Corvette C7 acceleration underwhelming?
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 17
From: Maryland
To the OP... Dude.. U are on a DIE HARD CORVETTE FORUM.. saying anything negative about the car, on top of giving erroneous info like "500HP from a base Stingray to GS" will elicit some nasty feedback almost every time. 
Now that being said....U know what's weird.. when I first got my '14 Z51 M7 I thought that it actually lacked in power versus my '08 C6 Z51 M6.. It wasn't until after I had driven it for about 1500 miles did I truly feel as tho the car had WOKEN UP, and absolutely triumphed over the C6 that had preceded it. My current '16 Z06 is a monster tho.. as soon as I bought.. but alas I bought this one used, thus its break in had already occurred.
Side bar.. I don't know if anyone has driven a current Camaro. I had driven the SS.. and even the 2.0L, but a few weeks ago I had to drop my Yukon off to the paint shop for a scratch and they let me drive a newish 2018 Camaro RS V6 with about 12K on the odo.. Previous experience with a V6 in a Camaro was owning a 2011 from 2010-2013. That car had 312HP.. where as this one had 335HP. Let me tell U.. that lil car can MOVE right out the gate. I almost asked them to let me take it off their hands for a daily driver. It actually reminded me of the performance I used to get from my previous C5 (2000-2008), but with better handling and better gearing.. the lost of 15HP and more torque (versus C5) seemed negligible. Again.. just a side bar.
Now that being said....U know what's weird.. when I first got my '14 Z51 M7 I thought that it actually lacked in power versus my '08 C6 Z51 M6.. It wasn't until after I had driven it for about 1500 miles did I truly feel as tho the car had WOKEN UP, and absolutely triumphed over the C6 that had preceded it. My current '16 Z06 is a monster tho.. as soon as I bought.. but alas I bought this one used, thus its break in had already occurred.
Side bar.. I don't know if anyone has driven a current Camaro. I had driven the SS.. and even the 2.0L, but a few weeks ago I had to drop my Yukon off to the paint shop for a scratch and they let me drive a newish 2018 Camaro RS V6 with about 12K on the odo.. Previous experience with a V6 in a Camaro was owning a 2011 from 2010-2013. That car had 312HP.. where as this one had 335HP. Let me tell U.. that lil car can MOVE right out the gate. I almost asked them to let me take it off their hands for a daily driver. It actually reminded me of the performance I used to get from my previous C5 (2000-2008), but with better handling and better gearing.. the lost of 15HP and more torque (versus C5) seemed negligible. Again.. just a side bar.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2018
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So thanks to everybody who provided feedback on this one. I think I'm pretty clear now on where the disconnect was for me. This is how I break it down:
-Unrealistic expectations (so excited about it and my brain was thinking 500HP or more actually because I had been looking at the Z06s too). 413HP~ to the wheel would not blow me away unless in very light car.
-Combine the power I was expecting with "Track Mode" selection in this RWD beast and my mind again fantasized about some chaos (mind you, chaos is not good for lap times)
-I'm pretty sure I short shifted as I was focused on the initial grunt low in the power band
-Not enough room where I was to play with a beast like this
-Car is heavier than I realized
That being said, I think the ZL1 1LE is more for me in with the lost points for interior. Neither of these cars are the nimble light weight type of cars that I tend to like, but none of those cars have this power. At the end of the day, if I want the kind of unruly power I love, it's gonna have to come with some weight. I know of no factory car with insane levels of low and midrange grunt that is also under 3000 pounds. Only way I know to even try to get this is with extreme power to weight packages that head way too much into toy territory. Think Arial Atom or something. With the amount of grip that ZL1 1LE offers and control, I think I'm OK with going bigger just to get that aggressive nature I want.
Still love the Corvette, and I'm sad that I'm looking at other options but all I'm reading is pointing me elsewhere.
-Unrealistic expectations (so excited about it and my brain was thinking 500HP or more actually because I had been looking at the Z06s too). 413HP~ to the wheel would not blow me away unless in very light car.
