Bob's C7 550 Mile Review
03-23-2014, 03:05 PM
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Bob's C7 550 Mile Review
Bob’s C7 Vette 550 Mile Review
I Thought I would update my previous 150 mile review. I copied in my old 150mile review on the bottom in case you want to also read my initial thoughts on the car.
500 Miles Plus…. - Oh Baby! – I thought it was fun flipping through the gears and listing to the NPP at 3500 RPM. The grin on my face was replaced with an all out laugh cranking this baby to 6000 RMP after the break-in. The power is unbelievable and it passes cars on the highway with authority. 110MPH felt as solid as doing 60mph and totally pinned to the road. My guess is 150mph+ would also feel solid as a rock - What a blast. The car handles fantastic although I have not pushed the handling very much yet because we have had so many cold days (lots of ~40 degrees days) so you need to be really carful with the Z51 tiers as they are terrible in the cold. My expectation is they will be terrific on 60 to 70+ degree-days. A car this powerful and able to pull 1G will be FUN! Still love the ride, to me it is solid, firm but not crazy hard. You feel the bumps and road imperfections but you are not bouncing all over and do not feel beat up after a longer drive. You also hear the road and the engine that reminds you this is a serious sports car (and not a Lexus) and that's what this car is and what I wanted.
Instruments/Electronics – I normally prefer switches and ***** on my sports cars and do not want all the screens and extra electronics you get in the new cars today, as they are often lack in execution, can be a distraction and look gimmicky after a while. I was sure the electronics / screens would be the one part of the Vette I would dislike. I am happy to report they are fantastic. They work with great simplicity, look fantastic (understated and cool). For me this is a best in class design by a long margin. (BMW, Acura, Infinity could take a lesson here)
Interior - Fantastic! I have an 1LT with Black Interior and it is one of the most well done interiors of any car I have been in. I can not see it disappointing anyone. The additional options on the 2LT and 3LT are really nice but 1LT totally stands on it's own as a high class ride.
7speed Manual – The manual is works great and the clutch is easy and smooth. It has been 10 years since my last manual (3 series BMW) and got back in the game in just a few seconds (still improving my skills though) I am really glad I got the manual as it makes driving the car a fun and involved experience for me. I am in Columbus Ohio and this is not my daily driver – I expect (as fun as the manual is) I might opt for an Auto if I was in a lot traffic going to and from work every day.
Rev Matching – At first I totally did not get this feature and I just thought it sounded cool matched with the NPP on the downshift. Now I think this is a great idea. When you are driving hard and downshift and want to accelerate quickly the engine revs up on the downshift so you don’t have that brief slow down in the lower gear and this allows faster take off – very cool feature and now I use it often went I am sprinting around.
Driving modes - Without MSRC (for non Z51 and Z51 without the option) the modes change throttle behavior and steering feel. I really just notice the tighter steering between modes. I keep mine in sport mode all the time (with NPP open or “off”). Seems to be the right steering tightness for me (and I like the sound). Track mode does tighten it up further and I like that mode for really cranking around. If you have the MSRC option the suspension also changes between modes which I am sure is cool.
Removable Top – One of the most unique, and one of my favorite features of the car (and most underrated aspects). Having a totally buttoned up car with the see through top on colder days and being able to take it off easily is a great. The car looks fantastic with the top off and it is as fun to drive as a convertible with a little more structure/solid feel to me. Takes a few times but now getting it off and on is a breeze. Watch the YouTube video before doing for the first time.
Visibility - The visibility issues I have read about are really non-existent for me now, although for the first day or two I was concerned. I just turned out the mirrors (just beyond being able to see your car in the view) and a quick check of the mirror and look over the shoulder and you are good. Took me a couple days to get used to it and now I think the visibility is good.
Tire Hop – Yep this is real and very noticeable on the Z51 wheels when tires are cold and you are making a sharp turn at low speeds (like in and out of a parking lot) – it is an absolute non issue though just go slow and when you straighten out the wheel it goes away. Happens much less when it is warm outside and tires are hot.
Parking – Watch out! Curbs are the enemy!!! The front is longer than you would think and it is easy to misjudge the curb and scratch the front of the car. The low profile tires can also be killer for Curb Rash - Be careful pulling to the side of the curb.
