Belmondo

Price aside Viper is a much better looking beast and has all the HPower of this future C today.

S55inPA

hey guys,

i've never been a big vette fan but i really like the redesign.
to me the car looks cleaner, tighter,and more polished. i even
like the interior. for 50G's nothing can touch it. a real bargain.

Dr Chill

Viper is a horrible daily driver.

WannaBeAMG

another ignorant post brought to you by Belmondo.

it is also $30,000 more and, like Chill said, doesnt make a very attractive package as daily transport.

jkrutch

The SRT-10 is a much more liveable car than the older Vipers and one could drive it daily without too much trouble...That said the new C6 Z06 (based on what I've heard) should be absolutley amazing! I definitely plan on getting one. Does anyone have any reliable data as to what will separate the C6 Z06 from the standard C6?

Stiggs

No Dr Chill!!! Say it aint so...a Chevy??

How could you??

:p

jkrutch

You have got to be kidding....Why are some of you such Euro-snobs? The existing Z06 will eat every Mercedes built on a racereack without breaking a sweat. Heck...it may even outrun the SLR.

The new C6 is the king of the Bang for Buck category hands down as well! It now offers DVD Nav, "Keyless Go", and std. Xenon...more than I can say for my E55!

The MB is a great car, but my 911 Turbo has much more appeal to the other Euro-snobs out there. Afterall, it does cost $130k!!! Geez...give me a break. I am with Chill 110% and I will be on the list for the new Z06 without a doubt. I might even sell my 911 Turbo!!! Can you imagine? BTW...I might even sell my W211 E55 if the right car comes along....it might (doubtful) even be the new M5.

You people are either into cars or you're not! A true car lover looks past country of origin and brand name. If Chrysler builds a sedan that I like better than an E55, then I will buy it!

Stiggs

yeah....but did you mention it was a chevy??

ThemisN

Ive only placed my order for the E55, and I already know its replacement is coming...the porsche sedan that is rumored to come out (2007?). porsche handling, all wheel drive...ridiculous horsepower. Sign me up.

Howard Bromwich

Mine is chirping and is 6 months old. This noise just began this week. I thought it sounded like a loose seat mounting, but that is not the case.

Have you had small problems with radio dying, auto wipers either working poorly or lots of noise ? Does your car pull to the right ?The brake switch broke this week.
I sometimes feel like I am driving an old Alfa ( probably a new one would be just as troublesome ).
I like the new vette too, in fact I think of the E -55 as a 4 dr. vette, made of better materials, but still far from Lexus quality levels. Unlike you the wife is afraid of this beast.
At the end of the day, fire it up crack open the roof or a window and seek out overpasses and tunnels for even more mellow sounds. I like your photo !

amg55

I'm with you on that one, krutch.
I'd buy a Buick if they made a limited production model which met all my needs.

I think at least some of the Euro-snobbiness stems from the perception that Euro cars are less common in the USA, so they are a little more distinctive (though the numbers don't really back that up). But I do buy into the distinctiveness notion. I don't want to drive the same car as 5 others on my block, regardless of quality. And if there were 200,000 Z06's (or E55's) sold per year in the USA I just couldn't buy one.

jkrutch

Well put AMG55...I do like having a bit of exclusivity, but then again, there will probably be a lot of 2006 Z06s on the road within 6 months of intro. Hot and exclusive for the first few months, and then Chevy will probably flood the market as they did with the C5 Z06. I wont care. Here in South Florida we have a disproportionate number of high-end cars...I see plenty of Ferraris and the such. I still get excited every time I see a car I like. My wife thinks I need help!

pocholin

...but great performance !

Yet, one can't overlook the ****ty pasticky interior

pocholin

You forgot to mention that the Twin turbo can go to 192 MPH in 1 mile flat !

I don't know which twin turbo version, I didn't ask the guy a few months ago at the Texas Mile Shoot out.

ThemisN

How can you ignore the brand name? There is a REASON these brands have developed the reputation they have. Its not like one day they decided to come out and everyone automatically thought "oh merc or bmw are the best". History goes a long way in a Brand. Because american cars have a history of not being as reliable or as much a drivers car, or not being as luxurious...its the reason why bmw and mb are where they are today. Now some of the snobs may only think of the brand...but they got to the right answer without having to think.

jkrutch

I thought I'd never own a Dodge and then along came the Viper. If it weren't for the AMG cars I wouldn't even consider a MB. I have seen more complaints regarding problems with E55s than I ever personally experienced driving a '97 Viper GTS for over 2 years. The new BMW 7 series has been blasted for crappy quality. As far as luxury goes, American Luxo cars are far more luxurious than their European counterparts. A Cadillac is more plush than a BMW or Mercedes. A Lexus has superior build quality and less problems than a Mercedes from what I see. My point is that I wouldn't NOT own a car because it was built by Chevy. America builds driver's cars..what are the Vette and Viper? Cars that outperform the best of Europe for a lot less money. Cars that meet my criteria are what I buy. I wanted a nice comfy sedan with ***** that could transport my family as well..the E55 was it. As for all out performance that could still allow my kids to come along for the ride on ocassion...the 911 Turbo filled that spot. I wish I could find a car for half of what the 911 cost that could run with it and still put 2 kids in the back. I would buy that next.

Let's get real...Hyundai builds a totally hot looking car that can kill a 911 Turbo and has a gorgeous carbon fiber/leather/aluminum interior...are you going to tell me you wouldn't drive it??? I would in a hearthbeat!

