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This must be old news, but for some reason I've not seen it mentioned. I've been thinking about Huracans, watching some reviews, and noted that they had already tested BOTH variants of the ZO6 on the same track, something I personally hadn't seen before.
Sorry if it's ancient, but it might be new to someone beside me!
Long story short, the Auto is about a second and a half faster than the M7 around Big Willow at Willow Springs.
The good news is they're both fast. I mean what are you going to say, "The Manual is almost as slow as a Turbo S"?
Pretty amazing that the Z is so close to the Huracan as well, given the price difference!
This must be old news, but for some reason I've not seen it mentioned. I've been thinking about Huracans, watching some reviews, and noted that they had already tested BOTH variants of the ZO6 on the same track, something I personally hadn't seen before.
Sorry if it's ancient, but it might be new to someone beside me!
Long story short, the Auto is about a second and a half faster than the M7 around Big Willow at Willow Springs.
The good news is they're both fast. I mean what are you going to say, "The Manual is almost as slow as a Turbo S"?
Pretty amazing that the Z is so close to the Huracan as well, given the price difference!
Good information. Helps put things into perspective.
Does make you wonder when these results were attained.
The M7 has bested the Nismo on several tracks after the alignment issues in earlier magazine test. So I suspect this may have been done in 2015 or early 2016?
Again not sure when these results were attained but today's Z06 is probably faster around Willow because of the latest magnetic ride calibrations.
So who knows with these additions the Hurancan is likely slower than both the M7 and the A8 at Willow these days. Perhap's the track rats can chime in here but I dont think the Huracan's (or anything else for that matter) are completely dominating Z06s at local tracks across the country?
A8 to M7 Z06 is probably not as clear cut as this chart would have you believe either. The A8 can achieve better results with less familiarity. An advantage all auto cars have in most magazine comparisons. Simply takes a little more seat time to maximize a manual transmissions potential. Initially (a few days or months) folks are quicker in an automatic car all things being equal. So unless a person "lives with a manual for while" they cant extract the maximum potential from the car. No matter how good one is initially with the manual, a month or 2 later they will be significantly faster. Not stating this to start the A8 vs M7 bs again. Just saying I know there are places and times where either transmission holds an advantage.
Sure, I'd agree that over 2-3 months the M7 driver will improve substantially, but will they ever approach the A8? Not until someone does it and posts a time.... that's the beauty of a leaderboard over bench racing!
A8 to M7 Z06 is probably not as clear cut as this chart would have you believe either. The A8 can achieve better results with less familiarity. An advantage all auto cars have in most magazine comparisons.
How familiar do think these people are with an automatic in a 650 horsepower car on a racetrack? The familiarity advantage might go to a manual...
From what I'm reading here 'now' it looks like the A8 'dominates' (the M7) on the road course & the 1320. This is like having the main meal AND desert, what more do you need or want. I know! Make the auto look like a stick!
PS: I have been asked after a pass if I'm rowing a stick a few times.
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; 05-07-2018 at 11:59 AM.
Note that the Corvette is the -only- manual transmission to even crack the top 10. Obviously if manuals were the hot ticket, the list would be riddled with them, but it isn't. Similarly, the torque converter does look a little out of place in the world of DCTs.
You know what I'd buy? A ZR1 if it had a DCT. I won't buy an M7 or A8 because it's not different enough from my current Z06, but if they put a DCT in it, I'd grab one!
"Regardless, the results are clear. When properly aligned and using a softer damper calibration, the Corvette Z06 is as fast as or faster than the GT-R NISMO at Willow Springs. All said and done, the manual Z06 ran a 1:25.00 and the automatic a 1:25.76 to the NISMO’s 1:25.70."
"Regardless, the results are clear. When properly aligned and using a softer damper calibration, the Corvette Z06 is as fast as or faster than the GT-R NISMO at Willow Springs. All said and done, the manual Z06 ran a 1:25.00 and the automatic a 1:25.76 to the NISMO’s 1:25.70."
