jsc7vette

Here is a very detailed, informative and picture loaded review of the C7 suspension by Edmunds. http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/t...alkaround.html

Zymurgy

Nice read. Thanks for posting.

C7s

Can anyone comment about the part where they say the height is adjustable by turning 4 bolts on spring? How much can the car be lowered? It looks like it's at max height from the factory. Is this something dealers will adjust for you?

Kappa

If you find a dealer tech that knows Corvettes, they could knock it out for you I guess. If its anything like the C5 and C6, it'll drop .75-1" on the stock adjusters.

C7s

Wow, that's pretty cool. Would you need an alignment after? Also, does it affect the ride?

travisnd

Yes and yes... since you're not upping your spring rates you could bottom out sooner. Lowering the car will change the alignment specs, especially camber and toe. This is how C5s and C6s get lowered as well. In the past GM has recommended lowering the cars about .5" from stock for best handling. They're set high from the factory for ease of loading on transport trucks and so the nose clears most curbs.

Looks like adding coilovers may be a challenge on this car. The upper shock mounts look far less substantial than the C5/C6. It appears those two bolts at the top are in shear and not designed to have the spring force of the car.

95jersey

It is SOOO easy, just take a wrench and turn counterclockwise. You can get about 3/4" on stock bolts.

billsblue73

The eLSD sure looks like a very good reason to get the extended GMPP warranty if you plan to keep the car for a while. I have it on my 2008 and it has more than paid for itself.

Not trying to steal the thread, but this is the first thing that occurred to me after reading about the eLSD. Maybe that's because I'm trying to locate a leak in the power steering of my 1973.

travisnd

I wonder what the service interval on the hydraulic fluid that operates the eLSD is?

Minkster

Did anyone catch this statement:

"Josh promptly equaled GM's straight-line acceleration claims of a 12-second quarter-mile and zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds after excluding the same 1 foot of initial drag strip rollout they deduct. But rollout and zero mph are mutually exclusive concepts; the true zero-means-zero-to-60 figure is 4.1 seconds."

What do they mean by "excluding the same 1 foot of initial drag strip rollout they deduct"? Is this common among all testors or just GM?

Lawdogg

Didn't see any mention of the control arm bushing material. Hope it has been upgraded from the soft rubber used in C5s and C6s. (ever watch a C5 or 6 on the dyno? The tire will move fore and aft by what seems to be almost an inch as the dyno rollers are spun up to speed. Most of that is due to the rubber bushings in the control arms.)

One of the best mods I did to my C6 Z06 was replace those rubber bushings with poly. Next time the poly needs to be replaced, it will be replaced with heim joints.

TTRotary

Found another interesting article, shown below: C7 Z51 vs. C6 Z51 (2009). Edmunds have been busy...

Can't get chart columns to format properly, sorry.
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We've been waiting for this for years now. After endless scrutinizing and speculating, we've finally strapped our VBox data recorder into the C7 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51.

The C7 Corvette is powered by an all-new 6.2-liter V8 engine that features direct injection, cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing. They result in the Z51 package that is thumping out 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. All of this power goes to fat, 285 series Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP tires through a seven-speed manual transmission.

The old C6 Corvette (a 2009 Corvette Z51 in this case) also has a 6.2-liter V8, but it uses traditional fuel injection and only managed 430 hp and 436 lb-ft of torque with the Z51 package and sport exhaust. The old 'Vette also made do with a six-speed manual instead of the seven-speed found in the C7, though they have the same ratios in gears 1-6, so this shouldn't be an issue. And while the two cars share the same rear tire width, this 2009 Chevy Corvette Z51 was on 19-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires.

How much better did the Corvette get?

2014 2009
Curb weight as tested: 3,444 3,275
0-30 (sec.): 1.8 2.0
0-60 (sec.): 4.1 4.3
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec.): 3.8 4.0
0-75 (sec.): 5.6 5.9
1/4-mile (sec @ mph): 12.0 @ 117.3 12.3 @ 116.0

30-0 (ft): 23 27
60-0 (ft): 93 110

Skid Pad Lateral Accel (g): 1.08 0.95
Slalom: 72.8 67.9


C7 Handling:
Skid pad: Very easy to approach and sense the limit of front grip. Precise steering and no body roll provide ample confidence to drive right past the limit of grip. And with excellent balance and a big margin between the limit of grip and the limit of control, doing so is engaging.

Slalom: It's easy to drive the C7 very close to its limits with little practice. Every single run was within 0.35 second. There's probably a quicker slalom speed in the C7, but we ran out of time to refine the best technique. Even so, this car is very, very capable in this test.

C6 Handling:
Skid pad: Incredible balance. Great communication at limit during steady-state cornering. Good grip. Stability control works extremely well in "performance driving" mode. Wide threshold and doesn't punish severely.

Slalom: Performance driving mode allows plenty of slip. Best run came with it on without triggering the system. Still, it's very good. Base 'Vette, even with Z51 package, isn't as confident as I'd like in transitions. Feels same as Z06, but not ZR1.

Price as tested:

2014 C7 Z51 - $68,175
2009 C6 Z51 - $63,960

I didn't see anything about Z51 badges...

travisnd

Poly and sphericals both have NVH and service-life issues for street cars. Best we can hope for is upgraded higher durometer rubber like the old T1 front control arms.

TTRotary

And stats for the 2012 911 w/PDK. I'd provide also for the 2013 GTR, but it's no contest in every respect. Those damn things are REALLY fast and that includes thru the slalom.

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S PDK
Curb weight as tested: 3,332
0-30 (sec.): 1.5
0-45 (sec.): 2.6
0-60 (sec.): 3.9
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec.): 3.7
0-75 (sec.): 5.5
1/4-mile (sec @ mph): 12.0 @ 116.5

30-0 (ft): 25
60-0 (ft): 98

Skid Pad Lateral Accel (g): 1.03
Slalom: 71.4

So the PDK will nip the Z51 and the acceleration numbers will be easier to achieve and more repeatable in the Porsche. So in reality, the Porsche will be quicker in a straight line most of the time. But the American muscle car has turned the tables on the German when it comes to handling.

Price: $98,900

travisnd

On a road course the Vette will walk away from the Porsche. PDK etc. allows you a more consistent launch and quicker shifts, but on the big straights power is power. Plus, the Vette makes more torque at 1000 rpms than the P-car anywhere!

2K3Z06

I wouldn't bet on it walking away from a PDK Porsche. Those things fly through corners, the vette uses big power off the corners for its lap times.

LS1LT1

I was already pretty damn impressed by the C6's underpinnings, the C7's looks even better yet!

Tide Will Roll!

Curious about if they damaged the vehicle with the lift, looks like they just guessed at how to lift the car?

theseal

so many horrible decisions apparent in that walkaround!

wow.

it will work great for a stock touring car.... if you had other plans, oh well.

ZeeOSix

Just under that photo showing the lift arm it says:

"And yes, I see the lift arms, too. The borrowed lift came with borrowed lift operators, and the guy on the left apparently didn't agree with the guy on the right."

The ones on the right in the photo look to be sitting on the bolt heads of the bar strap.