Hello all, new member here. I'm looking to purchase either a Grand Sport or Z06 with manual transmission. It will be used on both the street and track. On the track I'm quite fast and tend to use everything my car has. Does the Grand Sport need more cooling for extended track day sessions? What about the Z06? Is one significantly more or less reliable when being thrashed at a high speed track like Mosport or Calabogie (in Canada)?

 

Well, if you're thrashing them, I'd recommend a Miata or BRZ : )

 

Thanks but I already have a S2000. I’m looking for a replacement for my Porsche 911s.

 

Either car will do well on tracks in Canada. If you look at a 2015/2016 Z06 it is possible to add the secondary radiator oil cooling package the 2017 and newer cars had standard. GM Performance Parts (GMPP) sells a kit to add it to those two model year cars. There is also a GM TSB available that shows what parts to buy and modify to increase air flow to the power steering motor on any C7 when on track.

2017 and newer Z06s will have the improved supercharger that increases intake charge cooling for cylinders 7 and 8. That with the secondary radiator that comes with the M7s makes a potent track package. It will pass just about anything on the track except the gas pumps in the paddock area. At VIR's 3.2 Full Course I am not able to finish two twenty minute sessions when starting with a full tank.

If you are planning on purchasing one with the Performance Data Recorder the later models have improvements in the data collected. Also the later models have some improvements in the instrument panel Track Displays.

The big difference you will notice with the Z06 is the stump pulling torque that comes on right around 1000 rpm and keeps climbing. It has more torque at 1000 rpm than most other cars have max torque. You definitely do not want to forget the age old Driver Instructor's coaching which is DO NOT USE THE THROTTLE LIkE AN ON/OFF SWITCH. Forget that advice and you could easily be looking at where you just came from Vs going where you want to go. It does what you tell it to do when you tell it do it so make sure you really want it to do something. I think my 2015 Z06 is a great track car. It is like carrying the Hammer of Thor.

The GS will have less torque but still will be a lot. It is comparable to the torque delivery of the C6 Z06 427 LS7 engine up to 4000 rpm. The GS transmission is geared lower to help it overcome some of the torque disadvantage the LT1 has compared to the LT4.

Bill

 

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Next question; if I want to run iron rotors for track time, is the Z07 suspension a huge benefit on the track for both Z07 and Grand sport models , will a Z06 without Z06 be firmer than the Grand Sport? I looked at a 2017 grand sport with Z07, and both a 2019 GS and Z07.

 

Hello Beni,

I just bought a 2019 Z06 manual with Z07 pkg, coming from a 2017 GS manual also with Z07; at Tremblant, the GS is very potent car, only loosing a couple of length to a GT3 or a Z06 on the stretch;

I have friends with Z06 without Z07 that do very well but are slower than I was in the corners, I am sure the suspension difference is worth it, for me;
carbon rotors would give you similar braking force from lap 1 till the end as oppose to iron that would fade if push hard enough, on shorter track like Mosport or Tremblant; it will of course be more expensive to replace, if you track the car a lot;

As I only once or twice a year, it was worth the 10 grand to me as the car is so stable even in sport 2, must say I didn't try full track yet

Hope it helps

Alain from Montreal

 

At Spring Mountain the Z06's would pull away from the Grand Sports in the straights every time. So if you have a bigger track you will experience this. If it's a smaller track with no long straights you may not enjoy the HP advantage as much. So my input is for bigger tracks Z06, smaller tracks GS.

 

I have a GS and regularly catch Z06s in the turns. Obviously theres the driver factor but I have a total of 10 track days in this car. I can usually gain enough distance where straights are no longer a factor. I can also run this car as hard as I want with no overheating of any of the fluids. Plus consumables are less and gas as well. It all adds up.