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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take home a 2009 C6 for the evening and I reported to the Collective that I wasn't crazy about it... the throttle-by-wire had a noticeable lag, the front tires wanted to follow every rut in the road ("tramlining") and the whole car just seemed too refined, too Cadillac like.
Well, today, a fellow member of the Suncoast Corvette Association in sunny Tampa Bay gave me the controls of his beautiful, 2014, 7-speed manual, Z51... C7. Along with the Z51 RPO, the car has the 2LT option with navigation, special order paint and chrome wheels.
The first thing that surprised me was how intimate (read "small") the cabin felt. It felt smaller than my '96 and way smaller than a C5 or C6. The whole car seems much smaller from the inside than it actually is. Although more comfortable and way more supportive than the C5's and C6's I've driven, the cabin "feel" most closely resembles my C4. The view out the front, however, more closely resembles the C3's, very "Mako Shark" like. The main difference is where all the hood and fender lines of the C3 go directly away from you, in the C7 the line where the hood meets the left fender cuts into your vision from the left, moving toward center which took some getting used.
Compared to the C6, I am happy to report there is no discernible throttle-by-wire lag nor any tramlining of the front wheels. However, the idle is not as smooth as my LT1 (to be expected from the significantly higher horsepower) and the temperature stayed pegged at 220, regardless of speed or A/C fans turning. (Red line is 260°.)
The whole car was tight as a drum and exhibited none of the C4 shake or shudder on bumpy roads. I had expected the Z51 suspension to be harsh but it was surprisingly compliant. The brakes are outstanding and acceleration reminded me of a friends lightly modified C5 Z06 I have some time in (383 RWHP). The clutch on the C7 was very smooth with about average effort.
The stuff I didn't like included: the 7-speed gear box which, to my way of thinking, has at least two gears too many. From zero to 70+ miles per hour I was constantly trying to decide which gear I needed to be in. I also felt the cabin was just too busy, with too much information and too many choices. It may be something I'd grow used to with time but I was uncomfortable with the constant digital onslaught. I came away thinking it was a bit over the top.
While I loved the Head-up Display in the C6 and my friend's C5 Z06, the C7's display with its many colors and additional information was actually distracting. The view out the windshield is constricted at the top center by a protruding rear view mirror assembly and on the sides by elongated A pillars. It may be one of the smallest windshields I've ever looked through. The view out the back is also one of the smallest I've ever experienced and my friend actually added a pair of those little, round, stick-on, blind spot mirrors to the car's outside rear views. Of course, one is reminded of Raul Julia's famous line in The Cannonball Run, "What is behind you... is of no concern!"
In Eco-mode, the engine will go from 8-cylinders down to 4 and back, seamlessly and, you can watch your highway MPG's go from 40 MPG to 20 and back, instantly.
The dashboard is nothing less than Spectacular! It's colorful, full of information and appears to be floating in space before you. I loved the experience of it but again, found it a little distracting.
I suspect much of the negative side of my experience would disappear with time. However, I can only think that new C7 owners must feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of their choices.
It handled, as you would expect, very well and remained flat through all corners at all speeds. One on-ramp corner I am used to taking in my '96 at 60mph was easily taken by the C7 with no lack of confidence. I suspect I could take that corner at 65 or 70 in the C7 and still feel confident. I haven't tried it at those speeds in my '96 but I am always amazed at how well it handles (with the factory Real Time Dampening option and after-market Vette2Vette Frame Stiffeners). The C7 obviously handles well but it's really not spectacular. It doesn't handle any better than my friend's '04 Z06 with coil-overs and not THAT much better than my C4.
I may actually have the opportunity to purchase a C7 within the foreseeable future. We have a house in NY that is finally under contract to be sold. When my wife returned home, today, and asked how I liked the C7, I replied that I loved it... just to keep my options open. But, that's really not accurate. There are aspects of it that I surely enjoyed but overall, I think it contains a lot of trade-offs. My friend's '04 Z06 is more fun to drive (may have something to do with a $50K liability differential) but... you can't remove the FRC's top. Given the choice of any model Corvette, I don't find the C7 a hands-down, no brainer.
So, I'm a guy whose first Corvette was a '56 and who has owned twelve or thirteen C1's, C2's and C3's over the years. I never liked the C4's. However, when faced with the desire for another Corvette after a 30-year hiatus, and a budget of $10K, a clean, low mileage '96 was my best option. A year and many "test rides" later, and I keep finding I may have inadvertently made the right choice! With each little upgrade, I love my '96 that much more and my quest to find a better alternative is starting to feel like a fool's errand!
