autoxer6

How durable is the front bumper, rocker panel, and rear quarter panel on the base C7 corvette? Will it take typical cone hits from autocross and survive? The C4 - C6 were generally good. Cold weather makes the cones harder and the plastic bumpers more brittle though.

Does anyone have any experience with autocrossing a C7?

Thanks,
Chris

rplanddeck

I have several friends that are autocrossing their C-7's and have not heard of any damage. The carbon fiber on the new Z-06 is so expensive that it would concern me a bit...but then if I could afford a new Z-06 I would sure race it!
Bob Landdeck
Pueblo, CO

GTB/ZR-1

No issues--and I've whacked a few... lol

Bill Dearborn

I don't think there would be any issue with a base or Z51 C7. With a Z06 I think I would remove the front splitter and side skirts if the car has them. Anything that is carbon fiber can shatter into a thousand pieces when hitting a cone just right. Saw an LG carbon fiber side skirt on a C6Z shatter when it hit an autocross cone at a fairly high rate of speed. The only thing left was pieces just large enough to give a flat tire to anybody who drove over the area later on. I don't see that changing just because things like that are mounted on a C7.

Bill

acrace

Chris - there are several C7s being actively campaigned in my local Corvette club. Most of those folks run their cars several times a month. I haven't noticed any damage on these vehicles, and I haven't heard of any issues.


Al Chan

FKING1

I am one as referred to by Al and while have not hit too many the ones I have hit caused no damage or scuff marks.

c4cruiser

I've seen a number of cars where painter's tape is used in the areas where a car may contact a cone. One guy I saw used the blue painter's tape and then covered that with duct tape.

The glue residue might be a PITA to remove later, but doing something like that could save the paint. I've seen the same sort of thing at track days. Wheelwell edges, the nose, lower rocker panels can take a beating following a car or just from marbles being tossed up.

NTMD8R

My wife and I autocrossed our '14 25 times this year.
Yes, we have hit a few cones.... but no damage.
Of course, there are scuffs, which can fairly well buff out.

rfn026

If you're not hitting cones then you're not going fast enough.

Richard Newton
Can You Beat This One?

93Rubie

Or your just not close enough to them.

Poor-sha

For an extreme case I put my C7Z in a tire wall the very first time I took it to the track and it was cool out (40's). I hit at about a 45 degree nose and front quarter.

The splitter cracked in one place. I could have repaired the crack but just replaced it because I wanted to go to exposed CF (I still have the original though). The splitter undertray had to be replaced but is plastic and cheap. Front nose section was pushed in on one side but popped back out. Front quarter panel did crack near the vent and needed to be repaired and painted.

All and all I think the car took a hit very well and I wouldn't worry at all about cones.

AUTO_X_AL

I would also be one that Al mentioned. I do hit my share of cones and then some.

The only thing I've noticed is that the rock guard film can be difficult to clean up at times. Mineral spirits or lacquer thinner seem to do the trick.

Here's a picture of a few that remain from the last event. These are pretty good here. Though I hit a ton of cones, these are from someone(Heinrocket) who drove a few runs in my car quite a bit faster(shocking, I know) than I did but destroyed a cone in a 5 bucket box at about 50 mph. It seriously sounded like we hit a raccoon at Mach 1.

AUTO_X_AL

Pic

69autoXr