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2001 Topless Toys Comparo: Can Chevy Keep Up With the Germans?

Posted by lifegoeson2702@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 54 comments

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54 Comments

Windows-XP-Home-NEW@reddit

where is the toyota solara?
View on Reddit #87407102

Quikstar@reddit

That's a name I haven't heard in a while
View on Reddit #87702196

10footjesus@reddit

I once rented a boxster on Turo and afterwards the host invited me to rent from him again to try out his Solara.
View on Reddit #87475082

Mustang1718@reddit

I worked at an oil change shop from 2008-2015, and those were by far the most cared for cars that came in. The owners would buy anything and everything the cars needed literally every time.
View on Reddit #87435148

thegooddoctor84@reddit

I know these Car and Driver archive reposts can be polarizing, but it’s such a nostalgia rush to see these test drives from decades ago. Reminds me of the Car and Driver issues I would get in the mail as a kid.
View on Reddit #87540670

DocPhilMcGraw@reddit

I still think the C5 looks damn gorgeous even today. It definitely ranks as one of my favorite vehicles. It makes me wish we could get modern pop up headlights again too.
View on Reddit #87390904

Beyryx@reddit

The body lines do still hold up great, and they're still pretty fast, and they're cheap. The interiors felt so cheap though, the first time I sat in a C5 I was kind of shocked. But sacrifices had to be made to make it fast and affordable so I get it.
View on Reddit #87391551

TheRealDealdo69@reddit

The thing is, they’re worth every dollar. Interior be damned. I had a c5 and it creaked and whatnot but it made me happy to drive.
View on Reddit #87419922

ttthrowaway987@reddit

I thought my C5 was a rattletrap until I picked up a 98 Cobra. It is a Lexus compared to the Ford build quality. And the C5 has seen far more track use.
View on Reddit #87473239

fastbeemer@reddit

It's the worst looking Corvette ever made, and it's not even close. I had a C4 and I'd take that over a C5.  - C8 - C1 - C7 - C2 - C6 - C4 - C3 - C5
View on Reddit #87400488

SH4RPSPEED@reddit

I genuinely love the C8. Its my main choice for an "obtainable" dream car. But #1 best looking Corvette is a brave, brave choice.
View on Reddit #87404006

Beyryx@reddit

Yeah I mean... There's plenty to like about the C8 but I've never considered them especially good looking.
View on Reddit #87442559

ssSix7@reddit

C5 and C3 at the bottom is a weird take, especially under a C4. C8 is also the modern fox body or ugly fast.  And a C2 under the C1? This is a damn good shit post ranking
View on Reddit #87401977

Mother____Clucker@reddit

I remember when the C5 was announced back when I was in 7th grade. I was instantly infatuated with it. Even 23 years on, I think they have aged incredibly well. I fear my chance for a cheap C5 Z06 is fleeting.
View on Reddit #87405327

IAmWellBehaved@reddit

If low-cost EVs become a serious thing globally (and I am being generous by saying "if"), I wonder if things like pop-up headlights designed to meet modern safety regulations and such could return. Their added complexity and uniqueness would set apart a nicer gas car focused on being more elaborate compared to an EV which is cheaper but delivers comparable or better performance. If gas car will increasingly become an emotional purchase, emotional touches become more valuable. Or frankly, higher end EVs can do this too in a world where EVs feel a lot more similar to each other and big performance numbers are accessible.
View on Reddit #87399289

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

Anytime car journalists ask the question "Can car X keep up with the Germans?", in 99% of cases, the answer is "No". It doesn't matter whether the car is American, French, Italian or Japanese.
View on Reddit #87389653

randeus@reddit

Dumb talking point that hasn’t been the case in years. Matter of fact, the Corvette has always embarrassed the Germans.
View on Reddit #87398223

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

How do you explain that the Germans were popular all around the world while the C5 Corvette wasn't?
View on Reddit #87446888

randeus@reddit

I was talking out performance, wasn’t aware this was a popularity contest.
View on Reddit #87449321

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

Apparently, the Germans offer the type of "performance" that is in higher demand all around the world. Keeping up with the Germans isn't just about maximum speed.
View on Reddit #87449812

randeus@reddit

It’s not just maximum speed, the Corvette has been faster in every performance metric to speak of and for a lower price point. Higher demand comes down to availability and brand perception. I’m sure there are more M3s sold in Europe, but it doesn’t change the fact that the C8 kicks every M cars ass.
View on Reddit #87451465

