Bondurant Instructor's analysis of the Corvette C6 Z51 package
01-28-2009, 06:26 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Bondurant Instructor's analysis of the Corvette C6 Z51 package
"Mike Speck has been a lead instructor at the Bob Bondurant School for the past 15 years. In addition to being a part time competitor in the Motorola Cup, Grand-Am Cup and Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series for the last decade, Mike is also a regular contributor to various automotive publications in print media and on line."
Here is Mike's take on the Corvette C6 Z51 Package:
As an instructor at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving for the past 15 years, I consider myself lucky to do what I do for a living. Being able to teach with a wide range of GM products at our disposal has been a major part of that work satisfaction. We design each of the classes at Bondurant to target the needs of our students, and as such, we try to put them in the proper vehicle to let them get the most out of the experience. With that in mind, our most popular classes include the 4-day Grand Prix Road Racing class and our 1,2 or 3 day Advanced Road Racing class. Both programs are track time and technique intensive and require the use of a machine that it both easy to drive and learn in, while also providing a level of performance that few cars can match. We use the C6 platform Corvette with the Z51 package as our workhorse at Bondurant, and it continues to impress students and instructors alike.
The Z51 package, with its 6.2 liter LS3 V8 makes a tire smoking 430 hp and 424 lb. / ft. of torque, and allows students to experience acceleration that will launch them from 0-60 mph in just over 4 seconds. While the power to push students firmly into the back of the seat is always a thrill to experience, most of the people that come through Bondurant and take their turn at the wheel of the Corvette, find that power is simply one facet of the larger performance picture that makes the C6 Z51 such an impressive package.
Students that come through to take our Grand Prix Road Racing or Advanced Road Racing programs find themselves learning to master the considerable handling prowess of the Z51, and also learn how potently the braking system can shed energy and make the car a manageable rocket. With many of the suspension components new for the C6 platform, students are often surprised at how agile and nimble the Z51 equipped Corvette is, especially when driven properly and consistently at the limits of adhesion of the super sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.
The majority of students that choose the Grand Prix or Advanced classes are familiar with manual transmission usage and can also take advantage of the heel and toe techniques modules that are held in both classes. However, knowing how to drive stick is not a prerequisite at Bondurant, and since the School also offers the paddle shift actuated six speed automatic transmission equipped Z51 Corvette, letting the car do the shifting for you still lets you experience all the incredible performance that the Corvette offers.
We have come to value the Corvette, and the Z51 package in particular, not only as an impressive on track performer, but also as a viable, safe, and easy to use teaching machine. With careful coaching from the talented Bondurant instructor staff, students learn to get the most out of all those assets that make the Z51 what it is, and ultimately learn to drive the Corvette like a pro.
Here is Mike's take on the Corvette C6 Z51 Package:
As an instructor at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving for the past 15 years, I consider myself lucky to do what I do for a living. Being able to teach with a wide range of GM products at our disposal has been a major part of that work satisfaction. We design each of the classes at Bondurant to target the needs of our students, and as such, we try to put them in the proper vehicle to let them get the most out of the experience. With that in mind, our most popular classes include the 4-day Grand Prix Road Racing class and our 1,2 or 3 day Advanced Road Racing class. Both programs are track time and technique intensive and require the use of a machine that it both easy to drive and learn in, while also providing a level of performance that few cars can match. We use the C6 platform Corvette with the Z51 package as our workhorse at Bondurant, and it continues to impress students and instructors alike.
The Z51 package, with its 6.2 liter LS3 V8 makes a tire smoking 430 hp and 424 lb. / ft. of torque, and allows students to experience acceleration that will launch them from 0-60 mph in just over 4 seconds. While the power to push students firmly into the back of the seat is always a thrill to experience, most of the people that come through Bondurant and take their turn at the wheel of the Corvette, find that power is simply one facet of the larger performance picture that makes the C6 Z51 such an impressive package.
Students that come through to take our Grand Prix Road Racing or Advanced Road Racing programs find themselves learning to master the considerable handling prowess of the Z51, and also learn how potently the braking system can shed energy and make the car a manageable rocket. With many of the suspension components new for the C6 platform, students are often surprised at how agile and nimble the Z51 equipped Corvette is, especially when driven properly and consistently at the limits of adhesion of the super sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.
The majority of students that choose the Grand Prix or Advanced classes are familiar with manual transmission usage and can also take advantage of the heel and toe techniques modules that are held in both classes. However, knowing how to drive stick is not a prerequisite at Bondurant, and since the School also offers the paddle shift actuated six speed automatic transmission equipped Z51 Corvette, letting the car do the shifting for you still lets you experience all the incredible performance that the Corvette offers.
We have come to value the Corvette, and the Z51 package in particular, not only as an impressive on track performer, but also as a viable, safe, and easy to use teaching machine. With careful coaching from the talented Bondurant instructor staff, students learn to get the most out of all those assets that make the Z51 what it is, and ultimately learn to drive the Corvette like a pro.
