On this episode of Head 2 Head presented by Tire Rack
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MotorTranscript
00:00 Let me play you the sound of my people.
00:03 (engine revving)
00:05 (upbeat music)
00:12 God bless America.
00:20 (laughing)
00:22 (upbeat music)
00:25 (engine revving)
00:28 (laughing)
00:30 This is the manliest thing I've ever done in my life.
00:37 (upbeat music)
00:40 The Corvette Z06 and GTR Nismo represent
00:47 the current top tier performance cars
00:49 from their respective countries.
00:51 The Z06 is the latest profoundly crazy Corvette.
00:56 It's a car so fast, so capable, and so inexpensive
01:00 relative to its performance
01:01 that you almost don't believe it exists.
01:03 It has 650 horsepower, 650 pound feet of torque,
01:07 and tires as wide as they are sticky.
01:09 The GTR has always been the car that made you question
01:13 your understanding of basic physics.
01:15 This Nismo edition is the result of Nissan's continued quest
01:19 to make it faster and better handling.
01:21 It now has 600 horsepower
01:24 and more aggressive suspension tuning.
01:26 You may think of the GTR as the underdog here,
01:29 and you'd be right.
01:30 It's down 50 horsepower and it weighs around 350 pounds more
01:34 but it combats that penalty
01:36 with an intelligently powered front axle
01:37 that helps it escape corners at unbelievable speeds.
01:41 Through its short gearing, traction, and torque,
01:43 it's able to do things you don't think it should.
01:46 The Z06 has some clever tricks too though,
01:50 including an electronically controlled differential,
01:52 magnetic shocks, and a stability control system
01:54 that makes it an easy car to approach.
01:56 Its Z07 package gives it large carbon ceramic rotors
01:59 and sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires,
02:01 while the Stage 3 Aero package adds a large gurney flap
02:04 and an extended front splitter.
02:06 (heart beating)
02:11 (upbeat music)
02:18 (engines revving)
02:21 Despite being heavier and having less power and torque,
02:31 the GTR's massive traction advantage
02:33 allows it a more aggressive launch,
02:35 and its fast shifting dual clutch transmission
02:38 helps it beat the Z06 from the launch
02:41 all the way to the quarter.
02:43 Both cars exhibit spectacular braking performance and grip,
02:46 but it's the Corvette with those sticky Michelins
02:49 that takes the braking edge,
02:50 with a best stop from 60 of 91 feet.
02:53 The GTR is easy to drive around the figure eight,
03:00 making great use of its all-wheel drive
03:02 and leaving the corners at crazy speeds.
03:05 However, its best lap at 23.1 seconds
03:08 with an average lateral G of 1.03
03:11 can't hold up to the Z06.
03:13 In a shocking performance
03:15 that I simply could not believe,
03:17 the Z06 lapped the figure eight in 22.3 seconds.
03:21 That's just a 10th off the Porsche 918,
03:24 which is the fastest production car we've ever tested here.
03:27 That high RPM surge just feels so good.
03:40 That (grunts) coming out just feels great.
03:43 We know this car, you know this car.
03:46 There's been no shortage of coverage for this car,
03:48 and I don't think I've been shy in how much I like this car.
03:52 It's a very different machine than the Corvette.
03:56 Obviously, it's all-wheel drive, it's heavier,
03:58 it's taller, it's bigger.
04:00 I can't decide which one looks better.
04:03 Neither are particularly beautiful.
04:05 They're both aggressive,
04:06 they both are very focused on performance.
04:08 It's easy to see that by looking at them.
04:09 But I think styling is gonna be a push between these two.
04:12 They're both cool, they're both interesting,
04:14 and I think they'll both draw crowds around them
04:16 when you stop.
04:17 The way this engine gets to life
04:21 is just so different than the Corvette's.
04:23 This has more of a rush, a high RPM sensation.
04:26 Probably the most fun thing you can do in this car
04:30 is see how early you can get on the throttle
04:34 through a corner.
04:35 Because the car just tucks in, rotates,
04:40 and gets you through at just such amazing velocities.
04:43 There's a lot of confidence in the car,
04:45 and that comes from the grip, that comes from the steering,
04:48 and that comes from the body control
04:49 and the balance of the car.
04:51 I keep saying this is heavy.
04:52 It is heavy, but it feels really nicely balanced.
04:55 I don't get a sense of understeer,
04:57 I don't get a sense of heavy oversteer.
04:59 I just get a sense of speed, speed, speed.
05:02 (engine revving)
05:05 (engine revving)
05:08 The twin clutch transmission works
05:12 incredibly, incredibly well.
05:14 It's beginning to show its age a little bit,
05:16 especially in contrast to some of the newer twin clutches
05:19 that are on the market.
05:20 Some of the shifts can be a little slow,
05:22 they can be a little clunky,
05:24 but I don't mind, if I'm perfectly honest.
05:27 (engine revving)
05:30 Now, it doesn't sound great,
05:34 and we've gone on about that with the GT-R
05:36 ever since it first came out.