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take home a 2009 C6 for the evening and I reported to the Collective that I wasn't crazy about it... the throttle-by-wire had a noticeable lag, the front tires wanted to follow every rut in the road ("tramlining") and the whole car just seemed too refined, too Cadillac like.
Well, today, a fellow member of the Suncoast Corvette Association in sunny Tampa Bay gave me the controls of his beautiful, 2014, 7-speed manual, Z51... C7. Along with the Z51 RPO, the car has the 2LT option with navigation, special order paint and chrome wheels.
The first thing that surprised me was how intimate (read "small") the cabin felt. It felt smaller than my '96 and way smaller than a C5 or C6. The whole car seems much smaller from the inside than it actually is. Although more comfortable and way more supportive than the C5's and C6's I've driven, the cabin "feel" most closely resembles my C4. The view out the front, however, more closely resembles the C3's, very "Mako Shark" like. The main difference is where all the hood and fender lines of the C3 go directly away from you, in the C7 the line where the hood meets the left fender cuts into your vision from the left, moving toward center which took some getting used.
Compared to the C6, I am happy to report there is no discernible throttle-by-wire lag nor any tramlining of the front wheels. However, the idle is not as smooth as my LT1 (to be expected from the significantly higher horsepower) and the temperature stayed pegged at 220, regardless of speed or A/C fans turning. (Red line is 260°.)
The whole car was tight as a drum and exhibited none of the C4 shake or shudder on bumpy roads. I had expected the Z51 suspension to be harsh but it was surprisingly compliant. The brakes are outstanding and acceleration reminded me of a friends lightly modified C5 Z06 I have some time in (383 RWHP). The clutch on the C7 was very smooth with about average effort.
The stuff I didn't like included: the 7-speed gear box which, to my way of thinking, has at least two gears too many. From zero to 70+ miles per hour I was constantly trying to decide which gear I needed to be in. I also felt the cabin was just too busy, with too much information and too many choices. It may be something I'd grow used to with time but I was uncomfortable with the constant digital onslaught. I came away thinking it was a bit over the top.
While I loved the Head-up Display in the C6 and my friend's C5 Z06, the C7's display with its many colors and additional information was actually distracting. The view out the windshield is constricted at the top center by a protruding rear view mirror assembly and on the sides by elongated A pillars. It may be one of the smallest windshields I've ever looked through. The view out the back is also one of the smallest I've ever experienced and my friend actually added a pair of those little, round, stick-on, blind spot mirrors to the car's outside rear views. Of course, one is reminded of Raul Julia's famous line in The Cannonball Run, "What is behind you... is of no concern!"
In Eco-mode, the engine will go from 8-cylinders down to 4 and back, seamlessly and, you can watch your highway MPG's go from 40 MPG to 20 and back, instantly.
The dashboard is nothing less than Spectacular! It's colorful, full of information and appears to be floating in space before you. I loved the experience of it but again, found it a little distracting.
I suspect much of the negative side of my experience would disappear with time. However, I can only think that new C7 owners must feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of their choices.
It handled, as you would expect, very well and remained flat through all corners at all speeds. One on-ramp corner I am used to taking in my '96 at 60mph was easily taken by the C7 with no lack of confidence. I suspect I could take that corner at 65 or 70 in the C7 and still feel confident. I haven't tried it at those speeds in my '96 but I am always amazed at how well it handles (with the factory Real Time Dampening option and after-market Vette2Vette Frame Stiffeners). The C7 obviously handles well but it's really not spectacular. It doesn't handle any better than my friend's '04 Z06 with coil-overs and not THAT much better than my C4.
I may actually have the opportunity to purchase a C7 within the foreseeable future. We have a house in NY that is finally under contract to be sold. When my wife returned home, today, and asked how I liked the C7, I replied that I loved it... just to keep my options open. But, that's really not accurate. There are aspects of it that I surely enjoyed but overall, I think it contains a lot of trade-offs. My friend's '04 Z06 is more fun to drive (may have something to do with a $50K liability differential) but... you can't remove the FRC's top. Given the choice of any model Corvette, I don't find the C7 a hands-down, no brainer.
So, I'm a guy whose first Corvette was a '56 and who has owned twelve or thirteen C1's, C2's and C3's over the years. I never liked the C4's. However, when faced with the desire for another Corvette after a 30-year hiatus, and a budget of $10K, a clean, low mileage '96 was my best option. A year and many "test rides" later, and I keep finding I may have inadvertently made the right choice! With each little upgrade, I love my '96 that much more and my quest to find a better alternative is starting to feel like a fool's errand!
