C7 Corvette or Used Roadster?

[Jaff]

Very well said!

C7, Z51, auto trans overheating issues on track

Also take a track car and put it on the street, what happens.... failure usually with overheating from not moving fast enough to allow proper airflow and circulation to cool things down the way it was designed to be used for.

You can't have a streetable car used on the track and a track car used on the street. It doesn't work. You can't get the best out of it in both worlds, only some.

I strongly feel electric vehicles will have the upper hand here once dialed in over time from trial and error. Its a simpler system to refine with leverage on other components in the system from the ICE racing circuit.

 

[James Anders]

Formula E's will help bridge this gap fast contributing to the consumer market. Look how long it took ICE engines to be dialed in. They didn't get it the first time around. Racing is a HUGE contribution in the robustness, performance and endurance of a "motor" and its system. This includes advancements in transmission design, suspension, as well as aerodynamics.

Also don't you remember Plasma TV's? What did they evolve into? Do you like LCD TV's? Low power, great picture, and a gazillion times better for picture quality and energy consumption as compared to tube TV's, even when compared to Sony's awesome Trinitrons. Its the basic rule of evolution of any technology. It needs to be proved, accepted, and then once accepted (with demand by the people), tuned and made even better.

Electric vehicles are doing very well for for the amount of attention(R&D)/money thrown at them. Its only going to get better and cheaper from this point on.

As for my Roadster I'm very happy with it and its met, even exceeded my expectations for an electric vehicle on the road in terms of a daily commuter car, very low maintenance car, as well as a super high performance car on the street. And believe me, I love the fun I have on the street. In all honesty, track days are only enjoyed on weekends (unless its your full time job). And any regular ICE car will NOT survive on the track for a long duration without eventually failing. If you're racing on the track, you need to build your ICE engine for the track. Look at people who race as a hobby on the weekends, ask them, they've modified their ICE engine to handle the cooling so the engine doesn't fail. Even the C7 will fail if not modified for the track if it kept running as stock.

But to enjoy a car that's so quick, predictable, nimble, agile, and responsive (especially after you've learned the car and tuned it) as a daily commuter, the Tesla Roadster is best thing I ever could ask for. To drive this car twice a day, its the utmost joy in the world and I never grow old of it. Its the car where you don't mind at all taking the long way home due to a traffic snarl, ok.... so I have to take the twisties home. Bummer, right. Not! And how much did this hard acceleration cost me to commute like a Bandit at times, a full $1.70 for a 70 mile, adrenaline rushed and g-force filled round trip to work and back home. [(who needs drugs when you own a Tesla Roadster!) FREE Adrenaline and Endorphins for all who take the ride].

I have faith in E's on the track, its only cooling they need to address and its not all that complicated when the right amount of engineering is focused on it.

No need to get defensive. I am not challenging the benefits or the anticipated future strides in the electric car world. Must every comment that is in the least bit ICE positive be met with disdain?

 

[wiztecy]

No need to get defensive. I am not challenging the benefits or the anticipated future strides in the electric car world. Must every comment that is in the least bit ICE positive be met with disdain?

Where do you keep thinking people or I are attacking you? I do take it that your choice of word as "defensive" as saying I and others are attacking you based on our reply and comments to your postings. Again, you are commenting in an Tesla "EV" Forum, not a gas or ICE vehicle forum.

This is a forum for discussion of people's opinions, questions, and facts (which others can clarify if not exact) that are more biased towards EVs since it is an "EV Enthusiast Forum". You do have a right as a member here to voice your opinions on Tesla and Tesla related subjects as well as "defending" your opinion as long its not in ego but rather to clarify and to educate others. All members have that right. I've had very intense and educational discussions with members on this forum and have been posting here for some time without anyone saying I'm being defensive or attacking them, let alone to say a person or group are saying "disdain" things about what's being compared and contrasted in the topic of debate. We have moderator's and very active/vocal members in this forum who are one's who'll draw the line when valid attacks are made at a forum member and if the topic is going in the wrong direction that eventually becomes a rat-hole and meaninless.

I think you're missing one thing, a Tesla. I believe when you pick one up you'll understand were the owner's view, opinions, and passion are rooted from. And to clarify, that's not an attack, but rather my observation and opinion.

Anything a person who loves and is passionate about, they will voice their opinion and "defend" their views.

Anyways this is a huge digression from the thread and moderators feel free to filter and remove.

 

[supersnoop]

Must every comment that is in the least bit ICE positive be met with disdain?

Can you provide reference to these remarks of "disdain?" I think you're reading too much into people's posts.

 

[hcsharp]

Where do you keep thinking people or I are attacking you? I do take it that your choice of word as "defensive" as saying I and others are attacking you based on our reply and comments to your postings.

I don't think he's saying that. I don't think he feels like anyone is attacking him. He's just stating his opinion and all opinions are welcome here on TMC. And part of stating your opinion is defending it. Nothing wrong with that. Don't take it personally. Let's all take a short ride in our cars, whatever powers it, and come back with smiles on our faces.

