Competitor Showcase: The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Thinking about a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette? Drive these cars before you buy!

It’s an icon of American sports car design, it boasts heart-stopping performance numbers and it is surprisingly affordable. Starting at $73,925, the 2009 Corvette Z06 is what fans of the fiberglass-bodied performance vehicle have been waiting for their entire lives, a fire-breathing dragon of a car that can hold its own with any vehicle on the road, no matter how exotic the design or how high the price tag. At the heart of this beast is its engine – a 7.0 liter, aluminum V8 that cranks out a sublime 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. When matched with the vehicle’s 6-speed manual transmission, the Corvette Z06 can accelerate to 60 miles per hour from a standing start in just 3.6 seconds – faster than it took for you to read this entire sentence. The quarter mile disappears in just 11.3 seconds, and the car’s top speed is rated at a lofty 200 miles per hour.

Speed isn’t the only characteristic that puts the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 into supercar territory. The attention to creating a light yet stiff chassis and suspension system ensures that the vehicle’s handling can keep up with its long legs. The Corvette is more than just a muscular behemoth, it is a veritable Cheetah, with incredible cornering capabilities and phenomenal brakes. It also boasts gee-whiz features like a heads-up display that projects important vehicle information onto the windshield in front of the driver to help keep their eyes stuck on the road during adrenaline-laced redline runs.

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has become the attainable dream car of many automobile enthusiasts. Unsurprisingly, however, there are a number of other vehicle which boast similar performance specs vying for the attentions of the speed-obsessed. While some might be priced a bit higher, or take a different route to their dizzying performance levels, this article mentions 4 other cars you must drive before putting a deposit on a Z06.

2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe – MSRP $89,340

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe is the latest in a long line of king snakes that have been the Corvette’s closest competition for dominance on America’s streets. Until the emergence of the Z06 model just past the turn of the millennium, the Viper enjoyed nearly a decade of unchallenged performance domination. Although the gap between the two vehicles has been greatly narrowed, the Dodge can still boast advantages in a number of areas. Its 8.4 liter V10 engine produces an astronomical 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, which is shunted through a 6-speed manual transmission to massive 19 inch rear tires. In addition to almost 100 extra horsepower, the Viper is also 0.1 seconds quicker when launching to 60 miles per hour – although quarter mile performance is approximately 0.3 seconds slower. Top speed of the Viper is given by Dodge to be 202 miles per hour.

Even a cursory examination of these performance statistics indicate that the Viper and the Corvette are separated by no more than a hair when it comes to raw numbers. What truly differentiates the two sports cars are their radically different driving experiences. While the Corvette is refined and livable on a daily basis thanks to its excellent traction and stability control system and its comfortable suspension, the Viper is an absolute handful, especially when driven near the limit. With no electronic safety nets on hand, the 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe relies solely on the skill of the driver to keep it pointed in the right direction. Great care must be exercised with the right foot, especially in the rain, so as to avoid upsetting the extremely powerful car.

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe is a raw and visceral automobile that feels more connected to the road than the more civilized Corvette. If pure potential and explosive response are favored over predictability, then the Viper makes an excellent, although pricier alternative to the Z06.

2009 Cadillac XLR-V – MSRP $104,215

Stretching the budget into the stratosphere is the 2009 Cadillac XLR-V (XLR pictured). This vehicle rounds out the trio of domestic supercar competitors and is also included due to the fact that it is based on the same platform as the Corvette. Replacing the naturally-aspirated V8 of the 'Vette is a 443 horsepower supercharged Northstar engine, whose 8-cylinders also produce 414 lb-ft of torque. The Cadillac is slower than the Z06, as it reaches 60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 13 seconds. A 6-speed automatic transmission handles the gear shifting duties, and the vehicle can reach an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

While it is clear that the 2009 Cadillac XLR-V does not offer quite the same level of performance as the 'Vette or the Viper, what it does provide are a boatload of luxury features such as a power retractable hard top, a voice activated navigation system, hand wrapped leather seats, steering wheel and trim, as well as beautiful wood interior accents. While a large percentage of driving enthusiasts could care less about how comfortable their cockpit accoutrements are, there are still some out there who value this level of luxury a great deal – and they also usually happen to be in a position to spend 6 figures on an automobile.

The 2009 Cadillac XLR-V might be a sheep in wolf’s clothing to some, but the suit that it wears is striking, and the driving experience afforded by its more forgiving setup will endear it to anyone who prefers “nine tenths” performance over having to make sacrifices to touch the edge of the envelope.

2010 Nissan GT-R – MSRP $76,840

Returning close to the economic orbit of the Z06 is the only Japanese competitor on this list, the 2010 Nissan GT-R. The GT-R also happens to be a vehicle which doesn’t approach the question of how to add more speed simply by throwing an enormous engine between the two front fenders. Instead, the Nissan GT-R is outfitted a 3.8 liter V6 that employs twin turbochargers to squeeze out a stout 485 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. The GT-R is also unique in that its transmission is a 6-speed dual clutch unit that can be set to Normal, R or Snow modes in order to adapt to the driving conditions at hand. The transmission can also be set to fully automatic mode.

Thanks to the phenomenal grip of its all-wheel drive system and a special launch control transmission feature, the 2010 Nissan GT-R can reach 60 miles per hour in a scant 3.2 seconds, as well as see the end of the quarter mile in only 11.5 seconds. Top speed of the GT-R has been recorded as 195 miles per hour. Although heavy when compared to its rear-wheel drive competitors, the Nissan is a technological tour de force that is an incredible performer both on the street and the track, having equaled or bettered previous lap times set by supercars from Ferrari and Porsche at several prominent race circuits.

The 2010 Nissan GT-R’s video-game inspired styling isn’t for everyone, not will all sports car fans have their pulse quickened by a turbocharged V6 engine, but for those willing to accept the vehicle based on its performance merits, the GT-R is more than a match for the only slightly cheaper Z06.

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S – MSRP $87,000

There are almost as many versions of the Porsche 911 as there are letters in the alphabet, but the model whose price fits best with the other vehicles mentioned in this article is the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S. Close to the entry level position on the 911 pagoda, the Carrera S features an inline 6-cylinder engine that displaces 3.8 liters and develops 385 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle can be ordered with either a traditional 6-speed manual transmission or Porsche’s PDK double-clutch automatic, which boasts a quicker 0 to 60 mile per hour time (4.3 seconds) but a lower top speed (186 versus 188 miles per hour). The quarter mile elapses in around 12 seconds, and the slightly more expensive 4S model adds all-wheel drive which can be helpful when the going gets slippery.

The 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S might seem out of place when compared to the other vehicles mentioned here due to its somewhat lower power output, but its saving grace is its handling. With the engine mounted at the rear of the car, the 911 Carrera S is an entirely different animal than the Corvette, and some prefer the more refined feel of its suspension and chassis design. The output from the inline 6 is also incredibly smooth and linear, with an almost effortless feeling of acceleration accompanying any depression of the loud pedal.

The 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S is not as fast or as ostentatious as a 'Vette or a Viper, but it does provide a classic European sports car experience wrapped in a very classy package. The nimbleness of the vehicle’s design more than makes up for any perceived power deficit, and the timeless styling will turn just as many heads as any other supercar, but for entirely different reasons.