I can't say I would I would love to have one and to compare it to a 2004 ZO6
So I first owned a C6Z51, traded it for a C6GS, then added my C4. My time with the C is limited, but mostly echoes what you've said.
The C7 cockpit is small, uncomfortably so. In my C6s and C4, I've got plenty of room. They're a car I could take to dinner and not feel cramped on the way there.
The tramlining is largely a function of the tires - my C6Z51 didn't tramline at all, but it had Michelin A/S tires. My GS tramlined HORRIBLY with the stock Goodyears, but doesn't nearly at all now with Michelin Super Sports, and it has 295s up front. The new C7 switched to all Micheiin tires, so it has a big advantage in performance and comfort there compared to the stock C6. Keep that in mind when comparing performance between the two.
I think I'd be OK with the HUD in the C7, but the gauges and displays seem to be too busy and too much going on. It's like having a giant phone app going, and doesn't appeal to me. I definitely prefer the more basic gauges in my C6.
The throttle by wire stuff, well they both have it. You might not have noticed it as much in the C7, but I assure you, it's there. It's not been bad on either of my C6s, very similar to the throttle in my C4.
The 7 speed transmission was a "me too" item, pure and simple. Porsche developed one, so Corvette had to have one to say it was on their level (falsely). There's really no benefit to it, it's just more gears.
For me, the C7 represents an incremental update. The new interior is nice, and it certainly can have nicer materials. But I can upgrade all the materials in my C6 to materials far nicer than the C7 for less than the cost of upgrading. The 20ho is nice, but I can get that easily too. The styling, well it's worse IMO. The extra gears really don't appeal to me. The two things that really appeal to me in the C7 are the cooled seat option, and the stiffer chassis. Considering I'm not a good enough driver to really need the stiffer chassis (and I suspect there's less than 10 people on the forum who are), it's not a big appeal to me.
FWIW, the C5Z is a great car, but it's matched in performance by the base C6. A lot of track guys I know started with the C5Z, and wished they had bought a C5 coupe, because it has better aerodynamics, is more comfortable, and they upgraded everything that made the C5Z better anyways. An extra 50hp is easy to get out of a LS1.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20
I agree on the interiors. When I drove a C7 few weeks ago, the interiors grabbed me the way the C4 does.
Regarding the gauges, colors, and HUD. That's for the owner to decide which one you would like to use.
For example my C5Z06 has a HUD, it has multiple functions like RPMS with MPH, temp, all combines, alone etc. Well the truth is that I dont care for the HUD, it is always off.
I think the C7 rocks with the exception of it's rear. Initially I disliked it, then it grew on me, but one day I was driving behind one on the freeway, and that thing it's just butt-ugly.
I guess that my preference away from the C6 I owned for 24 hours would extend to the C7. While much of the exterior styling 'flaws' (too busy) can be mitigated with dark color choice, all that hoey-doey inside is distracting and hardly (IMHO) necessary on a car you DRIVE and must pay attention to, not to mention other drivers. I quickly hated the human-car interface on the C6 and found the seats worse than my C4, especially with new foam and leather.
Although my '84 Z51 was the 'harshest riding' factory Corvette ever, the revalving of the Bilsteins to Challenge specification delivers almost no harshness, rather a quite conficent, comfy extended drive experience while giving naught up in handling; this with zero suspension rubber, only Heim joints and polyurethane. That it was paid for over 20 years ago is more than cake icing.
The ZF6-40 modification puts retention of this antique over the top.
At times I play that fool's game, but hell, window shopping is cheap, has no buyer's remorse and is part of my car 'thing'.
I agree on the interiors. When I drove a C7 few weeks ago, the interiors grabbed me the way the C4 does.
Regarding the gauges, colors, and HUD. That's for the owner to decide which one you would like to use.
For example my C5Z06 has a HUD, it has multiple functions like RPMS with MPH, temp, all combines, alone etc. Well the truth is that I dont care for the HUD, it is always off.
I think the C7 rocks with the exception of it's rear. Initially I disliked it, then it grew on me, but one day I was driving behind one on the freeway, and that thing it's just butt-ugly.
Well, today, a fellow member of the Suncoast Corvette Association in sunny Tampa Bay gave me the controls of his beautiful, 2014, 7-speed manual, Z51... C7.
C7s look good up close in person and with the darker colors the black plastics dont look goofy anymore. Sharp color there
Do dig the interiors looks much simpler. Not a fan of a million buttons ***** etc.
