the professor

Here is the 720S notes: https://www.motortrend.com/news/mcla...car-contender/
It ran a 1:29.78 (a best driver's car record). I thought it was the car to beat in this competition but the write-up makes it sound far from perfect.
"It's two different cars. Off throttle, it oversteers a lot. On throttle, it understeers a lot." This suggests that electronics may be compensating for some essential handling deficiencies. Pobst managed to fade the brakes a bit...
many editors were uncomfortable in the optional fixed carbon-fiber racing-shell seats, which are tricky to get into and out of. And the McLaren's overly electronic nature left a few editors, such as Scott Evans, cold: "I'm super impressed with it, but I'm not crazy-stupid in love with it."

Ryan R

punky

I stand corrected. A 4 cylinder Cayman is "better" than a C7 Corvette. Sure it is Pal.

the professor

That is true but the earlier "700 HP Club" article by Automobile had similar comments about their 720S. Randy also thought he could shave another second+ off of his ZR1 time, I was leaving those hypotheticals out of the equation.

Ryan R

Newdude

ZR1 is a waxer. GM should have and was rumored during development to have gone and made a road legal C7R but the "die hard enthusiasts" (aka. car show boomers) felt it was too aggressive. GM needs less focus groups, and more build what they intentionally set out to build. This car needs more mechanical grip and more aerodynamic grip. The wing only works the best at high speeds, it doesn't have Trofeo R tires, etc. Hell, it gets out-ran in straight lines by less powerful mid engine cars. They should have gone full ACR with it, but went boomer with a useless big wing and 755hp of genital stroking LT5.

The best C7 produced yet would be 2017+ Z06/07 and the Grand Sport. All day long.

UnhandledException

HPT

You can't expect overweight guys who sit on lawn chairs at car shows to understand this.

I don't disagree with what's been said about the ZR1. Granted mine is a manual so it sucks less than the auto, but can anyone pinpoint what they disagree with specifically? Otherwise you just sound bitter that your car didn't get the highest praise. You can see the same posts verbatim on the forum of any car which didn't place 1st in a magazine test.

punky

Guys who don't guzzle the Porsche Kool Aide by the pitcher sit on cheap lawn chairs at car shows? This is great stuff.

racerns

GT350R? They don't have to, the Camaro ZL1 1LE smokes it in every way. From what I have seen from the lap times the last gen Z28 does too at most tracks.

UnhandledException

serpent

Surprised @keagan hasnt posted this in SVTP.

racerns

You listed cars that are supposed to be more track dedicated (ACR-E and GT3RS). Track cars should be fast around the track. GM already has and had Camaro variants that are faster around the track than the GT350. If you are looking for a track car, faster is better. The GT350 is not a Ferrari even if is sounds cool reving to 8K rpm. No I have not driven one, but they do sound pretty good when I pass them at VIR.

You are talking out of both sides of your mouth here. You complain that the ZR1 is more of a waxer and doesn't perform on track like what you consider are its competitors. You say that GM won't build a dedicated track car and include your precious GT350R in the list of track car examples. I point out that the GT350R is not as fast on track as some of its direct GM competitors, so you counter with the "bespoke" engine, soul, and driving experience argument. No wonder you are considered a troll here.

Poor-sha

I definitely agree with them on the off throttle oversteer. There's a section in the carousel at Summit Point where you lift a little to give the front end some bite. In the 720S even the slightest breathing off the throttle made big movements to the backend and the first time the owner tried it he nearly looped it. However, I did intentionally try to get the front end to push on the 720S in the slow section and never got there. The car just wanted to turn and was very different from other ME cars I've driven with a light front end.

I don't know what to make of all the complaining, it's a hell of a time to be a performance car enthusiast. So many options no matter your budget.

