]

Man this proves how much B/S car and driver is. And to think I used to buy their publications when I was younger. Why include a bloody topkick and aint no Z06 doing 0-60 in 3.4 secs and outbreaking a SLR.

 

[Joey D]

Man this proves how much B/S car and driver is. And to think I used to buy their publications when I was younger. Why include a bloody topkick and aint no Z06 doing 0-60 in 3.4 secs and outbreaking a SLR.

Another person bashing the Z06 because they think American cars can't be good. The Z06 weighs less and has a great brake system on it, no surprising it stops faster.

 

[Poverty]

yeah Im comparing a £300,000 vs a $60,000 dollar car and you call me an american basher because im sceptical. The brakes on the slr are like second to only the veyrons carrera gt and possibly the enzo.

 

[Swift]

yeah Im comparing a £300,000 vs a $60,000 dollar car and you call me an american basher because im sceptical. The brakes on the slr are like second to only the veyrons carrera gt and possibly the enzo.

Yeah, BUT brakes aren't the only factor involved with braking capacity.

 

[Joey D]

Corvette Brakes...

Corvette Z06 employs monoblock six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Each piston utilizes its own pad. The opposing pistons operate in pairs, applying brake pressure equally to each side of the rotor. The extra-large 14-inch front rotors and 13.4-inch rears are vented and cross-drilled. Brake cooling ducts are capable of moving three times the amount of cooling air compared to the previous-generation Z06.

Both Corvette coupe and convertible feature four-wheel antilock brakes — standard.

 

[240Z]

What's with the MPG figures here? I wouldn't think the Lexus SUV and the Cobalt could compete with the Japanese hybrids (Prius and Civic), or possibly even certain gas-powered Civics. Perhaps this is only for cars C/D tested? It seems strange to me.

 

[Poverty]

Corvette Brakes...

The high-performance SLR super sports car is one of very few production cars to make use of ceramic brake technology. The brake discs on the SLR are made of a new composite material – a fiber-reinforced ceramic with astounding stopping power, high heat resistance, outstanding structural strength and long service life. The discs weigh less than half that of conventional brakes, and are fitted with eight-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear. The brake system alone can decelerate the SLR up to 1.3 g, producing the theoretical equivalent of 2,000 horsepower. In addition, an innovative airbrake in the form of an adaptive rear spoiler in the trunk lid increases downforce, improving stability and braking even further. Under hard braking above 59 mph, the air brake pops up at a 65-degree angle, helping to stop the car from 62 mph is just 114 feet.

BRAKES: Front, 14.6-in. discs and 8-piston calipers; rear, 14.2-in. discs and 4-piston calipers.

Check and mate.

C/D are a biased piece of BS publication. And the 0-60 time you know thats faster than a carrera GT right. And they weigh in about the same but the GT has more power.

 

[Joey D]

You didn't prove anything, I was merly showing the Z06 brakes. But Car and Driver tested both cars and said the Z06 is better. You have to remember the Z06 weighs less then the SLR, but I'm willing to bet the Z06 stops quicker and has much cooler brakes.

C/D are a biased piece of BS publication. And the 0-60 time you know thats faster than a carrera GT right. And they weigh in about the same but the GT has more power.

I'll take C/D over what you say anyday, they are professionals, you are just an average joe like myself.

 

[Poverty]

You didn't prove anything, I was merly showing the Z06 brakes. But Car and Driver tested both cars and said the Z06 is better. You have to remember the Z06 weighs less then the SLR, but I'm willing to bet the Z06 stops quicker and has much cooler brakes.



I'll take C/D over what you say anyday, they are professionals, you are just an average joe like myself.

Im willing to bet both my arms that it isnt.

And Im willing to bet both my legs that you wont find any other publication out there that puts the Z06 0-60 time down as 3.4 secs or 3.5 secs at that. 3.6 maybe.

 

[Joey D]

The Corvette Z06 has racing cooling ducts and cross drilled brakes.

But with the 0-60 run was done on the GM Proving grounds and I saw it do it in 3.5 seconds on dry pavement and hot tires.

 

[Poverty]

Racing tires?

So your saying the Z06 has faster 0-60 times than a enzo, carrera GT , slr ,ford gt and pagani zonda F?

With it only being slower than a veryon saleen s7 TT and konigsegger and a couple very low production uber cars.

 

[Joey D]

No it was on hot street tires when I saw it run. But then again the GM drivers are way better then the Car and Driver people so I'd buy 3.5 or 3.6.

 

[Poverty]

Thats still faster than the enzo, CGT etc even though theyre lighter alot more powerful and have wider tires.

Anyway atleast you acknowledge now that C/D is pure BS.

 

[Joey D]

I doubt they have wider tires, the Z06 rear tires are simply massive. But why is is so hard to believe that a Z06 can run up with the Enzo? The Z06 is a streetable race car.

 

[Poverty]

Because on paper the enzo is better in every imagineable way and we only have to look at track times.

Vette tire size Z06

Tires F-R: 275/35 ZR18 - 325/30 ZR19

Enzo Tire size

Tires F-R: 245/35 ZR19 - 345/35 ZR19