650hpvette

I just purchased my first Corvette a few weeks ago and I am so excited, I love it! My question is, I own a Z06 with Z07, so its made to run on the track. If I do not run her on the track, will she over time, lose some performance capability? I have never been to a track to watch a race let alone drive at a race track. However, that will change soon, in a few weeks, I am going to Las Vegas and will spend some time at a place called Exotic Racing, I will get some instruction and then take a Z06 on the track for several laps, can't wait, but not sure I want to run my car like that. Please share your thoughts about USE IT OR LOSE IT WITH MY Z06.

BEZ06

Welcome to the forum!!!!

No problem!! Your car will be a great street machine - even if you never take it to the track.

However, did you buy it new???

If so, you really need to attend the Corvette Owners School at Spring Mountain - about 50 miles west of Las Vegas in Pahrump.

For $1000 you get two days of excellent classroom instruction, and you drive their cars on wet skid pad exercises, and track driving - plus they put you up in their condos and you get breakfast and lunch!! It would be MUCH better than the Exotic Racing few laps around their track. Every owner who buys a new Vette should take advantage of the Spring Mountain course. You need to attend within your first year of ownership of a new Corvette:

https://www.springmountainmotorsport...-owners-school

desmophile

I concur BEZ06

I have been to both. Spring Mountain is far more valuable. They know the C7. At Exotic Racing, not so much.

If you didn't buy new and get the GM help with the 2 day owner course, spend a little more and at least drive the Stingray at Spring Mountain, less expensive than driving the Z06 but the same instruction. You can still go fast in the Stingray if you know what you are doing. The instructors can drive a Camaro, look in the rear view mirror and talk with you, and leave you in the dust if they wanted.

As for your Z06 "loosing performance". On the street, it could loose 20% power and you wouldn't miss it. Heck, the GS is more than you can really use on the street except on a freeway onramp

16C7Z51

Another reason why I bought a stingray over the z06, I can at least open it up and hold it for a few seconds, the z06 when I test drove it I said to myself this is a track car. Nevertheless you'll always have a smile.

djnice

Depending on how it was driven from 0 miles it may have already lost performance.

davepl

Actually, performance will increase initially for some time until the ring seal hits its maximum and then slowly degrade by a few percent over the next hundred+ thousand miles.

But to answer the OP's question, no, there is no "use it or lose it" aspect to the Z.

Definitely do Spring Mountain though.

Bill Dearborn

There isn't any use it or lose it concerns. However, if you drive on the streets a lot the car will learn your driving patterns and adjust to them to some degree. When you go to the track you will notice the car change as certain things happen at different times compared to when you aren't on the throttle as much. Top speed may increase by a 3 or 4 mph, items that switch on or off due to coolant temperature may change the temperature at which they activate. It is a bunch of little things that most people don't notice while driving the car. After you go home it will slowly go back to the way it was until you spend some hours on the track again. If you spend a lot of time at the track the exhaust seems to get louder and on my Z06 I notice while driving on the street with the exhaust set in Track Mode it stays open most of the time Vs not opening below 3500 rpm like it isn't supposed to do.

Bill

BrunoTheMellow

The exhaust comment is purely in your head. In track mode, it is always open except for 4th and 5th gear below 1750 rpm (or maybe just 4th).

OP, the only problem with getting a Z07 package is you'll lose tire grip quickly since you're running track tires on the street. May want to invest in getting rid of the pilot sport cup 2s if you don't plan on doing more than 1 or 2 track days a year. Unless you're a fan of burning money on tires. Also, I guess you don't mind the excessive aero and suspension stiffness.

I get it, some people just NEED to have the top of line vehicle. But buying a z07 package with no intent to track the car is dumb in my opinion.

Faron79

I went to Exotics-Racing last September!!

Drove the Ferrari F430, their "entry-level" Ferrari. Wow! The paddle-shifters shifted almost violently! It's hard to get used to that kind of car in only 5 laps. Sadly, the highest speed I hit was 105.....

You should see how they run their Black Z06 Drift cars! Holy sh*t!! SHREDS of rubber hanging off when they get back! They always pull them up to portable coolers when they're done.

Faron

Bill Dearborn

Just saw this comment. I am talking about 4th, 5th and 6th. I use those gears all the time when driving around town. I only use the first three to get the car away from a stop. Once it is in the upper 20s it is in 4th gear, mid 30s in fifth and 40 and above in 6th. I keep in town rpms below 1500 rpm most of the time.

Bill

WaxWeekly

Z07 is commonly added by dealers on inventory cars. I know a few who have picked it because they want the CCB, but don't realize you get other suspension changes too. Some dealers have wrongly suggested you can't get the CCBs without Z07. Uless you know all the details about why Z07 was picked, it's probably best not to comment.

As to the OP > I've had several sports cars, including my 4th Corvette. I will say that if you don't open them up every now and then you might get a puff of black smoke when you finally do hit the throttle.

Power degradation over time might exist, but it's small and gradual. You'll never notice if you lose 5 or 10 hp.

Bandito

Thanks, very informative. Have been there for my '15 and '18 ZO6. Going there for my '23 ZO6 Aug. 23 - 24 but staying at Holiday Inn this time. Need to get a little more familiar with this one. Never used paddles before!

Avanti

All will be good on the street. Despite GM marketing, none of their street cars are real racers.

CPB

It's complicated. "It depends"

Things like carbon build up will rob HP and one of the best ways to clear it out on a DI engine is hard driving. However, engines are air pumps, more pressure = more wear. So the more you drive hard the more you wear.

I'm trying to say extremes on either end reduce performance overtime quicker than a mixture of them. I'll also point out if someone wants to baby the car to squeek 200k miles on the bottom end, then why have a sports car? Just use the car and don't fret.

squirrelchew

akbeaver

So just for grins here, I’m going to be a little silly and take your question to an extreme.

Suppose you buy a new car, never drive it, store it properly and maintain it as necessary while stored. Will it lose its performance capabilities?

It’s not being used. I think the answer is no.

You are anthropomorphizing by applying a common saying that might apply to a living human and related to health issues versus appropriate exercise.

Interesting viewpoint but misapplied in this case.

CPB

Go to the other extreme. If the rings seize to the pistons from long term storage, then you'll have terrible compression numbers and low performance. Letting an engine sit indefinitely is also detrimental.

akbeaver

Right but you did not read my conditions. Proper maintenance whilst in storage. This would prevent ring seizure.

I regularly store my seasonally used engines. Have been for over forty years. Have yet to have any such nonsense as “ring seizure” occur, or any other problems. And these are operational engines. Not new ones that have never been used.

CPB

Seasonally used isn't long term storage. Ring seizure is real, but if you are turning them over and moving the lubrication around thus preventing things like corrosion, then you are certainly "using it." Instead of "losing it."

akbeaver

But I don’t. Not necessary.

Obviously you are the expert so a contrarian you can comfortably be.