Hey all. I have a 2000 vette that I've owned for about four years now - the longest I've ever owned a car. It's about time for me to get something new and I've been considering the G35Coupe a lot. For those that have driven a C5 vette, how do they compare with the G35?

Edit: I forgot to ask, about how much money would it take to get the G35 up to vette hp and performance numbers?

 

Its almost like vette owners want to hear us say their cars are fast.........Not to bust your chops but I have heard a few people ask the same question as you, from a vette to a G, and everyone says, "the G will feel like a slug"...........and yes it will feel really slow.

To make them even, go TT and then mod even more.

 

I'd say 4k-5k for supercharger or turbocharger and that will put you past vette hp numbers. Handling will probably already be on par with vette if you get the sport suspension package.

In addition, you get a back seat, much nicer interior, and cheaper insurance.

 

Actually, you will most likely receive subjective answers. If you are really curious . . . Might I suggest a nice test drive at your local Infiniti dealer?

. . . I'd keep the vette . . . Only because it's probably paid off already, eh?

 

I'm not here to have anyone say vettes are faster than a G. Everyone knows that's true in stock form. I'm just asking what it would take to get the G up to vette numbers.

When I got the vette, I swore that there would be no other car (realisticly) that I would trade the vette for but when the G35 Coupes came out I was really impressed with their styling and for the most part, they were a good performer. I've test driven a G before but what I'm trying to get from you owners is how you like the car after months or years of ownership - not 15 minutes of seat time on a test drive.

The vette is quite fast, as I've only done a few minor bolt ons. The interior is decent, but could be better. MPG is excellent for a car with that much power. Cargo space is quite a bit in the coupe. So, how does the G stack up? I'm obviously not trying to bash the G, otherwise I wouldn't be considering one, I just don't know that much about them.

 

Well, I've got the G, and I am looking at the new C6. Nothing wrong with the G, but i want more performance, and always admired the vette. I would not have purchased one except for the significant improvements made in the C6.

The G's are nice, reliable cars. They are not fast, but the interior is top notch, and it has many nice additions like one touch up and down passenger and driver wheels, etc. I just hate the extremely bolstered, uncomfortable front seats.

 

Well, I still have a C5 Vette. I love it. The biggest difference to me is how nice and spacious the G is with a back seat, which was the biggest deciding factor in this car, otherwise I would have gotten a 350Z.

C5 will obviously outperform the G35, but the thing is when you go from the vette to the G, it doesen't feel like a drastic downgrade or anything. You will appriciate the comfort and space of the G35, and the more comfortable ride. It feels like it handles a lot more nimble without the gigantic boat-like hood of the vette, although the G still does not handle as sharp as the vette.

 

I had a 2000 C5 hardtop for a couple of years. On a performance level there is no comparisson between the two. The C5 is a much better track performer. Although, you can't discount the amazing 60-0 stopping power of the Brembos (pre-05 cars). The numbers are similiar for the 05s with the Brembo replacement.

As for cornering, the G35s linear torque curve makes feeling the limit pretty easy. Its steering feedback is ok, but I preferred the C5 feedback, which was nothing to brag about. Also, you won't have as many snap-oversteer situations in the G35 given the lower HP. It can be quite fun to let the rear get loose since it is relatively easy to control.

The seating position will feel higher up than the C5. In fact, you will be amazed at how well you can see out of the car. Also, since the front end isn't as long, knowing where the front tires is made easier.

The C5 interior isnt close, and the room in the G is great.

Essentially these cars don't share too much in common when it comes to sportscar vs. sportscar. They are very different and both fun to drive.

If you want the seat of the pants sense of acceleration in the G35 you are going to want to mod it with forced induction.

I guess another way to put it is this. The vette sacrifices luxury for speed whereas the G35 gives up a little speed for a decent amount of luxury.

If you have any other questions I would be glad to answer them if possible!

 

I agree with heeb and ScapGF. I still have my 99 six speed C5 and you can't beat the neck snapping torque of the LS1. But as a daily driver I find the vette to be a bit impractical. The Vette is a great car but the more miles I put on mine the looser the car feels. I am not referring to handling. The squeaks and rattles really begin to appear on the Vette with only a few miles. I only have 43k miles on mine and it feels like it has 100k on it. My G is still new only 4500 miles but i could tell when I test drove the G how much more refined and better engineered the car is. The interior in the G is a great improvement as well. The leather feels better and the interior is just designed better in my opinion. The Vette is more of a race car than the G at least IMHO. My only gripe about the G and the Vette as well, would be the Fcukin BLOSE stereo. Who ever sold the auto manufacturers on this POS should run for president. I will say the BLOSE in the G was a great improvement over the one in the Vette, but that ain't sayin a lot. "No highs, no lows, it must be BLOSE" as my audio installer friend says. Just remember these are two entirely different cars and it just depends what you are looking for. Performance wise you will be dissappointed in the G having stepped out of a Vette. For a daily driver though you will be impressed and your back will thankyou too. I hope this helps as this is just my take on it.