Wheel dust – I have a non Z51 but put on the Z51 wheels. The good news is there is almost no break dust on the non-z51 cars and really nice change from my BMW. The Z51 wheels I put on look fantastic. I think they look better in person then in the pictures and have seen very few wheel options I like as much.
In summary if you are waiting for your C7 or just got it I can assure you that you will absolutely love the car. There is No Doubt – this is a terrific machine.
Enjoy Your Cars!
Bob
_________________________
My Original 150 Mile Review (with a few edits…)
I could not read enough about peoples experiences with their C7 when I was waiting for mine to be delivered. Below are my thoughts on my New C7 at 150 miles….
This is my first Corvette. Always liked them but always thought when I was ready to have an extra “fun” car it would be a 911. That all changed after I saw the C7 - I thought it was awesome and I ordered one a few weeks later. In my opinion there are only a couple of models in the Ferrari and Lamborghini line up that may be better looking.
Prior to kids I had BMW 3 series and Infinity G37. Post Kids Acura MDX and currently a BMW X5 as my daily driver.
My Car:
I ordered a Base Cyber Gray 1LT with Manual Trans, NPP exhaust, Transparent Top, Red Calipers, Z51 Spoiler. Then I went out and purchased the silver Z51 wheels and had them put on right at the dealer as I picked up the car. With the wheels and spoiler it looks identical to the Z51 which was the look I was after. Although it was nice to not have to wait for Z51 allocation and save about 5K between the $2,500 discount on the non Z51 and the $3k on the Z51 package that is not why I went that route. I wanted to keep the car as light, simple and low maintenance as possible. I was concerned with the longer term reliability of the dry sump pump and MSRC to improve the ride of the Z51. Got everything I wanted for $55k including my Z51 wheels (an incredible value compared to similar cars). The car is about ½ the price of a New Porsche 911 that in my opinion is not as good looking of a car.
My 150 mile review:
The car is absolutely stunning to look at. All the colors look great but Cyber Gray is something special. It is crazy to spend $595 for red paint on the calipers but it was well worth it. Makes the wheels pop and looks super cool. The NPP sound is awesome, loud but not obnoxious and the NPP exhaust tips look terrific (I think that NPP is a great value for the money and would highly recommend getting it). It is super-fast. I don’t know if it hits 60 in 3.8 or 4.5 seconds and it totally does not matter as this car has more than enough power for almost anyone. The interior is great. The 1LT is beautiful, the stitching on the dash and seats are first rate and loaded with options for me since this is my weekend car. The gages and electronics look, feel and work great. There is simplicity in their function and the screen looks fantastic. Not that bright loud look like in the new BMW’s screen but a cool subdued look that totally fits. The electronics are better than my BMW’s, Acura’s, Infinity’s I have had. Would have never guessed GM would do better car electronics then the Japanese and Germans. Riding with the top off is a total blast. I was surprised how much I enjoyed driving around with the top off. It was not loud and the wind was not an issue at up to 80mph. I expect to be doing much of my spring/summer driving with the roof in the back. The 7speed stick is great and makes the driving experience a blast. The rev matching sounds cool as the car revs when you down shift and is easy to turn on and off but I don’t see much real use of in it though. The car handles unbelievable, it is totally planted around curves and you feel you can whip around at almost any speed and keep traction. To me the ride feels solid and firm but not too hard. For weekend cruising around it is perfect - fun and comfortable.
Any nitpicks? Not really. The visibility is not the best but not that bad when you get the mirrors adjusted right, and if that is the tradeoff for the good looks I will take that trade in a second. Honestly I can’t think of a single thing I would change.
Enjoy your cars
Bob
I Thought I would update my previous 150 mile review. I copied in my old 150mile review on the bottom in case you want to also read my initial thoughts on the car.
500 Miles Plus…. - Oh Baby! – I thought it was fun flipping through the gears and listing to the NPP at 3500 RPM. The grin on my face was replaced with an all out laugh cranking this baby to 6000 RMP after the break-in. The power is unbelievable and it passes cars on the highway with authority. 110MPH felt as solid as doing 60mph and totally pinned to the road. My guess is 150mph+ would also feel solid as a rock - What a blast. The car handles fantastic although I have not pushed the handling very much yet because we have had so many cold days (lots of ~40 degrees days) so you need to be really carful with the Z51 tiers as they are terrible in the cold. My expectation is they will be terrific on 60 to 70+ degree-days. A car this powerful and able to pull 1G will be FUN! Still love the ride, to me it is solid, firm but not crazy hard. You feel the bumps and road imperfections but you are not bouncing all over and do not feel beat up after a longer drive. You also hear the road and the engine that reminds you this is a serious sports car (and not a Lexus) and that's what this car is and what I wanted.
