To get the full benefit from magnetic selective ride control do you also need to have the Z51 option. I need to decide by next week for this $1,900 option.

 

That depends on how you define "full benefit". You get the eLSD (and PTM - Performance Traction Management) only with MSRC AND Z51.

 

My opinion below.

 

If you want performance traction management then you need z51. If you just want the adjustability of the shocks (soften them up in touring, firm them up in track, sport, z mode, my mode) you can do that with msrc alone. Also, with msrc alone you get the adjustable spring perches so you can lower the car on the stock suspension.

There are countless threads on this forum that discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these options. IMHO if you’re not gonna track it you don’t need z51. I went w the stand alone msrc on mine and am very happy with it. I had a c7 w/o msrc and the difference is noticeable. Good luck w your decision.

 

Get it.

 

Depends what you are looking for. The following is why I have not been a fan of MRC to create a "softer ride." It certainly provides a "stiffer ride" in Sport and very stiff in Track. However if you're not looking to take corner's at the C8s high "g" capability, the ride is similar to the standard base car shocks.

MY EXPERIENCE
My C6 Z51 and 2014 C7 Z51 did not have MRC versus my 2017 Grand Sport that comes with MRC- no choice. Had to drive the GS in Touring as Sport was harsher than my non MRC 2014 C7 when I hit even small bumps. On our relatively pot hole free roads in Eastern SC the 2 mile long, narrow twisty road I live on has woods on one side and homes, many on a Lake on the other. Three roots from the woods go under the asphalt road and create many slightly raised areas. I Sport each time you hit one it was harsh. In Track a description a posted by a member fit the ride. "You can feel if going over a dime." To harsh for most street driving!

Frankly was frustrating for me as I drove my 2014 C7 in Track since without MRC it had do affect on ride. BUT the throttle progression was fast and the nannies did not come in sooner than I wanted as they did when driving in Touring. Frankly the slow tip-in throttle progression was slow enough compared to the 3 1/2 years I had my 2014 Z51 I bought a Vitesse Throttle Controller and set it to match my 2014 Z51 driving in Track. Still no help with nannies. Then GM offered upgraded MRC software (for $350.) Bought it as it stated the ride in Sport was less harsh. It was and I could drive in Sport. Throttle progression improved and I no longer needed the Vitesse controller I had set just to create a linier throttle progression that matched what I had in my 2014 Z51. The nannies threshold improved as well.

Yep, every DD I have had in 61 years was ordered with HD suspension and shocks OR I added sway bars, HD shocks etc myself. Even my S10 pick-up was ordered with every HD option GM offered; quick steering, HD suspension, HD shocks including a 5th "hop shock" to help with spring wrap-up on take off, posi, wider aluminum wheels/ low profile tire and lowered 3 inches. I even added polyurethane sway bar bushings. Yep, for a pick-up handled very well.

Yep, as you'd expect from the description, this 78 year old (who turns 19 when I get in my Vette) ordered my C8 as a Z51 and bought MRC for the performance NOT a softer ride. I mostly drive in Z MODE with Power set to Track BUT have ride set to Sport. Could drive in Track but ride is too harsh. If I wanted, can have Z MODE Ride set to Touring.

BOTTOM LINE
I would not buy MRC unless I got the Z51 and used the performance the car is capable of providing.

(BTW all quality shocks provide a variable ride done with valving in the shock itself. MRC changers very rapidly many times per second with input from a number of sensors. For performance and handling transients it's much better without having to resort to stiff overall shocks.)

 

Thanks for your reply, I look forward to parking my new vette next to my ‘63 early tanker!

 

Couldn’t agree more with this statement.

I’ve got the ESLD and PTM in my ‘17 ZL1. During four years of ownership, I’ve used the PTM modes less than 10 times. The modes don’t do much if you’re not driving the car on a track. I drive my Camaro in standard sport mode 99.9% of the time. On long stretches of freeway driving, I may switch over to tour.

As a result of my experience with the Camaro and because I have no plans to ever track my HTC, I opted for the msrc and performance exhaust and let the rest of the Z51 go.

 

I may be wrong, but isn't the MRC designed to stiffen the suspension during high performance driving? It doesn't get any "softer" than the base suspension in everyday driving situations does it?

If that is the case, then why go with MRC at all if you only plan on normal driving on city streets? It just seems to me, that if I wanted to have the option of going to sport or track modes for the purpose of better throttle response and quicker/stiffer transmission shifts yet not get jolted by every bump in the road while doing so, I would just go with the base suspension and save my money for the steak dinner at the end of the drive.

Like I mentioned, and maybe I'm wrong, but my understanding is that MRC allows the suspension to stiffen up, but doesn't make it any 'softer'.

 

The Z51 with MSRC in Tour is definitely softer than the Z51 without MSRC. Whether that's true of the non Z51 I don't know. But even if you're correct about the base car, I still want the option to stiffen things up for fun drives in the country, then revert to a softer setting on the freeway or in town.