-Combine the power I was expecting with "Track Mode" selection in this RWD beast and my mind again fantasized about some chaos (mind you, chaos is not good for lap times)
-I'm pretty sure I short shifted as I was focused on the initial grunt low in the power band
-Not enough room where I was to play with a beast like this
-Car is heavier than I realized
That being said, I think the ZL1 1LE is more for me in with the lost points for interior. Neither of these cars are the nimble light weight type of cars that I tend to like, but none of those cars have this power. At the end of the day, if I want the kind of unruly power I love, it's gonna have to come with some weight. I know of no factory car with insane levels of low and midrange grunt that is also under 3000 pounds. Only way I know to even try to get this is with extreme power to weight packages that head way too much into toy territory. Think Arial Atom or something. With the amount of grip that ZL1 1LE offers and control, I think I'm OK with going bigger just to get that aggressive nature I want.
Still love the Corvette, and I'm sad that I'm looking at other options but all I'm reading is pointing me elsewhere.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 471
Likes: 110
I drove this. My 2010 Camaro for three years. Long tube headers, tuned, and cammed running mid 11's at the track. I've never ran the Stingray. But I can tell you there is nothing underwhelming about the C7
Last edited by SoFloVette; Jul 5, 2018 at 02:24 PM.
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I disagree. Any car is underwhelming if you are expecting it to be much better than it is. Case in point, if you drive a Rolls Royce expecting it to be like a Bugatti...you will be very underwhelmed. Just because a car is fast, unless it's the fastest car in the world, it can be underwhelming to a person expecting more than the car delivers. In my excitement I was half way between thinking about Z06 numbers and Porsche weight and more. I also did not drive the car correctly. I drove a Stingray as if it was a Z06 that is 200+ pounds lighter than stock. So of course I was underwhelmed. Nothing wrong with the car, it was all my fault. The C7 is a brilliant machine no doubt, but still the ZL1 beat the better model (GS) around the track. That does not make the GS any less amazing...it just clarifies the ZL1 is a very relevant option/alternative. Can't go wrong with either car, you just have to prioritize what matters most to you.
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LOL, perhaps I should have. However if I was driving the fantasy car I had in my mind, I would not need to. In fact, Track mode would have been pushing it a bit since it was my first drive. LOL
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 69
From: Waverly Tennessee
The C7 is a brilliant machine no doubt, but still the ZL1 beat the better model (GS) around the track.
Z06 (or ZR1) are the "better" models.
Last edited by LbulletM; Jul 5, 2018 at 04:36 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,441
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Thanks to my MAC my well written (IMO LOL) response to you is gone! 
Anyway, I was just saying that it's all making sense now. The Corvette is not really a light car. If all you are making is around 400HP, that is only 100HP more than many of the lower end cars I've driven which are usually around 300HP but weigh 2800-3200 LBs. The next factor I missed was power band. I needed to consider WHERE the 400HP was being delivered.
As for C7 being fast. I have no doubts there but I'm very obsessed with the visceral nature of performance cars. I'd rather be the slowest guy at each car meet, if my car is the most fun to drive at every meet. For me cars are very personal. It's about what brings ME joy, which is the FEELING I get and the emotion I get from driving. So my focus is on driving dynamics that bring me joy:
Being pressed hard into the seat as I accelerate
Being pressed hard to the side as I do a high G turn
Being able to feel like the car will go wherever I want it; decreasing radius turn? BRING IT ON!
Controlled chaos might be the word some would use for this. See, I have no interest in old school muscle cars that are visceral for sure but make you feel like you are about to die. I may feel like I COULD die if I ever disrespect the car, but I should feel confident that as long as I'm alert and engaged, I'll be OK. Kind of like jogging by the edge of a cliff. Stop paying attention and you could go over but pay attention and you are fine...even if you stumble...however...you STILL are near a cliff so, you can never really fully relax. Old muscle cars to me could be like running by the edge. Any second you could fall and be done with.
Anyway, I was just saying that it's all making sense now. The Corvette is not really a light car. If all you are making is around 400HP, that is only 100HP more than many of the lower end cars I've driven which are usually around 300HP but weigh 2800-3200 LBs. The next factor I missed was power band. I needed to consider WHERE the 400HP was being delivered.