Instruments/Electronics – I normally prefer switches and ***** on my sports cars and do not want all the screens and extra electronics you get in the new cars today, as they are often lack in execution, can be a distraction and look gimmicky after a while. I was sure the electronics / screens would be the one part of the Vette I would dislike. I am happy to report they are fantastic. They work with great simplicity, look fantastic (understated and cool). For me this is a best in class design by a long margin. (BMW, Acura, Infinity could take a lesson here)
Interior - Fantastic! I have an 1LT with Black Interior and it is one of the most well done interiors of any car I have been in. I can not see it disappointing anyone. The additional options on the 2LT and 3LT are really nice but 1LT totally stands on it's own as a high class ride.
7speed Manual – The manual is works great and the clutch is easy and smooth. It has been 10 years since my last manual (3 series BMW) and got back in the game in just a few seconds (still improving my skills though) I am really glad I got the manual as it makes driving the car a fun and involved experience for me. I am in Columbus Ohio and this is not my daily driver – I expect (as fun as the manual is) I might opt for an Auto if I was in a lot traffic going to and from work every day.
Rev Matching – At first I totally did not get this feature and I just thought it sounded cool matched with the NPP on the downshift. Now I think this is a great idea. When you are driving hard and downshift and want to accelerate quickly the engine revs up on the downshift so you don’t have that brief slow down in the lower gear and this allows faster take off – very cool feature and now I use it often went I am sprinting around.
Driving modes - Without MSRC (for non Z51 and Z51 without the option) the modes change throttle behavior and steering feel. I really just notice the tighter steering between modes. I keep mine in sport mode all the time (with NPP open or “off”). Seems to be the right steering tightness for me (and I like the sound). Track mode does tighten it up further and I like that mode for really cranking around. If you have the MSRC option the suspension also changes between modes which I am sure is cool.
Removable Top – One of the most unique, and one of my favorite features of the car (and most underrated aspects). Having a totally buttoned up car with the see through top on colder days and being able to take it off easily is a great. The car looks fantastic with the top off and it is as fun to drive as a convertible with a little more structure/solid feel to me. Takes a few times but now getting it off and on is a breeze. Watch the YouTube video before doing for the first time.
Visibility - The visibility issues I have read about are really non-existent for me now, although for the first day or two I was concerned. I just turned out the mirrors (just beyond being able to see your car in the view) and a quick check of the mirror and look over the shoulder and you are good. Took me a couple days to get used to it and now I think the visibility is good.
Tire Hop – Yep this is real and very noticeable on the Z51 wheels when tires are cold and you are making a sharp turn at low speeds (like in and out of a parking lot) – it is an absolute non issue though just go slow and when you straighten out the wheel it goes away. Happens much less when it is warm outside and tires are hot.
Parking – Watch out! Curbs are the enemy!!! The front is longer than you would think and it is easy to misjudge the curb and scratch the front of the car. The low profile tires can also be killer for Curb Rash - Be careful pulling to the side of the curb.
Wheel dust – I have a non Z51 but put on the Z51 wheels. The good news is there is almost no break dust on the non-z51 cars and really nice change from my BMW. The Z51 wheels I put on look fantastic. I think they look better in person then in the pictures and have seen very few wheel options I like as much.
In summary if you are waiting for your C7 or just got it I can assure you that you will absolutely love the car. There is No Doubt – this is a terrific machine.
Enjoy Your Cars!
Bob
_________________________
My Original 150 Mile Review (with a few edits…)
I could not read enough about peoples experiences with their C7 when I was waiting for mine to be delivered. Below are my thoughts on my New C7 at 150 miles….
This is my first Corvette. Always liked them but always thought when I was ready to have an extra “fun” car it would be a 911. That all changed after I saw the C7 - I thought it was awesome and I ordered one a few weeks later. In my opinion there are only a couple of models in the Ferrari and Lamborghini line up that may be better looking.
Prior to kids I had BMW 3 series and Infinity G37. Post Kids Acura MDX and currently a BMW X5 as my daily driver.
