CONMAX

nice comparison of the Z07 option. when you mention stage 3, i have to believe that the front "spats" were also installed. mine came in a plastic bag from the factory.

some say that the Z07 is much stiffer and may not be comfortable on the street. i find that mine actually rides better than my Z51C6.

i have also ridden in a club member's base Z06 and found the ride's similar. i will say that he kept his in"sport" and i usually use "tour" for normal driving.

elegant

Love the initial write up Poor-sha. Excellent and informative and helpful. Thank you!!!

Separately, regarding the downforce measure comparisons between the different Z06 and other brands, Tadge made it crystal clear that there are several different ways to measure downforce, and one ought not compare downforce numbers from different brands and arrive at conclusions based on those different measuring methods. Does the Viper ACR with its huge wing have more downforce than the Z06/Z07, 99% chance of that, but not in direct proportion to different downforce measurement numbers published by GM vs. SRT/Dodge.

Poor-sha

I think that is a good summary. Even without the Z07 it's a very capable and entertaining track car.

Poor-sha

Yes, stage 3 means that the larger splitter endplates and the center spoiler end plate is in place. I wouldn't want to run a car with just one or the other as you'd upset the aero balance.

PDCjonny

Which is why they are totally unnecessary on a street car, except for bragging about them in the Starbucks parking lot.

BWFitz

x2!!!

ChrisN123

If both cars had PDR, it would be great to use the Cosworth comparison tools to see some objective data on the speeds and Gs through some turns.

Mad Dog 24

IMO, my Z07 in tour rides as well or better than my 99 C5 as well. Yes you feel the small bumps but its a very controlled hit where the C5 lacked in shock management. My new Conti street tires also help the ride compared to the MSS slicks.

After reading ALOT of on track experiences here its not often that one comments on how GT3's or alike are passing them on track days. We have found the same deal as we were always running up on traffic... love it!

Please no comments of overheating hear we all have heard. Don't ruin a great thread.

BWFitz

My girlfriend refers to "tour" mode as "Timid Old Fart" mode but if the Z07 ride seems too harsh that does soften it up a bit. I keep mine in sport because I like the exhaust note and I really hate it when she calls me an "old fart".

BWFitz

Bragging in the Starbucks parking lot???

I thought that was an exclusive past time of those deluded aficionados of German Engineering with their M3 Bimmers equipped with fart can mufflers to make them go faster.

Speednet

Not so sure about that. I'm personally looking forward to vastly reduced brake dust on my 2016 Z06/Z07. It's a constant annoyance on my 2014 Stingray.

Reciprocal

I have ZR1 and a GS convertible which has the C6 Z06 stainless brake rotors. They both stop, the stainless steel rotors do give a nice progressive feel but the carbon ceramic rotors of the ZR1 are hardly for bragging rights. It's true they don't dust, but it's not true that like a F1 car they have to be super hot to work. The CC stop right away from any temperature, have tremendous 'bite' and don't fade, and they have good feel.

Foxer55

Sean, glad you enjoyed my car and thanks for filling in for Howard.
The car id brand spanking new and I’m only a moderately experienced driver but I got this fll race capable Z06 because my 2010 Grand sport just wasn’t enough for me. I got the Z07 package because the car will be used for special events like HPDEs and car shows. Its not a DD but it doesn’t have track alignment as most recommendations are track alignment is too extreme and will wear the tires too rapidly. It depends, if it becomes an issue I’ll change that. The car and I will evolve over time to a certain level of track driving so I loaded it up with as much stuff as I might need in the future.
To all those contemplating CC brakes I would recommend learning the bedding procedure as Sean has mentioned. These brakes really need to be treated hard. The bedding procedure requires very high speeds with hard pressure stops down to zero, cooling, and more high speed (100 mph) with more hard stop. Don’t stomp on ‘em but apply direct hard force. And on the track, the hotter the brakes are, the more effective they are. Once they are bedded, they have incredible braking power. The only downside I see to the Z07 package is cost to acquire and cost to repair but R/R might be cost effective if you go through steel brakes quickly.
I found the steering to be very much more precise and responsive than my previous GS. The car immediately goes exactly where you tell it to go without hesitation. As far as the Stage 3 aero goes, I can’t offer an opinion as my *** is not that well tuned so I can’t judge drag and downforce enough to offer an opinion.

SBC_and_a_stick

*no brake dust
*significant reduction in rotor mass
*lifetime use rotors
*no corrosion
*no warped rotors
*no cracked rotors
*longer pad life
*no need to resurface rotors
*and every benefit it has on track. Because track driving is in essence just hard driving.

Poor-sha

I would hate this thread to turn in to another CCB vs steel brake debate. As I said before, the CCBs work very well on track and I'm sure on the street without having to change to track pads like with steel brakes. However, with the right pads the steel brakes also work very well on track.

The CCB had plenty of bite and stopping power when cold. They just needed to be burnished before they worked well when hot.

There's another thread over on the autocross & RR section about ZR1 pads. It's full of folks like Werks who have been abusing CCBs for a long time and it's a great resource for those interested in discussing CCBs.

Jim - thanks again for making this comparison possible and great job out there! I was glad I got to instruct you a bit at the end of the day.

Steve Snake Driver

Thanks for the write up OP and kudo's to the unknown owner for facilitating the comparison.

As for CC brakes, worth it just to hear some forum trolls whine away as they spread erroneous 'facts'.

6Speeder

And where, and how often, do you get your street car to top speed on the street?

So with the level 3 aero top speed is drag limited to high 180's. You're really going to see higher speeds on the street?

BWFitz

Now, you just know he will. And, amazingly enough, he'll do it while parked in the Starbucks parking lot on Saturday mornings with the rest of the posers!

05dsom

2muchhp

With my ZR1 I went thru 3 sets of pads. I was told by a hi ranking GM'er to expect around four sets of pads before requiring a new set of $4,000 rotors.

On a separate braking point, I have the base aero '15 Z06 with steel brakes and at VIR last week swapped out the front stock pads for a set of Carbotech 10's while keeping the existing rear pads. HOLY COW they were terrific. Great modulation and excellent actual stopping power. Also less brake dust and they can be used on the street if you are too lazy to swap them out after a track event (who? me?)