patentcad

Still learning about this Z51 C7 after 600 miles, and the biggest performance driving difference continues to be the amazing suspension and steering. The backroads here are good sports car roads, and I know some stretches like the back of my hand after having driven them many times over 20 years. There are bumpy stretches that would cause the C6 to skip and stutter; you couldn't be applying throttle over them. The C7's suspension keeps the tires on the tarmac in those spots so it's easier to keep the hammer down.

The C6 used to bottom out much more easily; I haven't had any of that in the C7. The suspension is so much more supple. And the steering feedback is more communicative, the steering more calm over choppy sections The car drives like a smaller car, it's just more toss-able. I've been reading about the e-differential, which apparently adds a new dimension in stability control, that must be part of all this.

The new car is faster than the old car, but that difference is relatively marginal, the C6 wasn't slow. It's the handling and the drive-ability. Far beyond anything I've driven before. Amazing car. After a few hundred miles I'm driving it like I've owned it for years.

witch hunt

interesting take and thoughts, thanks for posting

jcsperson

I became a convert to the C7 after doing a track event in which I was in a group with some stock Z51 cars. My C5 coupe with a big stroker motor couldn't run away from them. 525 rwhp let me pull away in the straights, but by the time we got to the last turn before the long straight my mirror was filled with C7 again. After test driving one, I was convinced.

I haven't been able to do a track day in my new GS yet, but I did Holiday Laps at VIR in December in which I got to take some sections of the track at a fair speed. My entrance to the Climbing Esses was much more confidence-inspiring in the C7. I'm really looking forward to being able to put several laps together and learn what this car is capable of.

SMT1004

Came from a C5 and only driven 150 miles. Like the OP I can take roads I'm used to at higher speeds with total confidence than I ever reached in the two years with my C5. This is amazing car!

dork

I bought a c7 z51 with the mag ride suspension. I kept my c5 z06 mainly because I knew there was no way they'd give me a reasonable trade-in value for it. It's finished like I wanted; all the personal choices (stereo, cosmetics, tint, etc.) and 4.10s, headers, CAI, PFADT sways and shocks, lwt. flywheel, MGW shifter. Quite a few more additions that would be completely insignificant at trade-in, so I kept it.

I thought about starting a thread comparing my z06 against the c7, but I thought folks would consider it trolling or crowing so I didn't, but now that this thread is here...

Most will think I'm biased because I'd regret admitting that the c5 is/was a "money pit", and it was, but the end result is just a whole lot of fun.

I agree, the c7 is a much more driveable car. It handles the curves like it's on rails. There's hill-assist, Electronic Limited Slip, rev-matching, adjustable suspension, PTM, it goes on and on. I can take a favorite hairpin turn in the c7 completely without the drama that comes naturally in the c5. Ifn I wanna put up with tire squeal in c7 (which would match the c5's performance in that turn), I bet I could get another 7mph out of it. With the fit and fitment, no rattles, squeaks, groans, nor hardly any truly noticeable muffler noise, the upgraded interior melds with this last generation's performance qualities to make this car ride like a jet-powered Buick on rails. At least, for me, the "luxury" is Buick-like--I haven't been in a Caddy, MBZ, or Lincoln since the late 90's, so I dunno what "true luxuries" are provided in the late Caddies, Lincolns, or MBZs--but the supple (and finally corrected) leather seats, the electronic dash and "dial-a-ride" sure feel like complete unaccustomed luxury to me.

And therein lies the rub for me--we need a warrantied prairie schooner, so I'll vote to keep the c7--it was my choice because I wanted a dependable cross-country car that could handle the highway like our modded c5 z06 could, and still serve double duty as a daily driver--for my wife. Frankly, I, too, like the c7 better for cross-country because of the interior amenities but for pure driving, I still prefer the c5 z06, modded as it might be. I can't drive that car hard without my wits, and I guess I like that; the roar of the header'd exhaust, the protesting tires in the turns, forced 'manual' rev-matching, and that stiff ride and sharp response through the steering wheel--it's all too visceral for me to trade away. But I wish I could tune the c7 without blowing the warranty... man, is there some potential there. C'mon, 100,000 miles...

stanklr

100% agree. Much more confidence driving the C7 over the C6.

I had my car 4 days ago, already ran it with traction control off, the car would spin in 1st gear and slightly on 2nd but its very very controllable. Couldn't do this full throttle even after 1 year of ownership in my C6, it was scary in the C6.

And the Transmission shift is totally another story.

Very impressed with the C7.

Smart Line

Roebling rd on Jan, 27th with Performance Driving Education
and VIR Feb,11-12 with track club USA
sign up !
cant wait to get my new GS on the track.

patentcad

I loved my C6, by far the best car I ever drove or owned, the C7 amps it up to some otherworldly new level. Closest thing to a Ferrari I'll ever drive I guess.

God Bless America boys.

snow

I would agree as well. my GS is a lot confidence inspiring than my old C6 Z51 was even with all the suspension mods.

Love this new beast.

siglite

My experience was very different. My background is motorcycle road racing, mustangs, and most recently Evos. Prior to the Vette, the Evo was the most amazing handling car I'd ever driven. And I really can't understate how well they handle on technical roads. The AWD allows you to be straight-up stupid with the throttle at corner exit.