My Car:
I ordered a Base Cyber Gray 1LT with Manual Trans, NPP exhaust, Transparent Top, Red Calipers, Z51 Spoiler. Then I went out and purchased the silver Z51 wheels and had them put on right at the dealer as I picked up the car. With the wheels and spoiler it looks identical to the Z51 which was the look I was after. Although it was nice to not have to wait for Z51 allocation and save about 5K between the $2,500 discount on the non Z51 and the $3k on the Z51 package that is not why I went that route. I wanted to keep the car as light, simple and low maintenance as possible. I was concerned with the longer term reliability of the dry sump pump and MSRC to improve the ride of the Z51. Got everything I wanted for $55k including my Z51 wheels (an incredible value compared to similar cars). The car is about ½ the price of a New Porsche 911 that in my opinion is not as good looking of a car.
My 150 mile review:
The car is absolutely stunning to look at. All the colors look great but Cyber Gray is something special. It is crazy to spend $595 for red paint on the calipers but it was well worth it. Makes the wheels pop and looks super cool. The NPP sound is awesome, loud but not obnoxious and the NPP exhaust tips look terrific (I think that NPP is a great value for the money and would highly recommend getting it). It is super-fast. I don’t know if it hits 60 in 3.8 or 4.5 seconds and it totally does not matter as this car has more than enough power for almost anyone. The interior is great. The 1LT is beautiful, the stitching on the dash and seats are first rate and loaded with options for me since this is my weekend car. The gages and electronics look, feel and work great. There is simplicity in their function and the screen looks fantastic. Not that bright loud look like in the new BMW’s screen but a cool subdued look that totally fits. The electronics are better than my BMW’s, Acura’s, Infinity’s I have had. Would have never guessed GM would do better car electronics then the Japanese and Germans. Riding with the top off is a total blast. I was surprised how much I enjoyed driving around with the top off. It was not loud and the wind was not an issue at up to 80mph. I expect to be doing much of my spring/summer driving with the roof in the back. The 7speed stick is great and makes the driving experience a blast. The rev matching sounds cool as the car revs when you down shift and is easy to turn on and off but I don’t see much real use of in it though. The car handles unbelievable, it is totally planted around curves and you feel you can whip around at almost any speed and keep traction. To me the ride feels solid and firm but not too hard. For weekend cruising around it is perfect - fun and comfortable.
Any nitpicks? Not really. The visibility is not the best but not that bad when you get the mirrors adjusted right, and if that is the tradeoff for the good looks I will take that trade in a second. Honestly I can’t think of a single thing I would change.
Enjoy your cars
Bob
Last edited by Bobs C7 Vette; 03-23-2014 at 06:27 PM.
03-23-2014, 04:08 PM
#3
You sound very well-informed and I don't want to insult your knowledge. I'm just trying to be helpful in case you are unaware...
You do realize, I hope, that the steering feel and the exhaust note can be changed independent of the drive mode through the settings menu. If you wish to leave the car in Tour mode (maybe for a better ride on a lumpy interstate, for instance or tooling around town on less than smooth city streets) and tighten up the steering and have louder exhaust, you can do that.
You do realize, I hope, that the steering feel and the exhaust note can be changed independent of the drive mode through the settings menu. If you wish to leave the car in Tour mode (maybe for a better ride on a lumpy interstate, for instance or tooling around town on less than smooth city streets) and tighten up the steering and have louder exhaust, you can do that.
Cool
03-23-2014, 05:02 PM
#5
Advanced
Thread Starter
You sound very well-informed and I don't want to insult your knowledge. I'm just trying to be helpful in case you are unaware...
You do realize, I hope, that the steering feel and the exhaust note can be changed independent of the drive mode through the settings menu. If you wish to leave the car in Tour mode (maybe for a better ride on a lumpy interstate, for instance or tooling around town on less than smooth city streets) and tighten up the steering and have louder exhaust, you can do that.
You do realize, I hope, that the steering feel and the exhaust note can be changed independent of the drive mode through the settings menu. If you wish to leave the car in Tour mode (maybe for a better ride on a lumpy interstate, for instance or tooling around town on less than smooth city streets) and tighten up the steering and have louder exhaust, you can do that.