ThemisN

Let get real..even if they did, i wouldnt drive it...they have THE worst record of any manufacturer.

And we have owned several...5...benzes..and none have had any major issues. Most have been problem free besides small things. Do i feel i couldve gotten the same quality out of 5 cadialacs during the same time periods? absolutely not.
Which interior do i prefer mb or cadiallac..i think most will agree mb.
Lexus...is an alternative, pretty good interiors most of the time, but they lack something that puts them over the edge. I know bv ive owned a GS4 for 6 years now..and im more than ready to get rid of it for my e55 i have on order. Even if u threw the same engine as the GS in it.

amg55

Part of jkrutch's point is that past reputation doesn't reliably predict future product. If product from each car manufacturer always followed the same trajectory, the Viper would have never appeared---it was a radical departure from Dodge's 1980's niche.
And since car mfr's can and do change their focus, reputations WILL change over time.

Hyundai is a prime example. You couldn't sell one the first several years they were available in the USA because their resale value was zip. 2 months ago Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine rated the Hyundai Elantra the top quality/value car for under $17,000 in the USA. Better than products from Honda and BMW.
How many Mercedes were top ranked in this (subjective) list? None.

Where did the MB 2003 E Class rate relative to the Hyundai Sonata in the last JD Power survey of vehicle quality? Yup. The Sonata beat the E Class (soundly). And if you look at total JD Power awards won by Hyundai vs. MB over the last 3 years, Hyundai wins by a landslide.

Now I'm not suggesting any of us go buy Hyundais. I'm only pointing out how companies can change the quality of their products...and eventually their reputations. The latter takes a lot longer.

The car mfr business is changing faster and faster, and companies are scrambling to remake their images, move into new niches, etc.
So if a company with a historically bland reputation puts out an amazing new product, I'm willing to give it an honest look.

ThemisN

Note the word VALUE. There is an inherent bias to cars in the luxury category when that word VALUE gets thrown around. The pure characteristics of the car get thrown out only to make way for what the cheapest package was. God forbid a comparison o cars within a similar class are just compared on a direct basis, rather than putting in this ridiculous fudge factor called "value," which varies from person to person. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference between value and quality. Personally, Hyundai can make as a great a car as they want, but like you said, changing a reputation will take much longer.

Im a brand loyal person who believes in the heritage that goes along with it. If I like a product, and have a good exeperience with it, I am going, in all likely hood, continue buying that brand. But when a product goes awfully wrong, I stay away like the plague unless there was history there that suggests this is not typical. Hyundai has probably made leaps and bounds, but an example probably more fitting...Kia. 10 year warranties, and this and that...only to hear 2 unfortunate buyers complain about their need to get rid of it. If Kia turns it around and make some good cars, the damage already done may never be totally undone.

EDWARD CONROY

An old saying is, you get what you pay for. Most cars are well made today and can be driven well over 100,00 miles. But there are major differences and it comes down to what you can afford to spend or are willing to spend. Styling is one thing. You can't compare a Celebrity to a C class. Even my C32 could smoke most Amercican production cars. Then there is the feel and handling. Take anyone who's only driven American, plop them behind the wheel of any BMW for an hour and you won't be able to wipe the smile off their face. And it can be very subjective. Was my C32 worth the extra $25,000 or so I paid for it over say an Accord? Yes. Is my E55 worth the $30,000 or so more than the C32. Yes again.

Ted Baldwin

............I just bought my G55 and it has been sitting at the dealer now for over a week to get the steering wheel heater fixed. They admit quite frankly that they know little about the car and don't know how to fix it. I don't own any other cars other than mercedes, I cannot be accused of not being brand loyal. But, I totally fail to see how someone that claims they love performnce cars will not give due respect to other cars such as the corvette or viper simply because they are American cars. At the Detroit Auto show Chrysler unveiled prototype Supercar that will out run the SLR. Tell me tht you are a car lover but will simply refuse to be impressed because it is a chrysler? A good product is a good product regardless of who made it. If you have extreme brand loyalty, you continue to buy the brand you prefer.........that is not the issue. But to totally fil to see anything good in another brand in my opinion is not brand loyalty, it is simply being uneducated.

Ted

WannaBeAMG

im confused as to why you guys refer to chryslers as being "American". being owned by DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler is very much german run and german owned. it was posed as a merger but was really more of a take-over by Benz.

hell, toyota makes cars that are more "american" than some of the "american" manufacturers. whats with the new crossfire? an american car built in germany??

on the subject of the C6 it is vastly improved in all the ares it needed. go see the thing in person and shrug it off as a crappy american car with a crappy interior. i dont think youll be able to. there simply is nothing near its price range that will touch it.

Ford has really stepped up its game in the interior department too lately. the Navigator, Aviator, LS, F-150 all have incredibly nice insides. in fact the 2 lincoln SUV's have a couple of the coolest and nicest looking cabins of anything on the road. IMO.

WannaBeAMG

....or plop them behind the wheel of a Caddy CTS, or Infiniti G35.

and most of us dont have that extra $25 or $30 grand. thats why the vette is such an attractive package to soo many americans. an outstanding performance car at a reasonable price. see not all of us are jet-setting power brokers, real-estate tycoons and silver-spooners.

WannaBeAMG

whats your point here. i dont get it

ThemisN

I never said I wont give due respect. I DO. I think they are nice and they have some *****. Do I ever picture myself buying one? Absolutely not. Why? BC my bias that has been created based on what I have seen as the brands history or through friend's experience.

That is essentially what I was trying to say up above and I continued to ramble...too late at night.