I have had an order in for a year now and my dealer says I will get the first allocatable 2016. Almost got one of the last 2015's but spectra grey wheels were on constraint for May.

Anyway...... My primary use for the car would be HPDE events at Mosport and a few other tracks in the area. I just spent 2 hours searching for a comprehensive discussion on the overheating issues and couldn't find one. Can someone direct me if there is such a thing.
What I read was that if I don't go ***** out, short shift, stay home if it's really hot......etc etc I should enjoy the car.

Buying this car is a $ stretch for me and probably my last toy car. I have really enjoyed my C6Z but had to live through the oiling issue, new motor thank you General and the valve issue- heads done than you Bob..... In spite of those problems I still think the car is awesome and really love the 505 HP normally aspirated motor. Never been a fan of boost for a track car.
So I'm thinking instead of laying out all that cash only to face a bunch of overheating problems and potenential need for major aftermarket mods, which may or may not compromise the warranty..........maybe I should just keep tracking the C6Z06.......

I love the C7Z06/Z07...... It would be a great tick mark on the bucket list.....but I'm not sure what's going to be involved fixing those overheating problems.....
What I'm hoping to get here is a clear understanding of what those issues are as we know them today and a ballpark cost estimate for aftermarket mods.

I know of 3 Z07 cars that were tracked recently in 42 degree ambient temps by experienced drivers and all got overheating 231 coolant and 275 plus engine temps.

Finally I'm not interested in hearing from the anti GM trolls who post just to bash. Let this be a constructive post.

Thanks in advance for any insight received.

 

I fully agree with your concerns. I think that Chevrolet's response that the cars were designed for hard track used BELOW 80-some F temps is a terribly bad excuse. These days we know plenty enough about what is required to keep engine oil and water temps within acceptable levels. I find it frustrating that GM built a world-class car in handling and power.... except you can not put that power down for any length of time without risking serious overheating.

As it appears, the solutions are left for the aftermarket. I have already seen here posted one manufacturer installing a larger water radiator. I believe it is NOT available just yet. Most obviously, the car needs a much more serious engine oil cooler, something that is NOT expensive, which makes you wonder why GM decided not to put one in at the first place.

I won't track my car but, I use it for those 2nd, 3rd gear, high RPM, twisty canyon roads, uphill/downhill. In a matter of a few minutes I find having to back off as the temps are climbing alarmingly on the uphill sections. Truly, no excuse, GM.

 

I just found a pretty extensive post on overheating. Started to read it but it got sidetracked into class action lawsuits etc

I will continue to read it. I'm hoping to find a definitive list of causes and cures..........maybe we just don't have it yet because car is so new......

 

If track work is truly your "primary" use, and you plan to drive join days when it is 75 degrees or higher...you will be frustrated by oil temps.

Despite this limitation, you should get one.

One cause/cure : Letting the A8 shift the car. High RPMs generate heat. Shifting manually lowers temps. Anecdotally, this could be the difference between overheating and running at 300 degrees on an 80 degree day.

Ultimate cause has been outlined by GM. The physical design of the body of the car prevents adequate airflow to dissipate the massive heat generated by a supercharged engine developing 650 HP when driven in anger.

 

Well I ran my car at a track 3 days in a row. Maybe I wasn't being as aggressive as others, but I had no over heating issues.

 

From what the track guys that have run them the most say (Lawdogg, Snorman, SBC and a stick, Vinnie) it's an overall thermal overload. It's oil temps, coolant temps and power steering overheating. I don't see there being a "fix" for it that's simple. This is a powerful car that can get to some serious speeds, and while not heavy by some comparisons is still a hunk of mass with a big passenger cabin behind all the parts that need airflow to keep cool. I think effective cooling is an easier task with a mid-engine/rear engine platform in many ways, without aerodynamic penalties.

Upgraded cores for oil and coolant is likely the start but it's going to take an actual company that road races Corvettes (LG...yeah..there's one) versus the sea of drag racer bs companies that do texas mile (LMR, Vengeance, blah blah blah), to fix it. So far, no one is really tackling that task, they are all more or less begging GM or Tadge for answers...but if I'm a betting man I'm gonna say they just hold their ground and say "you'll be fine...hang in there"....basically.

Be clear, that at the power levels cars have gotten, no car in this class really can jump on the track and pound lap after lap, if it has forced induction on board. It's why the GT3 and Viper have a perceived advantage. N/A will always be the way to go. To track a forced induction car, the package complexity and supporting systems go way up, and I think you need a mid engine car to do it. It can use the air all around the body to enter various ducts, then bleed out the rear in an efficient manner, while using a myriad of system coolers.

I think the Z06 is a heck of a machine for random use, but it's no track ****...that's quite clear.

 

Maybe. I have a 997 Turbo with a 700 HP/TQ kit (EVOMS) that does not include any additional cooling (other than intercoolers which actually INCREASE system heat if you think about it). Never had ANY problem with water / oil temps on track. This is with a cooling system engineered for 480 stock HP.

So I reject the general claim that forced induction = overheating. This is a solvable engineering/design issue.

 

I agree. I ran a twin turbo RX-7 with close to 500HP @2600 lbs for years without overheating on tracks. Of course, I used upgraded, dual-pass Setrab oil coolers that kept everything under control. I also ran separate cooler/oil pump for the transmission. Also, cut the inner fenders to provide for additional escape for the heat from the tightly packed engine compartment. I have all the confidence in the world that the C7 issues can be fixed with the proper cooling equipment, both water and oil.

Track racing produces extreme heat, sometimes requiring extreme solutions. What bugs me, however, is that I should be able to use the stock car to sprint through a 2-3 mile-long tight, winding canyon road without having to back off...

