Road & Track Critique Sparks Discussion About Corvette C7 Z06’s Image
Let me make one thing clear at the onset, all these reports about the C7 Z06 overheating are disappointing to say the least. As you know, we’ve regretfully had to cover it extensively, even some issues experienced by Z06 owners right here at Corvette Forum.
That said, I still think there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel, considering that Chevy is fully capable of fixing the problem, a sentiment even shared by some forum members, as related in a recent thread in response to a Road & Track report that compares a Z06 to the Viper ACR, among others, in an effort to ascertain the mag’s Performance Car of the Year. Needless to say, the Z06 didn’t win that honor.
“Most people have a perception about the Z06 being a bad car, but honestly it really doesn’t do its job bad,” wrote forum member FourOneFive. “If Chevy can figure out a fix (or as members have done with multiple techniques) for the oil heating issue, this car will be better than it already is.”
Even the car reviewer who wrote the original Road & Track story (which we covered here) admits that Chevy is capable of engineering a very competitive, all-out, track-oriented Corvette.
“Fifteen years ago, the C5-generation Z06 quickly earned a reputation as the fastest and most capable off-the-showroom-floor trackday car that sub-Ferrari money could buy,” Jack Baruth wrote. “Those early cars weren’t perfect—they had transmission heat issues of their own, and experienced Z06 pilots quickly learned to bring extra brake discs to the track with them—but they were, and to an extent still remain, the gold standard for a ‘fast car’ in HPDE or club events.”
In short, I think it’s just all going to come down to Corvette owners and potential buyers putting more pressure on Chevy to get it done. Of course, complaints about engine issues aren’t limited to Corvettes, as highlighted in a Porsche thread entitled “991 GT3 are burning up.”