05:39 You don't hear much of the turbos,
05:41 they're just slightly there,
05:42 and the sound of that V6 is just okay.
05:46 The ride quality, the seating position is more SUV-like,
05:52 and this is so tall.
05:53 Where this car definitely comes up short is the brakes.
05:57 This doesn't have the carbon ceramic rotors,
05:59 this doesn't have the same crazy grippy tire.
06:03 Now, comparing the stats and performance measures
06:05 of these cars, this is definitely
06:07 the underdog in this comparison.
06:09 (engine revving)
06:12 (upbeat music)
06:15 That sound represents everything that's right
06:24 with the Corvette Z06.
06:25 You can just listen to that
06:28 and know what this car's all about.
06:33 As you already know, we got a 6.2 liter supercharged V8
06:36 with 650 horsepower and 650 pound feet of torque,
06:41 and that torque is basically available
06:43 everywhere in the RPM band.
06:45 It makes this car feel immensely powerful.
06:50 The rate of speed you can go with this car,
06:55 it's a "this shouldn't be legal" variety.
07:00 (engine revving)
07:03 This new Z06 is pretty sophisticated,
07:10 from its active differential to its magnetic ride,
07:13 to the stability control, to all the various drive settings.
07:16 There's a lot of tech happening behind that 650 horsepower
07:21 and that noise.
07:22 The tires on this thing, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s
07:25 and the carbon ceramic rotors,
07:28 give this car amazing braking performance.
07:30 Just absolutely crazy braking performance.
07:34 You wanna challenge the brakes harder,
07:36 you wanna go into zones later,
07:38 because you have so much power at your disposal.
07:41 (engine revving)
07:44 We also have the stage three aerodynamic package,
07:46 which means we have flicks and splitters on the front
07:49 and a big wing on the rear that takes up about half
07:52 of the rear view mirror.
07:54 Of course, thankfully, it's see-through,
07:56 so it doesn't block your view entirely,
07:58 but you always know it's there.
07:59 The Z06 is the high power, high torque, rear drive,
08:05 manual, low slung coupe of a sports car.
08:08 It's extreme levels of lateral grip,
08:12 thanks to those tires and big power on the straights.
08:15 The Z06 demands more respect,
08:19 it's a bit more of a challenge,
08:20 but I think there might also be a bit more reward
08:22 in the process, too.
08:25 The interior's a little bit less boomy than the GT-R's,
08:28 and let's just face it,
08:30 that sounds a lot better than the GT-R.
08:33 I think the GT-R might be outgunned in this comparison,
08:40 because it doesn't have the power,
08:41 it has more weight, doesn't have the tire,
08:44 it doesn't have the brakes.
08:45 It'll be really interesting to see
08:46 how these do on the track.
08:47 (engine revving)
08:50 (upbeat music)
08:55 Down the back straight at Willow Springs,
08:57 this is a very high speed track.
08:59 (engine revving)
09:02 The GT-R is a pleasure here,
09:08 because of its stability.
09:10 Such a good feeling rolling into a corner.
09:13 Just lays in there.
09:16 I know exactly where the car's gonna go.
09:19 The GT-R for me is a car where I can raise that puff of dust
09:23 at every apex, at every exit,
09:25 because when I floor the throttle, I have control.
09:27 Through the middle of the corner, like turn two,
09:30 we've got some understeer.
09:32 It's funny, the east generation of GT-R
09:34 has been a little different.
09:35 (engine revving)
09:38 A couple of them in the earlier versions
09:40 had a tendency to want to understeer under power.
09:43 This Nismo, no, not so much.
09:45 I think it's very well balanced under power.
09:47 Little bit of oversteer on the entry,
09:49 but let's not call it oversteer.
09:51 Let's call it rotation, because I like it.
09:53 It helps the car get in the corner.
09:55 It's just so easy, so confidence inspiring.
09:59 That's the big difference.
10:00 Sweet little drift on the way into turn three.
10:05 I could just gas it out of four.
10:08 All wheel drive out of the corner,
10:09 right to the edge, exactly where I wanted it.
10:12 The Nismo's got a rear wing,
10:15 which gives it an advantage in a high speed corner
10:17 like this 125 mile an hour sweeper turn eight.
10:21 (laughing)
10:24 Here in the brake zone,
10:25 Nissan has the cast iron rotors, normal style,
10:28 and they just don't have the bite.
10:29 The shifters are mounted on the stock, not on the wheel.
10:34 I think I'd really prefer those shifters to be on the wheel,
10:37 so I always know where they are.
10:39 Shifts are quick and snappy.
10:42 Really enjoyable experience.
10:45 The Nissan carries a lot more weight, and I can feel it,
10:49 but the all wheel drive and the suspension setup
10:51 make it work.
10:52 Pretty incredible, frankly.
10:54 Over that jump, we're just hooked up, foot on the floor,
10:58 no worries, no sweat, no fear.
