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If you drive only on pristine roads, you will only notice a bit of difference in the steering and the car will feel more floaty.
If you drive on the occasional rougher road it makes a tremendous difference and is magnified if you have a z51 which has a much stiffer suspension than non z51s.
Once I test drove one with and without MRC, I couldnt not get it.
Dead nuts on. I never thought I'd agree to purchasing a c7, much less a z51 w/MRC, but we felt it was time for a new(er) v8 highway 'schooner' with a warranty. Sorry... got sidetracked.
My only previous experience driving Corvettes is our c5 z06 with Pfadt sways and shocks lowered 2". I drove it to the lot where there were two c7's, one a base model and the other a z51 w/FE4 (and MRC). Lots of rough pavement and a nice hairpin turn nearby; I drove all three vehicles through the same route. By comparison, the base model was... a base model--Buick-like on smooth pavement, a little rough over the roughest part of the road, slightly boaty in the turns (if a Corvette can be 'boaty') and leisurely in its' steering response.
The z51 however, harkened me back to about a year ago when I was able to drive a c7 z06; I was thoroughly impressed with its' handling. But it's been so long I wonder how much of a difference there is between the 51 and 06. But the base model... if one is set on a base model, one shouldn't drive a z51 w/MRC through the same course. It will instill a sense of regret, or envy, or the wallet will seem like it's got a bigger hole in it.
Where the base model was boaty through the hairpin turn, the z51 took it without a sense of roll, no fish tailing, nothing--"on rails", and accelerating better by ~10mph. Just out of curiousity, I took my c5 z06 through the same route last; surprisingly, it took the hairpin turn almost as well at the same speed. A little bit of tire squeal, barely a sense of fishing out though it didn't break at all, and the acceleration was as good. ROUGH like a Peterbilt through the bad roads though, where the z51 just gobbled it up (and the base model relayed that it was a rough road). The c5z was raw and unrefined--primitive; the base model a step up in comfort, but lacking a little in responsiveness (throttle and steering); the c7 z51 took the identical route in a luxurious manner quickly so long as I twiddled with the adjustment dial.
Well if you plan to track MRC is significant performance upgrade vs traditional shocks. This is my 6th overall track season 2nd in C7. At Watkins Glen they have concrete in the corners. My prior car (370Z Sport) would chatter and skip on these corners (both cars had pilot super sports and 370 was actually wider than C7) The C7 MRC out thinks the rough concrete and is smooth with great continual constant contact.
On the street you can tell difference between modes but it is optional and convenience for road travel
Last edited by 15C7Z51; 08-01-2016 at 06:23 PM.
Reason: Spelling
I don't have MSRC so I cannot offer any help, but I do have a question that is relevant to the discussion.
Do the taller sidewalls on the 18/19 tires vs. the 19/20 tires serve to soften the ride somewhat?
I have never really cared for the looks of the extremely low profile tires and always suspected that they must ride like bricks. I am referring to the ridiculous looking things you see on the little imports with the flames down the side, not the 19/20 tires on the Vette which look very good. That preconceived notion factored into my decision to skip the Z51 package since my primary intended use for the car is long distance touring.
Now then, me being an impulsive type guy who just found out that you can get the GS without the hash marks, I might be starting some research on a possible upgrade (although I will deny saying it!) and am interested in what the MSRC can do.
If you cannot feel the difference, then kudos to you for saving xxxx.xx for not getting it. For the rest of us, who DO feel a difference, kudos to us for having opt'd for it.
Win/Win. What the hell is 3000$ in the grand scheme of things anyway. YOLO
I don't have MSRC so I cannot offer any help, but I do have a question that is relevant to the discussion.
Do the taller sidewalls on the 18/19 tires vs. the 19/20 tires serve to soften the ride somewhat?
I have never really cared for the looks of the extremely low profile tires and always suspected that they must ride like bricks. I am referring to the ridiculous looking things you see on the little imports with the flames down the side, not the 19/20 tires on the Vette which look very good. That preconceived notion factored into my decision to skip the Z51 package since my primary intended use for the car is long distance touring.
Now then, me being an impulsive type guy who just found out that you can get the GS without the hash marks, I might be starting some research on a possible upgrade (although I will deny saying it!) and am interested in what the MSRC can do.
My planned 2019 GS is starting to look like a 2018 as soon as I can order next July! I also do not want strips. Reminds me of the Brandy Clark song, she hates them too:
Have a 2014 Z51 without mag shocks as was my C6 Z51. Guess I'll have to learn to live with them! Probably do what I do now, 95% of the time in Sport mode!
