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MY24 will see added electronics (soft close frunk and safety sensors heavily influenced by meeting the EU's changing safety mandates) which seems enough to increase the nominal curb weight and flag the EPA, hence why we saw spy photos of a Stingray with test pipes. Likely no power increase per CorvetteBlogger.
That then makes MY23 the lightest, I believe. What makes its reduced weight difference from MY20-MY22? A deleted rear hatch lock cylinder.
Edit: Months after I started this thread, it was announced all MY24 trim levels including 1LT will come standard with the rear view camera mirror making MY23 even lighter with another complexity simplified vs future model years.
Last edited by switchlanez; Jun 15, 2023 at 04:41 PM.
MY24 will see added safety equipment (mostly electronic sensors, heavily influenced by meeting the EU's changing safety mandates) which seems enough to increase the nominal curb weight and flag the EPA, hence why we saw spy photos of a Stingray with test pipes. Likely no power increase per CorvetteBlogger.
That then makes MY23 the lightest, I believe. What makes its reduced weight difference from MY20-MY22? A deleted rear hatch cylinder lock.
Don't forget some 2022's are missing a bunch of chips for heated seats, parking sensors, etc.
C5 Z06 had the LS6 engine with 405HP and 399 lb/feet of torque.
The specs you gave for the C5Z06 were for the (1997) LS1 345 hp and 350 lb/feet of torque
Yes, power can offset weight in terms of performance, but the benefits of lightweight sports cars goes far beyond that. The joys of lightweights cannot be understated, and the feedback a good driver gets is dramatically better. My favorite track cars were my Lotus Elise, and my two MX-5s (Miata). The heavier a car gets the more it deadens the feel and feedback.
It may be funny to joke about a few ounces here and there being irrelevant, but when designers focus on the weight of every single part down to the fastener level, those ounces add up.
C5 Z06 had the LS6 engine with 405HP and 399 lb/feet of torque.
The specs you gave for the C5Z06 were for the (1997) LS1 345 hp and 350 lb/feet of torque
Just a quick Google search.......thanks for the update.
Yes, power can offset weight in terms of performance, but the benefits of lightweight sports cars goes far beyond that. The joys of lightweights cannot be understated, and the feedback a good driver gets is dramatically better. My favorite track cars were my Lotus Elise, and my two MX-5s (Miata). The heavier a car gets the more it deadens the feel and feedback.
It may be funny to joke about a few ounces here and there being irrelevant, but when designers focus on the weight of every single part down to the fastener level, those ounces add up.
I think there's a power/weight balance that has to be met though, and just as a car can be too heavy it can also be too light IMO. Sure, you want the lightest vehicle possible for track use, but on potholed roads with unpredictable pavement and weather conditions a medium weight sports car has much better handling characteristics with a little more weight and downforce to the pavement. Is the feedback deadened by the added weight, or are you getting less feedback because the car is more planted to the ground with the suspension doing its job as intended? I'm talking about feel and enjoyment out of a car that's driven on public roads though. Track is a different beast. I can also respect how much fun it is to drive a lightweight street legal "go-cart", but does the feel and fun transfer directly to improved performance on the road or track in comparison to some heavier vehicles that might actually have a better power to weight ratio?
Amendment: It was recently announced that all MY24 trim levels including 1LT will come standard with the rear view camera mirror making MY23 even lighter with another complexity simplified vs future model years. It is a non-intrusive safety feature that could be worth the minimal added weight/complexity/annual cost adjustment but this adds to the story of the MY23's unique quirk. Pros/cons either way balance out to a wash for me. I've driven a C8 both ways and have no problem adjusting the side mirrors in conflux with the standard reflective mirror to see the full rear field of vision and no visibility gaps/discontinuities.
Last edited by switchlanez; Jun 15, 2023 at 08:42 PM.
Amendment: It was recently announced that all MY24 trim levels including 1LT will come standard with the rear view camera mirror making MY23 even lighter with another complexity simplified vs future model years. It is a non-intrusive safety feature that could be worth the minimal added weight/complexity/annual cost adjustment but this adds to the story of the MY23's unique quirk. Pros/cons either way balance out to a wash for me. I've driven a C8 both ways with have no problem adjusting the side mirrors in conflux with the standard reflective mirror to see the full rear field of vision with no visibility gaps/discontinuities.
The miniscule weight difference MY to MY has very little effect on performance. Heck the weight of the driver and fuel load has more to do with it.
FYI if you don't like the rear view camera you can turn it off.
So I'm guessing the hardware for the rear view mirror camera adds a pound or two. CMOS cameras are tiny (and mostly plastic). The mirror / LCD screen is likely heavier than the plain one, but the heaviest part of the mirror is the glass and the mount, and both versions have those. The sensors probably add a few pounds in total, with the wire to connect them the heaviest part. The rest is software, which weighs nothing. The heaviest add is probably the power frunk closer. Maybe a few pounds by itself?
I wouldn't expect all of those together to add more than 10 lbs to a 1LT coupe. Less on an HTC or higher trim levels, since they already have the rear view camera. On a car which already weighs 3700 lbs, it's barely noticeable. Most of us could afford to lose 10 lbs or more to balance it out.
The miniscule weight difference MY to MY has very little effect on performance. Heck the weight of the driver and fuel load has more to do with it.
FYI if you don't like the rear view camera you can turn it off.
It also bugs me when electronics fail like my Mustang's backup camera did for all of COVID and took years for Ford to get parts to fix under recall. I'm seeing C8 owner's report backup camera and rear view mirror cameras failing. Happy to have one less potential nuisance which I can't simply turn off from happening.
I know the weight delta is obviously insignificant. That's why this thread is more about a MY23 quirk as I've stated, not amazing weight savings. And a MY23 1LT plays most into that quirk.
Last edited by switchlanez; Jun 15, 2023 at 06:08 PM.
Most of us could afford to lose 10 lbs or more to balance it out.
I'm 130 lbs with lean muscle and regular strength training. Any less, I'd start looking anorexic. Understood that I'm an outlier not applicable to the majority but I don't care about pleasing the majority. Have to speak for myself.
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by switchlanez
It also bugs me when electronics fail like my Mustang's backup camera did for all of COVID and took years for Ford to get parts to fix under recall. I'm seeing C8 owner's report backup camera and rear view mirror cameras failing. Happy to have one less potential nuisance which I can't simply turn off from happening.
In that case, get ready for the new 2024 Corvettes:
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.