Aside from that the MSRC offers more advantages than just choosing your level of firmness. No matter what mode you're in, the car can automatically adjust the damping of each individual shock up to 10 times per second to account for changes in the road, cornering (stiffen the outside shocks to reduce body roll) and braking or acceleration. The MSRC keeps the tires in contact with the road better. The MSRC equipped cars even have a tighter turning circle than non MSRC cars.

This video is of MSRC that's 3 generations old, and still pretty impressive.

 

That's exactly my observation! It was also Tadge's in 2014 when he described ride stiffness. At that time MRC was not available with the base suspension but this is how he rated the ride:
Base Car softest
Next Z51 with MRC set to Touring
Next Z51 without MRC
Then Sport stiffer
Track the stiffest (yep as someone posted you can feel if going over a dime!)

I chuckle at that old C5 video as it's on a washboard road where the dips are at the natural frequency of the springs! Yep if you have washboard roads might be worth it. BUT if you want performance handling takes more than shocks- get the Z51! I'm reminded of my '93 40th Anniversary Vette that had "adjustable shocks" via a three position switch on the console ****. Similar to what I have on the front of my street rod with a **** on the shocks. For high speed have them set stiff and for normal driving set them soft.

 

To keep this in context, keep in mind Tadge's comments were made when the base C7 Stingray came with higher profile tires than the Z51 and prior to the MSRC update. Later base C7 Stingrays had the same low profile tires as the Z51. I'm not aware of a ride comparison of the later base Stingray and the MSRC Z51 in Tour with the lower profile tires and MSRC update. The difference may be negligible.
While the C7 Z51 had stiffer springs than the base Stingray, the Z51 with MSRC had slightly softer springs than even the base Stingray. I haven't seen a C8 spring rate comparison between base and MSRC Z51 but I suspect they took a similar approach with spring rates.
My suspicion is the ride of a non-MSRC base C8 is similar to the ride of a MSRC non-Z51 and a MSRC Z51 when set to Tour. The MSRC will allow you to stiffen up the ride but it won't be "softer" than a non-MSRC base Stingray on regular roads. The MSRC will handle adverse road conditions better than the non-MSRC shocks.

 

I've had both on previous vettes. My C8 is 2LT, MSRC, NPP. That's all I need for a street car. TPW 2/1 hoping for it to be built next week.

 

Yep when Tadge provided that info, as I said no MRC with the BASE 2014 C7

The tires sizes were identical C7 Base vs Z51 and the same 35 profile Fronts and 30 profile rears as the C8, i.e.
C7 Front 245/35-19s vs C8 245/35-19
C7 Rear 285/30-20 vs C8 305/30-20
Conclusion, tires not really a factor in ride.

The only C8 sway bar and spring data I have is for none MRC
Sway Bar Front Base = 30.5 mm x 3.1 mm thick (all hollow)
Sway Bar Front Z51 = 30.5 mm x 3.1 mm thick (same as Base)
Sway Bar Rear Base = 25.8 mm x 2.9 mm thick
Sway Bar Rear Z51 = 28.5 mm x 3.6 mm thick (significantly-stiffer)

Springs Front Base = 31.5 N/mm
Springs Front Z51 = 39.5 N/mm (significantly stiffer)
Springs Rear Base = 38 N/mm
Springs Rear Z51 = 46 N/mm (significantly stiffer)

The above says nothing about with MRC BUT had not assembled that data like that before!
Only conclusion you can reach is the non MRC Z51 will be significantly stiffer than the non MRC Base C8 ​​​​​​​

 

I saw this on the forum at one time!

 

Well that made it confusing. ☝️☝️☝️

I’m going to order soon and I’m wondering the same thing the OP is asking about on this thread. I don’t plan to track the car but did want something to make it handle better when I take rides in the N. GA mountains, so I thought I would go with the MSRC and not put the Z51 package on it. That also gets the all season Michelin’s from the factory vs the summer only run flats, which in my experience has given my last two Corvettes a better ride.

Thoughts?

 

The early base C7 Stingrays had 18" front and 19" rear vs the Z51 with 19" front and 20" rear wheels:
https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...ray-specs.html
The overall tire diameters were the same with the difference being made up by a higher profile on the non-Z51. Initially, the non-Z51 MSRC upgrade included the Z51 wheels and tires.

This thread discuses C7 spring rates:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ing-rates.html
According to it, the base and Z51 have a spring rate of 92.4 N/mm on the front. Adding MSRC to the Z51 reduces the spring rate to 79.1 N/mm.
The rears have spring rates of 153 (base), 165 (Z51), and 127 (Z51 w/MSRC) N/mm.

I suspect the C8 Z51 with MSRC (as well as the MSRC base) has spring rates the same or lower than the base.

 

I'd take this with a grain of salt. The concierge has been known to provide incorrect data.
I know for sure that the statement "Any ride without MSRC will be softer" is incorrect. The Z51 without MSRC is not "softer" than a Z51 with MSRC.