I may have expected too much, but the new 4L65-E, an upgraded version of the 4L60-E found in the majority of C5s, didn't feel all that impressive, and its Performance Algorithm Shifting calibration didn't feel all that much better than the fairly lame (at least by serious performance standards) 4L60-E in my '00 coupe. The four-speed 4L65-E (and the 4L60-E) performs quite well; it just doesn't have much, well, soul. GM used to be the leader in automatic transmissions, but they could take some lessons from BMW and Mercedes when it comes to kick-ass automatics. The Germans are producing five- and six-speed automatics that work very well. I've driven a late M3 with an automatic, and it's damn near as much fun as a six-speed-something I cannot say about a C5 or C6, and I'm speaking from experience.
The base C6's suspension works very well. The revised shocks, spring rates, bushings, stabilizer bars, new suspension pickup points, and second-generation Goodyear EMTs (Extended Mobility Tires, a.k.a. runflats) work together to provide a better ride, less road noise, better traction, and more grip and stability in corners. It's less touchy and better controlled than a base C5 with better ride quality thrown in for good measure.
One of the three cars I drove during the ride-and-drive sessions was a Daytona Sunset Orange (metallic) coupe with the optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control. We introduced the MSRC in the October '02 issue's "Cause For Celebration," our first look at the 50th Anniversary Edition models (they were also the Official Pace Cars of the 2002 Indianapolis 500). The 50th Anniversary Vettes were the first GM products to utilize this revolutionary technology, which we took an in-depth look at in "Magnetic Personality" in February '03. With that in mind, I'm not going to try to re-explain the system. It had already supplanted the F45 Selective Real Time Damping (adjustable shocks) in the C5 and carries over as an option on the C6.
There is a console-mounted switch with two settings-"Touring" and "Performance"-and the performance setting firms things up more than it did on the C5. The ride quality of the F55-equipped coupe was indistinguishable from the base car with the control set on Touring. It simply felt a little more controlled over pavement irregularities. The performance setting stiffened up the ride, and, on country lanes, seemed rather pointless. It's something I'd only use for serious canyon or autocrossing.
I'm saving what is, in my humble opinion, the best for last. I've driven a number of Z51-equipped C5s at high-performance driving schools and on all sorts of public roads at all sorts of speeds. I've probably put a thousand miles on Rob's '99 hardtop in the last couple months. I have personally felt that the C5's Z51 Performance Handling package is almost the equivalent of the Z06's FE4 suspension and was limited only by the "old" Goodyear runflats. The C5 Z51 system was purely a suspension package, with stiffer springs and larger-diameter stabilizer bars. RPO Z51 is now a "Performance Package," and the improvements go far beyond springs and stabilizers. There are also different, more aggressively valved dampers (shock absorbers), substantially bigger and more durable brakes, "old" Z06 gearing in six-speeds, transmission and power steering coolers, and new tires-a runflat version of the Goodyear Supercar tires that work so incredibly well on the current Z06. The Supercar EMTs on Z51-equipped C6s are the same size as the standard tires, but are in an entirely different league when it comes to performance-kinda like college basketball versus the NBA.