PRE-Z06

Not here to stir the pot, but curious to get some opinions as if the latter could be faster on most road courses and saying the z06 is better isn't a fair blanket statement that can be made anymore all else not having to do with the car being equal of course. Obviously a less technical layout with a majority of straight aways would favor the extra power from the supercharger and you could always put some stickier rubber on the base z06, add aero bits and pad swap, but given the two sticker prices of a GS the way I'd option it with z07, 1LT, comp seats and PDR is right there with the base price of a c7z is why the thought came to mind of comparing the two showroom stock. The lines are blurred between the two in my humble opinion and it really impressed me that the GS Z07 hung right with the mighty GT3RS in car and drivers lightning lap this year even though it has 40 less hp, is 300lbs heavier and on the same compound tires yet w/o a wing or DCT.

davepl

Nothing against the GS, it's a fine car in its own right, but it's a Z with 200 less horsepower and no other advantages.

So, no, other than if the Z overheats I cannot see how a GS could be faster.

sunsalem

This.

I find it interesting how so many WANT to believe 41% more power has no meaning in a track environment.

PRE-Z06

Given the same tires and brakes the 200hp was worth 2.5 sec over 4.2 miles. Granted this was different days and I'm not sure about drivers, but if it hadn't been z07 equipped or had stage 3 aero how much slower would it have been? If anyone has seen or done testing on z07 vs non c7z lap times I'm interested in hearing results. The only comparable comparison I can make is the times of an '07 c6z vs '11 z07 which was 4.7 seconds though that wasn't with cup tires on the latter and the MSRC I'm sure accounted for some of those gains. Doing some more ricer math the '12 zr1 was 1.1 second faster than the '09 and the main difference being the cup tires I believe. My point is if the tires are worth a second, the aero and brakes worth another then the gap has closed on a relatively high speed course like the one mentioned. The small advantage the GS does have is it's lighter and I know we're splitting hairs, but that's just it if you're on a course lets say with 10 turns and the GS is .1 faster through each one because it's carrying ~100 less pounds well that's a second over one lap.

2cnd Chance

If you're comparing a "stock" non Z07-Z06 vs a "stock" GS/Z07, it really depends on the track. VIR is a 4 mile high-speed track that the Z06/7 bested the GS/Z07 by 2.5 second. A more technical track comparing a Z06 vs GS/Z07 would show very different results. I "personally" would rather have the GS/Z07 and do some cam, heads,...work keeping it NA. To each their own.

rbartick

You would end up with loud hot rod with a lopey idle, a loss of drivability, a loss of fuel economy, and a loss of your drive train warranty. That type of setup is not for me and I'm still not sure what your issue is with FI. The LT4 drives just like a NA motor.

sunsalem

Was this with the SAME paved surface?

Bill Dearborn

The GS doesn't get the full Stage 3 aero because it doesn't have the power to drag it through the air. The Z06 with Stage 1 Aero will probably have a higher top speed but it may not corner as well in some corners. The difference between the two would depend on the type of corners encountered. A number of tracks have corners that you really wouldn't get all that much benefit from the aero since the car can pretty much run through the corner wide open with no aero. As for the drag of the Stage 3 Aero a Z06 really doesn't go any faster on long straights than a C6 Z with 145 less HP.

Bill

Sub Driver

Except for its tendency to overheat.

Ivan Viera

MT is begining to release in info (part 1) about this year BDC anybody knows if the Z06 or GS are participating? I think the Z06 should get a second chance after what happened last year.

cvp33

With the GS now costing more than discounted Z06's (option for option) and now GS owners wanting to make it 'just as fast as a Z06' while voiding their warranty........why did you buy a GS in the first place?

If you're worried about overheating on a track - Get a Z06 with a manual. Add the auxiliary cooler....done.

racerns

Here is the problem of using different years of the LL to do lap times comparisons. C&D uses a pool of drivers to do the testing and it is not the same group from year to year. You also need to look at conditions. The year they tested the '12 ZR1 they had rain 3.5 of the 4 days of testing and had trouble getting dry laps. There is no question that the Cup 1s are worth more that 1 sec than the PS2s around VIR. They were worth over 2 sec on Laguna Seca, which is much shorter, with Randy driving both times.

I would say that a Stage 1 Z06 with the same tires (Cup 2s) will be faster than the Z07 GS.

PRE-Z06

My comparison wasn't of modified vehicles as that leads to more opinions.

Yes, even though they don't notate it on their 2014 and up times.

I know the GS is only stage 2 Bill, but it seems like every c7z gets tested with stage 3 aero and the z07 package. Which I understand is the fastest combination in most cases even if top speed is limited. I just don't think some realize that just because the c7z has a supercharger that makes 200hp more that it guarantees it's faster than a better optioned GS.

2cnd Chance

Yes

PRE-Z06

I've seen Grand sports discounted to high 50s, but even if there may not be as much coming off them as they're newer I don't think they'll command more than the c7z once used.

I understand it's really not fair to compare different year results and wasn't sure about drivers, just looking for any info out there of a base c7z track results though I'm not sure they exist. I realize the difference tires make and agree with your statement as I know that's a big contributing factor. The great equalizer that others may underestimate in certain cases, which is why it's hard to compare the c6z and zr1 to c7z and c7gs. A better comparison earlier probably should have been of the '09 zr1 and '11 z07 as they had the same tires and were 1.7 seconds apart over the 4.1 mile high speed course with essentially the same suspension and brakes. Would you say a '12 or '13 Z07 on its standard cup tires would be faster than a zr1 with standard pilot sports even though it's down 133hp? I get this is saying the tire is faster and not determining the faster vehicle, but that's how many of the track comparisons happen. This isn't a relevant question for this section I know, but what are your thoughts on how the GS Z07 managed to hang with the GT3RS given its disadvantages?

2cnd Chance

The question raised was a Z06 without the Z07 package vs the GS/Z07.

2cnd Chance

First I won't do it unless I feel I really need the extra power (probably unnecessary). Second I'd wait for the warranty to end. Third I wouldn't be so extreme as to make it undrivable. Also it's not my DD it's another toy in the garage. Regarding the SC I don't like the heat, complexity, weight (up high), possible cooling issues, the gearing in the Z06 M7...

rbartick

The LT1 cars also have overheating issues. That is why the 2017 Z51 and GS are getting the secondary radiator. And do you really believe that a LT1 modded to LT4 like power levels will run cool with the stock cooling package? Never mind the fact that you will have a very hard time maintaining a flat torque curve even if you do match the peak HP number.

2cnd Chance

^We're discussing the new GS. The testing so far has not shown any issues.

rbartick

The heat is a non issue unless you are an all out road course track rat with an A8. I know some M7 cars have reported heating issues while on the track. Others are fine. The car does not overheat on the street.

Complexity? Untrue.

Weight? Ok, but not enough to even warrant discussion.

Gearing is a non issue in a car with that much torque. It could even be an advantage.