New Magnetic Ride Control Calibration
01-10-2018, 12:54 PM
#22
Pro
The only problem (for me) was that if you ordered the MRC with the 2016 base Stingray, you had to have 20" rear and 19" front wheels. Those low profile tires while being good for performance on the track are rough riders in tour mode just driving down the street. You feel every seam in the pavement though not bad at all on the highway. Main reason I'm hoping for some positive reports on the upgrade.
01-10-2018, 02:30 PM
#23
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jan 2002
Location: RI
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St. Jude Donor '14-'15, '17, '19
The only problem (for me) was that if you ordered the MRC with the 2016 base Stingray, you had to have 20" rear and 19" front wheels. Those low profile tires while being good for performance on the track are rough riders in tour mode just driving down the street. You feel every seam in the pavement though not bad at all on the highway. Main reason I'm hoping for some positive reports on the upgrade.
01-10-2018, 02:43 PM
#24
Pro
That sounds about right for that package. Having read in this forum about the run-flats being hard and basically unusable in below 40 degree weather, I bought some all-season tires before the car came in and had them put them on at the dealer. If they're supposed to be a softer ride than the run-flats, then run flats would have not been a good situation in this little town with lousy paving. The all-season though, are great on the highway. I was recently in the Black Hills winding around back roads at considerably more speed on the curves than what was posted and they handled beautifully. An life-long 'Vette owner there from California said that with the Corvette you ignore the speed sign for the curve, hang on to the steering wheel and just go for it. He was correct although I know there's a point of diminishing returns there.
01-10-2018, 03:09 PM
#25
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '14-'15, '17, '19
Highplains. Your profile doesn't show your location but I am in RI and the roads here are among the worst in the country. Didn't notice any ride difference between the factory summer tires and AS. Don't notice any traction difference either. I bought a wheel tire & sensor package for the all season. I put the factory rims & tires back on in July of last year to get some wear from the original tires. Couldn't even stand them in the summer & they came off after a few weeks. I did try some 1/4 mile times between the summer and AS tires and the times were about the same. Maybe autocross would be different but not straight line. At least for me.
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Highplains (01-10-2018)
01-10-2018, 03:27 PM
#26
Pro
Highplains. Your profile doesn't show your location but I am in RI and the roads here are among the worst in the country. Didn't notice any ride difference between the factory summer tires and AS. Don't notice any traction difference either. I bought a wheel tire & sensor package for the all season. I put the factory rims & tires back on in July of last year to get some wear from the original tires. Couldn't even stand them in the summer & they came off after a few weeks. I did try some 1/4 mile times between the summer and AS tires and the times were about the same. Maybe autocross would be different but not straight line. At least for me.
01-11-2018, 08:45 AM
#28
Drifting
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St. Jude Donor '08
Picked up my 2016 ZO6 from the dealer yesterday after the MRC upgrade the previous day. The drive home in Tour felt softer than I was used to and the steering felt a little stiffer (?).
Later in the day I drove it again on a short trip, and it felt the same as before the update. Ahh.
Suffice it to say it was not turned into a Cadillac. I will return here if I have additional information.
Later in the day I drove it again on a short trip, and it felt the same as before the update. Ahh.
Suffice it to say it was not turned into a Cadillac. I will return here if I have additional information.
01-14-2018, 01:57 PM
#30
Tech Contributor
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Good information and thanks for your input. Just so you know my dealership isn't like most dealerships. The service manager races corvettes and 40% of their service is on Corvettes only. They have world class Corvette Master technicians. They have also completed several of these updates and have received feedback from numerous people. I would never make this decision based on the feedback from a typical Chevrolet dealers service department. People from all over California and from other states actually come to this dealership for service on their corvettes. So Bill, I would say they know a lot about this. Not worth it for me to have a better ride in Touring mode since I never use it.
I probably wouldn't have spent the $350 if all I got out of it was a little better handling on the street but I do want the track performance.
Now if your Service Manager is saying to add the DSC controller instead I can understand that because it provides similar advantages but is tuneable by the end use while the GM update isn't.
GM engineers and drivers worked to make the car perform better and provided an update that brings a 15/16 model car up to 17/18/19 capability. Will the dealership service manager try and talk you out of buying a new Corvette since the capability of the new car isn't for you? I am pretty sure they don't know what the update does if they are making the comments you say they are making or maybe you didn't understand what they said. Don't get on your high horse. Check out the facts before refusing to update the car.
