As an owner of a C7 Grand Sport MANUAL, who is completely unbiased, of course the GS is the BETTER one! Kidding, I would love to have the z06. There are sometimes I wish I had the z06 but 99% of the time the GS does everything I need. It is my dream car. I fell in love with the C7 watching Raitis Rides and now own one.
I have the Z06. I don't claim it to be so much better. I just want what I feel is better. It's an obsession. The Grand Sport would suit my needs, but I would always want the Z06. I want the ZR1, but that's out of my price range. Haha!
I totally agree with you!! I’d love the z06, but of course the king would be the ZR1! Maybe one day I can step up into a z06 or ZR1 if my money allows it!
I tried a 19 Z06 and decided to go with the 19 GS instead. I loved the Z06, but I did not want the extra HP over the GS. The GS was, and still is, the ideal Vette for me. Thanks for your review.
Traded in my grand sport for a new stingray mid engine-couldn’t deny the trade in value they were giving me! But Chevy was constantly saying the grand sport is HIGH in demand!! The new 6.2L feels refined and comfortable at highway speeds. And the sound is undeniably strong still.
Best looking Vette to date…wide-body and all the looks. 6.2 Liters and completely reliable, even when tracked. This car is an instant classic…I’m looking for one
LOL @ The "New Balance" reference. My son just bought a 2019 C7 GS M7 a few weeks ago, in the best color (IMHO) Admiral Blue. I have an Arctic White C7 Z06 M7. Spring can't come soon enough for us (we're in Canada; both cars are stored for winter). Great vid, as always.
@@RaitisRides He just got his car out on the road from winter storage a little over a week ago and I had mine out too. We hadn't planned a cruise yet and mine was stolen from my very own driveway last night while I was sleeping. :( FML.
I have long maintained that the C7 GS is the best corvette to own for most. It has ample performance, great reliability, available manual transmission, coupe or drop top, drop dead gorgeous, and it's available for a nice price on the used market.
I love my 2019 Black GS. Was thinking of getting a C8 Z06 but it’s just not worth the cost especially given the markups. Keep them and I will keep my C7 GS!
Man, the C7 still looks so good. It still looks up-to-date, even with the C8 having been out for a few years. The C8 still hasn't grown on me. It's a phenomenal car and I definitely would drive one at the drop of a hat, but the C7 has that undeniable "Corvette" about it. The C8 is too Euro for me. Kinda like how the 6th gen Mustang never looked better than the 5th gen Mustang. The current gen surpasses the previous with performance, but there's a charm that certain gens have over the newer generations of car.
What a beautiful car....different planet than the C8. Of course Chevy had to make the big change with the C8 to remain relevant. Of course, I would love either. Thanks Joe for showcasing this 2019. I love all your videos. PS: In our world today the only CONSTANT is CHANGE.
I've mentioned in your previous videos, I too prefer the C7 over the C8, even though the C8 performs so well. I bought (5/22/23) a 2016 Z06 3LZ convertible. I love it. Just today, 12/15/23, I installed an AFE cold air intake. Thanks for the video Joe. The Grand Sport is a great option! I want more supercharger sound too! My CTS-V LSA screamed!
Did you test drive both, or just outright bought the z06? I can’t decide, i want the extra power, but will i be able to mod it beyond that power or just get a GS, and mod that..
This one has to be much safer and still entertaining compared to a Z06. We should admit to ourselves we don't have the skills or much opportunity to drive the Z06 at speed. This is a good choice.
The LT1 sounds so much better in person, this video can only do so much. A very accessible sports car I bought my 2014 Z51 manual in 2020 for only $45k. The car turns like a go-kart but with a V8 its insane get yourself one! Raiti you forgot to mention the heated AND ventilated seats for those cold winters and scorching hot leather burn your thighs summers for both occupants.
If you want more speed get the Z. It's more of a struggle to put the power down but when you hook you're out of there. The GS is more confident and you can use more of the power which makes it more fun!
I almost bought same color combo (red with black mirrors/rims) but I ended up going with the White with black mirrors/rims. Got mine new in May of 2020 when no one wanted them and wanted the C8. They had just over 100 C7 Vettes at the dealership. Got mine at 14k under the MSRP. It will be 4 years ago right now that I have owned it and love every minute driving it.
Picked up one of these earlier this year with a little under 36k miles… 17 GS 2LT manual. My dream corvette!! Got it in my preferred Long Beach red and Kalahari interior combination colors as well!! $53k for this one isn’t too bad
Have to be honest, I love going for a nice leisurely drive in my 2018 GS with 7 speed manual more than my 2023 Z06 - although the Z06 is a real beast and the flat plane crank V8 sounds super-cool.
