Checkmate1

So....who is picking up a 2019 Z06 at 12% off sticker?

Save your money and get the lighter and more beautiful Z06 that revs faster (smaller blower), get DSC + DSC Alignment and party like its 1999.

Based on all the data from tracks to date, the delta between the Z06/Z07 vs ZR1 is all of 2 seconds (if that). Some tracks, they both run the same lap times. Granted, that is still good BUT put stickier tires and calibrate the alignment for the Z07 w/MT and you are golden. Save you 30% or $32,000 (Base Z07 v ZRI ZTK)

UnhandledException

JRRZR1

I'm sick about hearing how bad the A8 is. My C7Z is my first Vette with an auto. I made the switch to an auto because i mostly track my Vettes, and I've driven a paddle shift car on the track - much quicker. A pro cannot shift a manual quicker than a good auto. Here is the point about the A8, in Tour and Sport modes you can count One Mississippi- maybe even Two Mis in Tour. However in Track mode, the shifts are very quick. I also own a Ferrari with a DCT and the difference in shifts between the two cars is imperceptible. The difference is so negligible that it is barely noticeable and doesn't come into play on a track. I agree a stick is much more fun and engaging; however on a track, the A8 is quicker.

On another note, I had a Car & Driver subscription from the 70's into the 2000's and cancelled it because I got very tired of anything American, they trashed and anything from Porsche, they praised - even though many Porsche 911 owners put the 'rears' into guard rails - just as my friend did with his. Yeah with today's Porsche that is less of an issue and it is a great car - i never will trash a Porsche. I switched to Road and Track and they are much more balanced in their reporting.

HPT

Then call GM and tell them to put a proper 2-pedal transmission in the car. The A8 is an absolute joke. It has nothing to do with how fast the transmission itself physically changes gear, which is what everyone is fixated on when trying to defend it.

I challenge anyone to name a worse transmission offered in a modern high-performance car.

RonnieC6Z

I completely agree. Go drive the A8 in any variant of the C7, and then go drive any Porsche with the PDK DCT. It is a night and day comparison for both up shifts and downshifts. And it does not make any difference in using the paddles or fully automatic mode. The A8 just sucks. The Corvette world will change with the DCT in the C8 mid engine car. Then we can compare Corvette to Porsche. I have owned many Porsches and Corvettes. Currently I own a 2016 Z51 with a manual gear box. I would not own a C7 with an A8 gear box if you gave it to me for free.Unfortunately the Corvette manual box is not as butter smooth as the Porsche manual box, but I still prefer a manual Vette over a manual Porsche. However Porsche does build a very fine automobile.

Checkmate1

Easy to knock GM on the A8. You forget that at the time GM had released the transmission, there was no dual clutch that could handle the sheer torque of the LT4 (down low). The other issue is packaging, the center transaxle tunnel has space/packaging restrictions that GM had to adhere to.

The ZF 8 speed torque convertor is phenomenal IF calibrated properly. This experience varies between each OEM on how much failsafe they want to implement with their units. Explains why the Jaguar Ftype ZF 8 speed sucks compared to say a BMW ZF 8 speed.

Everybody wants the 'best' but does not want to pay for it. The PDK is amazing but just think of the entry price point on a Porsche.

GM did what GM does best, squeezed every one of their suppliers/vendors (because of volume) to give as much as they could with the limited budget on the table. For an entity that only had $100M in R&D (v/s $550M for Porsche 911 as an example), the C7 is a phenomenal result on all accounts. They still gave everyone the option of MT or Auto.

Poor-sha

I'm sitting at the track reading this thread. There are three different 991 GT3s and a McLaren 570 on track and I've been able to pass them all without issue in my M7 ZR1 ZTK. I will say that depending on how I get off the last corner to the front straight it's not that easy to run them down on the straights. I'm running the Sport Cup 2s as well today.

Dave Schotz

It's awesome that you're at the TRACK today! And responding! Agreed... the ZR1 is a great weapon of choice! Especially with the 7spd! Though a 500HP GT3 isn't going to pull away from a 750HP ZR1 on the straight.

Keep driving it like she's meant to be driven!

Which track are you at?
Best Regards,
Dave

Poor-sha

Thanks Dave. I'll post up a video later as I made it a point to go run with those guys. These small private open track events are a lot of fun. I had to go ask which generation but we had two 991.2 GT3 and one 991.1 GT3.

I missed your question about which track. I'm at Summit Point main.

cvp33

1) Number of times we will see the new 911 gt2rs on an American track versus our ZR1? ZERO

2) Number of times we will see another car with a sub-$150K MSRP run a lower track time than the ZR1? ZERO

3) Number of times a ZR1 owner should have to explain the results of some half-hearted magazine review? ZERO

4) Number of times I would regret owning a ZR1? ZERO

keagan

desmophile

Exactly what the A8 "suck" at doing? The only thing I can think of is that it does not instantly execute a paddle shift when you hit the paddle. I don't drive more than 6/10 on the street other than maybe not slowing down for some non-blind canyon corners I know well. So I am interested in performance at the track. Having a transmission instantly execute a shift on the street? I don't care. I drive the Z06 around town like I drive my Mazda CX5. I just want smooth. The A8 does that just fine thankyou.

At the track my goal is to go smoothly as fast as I can. The track I run I use 3rd, 4th, and 5th gear. Minimum speed 45. Max speed 150. I could use 2nd gear, but it isn't any faster because I can't use full throttle and not have PTM slow the engine, or if I turned PTM off, spin the wheels.

It should take about one track session for anyone driving a C7 A8 to learn how to paddle shift early to have the shift executed at the rpm you desire. If you want to shift WOT at redline, and you hit the paddle at redline...…..well if you are smart you only do that once. Next time you hit the paddle at 6000 and the shift is quickly executed right at redline. And that shift is executed within a small fraction of a second the same speed as a DCT. And you can do it in the middle of a fast corner and it doesn't upset the chassis. Same for downshifts, but no transmission of any type should give any vehicle an advantage in down shifting, unless you are driving a manual and stick it in the wrong gear. So the A8 can be adapted to and hold its own just fine with any transmission and will allow you lap times that you would get no matter what transmission you have. If you don't want to adapt, well then certainly don't get the A8.

I your reason for stating the A8 sucks, is because it forces you to make an adaptation you don't want to make, that is fine with me. I would appreciate your view as to how the A8 affects objective track performance in a negative way.

with regard, paul

johnglenntwo

If you haven't heard it is his choice for a Ring tire.
It seems like it would be a great Hot Lap option for the ZR1 too! Any opinion?

Always Red Dave

Car& Driver and Road and Track are both owned by the same company as Motor Trend and Automobile are owned by the same company too.

TARANTULA

cvp33

jimmyb

Who cares? The guy tracking the CTS-V WAGON is my hero!!!!!

TARANTULA

Poor-sha

One ZR1, two 991.2 GT3, and one 991.1 GT3. I'll admit the gray one wasn't being driven too hard but the other two guys were trying.

JRRZR1

....and your point? Are you saying because the ownership is the same, so are driver/journalists?