 

[wiztecy]

Well I just don't get it. This is an EV forum, again people stated that whatever forum your in and supporting typically are biased towards that. I also didn't see people disdaining things but mentioning what they've experienced and viewed. Henry, you even mentioned about the "loud" noises in the cockpit of the C7. Is that a disdain comment about the C7? I don't think so, its your opinion. Also Doug came back with his point of view saying it wasn't too bad with the stock exhaust. That's the point of a forum, having a discussion about topics that interests us all. So I don't know where this disdain feeling came from, hence why I thought he felt attacked. Anyways I thought we already had this same discussion a few posts back. Well off for a relaxing drive as Henry suggested

 

[James Anders]

Where do you keep thinking people or I are attacking you? I do take it that your choice of word as "defensive" as saying I and others are attacking you based on our reply and comments to your postings. Again, you are commenting in an Tesla "EV" Forum, not a gas or ICE vehicle forum.

This is a forum for discussion of people's opinions, questions, and facts (which others can clarify if not exact) that are more biased towards EVs since it is an "EV Enthusiast Forum". You do have a right as a member here to voice your opinions on Tesla and Tesla related subjects as well as "defending" your opinion as long its not in ego but rather to clarify and to educate others. All members have that right. I've had very intense and educational discussions with members on this forum and have been posting here for some time without anyone saying I'm being defensive or attacking them, let alone to say a person or group are saying "disdain" things about what's being compared and contrasted in the topic of debate. We have moderator's and very active/vocal members in this forum who are one's who'll draw the line when valid attacks are made at a forum member and if the topic is going in the wrong direction that eventually becomes a rat-hole and meaninless.

I think you're missing one thing, a Tesla. I believe when you pick one up you'll understand were the owner's view, opinions, and passion are rooted from. And to clarify, that's not an attack, but rather my observation and opinion.

Anything a person who loves and is passionate about, they will voice their opinion and "defend" their views.

Anyways this is a huge digression from the thread and moderators feel free to filter and remove.

I didn't say you attacked me. I simply pointed out that the C7 Vette had an obvious advantage on the race track. There are a lot of people who buy sports cars in order to have weekend fun on the race track - and at the moment for those people electric cars aren't the best choice.

That the Vette has an advantage on a road course race track (not necessarily the drag strip) isn't even debatable. It's simply fact. It's also a fact that the C7 and most any ICE sports car will be a lot louder. But if you're looking for a sports car where you can take it to the track on weekends, then perhaps noise isn't that big of an issue.

I believe and understand all about Tesla. A Tesla will be my next vehicle. I felt like you were trying to convince me of the superiority of electric vehicles - when I don't really need convincing. I get it. I'm not some Luddite who is defending ICE vehicles at all costs. So, when you claim I'm "missing" something, well I don't think I'm "missing" anything - and when you say that, I guess I feel disdain. I'm not putting down your Roadster or Tesla or electric cars. Just trying to be intellectually honest and point out the good and bad on both sides.

The argument that many ICE vehicles will not stand up to track rigors is besides the point. There are numerous sports cars today that are very reliable for weekend track sessions and don't need expensive rework or maintenance. And long-term racetrack survival wasn't even the point. I could have fun on a road course with my NSX or a C7 all day long. The original poster asked about the pros-cons of the C7 vs the Roadster. Again, I was simply trying to point out a C7 advantage. I also agree that in time this advantage will dwindle.

 

[visionik]

I have a Tesla Roadster 2.0, and I have a 2014 Corvette Z51. The Roadster is my daily/weekend fun car and the C7 is my track car.

They are both amazing cars.

The Roadster is fun, unique, and quiet. My only concern with Roadster is maintenance. They seem to be the bastard stepchild of the Tesla world. Spare part availability is starting to worry me. Repairs can be dramatic (I hit the exhaust pipe of another car at about 5 mph. Resulting minor carbon fiber damage cost about $15k and took six months to fix)

The C7 is fun, versatile (can be used for around town, on the track, or on a road trip), and can be quiet or can be loud (depends on how often you floor it). It can be a gas hog (I fill up the tank 3 times in a full-day of track driving), or you can put it in Eco mode, use the same techniques you use to hyper-mile an electric vehicle, and get nearly 30 mpg (I can get 29mpg on long trips). Maintenance is relatively inexpensive.

If I had to pick one? Tesla Roadster in a heartbeat. Even though it can be dramatic I love the uniqueness and the pure but practical fun the car creates.

 

[augkuo]

Do you think it's possible to fit two snowboards in the trunk? I was looking for the dimensions of the trunk online but couldn't find anything on it. It looks just large enough to fit two boards. I don't believe there is any roof rack available for the Roadster--correct me if I'm wrong.

I measured the trunk width and it's 55 inches so unless you've got really short snowboards, I'd suggest a rack. Or I suppose you can fit them in the passenger side with the top off

 

[wiztecy]

I've used window ski racks on Pontiac Fieros and they work great, not so much for the Fiero. Here's a company that makes them for snowboards:

WinterRacks.com - your source for winter window racks....