TrackAire

It's beyond a great time to be a performance car enthusiast.....for anybody that has ever driven Laguna Seca, I thought approaching 140 mph into turn one was a big ***** driver move. But holy hell, Randy hit 154.7 mph in the 720S. I need to get into a 720S, even as a passenger to experience this things acceleration. Apparently the GT2 RS did not post the fastest lap.....very interesting as I thought it would be top dog.

"Pobst managed to fade the brakes a bit, but only because of the crazy high speeds the car achieves—a BDC-record 154.7 mph on the front straight of his first hot lap, torching the Porsche's top speed of 149.0."

Newton06

If people had nothing to complain about, it'd be awfully quiet...

Palantirion

- When you drove your friend's 720 it was on race tires not stock tires. MT testing would necessitate OEM tires, and filled to OEM pressures. That could make the difference in exaggerating balance issues compared to when you drove it.

I'd also point out that just because someone is an award winning race driver does not empirically make their opinion about a car more accurate than a non-famous person. I've been in and around racing long enough to know that:
1) The American recreational/club racing driving talent pool is VERY deep.
and
2) A lot of the famous talent had financial and/or familial luck on their side. I know a lot of talent that would have been just as successful if luck or life choices had been different.

I guess that's a long way of saying that I value opinion based on what I know of the individual person and their agenda - not their reputation.

In short, I'll take Poor-sha's opinion of the ZR1 over anyone at MT.

heavychevy

I cometely agree with your assessment of the poster. And in most all cases, I agree that faster is better. However the GT350 and 350R are special cars. The handling seems more natural and pure setup than the overly computer interacted handling of the new GM machines. It feels raw, like mechanical engineering instead of computer engineering. Real balance.

More like the Camaro Z/28. Yes the 1LE is faster but more computer intervention makes it feel more generic, even with aids off.

Its like the GTR. No matter how fast it is, it's a turd with a ton of computer assistance. I'd rather drive something slower and more driver oriented in that case. None of the new GM cars are that bad, but the new camaro will wallow around mid corner, where the Corvettes are still smooth. The 350 is a finely tuned driver's car with high revs and torque. It's literally my favorite car right now. No gimmicks like RWS and rare manual transmission Porsches, higher revs and better gearing than an ACR, less computerized handling than GM's and awesome driver feedback. It's plenty fast enough to have fun in but not overkill for DE.

But a Cayman is nowhere near a ZR1.

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mfain

I'm not sure the 720s "BBC-record 154.7 mph on the front straight" necessarily means the 720 had the fastest lap time. There were early indications that the GT2 RS set a track record. I am anxious to see the GT2 RS's lap time when MT posts it, but my guess is that it will be fastest.

Pappy

ROBWILKER

Here we go again with the "chrome wheel" thing. The wheel finish has zero to do with performance but it does bring to light the personal bias in your comment. I currently own a six speed 427 Convt. and a C7 Z06/ Z07 A8 as well as a '17 ZL1 A10 and a '19 ZR1 TDK A8. Without any reservation I state the ZR1 is overwhelmingly a better driver and performance vehicle. You are correct about the statement regarding a business case. GM is in the business of selling cars anfd trucks. After the bankruptcy GM/ Chevrolet decided to appeal to a wider segment of potential buyers; thus the convertibles and automatics. If GM were to target the narrow segment of competition as the GT35O/ACR-E,GT3RS (one of which is no longer in production), they would lose the wider appeal and shrink the market to a point where the ZR1, and probably Corvettes in general, would not be able to survive as an affordable production performance sport vehicle. A car as complex and appealing as a ZR1, as well as other Corvette models, are available with more options than ever before. For this reason alone, the ZR1 is the pinnacle performance vehicle made in the USA today. The matter of a "true competitor" to other cars is a totally subjective matter and I would never trust the statistical data and opinions of the magazine so-called experts. There is an obvious bias in magazine publications favoring foreign cars I feel this prejudice is driven by advertising dollars and the "donation" of test vehicles for the editors and writers to drive. I agree, we should be happy with the vehicle being offered or, in the alternative, purchase one of those true competitors you mention. IMO.