Tracking the C7
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,629
Likes: 19
From: Chesapeake VA
Depends. I have a C5 race car and race with NASA. Been doing the HPDE thing for a decade and progressed to time trails and now into instructing and racing.
A full-blown track/race car requires lots of extra stuff unless you have a big bank account and don't mind stroking checks. You'll end up with spare everything, a tow vehicle, and a trailer.
The pros are that C5s are cheap and faster than most everything out there when in capable hands. Plus, parts are easy to get and the steel chassis is easy to fix if you were to crash it.
The C7 is the most capable factory Corvette yet. The coolers, aero, driveline, etc. are all setup to run around the track all day. The car needs nothing for the average driver. For the advanced driver I'd wager you'd want harnesses and better pads.
If you just want to do a few HPDE weekends a year get a C7 and go to town. If you start really getting into the sport a C5 is hard to beat for the economics involved.... especially if things go bad.
A full-blown track/race car requires lots of extra stuff unless you have a big bank account and don't mind stroking checks. You'll end up with spare everything, a tow vehicle, and a trailer.
The pros are that C5s are cheap and faster than most everything out there when in capable hands. Plus, parts are easy to get and the steel chassis is easy to fix if you were to crash it.
The C7 is the most capable factory Corvette yet. The coolers, aero, driveline, etc. are all setup to run around the track all day. The car needs nothing for the average driver. For the advanced driver I'd wager you'd want harnesses and better pads.
If you just want to do a few HPDE weekends a year get a C7 and go to town. If you start really getting into the sport a C5 is hard to beat for the economics involved.... especially if things go bad.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,897
Likes: 412
From: Lewisville TX
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Right out of the gate, there are tons more parts for the C5/6 cars than the C7. Calipers use a brand new pad design so it will be a little bit before race pads are on the market (working with Cobalt on them now). Front pads you can get now....rears are in progress.
We will have ours on track just after SEMA so I can give you a better idea of what happens....but I doubt this time of year I will be able to do the 100+ degree Texas testing in it yet.
We will have ours on track just after SEMA so I can give you a better idea of what happens....but I doubt this time of year I will be able to do the 100+ degree Texas testing in it yet.
Last edited by Anthony @ LGMotorsports; Oct 31, 2013 at 07:02 PM.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 50,279
Likes: 518
From: Cleveland OH
St. Jude Donor '11,'13
IF you decide to track the C7 we have race and street pads available as of today.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,226
Likes: 2
From: Lake Wylie SC
Depends. I have a C5 race car and race with NASA. Been doing the HPDE thing for a decade and progressed to time trails and now into instructing and racing.
A full-blown track/race car requires lots of extra stuff unless you have a big bank account and don't mind stroking checks. You'll end up with spare everything, a tow vehicle, and a trailer.
The pros are that C5s are cheap and faster than most everything out there when in capable hands. Plus, parts are easy to get and the steel chassis is easy to fix if you were to crash it.
The C7 is the most capable factory Corvette yet. The coolers, aero, driveline, etc. are all setup to run around the track all day. The car needs nothing for the average driver. For the advanced driver I'd wager you'd want harnesses and better pads.
If you just want to do a few HPDE weekends a year get a C7 and go to town. If you start really getting into the sport a C5 is hard to beat for the economics involved.... especially if things go bad.
A full-blown track/race car requires lots of extra stuff unless you have a big bank account and don't mind stroking checks. You'll end up with spare everything, a tow vehicle, and a trailer.
The pros are that C5s are cheap and faster than most everything out there when in capable hands. Plus, parts are easy to get and the steel chassis is easy to fix if you were to crash it.
The C7 is the most capable factory Corvette yet. The coolers, aero, driveline, etc. are all setup to run around the track all day. The car needs nothing for the average driver. For the advanced driver I'd wager you'd want harnesses and better pads.
If you just want to do a few HPDE weekends a year get a C7 and go to town. If you start really getting into the sport a C5 is hard to beat for the economics involved.... especially if things go bad.
C5's are hard to beat when it comes to return for $
Platinum Supporting Vendor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 3,665
Likes: 341
Anthony, How are you all coming on C7 parts. If anyone is at SEMA let me know. How is Andie doing from Cobalt?
There are no Carbotech pads available for the C7 today, stop portraying yourself as Carbotech.
There are no Carbotech pads available for the C7 today, stop portraying yourself as Carbotech.
Platinum Supporting Vendor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 3,665
Likes: 341
The electronics in this car will be your friend and the C5 nor the C6 can touch them. For the proffesional racer, they will be running with most to of the stuff turned off so it wouldn't matter to them. The C7 is heavier and fast so brakes and brake cooling are going to be a big deal. We will have the proper pads from Carbotech soon and LG will have them from Cobalt, both are great sets of pads and you can't go wrong with either one unless you choose the wrong compound. We will have a two piece rotors done soon and they will help with wieght and cooling over the factory rotors. Either way the C7 is going to be a blast on the track.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Not good! My tranny overheated 3 times its a automatic
After running a few sessions then putting it in track mode my tranny crapped out and the engine oil boiled out..LIMP MODE!