Too slow C7.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 313
Likes: 1
From: Catlettsburg Ky
Too slow C7.
I always enjoy the number of posts of owners looking to up the power in their new rides. I just wonder why. GM has engineered a remarkable car in the Stingray and street use does not come close to allowing using it to its ability. How many of the guys upping power are tracking there car where the power can be used ( to a point ).
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,726
Likes: 770
I race my cars, so the power increase is always welcomed.
Besides, sometimes an aggressive run on the freeway onramp is fun too and isn't really risky or dangerous as you don't endanger anyone. There's probably a fair amount of 700+ hp cars the only ever see the street.
Besides, sometimes an aggressive run on the freeway onramp is fun too and isn't really risky or dangerous as you don't endanger anyone. There's probably a fair amount of 700+ hp cars the only ever see the street.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 21
From: Arlington VA
I've always wondered that myself. For the guys who claim that they absolutely "have to have" the fastest version or go mod/HP crazy.. but never hit a racetrack. Exactly what are you doing with 500..600..700+hp on a public highway, road or street.. that you couldn't do with the C7's base 460hp?
If you ARE hitting the track, then I understand the craving for 'MOAR'. But when the posted speed limit is 70-75mph tops in most of the US.. I just don't see when you get to use all this power. Hell I'm still trying to figure out a way to push my LS2 C6 to the limit on the street without ending up in jail or losing my drivers license forever.
Which is exactly why I'm much more interested in a C7.. than I ever was in a C6Z06 or C6ZR1. The refinement, the technology, the driver & suspension modes, the much updated and luxurious interior are all things I can use & enjoy every time I drive the car. Even if its just sitting in the garage with me staring new styling cues. More power is not something I can use every time I'm behind the wheel.
If you ARE hitting the track, then I understand the craving for 'MOAR'. But when the posted speed limit is 70-75mph tops in most of the US.. I just don't see when you get to use all this power. Hell I'm still trying to figure out a way to push my LS2 C6 to the limit on the street without ending up in jail or losing my drivers license forever.
Which is exactly why I'm much more interested in a C7.. than I ever was in a C6Z06 or C6ZR1. The refinement, the technology, the driver & suspension modes, the much updated and luxurious interior are all things I can use & enjoy every time I drive the car. Even if its just sitting in the garage with me staring new styling cues. More power is not something I can use every time I'm behind the wheel.
CF "Young" Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,034
Likes: 26
From: Cupertino CA
St. Jude Donor '12
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 313
Likes: 1
From: Catlettsburg Ky
We "completed" break in today and I put the car in track mode race setting manual select on paddle shift. My wife was with me and I figured I would show her a SLOW car. A nice burnout was allowed by the traction control and by the time I lifted the only thing she said was, "fast enough but needs to be louder",
...... Headers here we come.
...... Headers here we come.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 3
From: Coatesville PA
Almost everyday. Every onramp, every lonely highway at 2am, every round a bout. I'm not even talking get you jailed for life speeds, but simple runs to 80 or 100 are possible on many onramps. I'd still like to get there faster. Then cruise control at 60mph and it functions the same as a camry cruising right along. Jug handle ramp ahead? Make those NT01 nittos scream, then back to coasting along.
So long as the other parts of your car back it up, you can never have too much hp
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,435
Likes: 0
St. Jude Donor '14
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 302
Likes: 3
From: Sarasota Florida
St Jude Donor '14
I used to own a 1100hp mustang. Fun as he'll to take people for rides in it and I drove it everyday. I raced the car every weekend on the quarter mile tracks. I plan on adding tons more power down the road to my C7. Its just fun to see how much you can squeeze out of cars.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,875
Likes: 1,174
I will track (road course) my car a lot (relatively)... I don't need more power than it has. I get about 12 to 15 track days a year and the car will still be better stock than I am a driver 
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.
Scraping the splitter.
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,111
Likes: 1,029
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15
"Most" rwd platforms are only going to be able to put so much power to the ground using a radial tire anyway. If you're road racing the car, bumping the power substantially is going to be a risk to reliability (no surprise there), tax the cooling system and you're probably not going to be commensurately faster around the track. If you're drag racing the car, the benefit is more pronounced and rewarding.
Over the years, I've learned that adding power doesn't always make the car more enjoyable. Most of the cars that I substantially modded ended up getting sold. A long time ago, I bought a Turbo Buick (LC9 car). I like to say that I had more fun with that car when it was running 12.0's than at any other time that I owned it. It was reliable, fun, plenty fast for the time and very consistent. I actually just dialed back one of my GT-R's from 705 awhp (Mustang Dyno), so that I would enjoy the car more and could track it.
I've got four other cars that make quite a bit more power and are quite a bit faster than our C7, and that's just fine with me. I'm not even sure I would do something as basic as headers/tune if it's going to dramatically compromise the comfort of the car by making it too loud. I'll have to hear one first.
S.
Over the years, I've learned that adding power doesn't always make the car more enjoyable. Most of the cars that I substantially modded ended up getting sold. A long time ago, I bought a Turbo Buick (LC9 car). I like to say that I had more fun with that car when it was running 12.0's than at any other time that I owned it. It was reliable, fun, plenty fast for the time and very consistent. I actually just dialed back one of my GT-R's from 705 awhp (Mustang Dyno), so that I would enjoy the car more and could track it.
I've got four other cars that make quite a bit more power and are quite a bit faster than our C7, and that's just fine with me. I'm not even sure I would do something as basic as headers/tune if it's going to dramatically compromise the comfort of the car by making it too loud. I'll have to hear one first.
S.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,726
Likes: 770
I will track (road course) my car a lot (relatively)... I don't need more power than it has. I get about 12 to 15 track days a year and the car will still be better stock than I am a driver
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.
I've done the track before in my current car, and it's tons of fun, but I don't want to hit 160mph in a straightaway because the car has a billion horsepower and destroy the stock brakes and go sliding off because the car has more hp than it can handle for the road course.
I do more drag racing so that's all about horsepower, the more the better because a pair of stickies solves any traction issues.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,235
Likes: 1,160
From: montreal quebec
I will track (road course) my car a lot (relatively)... I don't need more power than it has. I get about 12 to 15 track days a year and the car will still be better stock than I am a driver
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.
After a certain point (450-500 hp), it is all bragging rights IMO but to each his/her own.