This may sound odd, but how does the acceleration of a 550 compare to a C5 or C6 vette? Why do I care, I really love the feel of a vette, but cannot have one now...no back seat and I cannot afford a BMW and a vette. So I am considering trading my 525 for a 550i, maybe for the best of both worlds...good hard acceleration, handling, quality and a back seat!

Is the price of the Sport Package worth it?

 

I've never driven the 'Vette but a 550 sport is an excellent car that offers the best of both worlds for sure!

 

Ohhhh yessss!

 

If you were in NYC or a place with giant potholes, then maybe a non-sport is advisable.

But in TN, a sport pack will make the car far more enjoyable even thought the price is steep (but only a 7-8% premium to MSRP)

 

Tough decision...an 08 vette with 430HP is actually cheaper too!

 

I have never driven the vette either, but you will not be disappointed with the 550. I have a smile on face everyday when I want to accelerate on demand and have the civility of a 4 door family car. Go for it!

 

Having driven a Z06 C5 and 550, all with a manual transmission, I can chime in.

The C5 has a more of a sports car ride, while the 5 is much smoother and more compliant. That doesn't mean the 5er doesn't handle well, but it is very different. Some of this is due to my 'vette experience being in a Z06. I'd guess the standard model is a bit more refined.

While the exhaust note is more subdued in the 5, a V8 is a V8. You won't be disappointed.

 

To the question, on a standard day:

Corvette C5 will do 0 - 60 in 4.46 seconds, hitting the 1/4 mile mark at 12.68 seconds at 124 miles per hour
Corvette C6 will hit 60 in 3.7 seconds, and I can't find a good source for a quarter mile, but would peg it somewhere in the high 11's, very low 12's
BMW 550i, 5.6 seconds to 60, and 13.8 seconds to 1/4 miles @ 103 mph.

It may not seem like a lot, but getting to 60 almost 2 seconds before the other guy is huge. Some mags and reviews have put the 550 to a 5.2 second 60, which is good, but nowhere close to where you need to be to run with the big, heavy fiberglass dogs. You need an M5 for this sandbox.

However, the 550 offers about a thousand things that the C6 does not offer, namely, quality build construction, quiet ride, a back seat, a trunk, a nifty diagram to tell you how to put golf clubs in the trunk, nice seats, greater resale value, reliability, and many others. Plus you don't have to be an overweight, balding, 50-60's guy to drive a 550i which, from my meticulous research, seems to be the demographic GN targets this car to. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a hot looking chick drive a 'Vett?

 

Evidently, the average 55-year-old balding man has more disposable income than a 20-year-old aspiring actress who waits tables for a living.

Shocking.