 

I was in Gspot35's Vortech Supercharged 5AT Sedan (with the 9lb pulley) and he raced a c5 corvette. He beat the vet w/o any problem and the vette was clearly racing. Can you cay 120mph in a 45. I was stuck between stunned and scared for my (and others) life(s).

Slap on a Vortech S/C with the out of the box 8lb pulley and I'd imagine that you should be right on par with the vette, with the 9lb pulley... say bye bye.

Typical Vortech prices are in the mid to high $4000 range and installation and tuning can vary from $1000-$2000. Gauges, gauge pods, the GATES belt and 1 step colder plugs will all run another $1000 or so.

Worst case is mid $7K for a nice set up and comparable performance from the G. There are group buys from time to time where these prices all come down by a little bit.

Many others would promote a single turbo (very new to the G and 350z crowd) and others would promote a twin turbo (very expensive and a shaky track record for reliability). The superchargers have been around the longest and have the most miles on them. On this site, Vortech is a very popular choice.

 

I seriously considered buying a C6, but I didn't. Here are my reasons:

1, The two Chevy dealers near me suck. Both their sales departments and service departments are the absolute pits.
2. I don't like the idea that when you park, you have to put your car in reverse with a manual tranny C6 to prevent the battery from draining.
3. The C6 is a great bang for the buck but a decently equipped one will list for $55K. After my Porsche experience, I am not anxious to spend that kind of money for a car. Although I loved my 993 (hated my 996) I just didn't get the enjoyment I thought I would from these $80K+ cars. Unless you can sell a high priced car yourself and what a pain in the *** that can be, the depreciation is a killer.
4. I occassionally need a back seat and I hate to have to negotiate with my wife to borrow her car on those occaassions. I hate those dam lectures about spending so much money on impractical toys.
5. Vettes and Porsches attract too much attention from the cops. They must get special bonus points for bagging either car. The G35 although a beautiful car doesn't stand out nearly as much as a vette.
6. I've owned three Infinitis in the past and the cars I had were bulletproff in quality. My youngest son still drives my ' 95 G20 with over 200K miles and it's still in great shape.
7. Although this will vary from dealer to dealer, the Infiniti dealer near me is super. They bend over backwards to accomodate their customers which is not what I got from the BMW dealer not too far away. The Infiniti dealer hand washes and towel dries each car and vacuums the interior after each service. When my Porsche was serviced they ran it through a car wash and let it air dry. Naturally there were always water spots on my car when I picked it up.


My advice is to make a list of all of the things that are important to you in a car and then weight them. Since having the fastest car is no longer a priority for me, the G35 was an easy choice over even more expensive cars like the M3 or C6. But some may have to have the fastest car or maybe crave for the perceived prestiege of owning a German car or even a vette. That's why the choice has to be made by the individual because we all have different values.

One last thought. Don't buy a car because you think others will like it. Buy the one that you like the best. Keep in mind that 99.9% of the general public couldn't care less what you are driving, so buying a car to impress that .1% is foolish IMO.

 

DON'T DO IT... coming from a former vette owner ... i would say either keep the c5 or upgrade to the c6. unless something has changed any u need the extra 2 seats in the rear i would not do it, u'll regret it. i loved my c5 vette and also used it as a daily driver. performance wise u cannot compare the 2 vehicles. i unfortunately had to give it up because i got married and needed a car for my wife (trade-in for a mini cooper s). needless to say that i will be purchasing another vette hopefully by next year (as financially everything is looking great again). i've often thought of modding my g35 with fi... but it's just not worth it in my eyes. voids the warranty and reliabilty is not guaranteed. plus... by just looking at the numbers posted above it doesn't seem like a great deal at all. pricing up a loaded g35 on infiniti.com gives u a price of 38,900... throw on 7k for fi and your already up to 45,900. u can get a c6 with the 1sb package for 48,870. sorry, just not worth it in my eyes. i love my g35 as a daily cruiser... but it will never replace my former vettes in any stretch of the imagination... i just found them to be that much more fun to drive. not too mention the vette is so much more mod friendly. good luck on any decision u make.

 

I remember wanting a corvette...... IN 1989!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

First, test drive the G. See how you like it.

And to answer your question about getting the coupe up to vette HP, I would say you're looking at about $20-25K. You'll need high boost twin turbo or supercharger. However, because of the high boost, you'll need an oil cooler, racing oil pump and water pump, and you'll need to rebuild the engine internals to withstand the forced induction stresses. You may need a new cam, along with new rods, pistons, etc. You'll likely need to replace the exhaust manifold with headers, add on high-flow cats, and a new cat-back system.

With the 6mt you'll likely need to look at clutch upgrades, and finally, you may want to consider replacing the rotors and calipers, but the stock brembos may do ok as long as you don't bring it to the track or beat the $hit out of it.

Lastly, although the stock 19" wheels are sweet, I believe you'll want a wider rim in the rear to mount larger rubber to deal with all that extra HP. No sense in going with anything that's not forged, so plan on at least another $3K for wheels and tires.

This is just my estimate.

 

This should help.