After three days, almost 1200 miles, and five states, we reckon that these are America's greatest cars--and that two of them, the GT and the Corvette, are among the world's best cars. We like the way they pay homage to great American cars of a previous era. The GT takes as its inspiration the cars that won Le Mans in 1966, '68, and '69. The Viper is a throwback to the Cobra, particularly to the Daytona coupe. And the Z06 captures the magic of the special-order, semiracing Sting Ray Z06 of 1963.
All three have their appeal. The Viper concept looks a little dated now, but it is still a rambunctious beast, big and extroverted, a car for people who don't mind showing off. It's a bit like a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in that respect, except that it actually performs. All of us really like it, but it isn't even the favorite of our Mopar diehard, assistant editor Rusty Blackwell.
Everyone adores the GT, because it feels and looks so special. Sherman would take it, because "it is the most collectible, the most exotic, and I would keep it for the rest of my life as a valuable heirloom to pass on. Plus, it's great to drive." We spotted a couple of GTs in the paddock at the Monterey Historics recently, which makes sense: this vehicle presses all of a car geek's hot buttons. The only downside is the $162,195 price of our test car, although road test coordinator Marc Noordeloos points out that this undercuts its true competitors, the Ferrari F430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo.
The Z06 is the most usable of our three and also the least distinctive. It is also an incredible performance bargain, even faster and cheaper than the Viper. In performance, price, and driving pleasure, it blows the current Porsche 911 Carrera S away, although the 911 has nicer steering, a slicker gearshift, and a much better interior. Blackwell would take the Z06: "If I could afford a car like this, I would want to drive it a lot. It's such a stealth car, you could stay under the radar with it, it's easy to drive day to day, but it's nearly as quick as the GT."
Me? I love all three. Were money no object, it would be the GT. But for most of us, money is an object. Someone like me could afford a Z06 as a toy for track days and for blasting through the countryside. It says a lot, we feel, that we can now compare Chevys, Dodges, and Fords with European exotics. Now all the American industry has to do is up the ante with its more affordable cars.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Best lap time 1:32.75
Best lap average speed (mph) 73.0
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 4.1/12.0
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 149
Cornering l/r (g) 1.10/1.09
Weight (lb) 3147
Distribution f/r (%) 50.9/49.1
Top speed (mph) 198
Dodge Viper SRT19 Coupe
Best lap time 1:33.95
Best lap average speed (mph) 72.0
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 4.3/12.4
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 150
Cornering l/r (g) 1.04/1.02
Weight (lb) 3454
Distribution f/r (%) 48.8/51.2
Top speed (mph) 190
Ford GT
Best lap time 1:32.45
Best lap average speed (mph) 73.2
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 3.8/12.2
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 156
Cornering l/r (g) 1.03/1.01
Weight (lb) 3489
Distribution f/r (%) 43.4/56.6
Top speed (mph) 205