Shurshot

Don't think I should share the link on this forum but at another "online corvette source" there is an interview with Chevrolet’s Head of Consumer Affairs, James Bell

The following quoted material is a copy and paste of this interview as posted online

"To promote these figures, Chevrolet’s Head of Consumer Affairs, James Bell, hit the automotive journalist talk circuit with a vengeance. We had a chance to ask him some questions about the announcement, what the LT1 will mean for Chevy as a whole, and the future of the C7 Corvette. Here’s what he had to say:


In fact, the only issue is that some of the horsepower ratings we are getting out of the potential future trim levels are really almost too much for the chassis, and the platform."

Too much power

gthal

This can be an issue depending on how the car is used. It's the M3 vs C63 debate all over. The M3's power is better matched to the chassis and the car is better balanced at the track. It doesn't mean more power, regardless of the chassis, isn't better for some uses but not necessarily for everything.

There is a law of diminishing returns relative to HP in my opinion if the car is used at a road course.

Sin City

Jeremy Clarkson just said the same thing about the Ferrari F12: It's got too much power.

At some point you have to wonder who really needs a car for the street that does 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and 212 MPH top speed when the speed limit is 75.

But, I don't see the Vette that way.

Chicago1

Because when you floor it you wanna feel the car move. If that was the case we would all be driving a Prius. You can have alot of fun on the street with high hp car and do it.

gthal

Absolutely true but there is a time when it doesn't practically improve the car. Traction and driver skill (not perceived skill ) make it a law of diminishing returns. If the ZR1 had 1,100 HP would it be a better car or just a car with a lot of unneeded power? Opinions will vary.

v26278

At some point the cost and/or weight of beefing up the drive train comes into play, so things don't break, as well as the diminishing ability to connect the power to the ground.

Shurshot

Maybe they just mean they need the wide body and a few things like CF torque tube and shafts along with wider tires than the base coupe has for an alpha quality road course car.

This is how I see it

arcticblast

If the ZR1 had 638hp, and the C7 has an improved chassis and platform, what are we talking about? 800?
Count me in.

BlueOx

800 makes sense...for someone else. I'd probably kill myself with that kind of HP and I'm sure not willing to pay for such a car.

This is the main reason I have advocated limited AWD. Far more possibility of actually putting that kind of power down safely.

RC000E

These statements are made for those who understand what their reading. They didn't mean the chassis can't handle the power, only that there is a threshold of power where the car goes slower, not faster, simply because it can't put the power down effectively.

They also aren't talking about at the Stingray power levels, they're certainly referring to power levels achievable for future trim levels. The C6ZR1 is a perfect example. Ample amounts of hp and tq over Z06, yet only 4 seconds apart at Nurburgring, which is a 7+ minute long lap. On a 2-4 mile track, Z06 carbon vs ZR1 is a driver race. Power doesn't make the car faster to a point, simply because it can't put it to the ground effectively. Additionally, with the amount of torque available through variable cam timing and direct injection, it just further burdens the tires in terms of exit speed.

Get it?

trumper Z06

Additional power puts more pressure on the driver.

Remember the Can Am Porsche turbo's ... those cars were a handful for most drivers, but properly driven... they were untouchable.

Both the current ZR1 and the Z06 need throttle control to max. their ability.

Expect the same from High Performance C7 models.

ANTIVNOM

Too much power sounds just about right. Where do I sign?

Jinx

Translation: everybody calm down. We could build an 800hp Corvette, but we're not going to because that would be silly.

JeffInDFW

Her ***** are too big!
I have too much money!
That car has too much horsepower!

3 things you will -never- hear me say.

People.....Did you know that cars do not have an on/off switch for engine power? There is a -throttle-. If you do not need 800hp coming out of this corner, then do not push the pedal to the floor. Push the pedal down until you get the power you need. If you ever reach the floor, then that means you want more power than that car has to offer.

Besides, most tracks do have a straight at some point, right?

WhiteAndBlackC7

I don't want to hear anyone complaining of "too much power" when you have a Bugatti Veyron with 1,001HP out there that can launch without even so much as a chirp of the tires on its way to a 2.9 sec 0-60 time.

Here's a word of advice for the Corvette team: Build a huge powerful motor and design an AWD drivetrain so it can put the power to the ground properly. Stop using computer software algorithms to band-aid the issue that is the weak RWD drivetrain that tries to kill you by constantly trying to break loose. Put AWD into the car and bump the HP to 700 and the problem is solved.

GM has even put the AWD system in Silverado SS and Trailblazer SS platforms and it worked great.. Why not the Vette? Keep in mind AWD were premium options, why not charge me $ for the option?

Either way I'm getting my C7 and will be fine with RWD, but yeah I'm bitter there is no option and prob won't be in the HiPo version so I'll be fine with the standard Stingray.

Daekwan06

1) The 3 things you listed were absolutely hilarious! I'm still laughing!

2) At some point TOO much of anything will become bad. Even with an "on/off" button. If not why not go with 8000hp in your vehicle. Surely its possible? What about 800,000hp? If more is always better.. why stop adding power?

If you simply keep adding power, you reach a certain point where you overpower what the rest of the components on the vehicle are capable of. Wheels & tires can only transfer so much power to the ground without the loss of control. The transmission can only transfer so much to the torque delivered from the engine. The frame can only handle so much twist before the car will tear itself apart. The brakes can only stop the vehicle so fast. And while you can always upgrade each of these components to handle any additional power increases.. those upgrades guarantee that the price of the vehicle will continue increase as well. GM knows that the point of selling a Corvette isn't to make as much power as absolutely possible.. but to sell as many as they can for $60k. Thats the sweet spot for the Corvette's target market.

Money isn't the only factor limiting the power of these vehicles. Public streets & posted speed limits have an effect too. With the maximum posted speed limit at 85 mph or less in every location I can think of, vehicle manufacturers understand what the vast majority of their customers will actually be doing with the products they sell. Which means every street legal vehicle sold today, is built to a certain limit. If you don't want limits on your vehicle, then there are vehicles specifically designed for that. They are called racecars. And places specifically designed where you can use as much power as you dare attempt. They are called racetracks.

JerriVette

Key word is "almost" too much power..

BlueOx

No but you do hear very few folks stepping up to buy one for the $2.25 mil. BTW, those very specific tires that don't chirp cost about $42,000 a set.

As a point of perspective, last summer I went to the Pebble Beach Concour. The night before in nearby Carmel, there was one Veyron sitting in front of a restaurant, with it's own bodyguard keeping people at a distance, while the owner and his wife were inside eating.

Shurshot

Usable levels of power versus “silly power” that enables you to dust the tires off no matter what speed you're traveling at is dependent on the amount of traction available. Traction is the “break factor” where the cheapest weakest link that breaks determines the validity of the available power.

If the only thing being broken is traction tires are cheap in comparison to hooking up massive amounts of power that rips transmissions out or disintegrates axles.

Dana 60 size rear ends with solid axles are fine on old muscle cars but even they can be overcome when advancements of direct injection are combined with forced induction, advanced combustion technology, and valve timing.

Personally I prefer lightweight CF gears and shafts that can handle 700 pounds of torque and are good for road racing but are not designed for the abuse associated with dragracing.

lt4obsesses

What I took from that statement in the OP was simply as it is a referrence to what the Gen V LTx platform is proving to be capable of in the R&D testing? I personally would love to see GM put out a 700+ HP widebody for under $100K that will tell the Germans and Italians what they can do with their 'supercars'.