As for C7 being fast. I have no doubts there but I'm very obsessed with the visceral nature of performance cars. I'd rather be the slowest guy at each car meet, if my car is the most fun to drive at every meet. For me cars are very personal. It's about what brings ME joy, which is the FEELING I get and the emotion I get from driving. So my focus is on driving dynamics that bring me joy:
Being pressed hard into the seat as I accelerate
Being pressed hard to the side as I do a high G turn
Being able to feel like the car will go wherever I want it; decreasing radius turn? BRING IT ON!
Controlled chaos might be the word some would use for this. See, I have no interest in old school muscle cars that are visceral for sure but make you feel like you are about to die. I may feel like I COULD die if I ever disrespect the car, but I should feel confident that as long as I'm alert and engaged, I'll be OK. Kind of like jogging by the edge of a cliff. Stop paying attention and you could go over but pay attention and you are fine...even if you stumble...however...you STILL are near a cliff so, you can never really fully relax. Old muscle cars to me could be like running by the edge. Any second you could fall and be done with.
Sounds like you want a Mustang GT350R.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,182
Likes: 209
From: Orlando FL
My 2015 Z51 w/mag ride never gave me a big "shock" feeling on accelerating coming from a 2005 Z51. The 2005 C6 feels more visceral. Rest assured, the C7 is a good bit quicker. It's just deceiving because of how smooth the car is; suspension, sound deadening, weight distribution, engine, transmission, etc. The C7 is very confidence inspiring because it's so stable while it performs so well.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 196
Likes: 31
OP, do you want a vehicle that is going to be one of the quickest and/or fastest vehicles on the road? If you look at my sig, you'll see I haven't owned any exotics, except for pseudo exotics like the Lotus Evora 400 and Maserati Granturismo Sport. But if you look at the rest of that list, all of them are pretty darn quick and fast. I'm really, really pleased with my '19 Grand Sport. Yeah, it's "only" 460 HP to the crank, but for my needs (daily driver, smooth, fast, quick, and a real head turner) it's almost perfect. If I wanted a car again that made me feel I owned the road in front of me, it would be the GT-R. Outside of a couple of heavily modded cars, and the upper echelon of sport bikes, I never had a problem dispatching any interloper on the road. As far as just feeling "thrown back in the seat", that would have been my modded '86 Buick Grand National. By today's performance numbers (12's in the quarter, 0-60 in the 4's) it would be contemporary, but wow, with it's pronounced turbo lag, could it ever awake and slam you back in the seat. So it depends what you're looking for.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 309
Likes: 48
From: AZ
Thanks to my MAC my well written (IMO LOL) response to you is gone!
Anyway, I was just saying that it's all making sense now. The Corvette is not really a light car. If all you are making is around 400HP, that is only 100HP more than many of the lower end cars I've driven which are usually around 300HP but weigh 2800-3200 LBs. The next factor I missed was power band. I needed to consider WHERE the 400HP was being delivered.
As for C7 being fast. I have no doubts there but I'm very obsessed with the visceral nature of performance cars. I'd rather be the slowest guy at each car meet, if my car is the most fun to drive at every meet. For me cars are very personal. It's about what brings ME joy, which is the FEELING I get and the emotion I get from driving. So my focus is on driving dynamics that bring me joy:
Being pressed hard into the seat as I accelerate
Being pressed hard to the side as I do a high G turn
Being able to feel like the car will go wherever I want it; decreasing radius turn? BRING IT ON!
Controlled chaos might be the word some would use for this. See, I have no interest in old school muscle cars that are visceral for sure but make you feel like you are about to die. I may feel like I COULD die if I ever disrespect the car, but I should feel confident that as long as I'm alert and engaged, I'll be OK. Kind of like jogging by the edge of a cliff. Stop paying attention and you could go over but pay attention and you are fine...even if you stumble...however...you STILL are near a cliff so, you can never really fully relax. Old muscle cars to me could be like running by the edge. Any second you could fall and be done with.
Anyway, I was just saying that it's all making sense now. The Corvette is not really a light car. If all you are making is around 400HP, that is only 100HP more than many of the lower end cars I've driven which are usually around 300HP but weigh 2800-3200 LBs. The next factor I missed was power band. I needed to consider WHERE the 400HP was being delivered.