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

I'm talking about the 2001 Corvette vs. 2001 Germans.
View on Reddit #87451973

randeus@reddit

According to the article, seems like the same applied back then.
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Professional_Fix4663@reddit

Sales numbers worldwide tell a different story.
View on Reddit #87458225

randeus@reddit

Again…wasn’t aware this was a popularity contest.
View on Reddit #87459435

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

It's a consumer product. If one product outsells the other, I'm going to assume that it's what consumers want.
View on Reddit #87459671

randeus@reddit

Yes…which may very well not have to do with pure performance.
View on Reddit #87461556

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

Exactly, the type of "performance" that customers actually want.
View on Reddit #87461664

randeus@reddit

This is a silly argument. The sells come down to accessibility, badge, looks, build quality, not just performance. Plenty of cars with worse performance outselling cars with better performance through history. You really want to die on this hill.
View on Reddit #87461893

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

What's the reason why the C5 Corvette wasn't very popular outside of the US and maybe Canada?
View on Reddit #87461941

RodRAEG@reddit

[True](https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1970-05-MT-Corvette-vs.-Porsche-1-4.pdf)
View on Reddit #87418102

rosen380@reddit

I guess this particular case is part of the 1%
View on Reddit #87390498

Professional_Fix4663@reddit

Only in the US and maybe Canada, not in the rest of the world.
View on Reddit #87390630

MIGMOmusic@reddit

Well yeah, cause you can’t get one lmao
View on Reddit #87393225

aprtur@reddit

C5 was a globally sold Corvette, and even had an EU specific option code, so in the scope of this article, it's kind of a dumb argument.
View on Reddit #87393406

MIGMOmusic@reddit

It was 2x the price in Europe and a complete afterthought. 240k of 248k were sold domestically. But technically, yes you are right.
View on Reddit #87394399

aprtur@reddit

You said "because you can't get one".  I'm aware it, as well as the Mustang at the time, were priced out against the competition because of how they were imported at the time, but that's a very different argument than not being able to get one at all.  That argument does hold true for the C8 ZR1, at least through official channels at this time.
View on Reddit #87395598

MIGMOmusic@reddit

Yes and practically speaking I was correct. It’s only a very different argument if you’re being pedantic. But we can agree to disagree. I’ll admit that you are technically correct in everything you’ve said. My baseline is that there are 19 c5s within 20 miles of me on marketplace right now.
View on Reddit #87434129

Easy-End-2852@reddit

Usually it’s way, way faster and costs half as much. Also more reliable lol.
View on Reddit #87404658

fastbeemer@reddit

I'd put up my SC430 against any of that garbage, and I was a BMW guy for a long time. Smoother and more reliable.
View on Reddit #87400586

corn_sugar_isotope@reddit

Unless X= reliability or cost of maintenance.
View on Reddit #87390506

Energy4Days@reddit

I always thought the C5 copied the RX-7 FD
View on Reddit #87425006

j_win@reddit

01-02 z3m is incomparable
View on Reddit #87416207

RodRAEG@reddit

Agreed
View on Reddit #87417775

fastbeemer@reddit

I'll keep my 2003 SC430. The original was released in 2001 as a 2002 model, but it better than any of the cars they have listed. The C5 Corvette is the worst looking Corvette ever made.
View on Reddit #87400299

Mother____Clucker@reddit

Define "better". It was slower, softer, and more insulated. I always thought that they were good looking cars. But ultimately, they were a Lexus in a tracksuit aimed at retirees, not at enthusiasts. It's better compared against the non-AMG SLK, XLR, et al.
View on Reddit #87405846

cilantno@reddit

I was just wanting what u/fastbeemer was going to take out, and had a hunch it was be a squishy old Lexus.
View on Reddit #87403606

solo118@reddit

good times, good times.
View on Reddit #87405842

pants_full_of_pants@reddit

This inspired me to take the Z3 out and it was perfect weather for it today
View on Reddit #87400797

RodRAEG@reddit

I still miss my old red Z3M Roadster, though if I were to ever get one again, I'd want it with the optional hardtop, and an S54 model.
View on Reddit #87389682

reward72@reddit

Took mine for a spin today, I can never get enough of it.
View on Reddit #87396479

muchgreaterthanG_O_D@reddit

Wow. I didnt expect that outcome
View on Reddit #87391953

FrozenUruguayBallbac@reddit

not only keep up, is better IMO
View on Reddit #87391355

thisisjustascreename@reddit

Can any of the Germans *literally* keep up with the Corvette? No.
View on Reddit #87389736