 

[PokerBroker]

I made this very decision last year when the C7 came out... In fact, I was ready to place my C7 order when I decided to look a little harder in that price bracket at my options... I found the Roadster and had bought one within a week through Tesla's CPO program... I haven't regretted it once, in fact, at the many cars and coffee events and other car shows I attend I see many C7s and it just reminds me how glad I am to own a Roadster

 

[Mobility]

My 2 cents worth of nonsense - I am not that precise with numbers, but I believe they made 2500 Roadsters, total from 2007-2011. C7 production numbers for 2014 alone are around 35000 +. To me it is more appealing/exciting/unique/different owning something that is not that common, but doing a very common function. I like the idea of owning 1 of 2500 Roadsters, than owning 1 out of 35000+ per year C7 Corvettes. Again to me it is not about being exclusive, but it is about being more consciously selective.

 

[James Anders]

I often hear the scarcity/selectivity argument in the NSX community. Many in the NSX community have as their primary motivation that the car is scarce and unique. For me it's all about how I feel about the features and specifics of the cars. If I really love and admire the car then seeing other people drive the same car doesn't bother me. There are some places where you can see a Model S on every corner. If I lived there and wanted a Model S, that wouldn't bother me one bit.

Many guys on the NSX forum poo-poo the C7 for the same reasons. Commonplace. Still a cookie-cutter Chevy, etc. I like sports cars and can see the appeal of each side. The Roadster really opened up a lot of people's eyes that BEVs could be cool and also high-performance. I just read that Chevy finally priced the ZO6 - and it comes in about $80-$88K. Which is pretty amazing considering that it trounces the former ZR-1 at a price that's about $30K less. I'm sure dealers will mark-up accordingly for a long time.

I really can't wait until Tesla does the next generation sports car.

 

[Doug_G]

Depends where you are. They're not a dime a dozen in Canada. One local GM dealer got 3 C7's allocated for 2014. Three of them.

Mind you, there are three Roadsters in Ottawa. That number is unlikely to grow!

 

[Mr X]

A Corvette or a Roadster? Lol, its 2014, gas cars make no sense anymore.


~200+ miles of electric range for a day of driving is literally unlimited.


Loud engines are a thing of the past now that a silent car can go faster and not even use a drop of gas, the line is drawn right there. There is simply nothing better.


So if you want to waste your money on gas and drive the past then get the corvette. But if you want save money, have a better driving experience, use no gas at all and not be obnoxious on the road, then get the roadster. I also see corvettes all the time and they are like prius's, aka nothing special. I rarely ever see a Roadster.


And nothing better than pulling up next to a car revving its engine making so much noise and then you accelerate away from them silently using no gas making them look like a joke :smile:

 

[James Anders]

A Corvette or a Roadster? Lol, its 2014, gas cars make no sense anymore.


~200+ miles of electric range for a day of driving is literally unlimited.


Loud engines are a thing of the past now that a silent car can go faster and not even use a drop of gas, the line is drawn right there. There is simply nothing better.


So if you want to waste your money on gas and drive the past then get the corvette. But if you want save money, have a better driving experience, use no gas at all and not be obnoxious on the road, then get the roadster. I also see corvettes all the time and they are like prius's, aka nothing special. I rarely ever see a Roadster.


And nothing better than pulling up next to a car revving its engine making so much noise and then you accelerate away from them silently using no gas making them look like a joke :smile:

Literally unlimited? Wow! :wink:

 

[hcsharp]

Literally unlimited? Wow! :wink:

Not unlimited, but I think you got his point, and it's a good one. From the sound of it, I think you almost agree with him.

After Mr X's comment I realize that I do, in fact, carry some disdain for gas powered cars. Nothing personal, and I don't judge anyone who still drives one. I admit they're better for track use. Part of my disdain for ICE comes from the fact that they take something from all of us in the form of pollution and other externalities. We're all EV fans, and for good reason. I think that's why you will encounter some disdain for gas. It's to be expected, and frankly, not unreasonable. You don't have to agree. Just my .02

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Drove a Roadster for 18 months. Still miss it.

Silent catapult-quality launching, awesome driving dynamics, grab-the-road-with-claws turning, one-pedal driving, no pollution, future-of-transportation feeling, and lots of what-is-that and god-that's-beautiful attention all add up to an amazing package that's very hard to match for another car. It is compact, and extremely low to the ground, and getting in/out is MUCH easier with the top off, but mine was very low-maintenance, very trustworthy, and an absolute blast to own/drive.

Never. Driving. Dead. Dinosaurs. Again.

 

[dhrivnak]

~200+ miles of electric range for a day of driving is literally unlimited.

While I agree with most of your post 200 mile a day is FAR from unlimited. The 400 mile pack can't get here soon enough.

 

[ecarfan]

While I agree with most of your post 200 mile a day is FAR from unlimited. The 400 mile pack can't get here soon enough.

My interpretation of his statement is that 99% of the time (or something near that figure) he drives less than 200 miles/day so the Roadster range is plenty for his needs.

Only a small percentage of daily passenger car use exceeds 200 miles. But obviously there are people who routinely drive more than 200 miles in a day. I'm glad I am not one of them.