Im betting on very uneven surfaces esp at higher speeds they will outhandle any other gen with ease with all the nanny controls
Nice machine but nothing I could work on so pass. They are very advanced....and have some issues that would scare me away $ unless it was warrantied still a rockin machine.
Good write-up. I took a 7-speed '14 out earlier this year and can echo many of your sentiments. One of my first impressions was how tight the driver's seat is (I drove an F-type and it is wider and thus not as tight). The car is extremely precise and impressive as a whole. It's a big step forward, just as the C4 was from the C3.
Thanks for the story, I've sat in them but never drove them. I want an orange 2015 C7 to match my orange '72 C3, but the cost is just a bit high. I test drove the new 2015 Mustang GT in Deep Impact Blue, which you guessed it, matches my blue 1970 428 CJ Mustang. The cost of 2 fully loaded GTs would buy A C7 Z51. So I might have to get the Mustang, and it is nice, but I really want a C7. The 15 Mustang though is really refined and it is the first Mustang that actually was comfortable to drive.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20
Drove a similar/2nd C7 Z51 8-speed automatic yesterday.
Our friend bought it Thursday in Wisconsin, and drove to California.
This time I had more time to experience the drive, and all gadgets.
Easy to seat in the driver seat, the steering wheel is electrical for all positions, and telescopic. Any time of display ever used by a gear head it's available in the C7. Engine hours, 0-60 speed, weight, anything, it's a technological Corvette evolution. All controls in the cabin are user friendly. I was able to find, and manage all the ones I found. To include that USB wall switch ...I was like WTF?
The C7 reminds me of the C4, it grabs you like a baseball glove, and makes you feel part of the car.
I did not go WOT on it, but pushed it about 50%, you feel the Vette taking off like a rocket, and stays that way. It handles like no other car I've ever driven, and it feels like a cadillac, but handles like a Vette should do.
The engine with tons of space to work in it. Very noticeable how easy to remove the hub/balancer would be. There is a steering column, but there is no rotary power steering pump, it is electrical.
I keep bumping into the tail lights opinion. I got to say that the color is what makes a difference for me. On this color, the rear lights didn't disgust me like it does on other colors.
Drove a similar/2nd C7 Z51 8-speed automatic yesterday.
Our friend bought it Thursday in Wisconsin, and drove to California.
This time I had more time to experience the drive, and all gadgets.
Easy to seat in the driver seat, the steering wheel is electrical for all positions, and telescopic. Any time of display ever used by a gear head it's available in the C7. Engine hours, 0-60 speed, weight, anything, it's a technological Corvette evolution. All controls in the cabin are user friendly. I was able to find, and manage all the ones I found. To include that USB wall switch ...I was like WTF?
The C7 reminds me of the C4, it grabs you like a baseball glove, and makes you feel part of the car.
I did not go WOT on it, but pushed it about 50%, you feel the Vette taking off like a rocket, and stays that way. It handles like no other car I've ever driven, and it feels like a cadillac, but handles like a Vette should do.
The engine with tons of space to work in it. Very noticeable how easy to remove the hub/balancer would be. There is a steering column, but there is no rotary power steering pump, it is electrical.
I keep bumping into the tail lights opinion. I got to say that the color is what makes a difference for me. On this color, the rear lights didn't disgust me like it does on other colors.
Drove a similar/2nd C7 Z51 8-speed automatic yesterday...
Reading some of your posts and re-thinking my C7 experience, it's occurred to me that I was so constantly engaged with shifting that 7-speed I probably missed a good deal of the C7 experience! I'll have to find an automatic to drive.
Also when you really flog the C7 it's amazing handling and feedback become readily apparent. It's just as vibrant as the C4....just more more more. In normal driving it registers as barely superior. But when you push them both holy damn. You realize you're battering through corners 15 mph faster than you did in the C4.
At least Z51 anyway.
Then there's the power... lots of it everywhere.
I'm skipping the C5 and 6 I think, and going for a C7, unless I found a mega deal on one of them. And it would have to be a mega deal. They just aren't nearly as good at feedback as the C7. And the C7 actually has an interior.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20
Originally Posted by DrDyno
Reading some of your posts and re-thinking my C7 experience, it's occurred to me that I was so constantly engaged with shifting that 7-speed I probably missed a good deal of the C7 experience! I'll have to find an automatic to drive.
If I had the cash for a C7, I'd go with automatic.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take home a 2009 C6 for the evening and I reported to the Collective that I wasn't crazy about it... the throttle-by-wire had a noticeable lag, the front tires wanted to follow every rut in the road ("tramlining") and the whole car just seemed too refined, too Cadillac like.