Then I got the vette. And my initial impressions were that the learning curve in this car is steeper than anything I've ever driven. Most of that curve was understanding how to apply ridiculous power, and when. I was pleased to learn that the braking and apex capabilities were nearly identical to the evo, with a bit of an apex-speed advantage to the vette. But when I was at 600 miles on the vette, my impression was, and I'll quote myself, "If your name isn't Sebastian Vettel, you'll never get 100% out of this car."

I'm no novice. I've got tons of track and street experience. And the C7 is more car than I have capability by orders of magnitude. I bought the car in August, and I now have 12k miles on it. While I'm more comfortable with the car now, my opinion stands. It is more car than I am driver. And that gap is significant.

Smart Line

As an instructor let me say congrats ...
some people think they got it or are at 100% .
guess what they will never learn anymore car control....
As a racer for 30+ years "cars Motorcycle,off road trucks ,road course.
I always have more to learn

patentcad

Very understandable, the C7 would be a far easier package to handle with AWD in my opinion. Had you spent two years in a C6 like me, the C7 might seem easier, coming from an AWD Evo, I can see how it would be harder to get used to. You have to respect a car with 400+ hp and RWD, it's easy to get into trouble with the car. I've learned by low speed tail slides and fishtailing when applying too much throttle on the wrong pavement or in the wrong conditions.

I'm trying to figure out how to make the time to get to the Ron Fellows school later this year.

patentcad

In 1988, I was a sales rep for a Jaguar dealer. Jaguar was introducing their new sedan which was a revolutionary change from the older 1987 car. They took us to Lime Rock for a day of on-track driving with the new sedan. They put us in the sedan with a race car driver. As we approach the very first turn @ speed, I'm thinking 'there's no way this guy makes this turn going this fast' - but of course, he did. At that moment I realized that THIS race driver, HE knows how to drive a car @ speed. Me, not so much.

So I have no illusions. I drive all my cars with respect and try very hard to not drive past MY limits. I've never driven a car into the weeds. Ditto for the 11 years I spent on a road motorcycle. I like to think that I'm not an idiot on the road. So far so good I guess. Never took track instruction, that's why I want to take GM up on the Ron Fellows offer. Good opportunity.

siglite

Funny story about that. I'll set the scene. 2002-ish, Summit Point Raceway, and I am a bad-a$$. I am Johnny Friggin Fastguy because I ride on the street, and by god, I'm fast. I have to go to this stupid race school to get a race license, which is just dumb, because I'm ready, right now, to jump into AMA Pro and show guys like Nicky Hayden and Mat Mladin what's what.

Fast forward 6 hours, and I've been sitting in a classroom, and doing dumb cone-drills, and I'm ready to start choking people. I want on the track.

FINALLY... instructor-led laps. The only instructions they give us are, "don't pass the instructor." Now, I'm kinda mad about that, because I know I'm faster than him. But whatever, this day's about getting that stupid piece of paper so I can start kicking butts and gaining fame and fast women.

We putter around the track at pit-lane speeds for two laps, and I'm ready to run the instructor over. Then we come out of 13 onto the front straight, and the instructor gets on it. FINALLY!!! Climbing through 6th gear, it's amazing how many thoughts can go through your head in such a short time frame. Between the little white brake markers 6, and 3, I'm pretty sure I had the following series of thoughts:

OMG fast
We should be braking now.
Why aren't we braking.
That turn is 2nd gear at best.
Will it hurt when I die?

All of that in a few tenths of a second.

5 turns later, we're in the carousel (turn 6), going so fast, and I'm so terrified that we can add the fear of urinating in my leathers to the list of thoughts above. Death is a certainty now. In the middle of the carousel, with a knee on the road, the instructor sits up on his bike, takes one hand off the bars, turns around, and LOOKS AT ME.

It was at this point that I realized, "I'm not fast. I've never been fast. I don't know what fast is."

So yeah, the on-track company of people who actually know what they're doing can be reaaaaaaaal humbling.

XKeyScore

Looks like yours is a Z51 - mag ride too?

XKeyScore

LOL, this is a classic post. I laughed out loud. Thanks for sharing.

Dif

After about 100 miles with the C7 wZ51 MSRC I also started to notice it seemed a lot easier to drive than my C6 was.
I really noticed it taking exits and on winding roads when I found myself going faster than usual, but it didn't feel like I was.
What a Machine

patentcad

No mag ride unfortunately. But the car rides great regardless.

It's too friggin complicated. GM should charge another $1K for the Z51 and include that. Keep it simple stupid. These car makers are nuts. Too many choices. BMW is by far the worst. But Chevy could simplify the Corvette sales process too.

The first thing Steve Jobs did when he returned to Apple c. 1997 is cut the Mac computer product line from 26 choices to 8. Something like that. This notion that 'we'll give the consumer a zillion choices so that get exactly what they want'. Um...no. 95% of us don't KNOW what we want, even if 5% of us do. At any rate, it's one of my pet peeves in marketing, and I think it helps companies - and their customers, to keep it more simple.

DickieDoo

Z51 has the eDiff. Quite a miraculous work of engineering... between that and MSRC, not to mention Pilot Super Sport tires...

patentcad

I'm beginning to appreciate that e-diff.

Hey, the more I read about the C7 development, the more impressed with all the improvements and how well it gels as a complete car.