Aren't these results older (2015) than the numbers originally posted by Dave? And from the same article:
"As Pobst drove the automatic transmission car first, we believe his familiarity with the car and the track ultimately led to the faster lap time for the manual transmission car. Consulting with Chevrolet test driver Jim Mero, we believe the automatic transmission car is capable of equaling the manual transmission car’s time were we to send Pobst out for more laps (we were limited on time). That said, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter recently told Corvette fans the automatic transmission runs hotter and will go into a preservation mode sooner, so he recommends the manual for serious track duty or when the ambient temperature at the track is above 86 degrees. The high ambient temperature on our test day was 70 degrees."
All comes down to driver experience. The M7 is much more fun to drive. My A8 does seem to sit and I have the choice every day between the two which to drive the A8 0r the M7. The A8 only guys can just be jealous.
All comes down to driver experience. The M7 is much more fun to drive. My A8 does seem to sit and I have the choice every day between the two which to drive the A8 0r the M7. The A8 only guys can just be jealous.
The A8 boys had the same choice when they purchased...and chose the faster car.
"Regardless, the results are clear. When properly aligned and using a softer damper calibration, the Corvette Z06 is as fast as or faster than the GT-R NISMO at Willow Springs. All said and done, the manual Z06 ran a 1:25.00 and the automatic a 1:25.76 to the NISMO’s 1:25.70."
Read that before. Not bench racing either
Yep has been said before the M7 is the track car and faster there! Plus the A8 is likely to over heat most of the time.
Really not all that easy to do a track comparison as not many A8s show up at the track. I have met many more M7 drivers than A8 drivers. As it is the Z06 seems to be a dominant car in the hands of an experienced driver. All you have to do is watch the videos from people setting fast lap times at tracks around the country. As they used to say, No brag, just fact.
All comes down to driver experience. The M7 is much more fun to drive. My A8 does seem to sit and I have the choice every day between the two which to drive the A8 0r the M7. The A8 only guys can just be jealous.
Then why is your username 3Z06ZR1 when you only own two Zs and no ZRs? Shouldn't it be 2ZO60ZR1?
I swear they sound ready to die when they idle.
When I was a little kid (like 4), circa 1972, I was walking back through a rough area from the county fair with my parents. We walked past some super-tough biker dude who was idling his Harley at the light, giving us the stink eye, doing the blub BLUB blub "barely running" thing.
Then just as we walked past, it stalled. And my Dad -burst- out laughing at how stupid the guy looked in the moment, which he truly did. I thought we were dead for sure. But he just laughed as well, yelled some profanity, and we went on our way. I always thought my Dad was super cool, if a little oblivious to danger, after that.
Do any of the M7 advocates actually track their car?
Because I'll be honest, on a tight course, I'm too busy driving 650hp to worry about what gear I'm in. I know there are much better drivers, and it's not that I couldn't shift if I had to, I just don't feel like I need more to do.
Do any of the M7 advocates actually track their car?
Because I'll be honest, on a tight course, I'm too busy driving 650hp to worry about what gear I'm in. I know there are much better drivers, and it's not that I couldn't shift if I had to, I just don't feel like I need more to do.
Do any of the M7 advocates actually track their car?
Because I'll be honest, on a tight course, I'm too busy driving 650hp to worry about what gear I'm in. I know there are much better drivers, and it's not that I couldn't shift if I had to, I just don't feel like I need more to do.
While the first thing that comes to mind is we aren't driving 650 HP since nobody is wide open at 6400 rpm at full load in a corner. If you haven't met those conditions the engine isn't producing 650 HP.
Usually people aren't shifting in tight corners as that upsets the car. Shifting is accomplished under braking and rev match has made that ridiculously easy to do since you don't have to worry about not reving the engine enough or too much while downshifting.
The A8 may be faster in some magazine tests and in some people's minds but when it comes down to actually running against one on the track you just don't find them. Plenty of M7s not many A8s. Very difficult to do a comparison test if you can't find one to run against. As it is the M7 is very easy to drive since you really don't need to shift all that much. Just leaving the transmission in 4th gear will let any novice get around the track very quickly once they learn cornering, braking and how to roll on to and off the throttle.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 05-08-2018 at 10:13 AM.
05-06-2018, 09:06 PM
A8 vs M7 actual numbers