Bob
03-23-2014, 06:44 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
Great review and a beautiful car! I was really torn with Cyber Gray. My 09 Z06 was Cyber Gray and I really loved that color and it's just as stunning on the C7. Congrats on your choice as it's a real winner.
03-23-2014, 06:54 PM
#9
Racer
Member Since: Nov 2013
Location: Iowa
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(BMW, Acura, Infinity could take a lesson here)
I can see If you said Acura Infinity could take a lesson but BMW no disrespect I don't think you ever drove BMW. How can you compare Honda and Nissan to BMW something is wrong here
I can see If you said Acura Infinity could take a lesson but BMW no disrespect I don't think you ever drove BMW. How can you compare Honda and Nissan to BMW something is wrong here
03-23-2014, 06:55 PM
#10
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Enjoy your car - looks great!
03-23-2014, 07:03 PM
#11
Instructor
Member Since: Feb 2014
Location: Lake Orion Michigan
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03-23-2014, 07:13 PM
#12
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Actually the thread says in a few places I have owned a 3 series and I currently have an BMW X5 as my daily driver. Not trying to hurt anyone's feelings and I love BMW's but it is my opinion that the Vette has better electronics and interface than my X5.
Last edited by Bobs C7 Vette; 03-23-2014 at 08:38 PM.
03-24-2014, 08:47 AM
#14
Burning Brakes
Picking the color on this car is a killer as each one looks so good. I went back and forth between Cyber Gray, Arctic White and Torch Red for 2 weeks. The Red and White look so good with the black mirrors and spoiler and stinger stripe. If I already had a CG, I would have chosen white or red also.
Enjoy your car - looks great!
Enjoy your car - looks great!
She sat down with the salesman and had all the boxes on the order checked within 15 Min. ... EXCEPT ... the color.
I told her she couldn't make a mistake, that the C7 looks great in any color. She finally settled on Laguna Blue and she just loves it.
04-27-2014, 09:02 AM
#15
Drifting
Bob’s C7 Vette 550 Mile Review
I Thought I would update my previous 150 mile review. I copied in my old 150mile review on the bottom in case you want to also read my initial thoughts on the car.
500 Miles Plus…. - Oh Baby! – I thought it was fun flipping through the gears and listing to the NPP at 3500 RPM. The grin on my face was replaced with an all out laugh cranking this baby to 6000 RMP after the break-in. The power is unbelievable and it passes cars on the highway with authority. 110MPH felt as solid as doing 60mph and totally pinned to the road. My guess is 150mph+ would also feel solid as a rock - What a blast. The car handles fantastic although I have not pushed the handling very much yet because we have had so many cold days (lots of ~40 degrees days) so you need to be really carful with the Z51 tiers as they are terrible in the cold. My expectation is they will be terrific on 60 to 70+ degree-days. A car this powerful and able to pull 1G will be FUN! Still love the ride, to me it is solid, firm but not crazy hard. You feel the bumps and road imperfections but you are not bouncing all over and do not feel beat up after a longer drive. You also hear the road and the engine that reminds you this is a serious sports car (and not a Lexus) and that's what this car is and what I wanted.
Instruments/Electronics – I normally prefer switches and ***** on my sports cars and do not want all the screens and extra electronics you get in the new cars today, as they are often lack in execution, can be a distraction and look gimmicky after a while. I was sure the electronics / screens would be the one part of the Vette I would dislike. I am happy to report they are fantastic. They work with great simplicity, look fantastic (understated and cool). For me this is a best in class design by a long margin. (BMW, Acura, Infinity could take a lesson here)
Interior - Fantastic! I have an 1LT with Black Interior and it is one of the most well done interiors of any car I have been in. I can not see it disappointing anyone. The additional options on the 2LT and 3LT are really nice but 1LT totally stands on it's own as a high class ride.
7speed Manual – The manual is works great and the clutch is easy and smooth. It has been 10 years since my last manual (3 series BMW) and got back in the game in just a few seconds (still improving my skills though) I am really glad I got the manual as it makes driving the car a fun and involved experience for me. I am in Columbus Ohio and this is not my daily driver – I expect (as fun as the manual is) I might opt for an Auto if I was in a lot traffic going to and from work every day.
Rev Matching – At first I totally did not get this feature and I just thought it sounded cool matched with the NPP on the downshift. Now I think this is a great idea. When you are driving hard and downshift and want to accelerate quickly the engine revs up on the downshift so you don’t have that brief slow down in the lower gear and this allows faster take off – very cool feature and now I use it often went I am sprinting around.
Driving modes - Without MSRC (for non Z51 and Z51 without the option) the modes change throttle behavior and steering feel. I really just notice the tighter steering between modes. I keep mine in sport mode all the time (with NPP open or “off”). Seems to be the right steering tightness for me (and I like the sound). Track mode does tighten it up further and I like that mode for really cranking around. If you have the MSRC option the suspension also changes between modes which I am sure is cool.
Removable Top – One of the most unique, and one of my favorite features of the car (and most underrated aspects). Having a totally buttoned up car with the see through top on colder days and being able to take it off easily is a great. The car looks fantastic with the top off and it is as fun to drive as a convertible with a little more structure/solid feel to me. Takes a few times but now getting it off and on is a breeze. Watch the YouTube video before doing for the first time.
Visibility - The visibility issues I have read about are really non-existent for me now, although for the first day or two I was concerned. I just turned out the mirrors (just beyond being able to see your car in the view) and a quick check of the mirror and look over the shoulder and you are good. Took me a couple days to get used to it and now I think the visibility is good.
Tire Hop – Yep this is real and very noticeable on the Z51 wheels when tires are cold and you are making a sharp turn at low speeds (like in and out of a parking lot) – it is an absolute non issue though just go slow and when you straighten out the wheel it goes away. Happens much less when it is warm outside and tires are hot.
Parking – Watch out! Curbs are the enemy!!! The front is longer than you would think and it is easy to misjudge the curb and scratch the front of the car. The low profile tires can also be killer for Curb Rash - Be careful pulling to the side of the curb.
Wheel dust – I have a non Z51 but put on the Z51 wheels. The good news is there is almost no break dust on the non-z51 cars and really nice change from my BMW. The Z51 wheels I put on look fantastic. I think they look better in person then in the pictures and have seen very few wheel options I like as much.
In summary if you are waiting for your C7 or just got it I can assure you that you will absolutely love the car. There is No Doubt – this is a terrific machine.
Enjoy Your Cars!
Bob
_________________________
My Original 150 Mile Review (with a few edits…)
I could not read enough about peoples experiences with their C7 when I was waiting for mine to be delivered. Below are my thoughts on my New C7 at 150 miles….
This is my first Corvette. Always liked them but always thought when I was ready to have an extra “fun” car it would be a 911. That all changed after I saw the C7 - I thought it was awesome and I ordered one a few weeks later. In my opinion there are only a couple of models in the Ferrari and Lamborghini line up that may be better looking.
Prior to kids I had BMW 3 series and Infinity G37. Post Kids Acura MDX and currently a BMW X5 as my daily driver.
My Car:
I ordered a Base Cyber Gray 1LT with Manual Trans, NPP exhaust, Transparent Top, Red Calipers, Z51 Spoiler. Then I went out and purchased the silver Z51 wheels and had them put on right at the dealer as I picked up the car. With the wheels and spoiler it looks identical to the Z51 which was the look I was after. Although it was nice to not have to wait for Z51 allocation and save about 5K between the $2,500 discount on the non Z51 and the $3k on the Z51 package that is not why I went that route. I wanted to keep the car as light, simple and low maintenance as possible. I was concerned with the longer term reliability of the dry sump pump and MSRC to improve the ride of the Z51. Got everything I wanted for $55k including my Z51 wheels (an incredible value compared to similar cars). The car is about ½ the price of a New Porsche 911 that in my opinion is not as good looking of a car.
My 150 mile review:
The car is absolutely stunning to look at. All the colors look great but Cyber Gray is something special. It is crazy to spend $595 for red paint on the calipers but it was well worth it. Makes the wheels pop and looks super cool. The NPP sound is awesome, loud but not obnoxious and the NPP exhaust tips look terrific (I think that NPP is a great value for the money and would highly recommend getting it). It is super-fast. I don’t know if it hits 60 in 3.8 or 4.5 seconds and it totally does not matter as this car has more than enough power for almost anyone. The interior is great. The 1LT is beautiful, the stitching on the dash and seats are first rate and loaded with options for me since this is my weekend car. The gages and electronics look, feel and work great. There is simplicity in their function and the screen looks fantastic. Not that bright loud look like in the new BMW’s screen but a cool subdued look that totally fits. The electronics are better than my BMW’s, Acura’s, Infinity’s I have had. Would have never guessed GM would do better car electronics then the Japanese and Germans. Riding with the top off is a total blast. I was surprised how much I enjoyed driving around with the top off. It was not loud and the wind was not an issue at up to 80mph. I expect to be doing much of my spring/summer driving with the roof in the back. The 7speed stick is great and makes the driving experience a blast. The rev matching sounds cool as the car revs when you down shift and is easy to turn on and off but I don’t see much real use of in it though. The car handles unbelievable, it is totally planted around curves and you feel you can whip around at almost any speed and keep traction. To me the ride feels solid and firm but not too hard. For weekend cruising around it is perfect - fun and comfortable.