As for C7 being fast. I have no doubts there but I'm very obsessed with the visceral nature of performance cars. I'd rather be the slowest guy at each car meet, if my car is the most fun to drive at every meet. For me cars are very personal. It's about what brings ME joy, which is the FEELING I get and the emotion I get from driving. So my focus is on driving dynamics that bring me joy:
Being pressed hard into the seat as I accelerate
Being pressed hard to the side as I do a high G turn
Being able to feel like the car will go wherever I want it; decreasing radius turn? BRING IT ON!
Controlled chaos might be the word some would use for this. See, I have no interest in old school muscle cars that are visceral for sure but make you feel like you are about to die. I may feel like I COULD die if I ever disrespect the car, but I should feel confident that as long as I'm alert and engaged, I'll be OK. Kind of like jogging by the edge of a cliff. Stop paying attention and you could go over but pay attention and you are fine...even if you stumble...however...you STILL are near a cliff so, you can never really fully relax. Old muscle cars to me could be like running by the edge. Any second you could fall and be done with.
Last edited by ptran00; Jul 7, 2018 at 11:40 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,860
Likes: 1,870
From: Birmingham Mi
OP....maybe go back to the old school look to get the performance you are looking for. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DDs...ature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DDs...ature=youtu.be
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 56
Likes: 12
Nice!! Lol
op....maybe go back to the old school look to get the performance you are looking for. :d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dds...ature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dds...ature=youtu.be
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 300
From: FL
So thanks to everybody who provided feedback on this one. I think I'm pretty clear now on where the disconnect was for me. This is how I break it down:
-Unrealistic expectations (so excited about it and my brain was thinking 500HP or more actually because I had been looking at the Z06s too). 413HP~ to the wheel would not blow me away unless in very light car.
-Combine the power I was expecting with "Track Mode" selection in this RWD beast and my mind again fantasized about some chaos (mind you, chaos is not good for lap times)
-I'm pretty sure I short shifted as I was focused on the initial grunt low in the power band
-Not enough room where I was to play with a beast like this
-Car is heavier than I realized
That being said, I think the ZL1 1LE is more for me in with the lost points for interior. Neither of these cars are the nimble light weight type of cars that I tend to like, but none of those cars have this power. At the end of the day, if I want the kind of unruly power I love, it's gonna have to come with some weight. I know of no factory car with insane levels of low and midrange grunt that is also under 3000 pounds. Only way I know to even try to get this is with extreme power to weight packages that head way too much into toy territory. Think Arial Atom or something. With the amount of grip that ZL1 1LE offers and control, I think I'm OK with going bigger just to get that aggressive nature I want.
Still love the Corvette, and I'm sad that I'm looking at other options but all I'm reading is pointing me elsewhere.
-Unrealistic expectations (so excited about it and my brain was thinking 500HP or more actually because I had been looking at the Z06s too). 413HP~ to the wheel would not blow me away unless in very light car.
-Combine the power I was expecting with "Track Mode" selection in this RWD beast and my mind again fantasized about some chaos (mind you, chaos is not good for lap times)
-I'm pretty sure I short shifted as I was focused on the initial grunt low in the power band
-Not enough room where I was to play with a beast like this
-Car is heavier than I realized
That being said, I think the ZL1 1LE is more for me in with the lost points for interior. Neither of these cars are the nimble light weight type of cars that I tend to like, but none of those cars have this power. At the end of the day, if I want the kind of unruly power I love, it's gonna have to come with some weight. I know of no factory car with insane levels of low and midrange grunt that is also under 3000 pounds. Only way I know to even try to get this is with extreme power to weight packages that head way too much into toy territory. Think Arial Atom or something. With the amount of grip that ZL1 1LE offers and control, I think I'm OK with going bigger just to get that aggressive nature I want.
Still love the Corvette, and I'm sad that I'm looking at other options but all I'm reading is pointing me elsewhere.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 657
From: No. VA
I think the issue the OP is experiencing is the throttle tip in. When I first start driving my Stingray a little harder, I felt I had to press the throttle more to get juice out of it. Psychologically, my 135is felt faster off the line but has a more twitchy throttle. If you can adjust to that, buy something like a Vitesse to adjust the throttle sensitivity and that should change your opinion.
