Lakeway

I enjoy reading everyone's post and thought I should reciprocate by sharing my experience from my first track day with the Z07.

Picked up the car last week in N. Carolina. Drove it back to Texas (had an oil change along the way) and had it ready for a 1/2-day event at COTA Monday.

I have the A8 and kept it in Track Mode. Acceleration and handling were great. Top-end speed down the long back straight was less than I expected. I was getting ~145 MPH in my 2011 GS and that's what I was getting in the new car. I checked some others' online videos from their PDRs and they're about the same. I'll have to check all the settings to see if I have it maxed out.

Overall it was really great. I'm sure I can push it much harder (brake later, improve my entries and exits). The Pilot Sport Cup 2s were great...never had any traction worries. But they'll be gone in another 1,000 miles I'm sure. Probably getting Super Sports for the next set.

I also drove a 911 GT3 for a few laps at this event. Great car. Still keeping my Z though.

ChrisN123

Thanks for the posting. Sounds like a blast.

Do you recall what Track sub-mode you were in? Also, how many hard laps were you doing in a row? What was the outside temperature at the track? Any heat issues? Would be awesome to get a PDR video along with the vehicle health screens from Cosworth Toolbox.

Thanks!

Lakeway

1. I don't know what sub mode it was in. Haven't had time to get that deep into it. Looking forward to it though!
2. Was doing 6-7 laps (COTA is 3.41 miles). Sessions were supposed to be 20 minutes.
3. It was 75-80 degrees and cloudy. Never got any warnings. But it was running pretty hot after 6-7 laps on one session so I used the final full lap as a cool down. Never had any problems.
4. I need to check out the Cosworth Toolbox. Like the sub modes, I'll need to find some time to learn all that properly.

DaveN007

Manual mode for shifts?

63Corvette

Hi Lakeway,
I was instructing at that event on Monday (also on Sunday). I am "sure" that you heard of the "issues" with the new Z06/Z07 Corvettes which were there both days. So, my questions to you are:
1) was your car one in which the passenger/instructor had "issues"?
2) has any passenger ever had "issues" in your car?
3) please post IF those issues ever do happen
Thanks,

Lakeway

Not this time. Just letting the AT do its thing in Track Mode. It did a good job.
Like I said, I drove the GT3 with PDK. Couldn't tell much difference.

Lakeway

Ha, no "issues"
We both kept our cookies down.
Never was a concern as far as I know. Maybe I wasn't driving hard enough

ChrisN123

Great. Another fatal design flaw--- lack of air sickness bags.

@Lakeway: If you share your raw PDR file (not a youtube version) from a long session (maybe via Dropbox), I'd be happy to use Cosworth toolbox to extract and share the temperature logs.

davepl

I don't know to what extent it truly matters, but in the GTR vs ZO6 analysis the downforce/drag of the ZO7 slowed it down, apparently by a good margin, on the straights once the speed got up there.

I don't know if 145 is "up there" enough to be a problem.

I personally wouldn't trade downforce and stability for speed on the straight, but I imagine adjusting the spoiler(s) would make a difference.

Wouldn't want to necessarily carry around the weight of active aero the other 99.9% of the time, but it might be a good feature. Massive downforce where needed, just enough otherwise. And airbrakes just -look- cool. Might be an interesting aftermarket product if the mounting points could handle the load of an airbrake.

Bill Dearborn

Was just wondering with the drive from NC to TX did you have the recommended 1500 break in miles on the car before taking it to a track event?

Bill

Lakeway

I sure did. The drive back plus a few weekend miles had me just past 1,500.

Lakeway

Dave--you make a great point. I did have wing/spoiler all the way up for the event. Will have to see if adjustments to that affect the straightaway speed and handling in any significant fashion.

racer778

I have the ZO6/ZO7 manual. I left the wicker bill at the highest setting did not change the lower side winglets. I had Sport cup's on the rear of the car. On the back straight I was up to 151 with no problem but would brake early as I am not used to this car. My exit speed to the back straight needs alot of work as well. My speed at the granstand straight was 132 before I hit the brakes which i believe I had more room to brake with the elevation really making your car squat. I had not overheat issues at the track. I hope to meet some of you at the next event to get some pointers.

Lakeway

Racer778,
I also got 130 mph on the home straight and going up the hill.
That was faster than my C6.

JackTripper

If you just placed the mode to Track, then it defaults to "Wet". You have to go into the sub-modes to get to Dry, Sport 1, Sport 2 or Race. I know at the track, the car kills power until the steering is unwound. It did not do this in Sport 1 as much as in Wet. I never tried "Race" or "Sport 2".

NineBall

Lap times? How many track days experience on COTA?

DaveN007

This is relevant to the overheating question. Maybe someone can chime in with what constitutes a quick lap in a street car at COTA. If someone is running 2:00 at Laguna and reporting "no issues" that doesn't say much versus 2:00 at Thunderhill.