Any nitpicks? Not really. The visibility is not the best but not that bad when you get the mirrors adjusted right, and if that is the tradeoff for the good looks I will take that trade in a second. Honestly I can’t think of a single thing I would change.
Enjoy your cars
Bob
I Thought I would update my previous 150 mile review. I copied in my old 150mile review on the bottom in case you want to also read my initial thoughts on the car.
500 Miles Plus…. - Oh Baby! – I thought it was fun flipping through the gears and listing to the NPP at 3500 RPM. The grin on my face was replaced with an all out laugh cranking this baby to 6000 RMP after the break-in. The power is unbelievable and it passes cars on the highway with authority. 110MPH felt as solid as doing 60mph and totally pinned to the road. My guess is 150mph+ would also feel solid as a rock - What a blast. The car handles fantastic although I have not pushed the handling very much yet because we have had so many cold days (lots of ~40 degrees days) so you need to be really carful with the Z51 tiers as they are terrible in the cold. My expectation is they will be terrific on 60 to 70+ degree-days. A car this powerful and able to pull 1G will be FUN! Still love the ride, to me it is solid, firm but not crazy hard. You feel the bumps and road imperfections but you are not bouncing all over and do not feel beat up after a longer drive. You also hear the road and the engine that reminds you this is a serious sports car (and not a Lexus) and that's what this car is and what I wanted.
Instruments/Electronics – I normally prefer switches and ***** on my sports cars and do not want all the screens and extra electronics you get in the new cars today, as they are often lack in execution, can be a distraction and look gimmicky after a while. I was sure the electronics / screens would be the one part of the Vette I would dislike. I am happy to report they are fantastic. They work with great simplicity, look fantastic (understated and cool). For me this is a best in class design by a long margin. (BMW, Acura, Infinity could take a lesson here)
Interior - Fantastic! I have an 1LT with Black Interior and it is one of the most well done interiors of any car I have been in. I can not see it disappointing anyone. The additional options on the 2LT and 3LT are really nice but 1LT totally stands on it's own as a high class ride.
7speed Manual – The manual is works great and the clutch is easy and smooth. It has been 10 years since my last manual (3 series BMW) and got back in the game in just a few seconds (still improving my skills though) I am really glad I got the manual as it makes driving the car a fun and involved experience for me. I am in Columbus Ohio and this is not my daily driver – I expect (as fun as the manual is) I might opt for an Auto if I was in a lot traffic going to and from work every day.
Rev Matching – At first I totally did not get this feature and I just thought it sounded cool matched with the NPP on the downshift. Now I think this is a great idea. When you are driving hard and downshift and want to accelerate quickly the engine revs up on the downshift so you don’t have that brief slow down in the lower gear and this allows faster take off – very cool feature and now I use it often went I am sprinting around.
Driving modes - Without MSRC (for non Z51 and Z51 without the option) the modes change throttle behavior and steering feel. I really just notice the tighter steering between modes. I keep mine in sport mode all the time (with NPP open or “off”). Seems to be the right steering tightness for me (and I like the sound). Track mode does tighten it up further and I like that mode for really cranking around. If you have the MSRC option the suspension also changes between modes which I am sure is cool.
Removable Top – One of the most unique, and one of my favorite features of the car (and most underrated aspects). Having a totally buttoned up car with the see through top on colder days and being able to take it off easily is a great. The car looks fantastic with the top off and it is as fun to drive as a convertible with a little more structure/solid feel to me. Takes a few times but now getting it off and on is a breeze. Watch the YouTube video before doing for the first time.
