jagamajajaran

Along those lines, when my wife took the Corvette class at Spring Mountain after I bought her a 2015 A8 Stingray, she was annoyed when they told her she had to paddle shift the A8 on the track. She has never really learned how to drive a manual, so she felt a little behind the 8 ball with shift points. She did great, but I finally found out why they didn't want her to track it in normal automatic...the transmission would over-work itself because it's programed for street driving, basically. Since it was July, it was all the more important so that the transmission wouldn't overheat.

descartesfool

I overheated my car 3rd time out, then every track day after that. GM had no solution so I sold it this May and moved onto an AMG GT-S. No more overheating. I am still helping my buddy with his 2015 Z06 to help solve his cooling issues, so still in this game. Curious to see what 2017 model brings to the table.

TRANS DAMM

With the amount of 15/16 owners with these issues GM better step up to the plate big time for the owners. If not I def see a class action law suite coming. Looks like a pretty easy one to win at that.

jvp

I'd strongly encourage you to steer clear of such legal topics here unless you're actually an attorney and know what you're talking about. Even then, such topics are generally shunned and closed. Let's not let that happen to this one.

descartesfool

Like I said above, looking forward to see what the 2017's have in store in terms of improved cooling. I'm hoping they make some decent improvements, and make then backward compatible as well. I am sure the GM engineering team has all the info they need. It's just a waiting game for now.

5thGear

Claude, looks like you miss the C7. Are we gonna see you in a 2017 Z06?
Or maybe trade the GTS for AMG GT-R next.

thebishman

This would be the simplest and quickest class ever given to a bunch of road course drivers, and would be nothing more than what certain owners have been saying for over a year now, especially in regards to the A8: drive the car only in manual mode, and 'short shift' using the incredible torque of the car instead of maximum revs.

It works and works well. Some people just can't seem to wrap their head around it for whatever reason.

Dabigsnake

Try that on a drag strip. Red line is there for a reason. I understand what you say, but I really want to use all the performance that was engineered into this performance car. I want my driving to limit my lap times, not the cars performance. I can't imagine any high performance driving school teaching short shifting in search of maximum performance. Don't we all really want MAXIMUM performance? Imagine a provacitive commercial by GM, with a super sexy model saying.... "The new Z06 performance car......for those who really don't want to go All the way!!!" Or a race driver saying....." Yep, a passed him in the straight by shifting early, just a thousand below redline". There is also a reason why the ladies take off ALL their clothes to have sex, and I'll bet you give them ALL you got, now don't you? And if they say, " is that ALL ya got?"...........you go out and buy a sexy fast car, right?
Seriously though, MAXIMUM performance is not for everyone. GM only provides the MAXIMUM tire (cup 2) on their 07 package, why? Most great drivers out there can run lap times damn close to cup 2 times, with SS tires. but GM actually bucks the desire of most 07 owners by MAKING them take delivery with this serious track tire. Not even an option!!! That is crazy from a marketing standpoint, as a serious majority would rather choose the SS tires. But GM sticks with it's maximum performance theme. That says a lot right there.

descartesfool

Haha. That AMG GT-R is very tempting. My wife says I can't have it. She says I've just had my GT-S for a tad over a month, so I have to wait;-(


Good thing is it's not likely in NA before 2018.


But I do have a fondness for the C7.

TRANS DAMM

just read the Zl1 is getting a line lock for 17'. Wonder if the Z06 will follow

SBC_and_a_stick

GM clearly programmed the automatic for top performance. For that reason it tends to keep the revs high. I don't have the quote but GM said this in interviews. I remember most pro drivers giving it a good review as far as gear selection goes. The problem with that is that there isn't enough cooling on board to make use of high revs. Spring Mountain's choice to manually shift is a bit of a bandaid. To me, more importantly it proves that even GM knows that top performance requires high revs. Heck, for the A8 the gears are even closer together than the manual.

All these arguments that the 'Vette has sufficient torque to choose a predominantly higher gear are defeated by GM's own homework and application in the A8 programming. The car makes peak power just 100 rpm from redline. It loves to be revved! Does no one like to hear the engine peak near redline? Setting aside lap times, where is the basic love for motorsport crescendo? Sigh.

We used to laugh at cars like the Tesla Model S hitting the track because it would overheat its batteries in a few laps. 60 years of Corvette development and we're stuck at the same junction with a full electric car on track. If there is anything piston-powered cars can do better, it is to dominate in stamina. We need the stamina back with the Corvette. Losing to the electric cars this way is a bit embarrassing. After all, if you peddle around a track in a Model S you can still achieve decent lap times. If decent is all we strive for, that's all we get.

AVETTE

STILL NO WORD on the supposed changes to address cooling issues, first order allocation for 2017 Z06 is supposedly July 28th if there are changes, and they only truly affect the small percentage of people whom actually track the car, why why "why the silence" is deafening....

At this point, I do not believe there will be any changes, I guess we will know soon enough but it has made my decision on which way to go (naturally aspirated grand sport that won't overheat) or overheating pig that is unusable due to 'limp mode' without major aftermarket mods...

IF they are making these types of changes, that won't affect 99 percent of buyers WHY THE SILENCE??? I don't buy that it will hurt existing sales, we are not talking increase in HP, there are some on this board that keep saying "The Changes They Are Coming" "Just Wait"... I have been and I feel I am wasting my time I could already have an order in for a grand sport that would be produced and could still be used this year at the track, but for some reason I continue to wait... Guess I will be kicking myself soon enough...

jagamajajaran

These kinds of changes are typically not advertised by GM in the same way that an increase in HP or similar change would be advertised. There are a couple of different changes related to which transmission platform one is getting, and since they just finished the validation process for the changes to the Z06, I'm not surprised that the details have not been publicly provided yet. I'm going to ask my contact to provide a statement on the specific changes as soon as it is permissible to publicly share those changes.

SharkgrayVetteZ06

Hopefully they change something. I just put an order in for a 17' Z06. Hoping I get it before the end of this year.

jagamajajaran

I have been authorized to share the following information about transmission cooling upgrades for the 2017 Corvette model year. Transmission cooling improvements are included with all 2017 Z51 automatic transmission Stingray and Grand Sport Corvettes. Furthermore, the manual Z06 and 8 speed Z06 will both receive cooling improvements as well. The cooling improvements will bring the track operating temperature threshold to 100 degrees.

OnPoint

That's great news. Thanks Jeremy.

Bischof

Thanks for the jagamajajarn. That's good news for '17 buyers. I'm wondering what options there will be for us mere mortals with the '15's and 16's.

Hirohawa

Great news! Thanks for sharing.

jvp

Whatever they do will be retrofittable, but you'll need to pay for it. You'll just need to wait for SPO to make the parts available (whatever they are).

There might be some tuning changes coming, too. Ssshhhhh... ;-) (It'd just be for the track, not for the street).

Adamadem

For the Z06, will the A8 and M7 be receiving different upgrades or the same equipment?