 

I don't plan to order an automatic. And I imagine most of the experience with overheating has been with the manuals since A8 is relatively new.
I didn't realize GM commented on the cause......so they admitted to an issue this soon? It took 3 years to get the oil tank capacity increased on the C6Z06!

So only thing to do is wait for some fixes like RCOOOE suggests.......
If one issue is Underhood temps then maybe exhaust manifold wrap and ventilation a la Callaway hood would help.
I heard of one fellow wrapping the exhaust at the back where it's close to the transaxle. Seems to make sense. Exhaust wrapping will result in higher temps at the tail pipe though and I've already seen ZR1s with melted rear facia.

Agree not interested in drag racing fixes..... A ten second blast down the quater is nothing in comparison to what we put the cars through on a road course.

Thinks for the input gents..
I'm learning.

 

The fact is, thermal coating work and it's not something a mass production platform can do. If you thermal coat the headers and exhaust, isolate things that need to be kept cool with gold tape, use watter wetter and higher water concentration, those are all good steps. Fact is though, it'll take your time, your money, etc...but in my opinion those are mods that equal better performance and more fun at the track and worth doing.

There is some discussion in another thread about the heat exchanger from oil to coolant, and I imagine some people are going to start experimenting. It'll get sorted out...either by GM, by hacks or by the aftermarket....it always does.

 

Seems like the final definition as to the source of the problem is still under wraps - from all the stories the variables do not allow for any conclusion. The conditions under which the issue presents itself still appear to be random and not necessarily associated with ambient temps, A8, M7 or aggressive driving per se.


More definition is coming with the summer months.

 

When the car gets "warm" it pulls timing. You almost never see a full "overheat", just a lack of power. The fix it to keep full power at all times via increasing cooling.

 

If this is your primary goal, why not go for lower miles / hours C6Z that someone has already set up for track days. The previous owner eats the cost of doing the usual track day performance and SAFETY mods (including cooling for that car too) and you get a well set up (and incredibly fast) track day car with no questions. With the budget you'd need for a C7Z you could buy a car setup by Phoenix or LG and know the work is top notch and have $$ left over for tires, pads, and many many track days.

That may not meet your needs, but I'd think carefully about what your goals really are.

 

Car Specs
Track
Lap Times
Ambient Temperature
Oil/Water/Transmission Temps

PDR data with video is best

That would be helpful

 

PM Lawdogg149 and ask him questions, or several of the other guys named above.

Lawdogg got a level 2 aero car without Z07, with iron brakes (which he says have been fine on track), and with M7 trans. He has had good luck at the track with heat issues, and he and his car are quick. I would consider getting a car spec'd like his, and getting his thoughts on tracking it.

The A8 cars may be a bit quicker than M7 ones, but the A8 cars seem to be the ones with the worst overheating issues. This has certainly been true for the magazine guys.

As several above have said, there are some relatively small things that can be done to help--water wetter, oil changes, short-shifting. No one has come up yet with the definitive solution, as best I can tell.

Also, I would distinguish between overheating such that we have a durability issue and the car hits "limp" mode versus heating such that the computer pulls some timing. The latter to me is not a big deal, unless you were really racing. Even so, I would suggest to you the latter can be helped somewhat with the items described above, and with using unleaded racing gas available at most tracks. With its much higher octane, racing fuel will not pre-detonate as easily as pump gas. This should encourage the computer to give you more power.

Still, it is an awesome car nonetheless. Some of us just wish you could check the box somewhere and get GM to build a warranted track car you can beat on all day without needing any mods.

We can all hope....

 

We have been providing this data. I'd like to see the data from people "not having issues" to see if the rest of us have defective cars.

Lawdogg149's early reports were from days in the 40s I believe.

I totally agree that the car is amazing, but it falls short of the expectations they set for "track capability". I'll be back on the track on May 8. Anticipating a 90 degree day. Fingers crossed. Manual shifting and heater on full blast...

Have you noticed that "LO" fan without AC blows hot air even when cool outside?

 

This is why superchargers should have never been used. Sure they have more "linear" power but even that is not true today with twin scroll turbos etc. I was honestly surprised that GM went with a supercharger for a track based car. I am sure it is not the only reason for high temps, but a huge mass on top of the engine spinning at 19000 rpms all day can't help.

 

I have a 2006 Z06. Serial # 183.
It is used pretty much only for the track. And is set up to be as reliable as possible. Just Hoosiers, lg bars, brembos and brake cooling, pan baffles, oil tank etc.
After reading the rest of the thread with 250+ Posts I am thinking the C6Z06 will be a better track car in the long run. It would be quite fun to go,by a C7Z06 about 20 minutes into the session
My 06 has 60000 miles so is worth not very much, so no point in selling.

Just leaves the question if I want to spend huge $$ on a car I will not track and drive only on nice days.
I was pretty pumped about getting the new Z06/Z07. I love everything about it ......except the blower and the inability to track it without some serious mods.
Very disappointing.

 

Here's to hoping GM has found the problem and cured it... and are just not telling.

The 2016's may just be magically 'fixed'.

 

C5s had the issue and it was resolved by installing heavy duty racing radiators and large oil coolers. PS temps were reduced by installing larger cooler in place of the stock cooler.

Not a lot of mods to get the temps down to a reasonable point. Pulling timing isn't the main issue. Reliability is the main issue. If you are getting oil temps in the 320 range you need to get them down by at least 100 deg or the engine will not last long.

Ron Davis Racing Radiators probably can fit one to the car quite easily as long as they can get a car so they can make measurements.

Bill