11:01 Stable, one hand, flooring it off the corner, no hands.
11:05 Don't try that in the back.
11:08 (upbeat music)
11:12 (engine revving)
11:15 We may have to adjust our sound levels
11:24 just so I can talk to you here.
11:26 We've got the exhaust in the track mode,
11:28 and let me tell you, it is loud.
11:30 And it is so cool to have an adjustable exhaust volume level
11:37 I love that feature.
11:38 (engine revving)
11:41 A lot of adjustability in the new Corvette Z06.
11:47 We can adjust the shocks, stability control modes.
11:50 I'm currently in the track mode,
11:52 and let me tell you, it's stiff.
11:54 Does offer a tremendous amount of body control.
12:02 It's just not comfortable.
12:07 We've got the full aero stage three package.
12:10 Got the manual gearbox, seven speeds.
12:13 650 horse.
12:20 Crossing 140 at the start/finish line.
12:26 Terrific brakes, giant carbon fiber,
12:29 part of the package with the Z07.
12:31 Corvette has a tremendous advantage in the brake zone.
12:35 Stops way better than the Nissan.
12:37 It's geared tall.
12:38 We can use third gear for much of the track.
12:42 I feel that little bit of stability control coming in.
12:45 In the track mode, it can be quite sudden.
12:47 (laughing)
12:52 And it's a little loose.
12:56 You can see, it can get to be a little bit of a wild ride.
13:04 You've gotta be on full high alert.
13:06 You don't see me driving with one hand in this Corvette
13:08 like I do in the Nissan.
13:10 It takes full focus all the time.
13:13 The Nissan GT-R's a lot more stable than the Corvette Z06 is.
13:18 Making just tremendous noises.
13:23 I like the sound best, I like the brakes second best.
13:26 I'm not too crazy about the tendency to oversteer
13:28 of this yellow car here today.
13:30 It's a drifter, let me tell you.
13:31 And now, a tire rack hot lap.
13:36 (car engine roaring)
13:39 (car engine roaring)
13:42 (car engine roaring)
13:45 (car engine roaring)
13:48 (car engine roaring)
13:51 (car engine roaring)
13:54 (car engine roaring)
14:06 (car engine roaring)
14:13 (car engine roaring)
14:22 (car engine roaring)
14:25 (car engine roaring)
14:32 (car engine roaring)
14:39 (car engine roaring)
14:47 (car engine roaring)
14:50 (car engine roaring)
15:01 Considering the Z06's awesome figure eight performance,
15:11 we simply couldn't believe that it would be
15:13 a second and a half slower than the less powerful
15:16 and heavier GTR on a fast track like Big Willow.
15:20 But after checking the data, rechecking it,
15:22 and checking it again, it was true.
15:24 What happened?
15:25 Well, the data shows that the Z06 still has the advantage
15:29 in lateral grip and braking,
15:31 but was out-accelerated by the GTR.
15:33 How's that possible?
15:39 The main culprit, we think, is the wicker bill
15:41 atop the Z06's rear bumper.
15:43 It apparently produces so much drag at high speed
15:46 that it neuters the potency of that supercharged V8.
15:49 So we took it off.
15:50 After lapping again, we found that the Z06
15:53 gained slightly higher speed on the straights,
15:55 but the increased oversteer due to the lack of downforce
15:58 meant it lost its cornering advantage.
16:00 It was no faster.
16:02 This leaves the Z06 in an awkward position.
16:04 It should be the faster, better driving car of the two.
16:07 It has the hardware, it has the tech, it has the power,
16:10 and yet it doesn't put it together.
16:12 We found both cars equally fun to drive on the road,
16:14 from the Corvette's wonderful sound and low-seating position
16:17 to the GTR's maniacal mid-corner acceleration
16:20 and better balance.
16:22 Ultimately, we expected more from the Z06,
16:24 and it didn't deliver in this test.
16:26 It remains a performance bargain,
16:27 but it was outshone by the GTR.
16:29 The Nismo was able to do more with less,
16:31 less power, less tire, less brake, and more weight.
16:35 And for that reason,
16:36 it wins this controversial episode of Head to Head.
16:38 (car engine revving)
16:42 - Holy crap.
16:43 - Is that enough?
16:44 - Yeah, that's great.
16:46 We were in the dirt.
16:47 - Yeah, a little bit.
16:48 Just kissed it.
16:49 This car is just really loose.
16:52 Except for the brake zone.
16:55 Fantastic in the brake zone.
16:58 Love the noises.
17:01 I enjoy the manual shifter,
17:03 and I don't think it slows it down very much,
17:05 but the handling is just cuckoo.
17:07 I'm surprised, shocked,
17:09 that it's slower, so much slower than the GTR
17:13 in a straight line.
17:14 It's not supposed to be.
17:15 I'm working way harder to create the lap time in the Vette
17:20 than I am in the GTR.
17:22 GTR, it's a walk in the park.
17:24 In this car, it is a wrestling match.
17:28 You're wrestling alligators the whole time,