Visibility - The visibility issues I have read about are really non-existent for me now, although for the first day or two I was concerned. I just turned out the mirrors (just beyond being able to see your car in the view) and a quick check of the mirror and look over the shoulder and you are good. Took me a couple days to get used to it and now I think the visibility is good.
Tire Hop – Yep this is real and very noticeable on the Z51 wheels when tires are cold and you are making a sharp turn at low speeds (like in and out of a parking lot) – it is an absolute non issue though just go slow and when you straighten out the wheel it goes away. Happens much less when it is warm outside and tires are hot.
Parking – Watch out! Curbs are the enemy!!! The front is longer than you would think and it is easy to misjudge the curb and scratch the front of the car. The low profile tires can also be killer for Curb Rash - Be careful pulling to the side of the curb.
Wheel dust – I have a non Z51 but put on the Z51 wheels. The good news is there is almost no break dust on the non-z51 cars and really nice change from my BMW. The Z51 wheels I put on look fantastic. I think they look better in person then in the pictures and have seen very few wheel options I like as much.
In summary if you are waiting for your C7 or just got it I can assure you that you will absolutely love the car. There is No Doubt – this is a terrific machine.
Enjoy Your Cars!
Bob
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My Original 150 Mile Review (with a few edits…)
I could not read enough about peoples experiences with their C7 when I was waiting for mine to be delivered. Below are my thoughts on my New C7 at 150 miles….
This is my first Corvette. Always liked them but always thought when I was ready to have an extra “fun” car it would be a 911. That all changed after I saw the C7 - I thought it was awesome and I ordered one a few weeks later. In my opinion there are only a couple of models in the Ferrari and Lamborghini line up that may be better looking.
Prior to kids I had BMW 3 series and Infinity G37. Post Kids Acura MDX and currently a BMW X5 as my daily driver.
My Car:
I ordered a Base Cyber Gray 1LT with Manual Trans, NPP exhaust, Transparent Top, Red Calipers, Z51 Spoiler. Then I went out and purchased the silver Z51 wheels and had them put on right at the dealer as I picked up the car. With the wheels and spoiler it looks identical to the Z51 which was the look I was after. Although it was nice to not have to wait for Z51 allocation and save about 5K between the $2,500 discount on the non Z51 and the $3k on the Z51 package that is not why I went that route. I wanted to keep the car as light, simple and low maintenance as possible. I was concerned with the longer term reliability of the dry sump pump and MSRC to improve the ride of the Z51. Got everything I wanted for $55k including my Z51 wheels (an incredible value compared to similar cars). The car is about ½ the price of a New Porsche 911 that in my opinion is not as good looking of a car.
My 150 mile review:
The car is absolutely stunning to look at. All the colors look great but Cyber Gray is something special. It is crazy to spend $595 for red paint on the calipers but it was well worth it. Makes the wheels pop and looks super cool. The NPP sound is awesome, loud but not obnoxious and the NPP exhaust tips look terrific (I think that NPP is a great value for the money and would highly recommend getting it). It is super-fast. I don’t know if it hits 60 in 3.8 or 4.5 seconds and it totally does not matter as this car has more than enough power for almost anyone. The interior is great. The 1LT is beautiful, the stitching on the dash and seats are first rate and loaded with options for me since this is my weekend car. The gages and electronics look, feel and work great. There is simplicity in their function and the screen looks fantastic. Not that bright loud look like in the new BMW’s screen but a cool subdued look that totally fits. The electronics are better than my BMW’s, Acura’s, Infinity’s I have had. Would have never guessed GM would do better car electronics then the Japanese and Germans. Riding with the top off is a total blast. I was surprised how much I enjoyed driving around with the top off. It was not loud and the wind was not an issue at up to 80mph. I expect to be doing much of my spring/summer driving with the roof in the back. The 7speed stick is great and makes the driving experience a blast. The rev matching sounds cool as the car revs when you down shift and is easy to turn on and off but I don’t see much real use of in it though. The car handles unbelievable, it is totally planted around curves and you feel you can whip around at almost any speed and keep traction. To me the ride feels solid and firm but not too hard. For weekend cruising around it is perfect - fun and comfortable.
Any nitpicks? Not really. The visibility is not the best but not that bad when you get the mirrors adjusted right, and if that is the tradeoff for the good looks I will take that trade in a second. Honestly I can’t think of a single thing I would change.
Enjoy your cars
Bob