Well, today, a fellow member of the Suncoast Corvette Association in sunny Tampa Bay gave me the controls of his beautiful, 2014, 7-speed manual, Z51... C7. Along with the Z51 RPO, the car has the 2LT option with navigation, special order paint and chrome wheels.
The first thing that surprised me was how intimate (read "small") the cabin felt. It felt smaller than my '96 and way smaller than a C5 or C6. The whole car seems much smaller from the inside than it actually is. Although more comfortable and way more supportive than the C5's and C6's I've driven, the cabin "feel" most closely resembles my C4. The view out the front, however, more closely resembles the C3's, very "Mako Shark" like. The main difference is where all the hood and fender lines of the C3 go directly away from you, in the C7 the line where the hood meets the left fender cuts into your vision from the left, moving toward center which took some getting used.
Compared to the C6, I am happy to report there is no discernible throttle-by-wire lag nor any tramlining of the front wheels. However, the idle is not as smooth as my LT1 (to be expected from the significantly higher horsepower) and the temperature stayed pegged at 220, regardless of speed or A/C fans turning. (Red line is 260°.)
The whole car was tight as a drum and exhibited none of the C4 shake or shudder on bumpy roads. I had expected the Z51 suspension to be harsh but it was surprisingly compliant. The brakes are outstanding and acceleration reminded me of a friends lightly modified C5 Z06 I have some time in (383 RWHP). The clutch on the C7 was very smooth with about average effort.
The stuff I didn't like included: the 7-speed gear box which, to my way of thinking, has at least two gears too many. From zero to 70+ miles per hour I was constantly trying to decide which gear I needed to be in. I also felt the cabin was just too busy, with too much information and too many choices. It may be something I'd grow used to with time but I was uncomfortable with the constant digital onslaught. I came away thinking it was a bit over the top.
While I loved the Head-up Display in the C6 and my friend's C5 Z06, the C7's display with its many colors and additional information was actually distracting. The view out the windshield is constricted at the top center by a protruding rear view mirror assembly and on the sides by elongated A pillars. It may be one of the smallest windshields I've ever looked through. The view out the back is also one of the smallest I've ever experienced and my friend actually added a pair of those little, round, stick-on, blind spot mirrors to the car's outside rear views. Of course, one is reminded of Raul Julia's famous line in The Cannonball Run, "What is behind you... is of no concern!"
In Eco-mode, the engine will go from 8-cylinders down to 4 and back, seamlessly and, you can watch your highway MPG's go from 40 MPG to 20 and back, instantly.
The dashboard is nothing less than Spectacular! It's colorful, full of information and appears to be floating in space before you. I loved the experience of it but again, found it a little distracting.
I suspect much of the negative side of my experience would disappear with time. However, I can only think that new C7 owners must feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of their choices.
It handled, as you would expect, very well and remained flat through all corners at all speeds. One on-ramp corner I am used to taking in my '96 at 60mph was easily taken by the C7 with no lack of confidence. I suspect I could take that corner at 65 or 70 in the C7 and still feel confident. I haven't tried it at those speeds in my '96 but I am always amazed at how well it handles (with the factory Real Time Dampening option and after-market Vette2Vette Frame Stiffeners). The C7 obviously handles well but it's really not spectacular. It doesn't handle any better than my friend's '04 Z06 with coil-overs and not THAT much better than my C4.
I may actually have the opportunity to purchase a C7 within the foreseeable future. We have a house in NY that is finally under contract to be sold. When my wife returned home, today, and asked how I liked the C7, I replied that I loved it... just to keep my options open. But, that's really not accurate. There are aspects of it that I surely enjoyed but overall, I think it contains a lot of trade-offs. My friend's '04 Z06 is more fun to drive (may have something to do with a $50K liability differential) but... you can't remove the FRC's top. Given the choice of any model Corvette, I don't find the C7 a hands-down, no brainer.
So, I'm a guy whose first Corvette was a '56 and who has owned twelve or thirteen C1's, C2's and C3's over the years. I never liked the C4's. However, when faced with the desire for another Corvette after a 30-year hiatus, and a budget of $10K, a clean, low mileage '96 was my best option. A year and many "test rides" later, and I keep finding I may have inadvertently made the right choice! With each little upgrade, I love my '96 that much more and my quest to find a better alternative is starting to feel like a fool's errand!
I have LS2 C6 Z51 and that throttle is as touchy as it comes. My car is very responsive. Have you had your car looked at? Because the LS3's are usually not laggy at all!!
11-01-2014, 12:34 AM
Drove a C7 Z51 today...
I would love to have one and to compare it to a 2004 ZO6 