By the way here is the Youtube link to the update announcement
Here is the link to the release video with Jim Mero running the calibrations at VIR.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 01-14-2018 at 02:13 PM.
01-14-2018, 03:49 PM
#31
In what way has Sport Mode changed?
01-23-2018, 11:15 AM
#32
Drifting
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St. Jude Donor '08
I will leave that for Bill to answer as I don't use it. But after having driven my '16 ZO6 awhile after the upgrade, I have come to the conclusion (tour) that when the road surface requires suspension travel, it does so in a more cushioned manner. When the surface is just rough, the stiff sidewall of the tires makes the resulting ride the same as before. Just a theory.
01-30-2018, 06:50 AM
#33
Melting Slicks
Bill im surprised you dont run the DSC controller, any reasons why you dont? Im thinking of doing the upgrade on my 2017 FE6 Z06 or the DSC.
01-30-2018, 06:52 AM
#34
Melting Slicks
It also provides better on track performance. That is why when GM introduced the update they showed a video of Jim Mero running a stock Z06 around VIR and achieving better lap times with the new calibration.
I probably wouldn't have spent the $350 if all I got out of it was a little better handling on the street but I do want the track performance.
Now if your Service Manager is saying to add the DSC controller instead I can understand that because it provides similar advantages but is tuneable by the end use while the GM update isn't.
GM engineers and drivers worked to make the car perform better and provided an update that brings a 15/16 model car up to 17/18/19 capability. Will the dealership service manager try and talk you out of buying a new Corvette since the capability of the new car isn't for you? I am pretty sure they don't know what the update does if they are making the comments you say they are making or maybe you didn't understand what they said. Don't get on your high horse. Check out the facts before refusing to update the car.
By the way here is the Youtube link to the update announcement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHFG0E5ej4&t=2s
Here is the link to the release video with Jim Mero running the calibrations at VIR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=A-hKgeEy9xw
Bill
I probably wouldn't have spent the $350 if all I got out of it was a little better handling on the street but I do want the track performance.
Now if your Service Manager is saying to add the DSC controller instead I can understand that because it provides similar advantages but is tuneable by the end use while the GM update isn't.
GM engineers and drivers worked to make the car perform better and provided an update that brings a 15/16 model car up to 17/18/19 capability. Will the dealership service manager try and talk you out of buying a new Corvette since the capability of the new car isn't for you? I am pretty sure they don't know what the update does if they are making the comments you say they are making or maybe you didn't understand what they said. Don't get on your high horse. Check out the facts before refusing to update the car.
By the way here is the Youtube link to the update announcement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHFG0E5ej4&t=2s
Here is the link to the release video with Jim Mero running the calibrations at VIR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=A-hKgeEy9xw
Bill
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Takoyaki (01-30-2018)
04-27-2018, 11:11 AM
#38
Le Mans Master
Early on I thought placebo could very well be at work here. BUT, given how little difference I had seen between Tour and Sport mode, the fairly objective reviews that people on the forum provided, and the writeup that Jim Mero provided, I thought it a reasonable purchase.
I did some before/after tests to see any differences. First was on a section of interstate nearby. It's got the dreaded concrete heaves that cause you to run in the left lane just to keep the pounding down. Before with the Z51 suspension in tour the ride was more uncomfortable than my 2010 Honda Accord. Very surprisingly, the ride with the new calibrations is now smoother than the accord, both to myself and my wife.
The second test was a curving bridge transition. My C5 (also with Z51) has the fairly normal lateral unload when taking the transitions at speed. Our C7, again in Tour mode, unloads less (i.e. what others have called "more composed"). And both, as you would expect, do not "rock and roll" like our Accord does.
So, while subjective descriptions can many times be a true placebo effect, based on my experiments and others observations, I think this upgrade does have a material effect.
Have a good one,
Mike
I did some before/after tests to see any differences. First was on a section of interstate nearby. It's got the dreaded concrete heaves that cause you to run in the left lane just to keep the pounding down. Before with the Z51 suspension in tour the ride was more uncomfortable than my 2010 Honda Accord. Very surprisingly, the ride with the new calibrations is now smoother than the accord, both to myself and my wife.
The second test was a curving bridge transition. My C5 (also with Z51) has the fairly normal lateral unload when taking the transitions at speed. Our C7, again in Tour mode, unloads less (i.e. what others have called "more composed"). And both, as you would expect, do not "rock and roll" like our Accord does.
So, while subjective descriptions can many times be a true placebo effect, based on my experiments and others observations, I think this upgrade does have a material effect.
Have a good one,
Mike