My History of Cars (Part 3)

Finally... the Vette post.

I don't know why it took me so long to finally make this post. I think it's because there is so much, really too much, to say.

Let me start off by saying... I love this thing as much as a human can love an inanimate object. While almost everyone will tell you that buying a new, expensive car is one of the worst financial decisions you can make, I will tell you that it is the best purchase I have ever made, straight up. It's one of those things that brings me enjoyment everyday. I look forward to waking up in the morning just to drive it to work. Before taking the plunge, I thought I would be riddled with guilt and buyer's remorse, but infact, the opposite happened: I love it more and more with each passing day. Even Aimee, who swore she would break up with me if I bought it, loves it. She drives it to her gym, to the grocery store, to the mall, etc. Hehe, I think that's pretty cute hot.

This car is the best bang-for-your-buck sports car, period. I'll probably never own a Ferrari, hell, I'll probably never even own a Porsche 911, but owning this Corvette gives me 80% of the performance of the Ferrari (and 110% of the Porsche) for a tiny fraction of the cost. It is truly an everday, everyman's sports supercar.

I got a 2008 Z51 Coupe. It is rated at 436 hp, but realistically makes about 40 more hp at the rear wheels than a 2005-2007 model. It also uses a different (and better) transmission than the previous model years. Also for the 2008 model year, GM addressed a long standing gripe against the Corvette (numb and poor steering feel) by tweaking and modifying the steering column, which is nice, but I don't necessarily think it's BMW or Porsche caliber yet.

I opted for the HUD, Z51 and dual mode exhaust options. The HUD is pretty cool... it projects driving information (speed, RPM, lateral g-force, etc) onto the windshield, much the same way a jet fighter does. The Z51 package is the track and road racing package which includes a race tuned suspension, oil cooler, power steering fluid cooler and close ratio transmission. The dual mode exhaust is expensive, but worth it... the mufflers have a computer controlled valve in them that opens at 3500 RPM and unleashes that deep American V8 growl... :) Perfect for people like me who typically like to keep a low profile, but still like to cause a raucous on occasion.

The car performs phenomenally on the track, capable of beating high end supercars 3x it's price. I'm not going to lie, the car is way beyond my ability as a driver, but I still love that it can beat the pants off most any other car out there in the hands of someone more competent.

I also love all the extra little things about owning a modern car. I love the keyless, wireless entry and ignition. I never have to take the key fob out of my pocket. The doors "unlock" when in range and "lock" when out of range (actually they don't lock or unlock persay, they simple won't open if the key fob is out of range). HID highlights are awesome; even better, they are automatic (they turn on/off according to how much daylight is present). Memory seats/mirrors are sweet, especially when there are two primary drivers. Telescoping steering wheel, auto exit seat positioning, auto dimming mirrors, completely electric doors and trunk release, XM radio, etc... blah blah, the wireless key fob is awesome. Yeah, I know I already said that, but it's so awesome, that I honestly think every car should be that way.

There is so much more to say about this car (and how I feel about it), but this post is already running long, so I'll just leave you with the standard performance statistics.

• 0 to 60 in 4 seconds flat (2008 model year)
• 1/4th mile in low 12 second range (2008 model year)
• 0.98 lateral g's in the skidpad*

* Holy Jesus, that number is so good, I must provide a source for integrity.

P.S. The roof comes off (completely off, not like a t-top), so I more or less have a convertible whenever I want... how cool is that?? I actually use this feature a ton more than I thought I would. It's very nice.