You are very fortunate to own both!! Congrats👍🏽👍🏽 the new z06 is an awesome car but a GS with a manual offers a very engaging driving experience. It’s not as fast but you’ll get a kick from rowing through the gears
Couldn’t agree with you more Joe! Not that I’m even able to get off the bench and play on this field but this GS is it what I think of when you talk corvette. The new machine has stepped into a whole different class as a competitor.
Always loved the C7 platform. Started with a 04 GTO, modded the hell out of it (heads/cammed + full bolt ons). Eventually moved into a 2014 CTSV that ive had for about 5 years now i think. Bolt ons, making about 550 wheel HP. Love it and it’s ridiculously fast. Always wanted a corvette though. C7 has been my favorite generation for sure. Sure the grand sport would be slower than the V as is but i dont really think i would mind. Dont really think i need the ZO6 power.
I rented that model for my 50th birthday and loved it.. but have been debating on it and the Z06 to buy.. I will test drive a Z06 but I think the 2019 Grand Sport with the manual transmission is going to my choice.
I rented a 2019 Stingray 7M for 5 days and put 850 miles on it ripping through the mountains and canyons of Utah. Definitely needed more power and better tires for me. Was surprised that I already felt like it was underpowered and was getting bored. I think a modified GS with maybe 550hp would be perfect. Tbh my fbo tuned 07 Civic si is more fun on most roads and feels quicker under 100mph. That being said I will own a 2019 GS 7M at some point and will donsome tasteful hp mods.
Just bought a 2016 Z06 with a 7-speed manual, because I'm a man. It's a filthy beast!🦍 If you want to POSE like you have a Z06, with the bodywork, this will work, if the Z06 is too much for you
The GS offers the looks, handling and track capabilities from the Z06 but with just enough power. You can’t talk down on a GS only cause it’s not a Z06. They’re a lot more affordable too!! And naturally aspirated power is very nice. These sold like hotcakes. In my humble opinion, I liked the wheels and side vents on these better than the z06.
I wouldn’t say it’s better than a c8 z06 but I’d say the C7 Z06 is WAY better than the c8 Z06. That screaming roar, that supercharger, that C7 was SUCH A BEAST! The C8 Z06 is AWESOME, don’t get me wrong, but that C7 is just special. I wouldn’t mind having either one of them!
I loved my 2018... but if I'm honest it was kind of boring to drive on the street. If not going to the track I'd recommend the Z06, it was more fun around town.
Any concerns/precautions one should take regarding purchase when considering previous owner using the Active Fuel Management System? Car is a one owner ‘19 grand Sport, A8, 25K miles It’s a private sale, car fax report is totally clean She is 1200 miles away so I would fly to LA and drive home. Immaculate, like new condition with my favorite color combo, Long Beach Red w/Kalahari interior Owner is a 65 year old fart like me. He and his wife drive it to car shows
I like the c7 for the simple fact that it has a true manual transmission and it’s bulletproof compared to the c8 dual clutch dumpster fire. GM makes great cars but they need to get there reliability game up as the c5 c6 can easily go way beyond 200,000 miles but c8 new platform lots of bugs
I'm surprised that not many upgrade performance parts for the car like Corvette. Even Suzuki Jimmy that has ton of variety of after market performance parts from different manufacturers. This Corvette is iconic vehicle deserve more manufacturers to design performance part to it like GTR or 911
Hey Joe, that transmission shifts so slow! You could easily have a few bites of that Twinkie while waiting for it to up shift. I have a C8 and the DCT is phenomenal! A massive improvement
I wonder if the C7 will retain value better than the C8, in the future. I'm not saying it will, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does. Time will tell.
Good review, I have a 2019 Grand Sport as well. Great car! But you got a couple items wrong. Like the Stingray Z51 it is 460hp. It’s 455hp without the performance exhaust. Also that car doesn’t have navigation. No biggie, neither does mine. lol. I use Waze anyway, better than the GM nav!
Man You Know Your Knowledge ❤ When I Buy my C7 Next Year🎉 I Need to Take You to the Dealership 🙏 One More Year of Child Support!! I'm Getting my Dammm C7!! If I was to Win a C8 the next day I would go trade it in for a C7!!! C8 look like a copycat foreign international sports car!! I ❤ the 4 🎺🎺🎺🎺 trumpets exhaust tail Pipe on the C7. Great👏👍🏽👏 information and Video 🎬