Yes lower profile tires do ride a bit harder but then you can put it in Tour!
Mag Ride is VERY noticeable for me in my Stingray and definitely was on my C6. Going over joints in the road on I-95 was tiresome in Sport Mode with the C6 . I feel like Sport Mode in the Stingray is a softer ride than Touring Mode in the C6. I haven't really thrown the Stingray into any tight corners yet...picked the car up 5 days ago, so I don't know about body roll differences.
Oh and I'm riding on 19/20 inch shoes. Don't know if the 18/19 inch set up is different.
Absolutely noticeable! I have found choosing the right driver mode, aka changing the shock settings as well, really makes a difference in the performance of the car.
For example:
When going aroun some high speed ramps on the highway you would think track is the right mode to drive in to get the maximum grip out of the car. If the road is smooth, this is absolutely true. There are some roads though where you need to change it to sport so the wheels don't bounce off the bumps but absorb the bumps and you keep traction the whole time without issue.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm extremely impressed with what the driver selection mode does. Not just the MSRC but all the settings. It completely changes the dynamics of the ride. Way to go GM!
Having test driven 2015 Z51s with and without MRC on the street, I did not notice a significant enough difference to warrant the cost of this option. Ended up with a Z51 without MRC. Also recall reading somewhere in press from GM that MRC was most effective in improving the suspension response under track conditions, which would be consistent with what previous posters who track their cars have said.
Also, for what it's worth, another GM vehicle I own has MRC and at 44,000 miles and two weeks before the factory warranty expired, the right front MRC shock developed a leak- fortunately GM footed the bill for the repair.
Last edited by snomuncher; 08-03-2016 at 09:57 AM.
Does one really need Mag-Ride? No. It is, however, a worthwhile option. There certainly is a noticeable difference in ride and handling between the three modes. Tour Mode offers a reasonably comfortable ride without the base suspension's floaty feel and body roll, while Race Mode offers sharp handling and a sporty, focused feel. Sport Mode is ideal for most driving. It really is like having two models of Corvette in one.
If you drive only on pristine roads, you will only notice a bit of difference in the steering and the car will feel more floaty.
If you drive on the occasional rougher road it makes a tremendous difference and is magnified if you have a z51 which has a much stiffer suspension than non z51s.
Once I test drove one with and without MRC, I couldnt not get it.
:agree:
This post hits it. You will deft notice on rough roads. People who say it's only worth it on the track don't understand that the mag ride smooths out the bumps on the rough roads. You won't notice it as much on the smooth roads.
The bottom line after the current dealer discounts is about $1900 difference compared to a non z51 with mag ride compared to a z51 with mag ride so if you plan on getting mag ride...get the whole shebang and you won't go thinking you missed something during the entire time you owned the car. (comes out to a $26.39 difference over 72 months).
I didn't think mag ride was worth the extra $$$. It was not on my must have list. Made an offer on a 2014 Z51 w/out mag ride but the dealer turned it down. Found the same Z51 car, with mag ride and a must have for me, navigation. That one I bought. After driving the Z51 with mag ride, I wonder what the he-- was I thinking. Yes, it's worth it. Smooth comfortable (but not soft) ride in Touring mode, solid ride in Sport mode, very hard in Track mode. Love it.
Problem is, with every thing you're trying to understand on a demo ride, the mag ride is hard to concentrate on. So on a short demo ride, you may not pick up on the differences. Once you own it, then you can really feel the difference.
A friend with a 2016 coupe with Z51 and mag ride says it rides smoother in Tour than his 2010 C6 GS that does not have the mag ride. In the other modes his C7 Z51 rides rougher.
He also said that his 2016 Z51 has a lot more road noise from the rear tires(Michelin OE) than his C6 GS(with Bridgestone run flat tires)
Something that doesn't get discussed enough with MRC is that in addition to the various drive settings, it's always actively managing dampening rates based on road conditions.
For example, if you're in Sport mode and you happen to hit a pothole, the suspension will absorb the bump much better than without. A good feature if you don't have perfect roads in your city.
08-01-2016, 05:58 PM
on smooth pavement, a little rough over the roughest part of the road, slightly boaty in the turns (if a Corvette can be 'boaty') and leisurely in its' steering response. 
My planned 2019 GS is starting to look like a 2018 as soon as I can order next July! I also do not want strips. Reminds me of the Brandy Clark song, she hates them too:
