As someone who has owned a lot of sportscars (my latest couple were both 911's), I really enjoy having a sporty suspension even though I don't do track days. I love hitting the twisties in the mountains and pushing a car hard.

Given that, and having no experience with the suspension in the C8, how would those who do have experience with the suspension build their car? Z51? Z51+mag? Only mag? Of course, I'd prefer not to spend the extra 6K if the C8's suspension is good enough just normal or only with mag.

 

I went Z51 with Mag and its like having two cars in one. Its ridiculously smooth and comfortable in Touring and in Track it turns into a go kart. I don't regret it for a second.

 

Z51 + MSRC (FE4 suspension) is what you want.
Z51 without MSRC (FE3 suspension) if you don't care about being able to soften up the suspension for touring and don't care about a rougher ride on bad roads.
MSRC on base (FE2 suspension) will allow you to stiffen up the suspension when you feel like playing but it won't be the same as a Z51. You can add stiffer sway bars later on but you won't be able to add the eLSD.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a Z51 without MSRC but I'd consider the FE2 suspension if I was trying to save money and wasn't going to track my car.

 

The z51 suspension was far too soft for serious track use but will likely be great for those just looking for 'sporty' ride.

With my MCS suspension dialed up the car has gokart like responsiveness. Its an absolute joy to drive. When the super stiff ride gets annoying I dial down the compression a bit and it becomes quite plush.

I have been happy with the setup.

 

 

Kind'a pricey but you get what you pay for, generally.

 

I don't understand the fascination of MRC? I am buying a sports car if i wanted a smooth ride I would buy a Lincoln or Mercedes. I hate when my Vette is in Tour Mode it feels too loose to me. I prefer Z51 No MRC. and save 2k and no I don't track

 

What's hard to understand? It's a great suspension setup with adjustability and options for everything from comfort to track and several places in between. You can customize tour mode with tighter suspension/steering/braking if you want. That's the beauty of it. Worth every penny IMO.

 

If I could afford a stable of cars I'd have a car for every mood I might be in when going for a drive. I can't afford a stable of cars so I need to make the few I have cover all my needs.

 

Yes but for someone who owns a grandsport I have never taken it out of sport Mode so I feel it woud be a waste. How many times are you using Tour Mode?

 

When my wife is with me, most of the time. My wife thinks a car without 4 doors and a back seat is pointless. In her view a car should be comfortable and quiet. She drives a Toyota Avalon and loves it. The more comfortable and quiet I can make my car the more often we're not driving the Avalon when she is with me.

But when I'm by myself it comes out of Tour.

 

So you think that without the mag ride on the Z51 it is too soft and the mag ride makes it stiffer?

 

This was from another post. According to concierge, the non-Mag Ride is supposed to be the softer ride, if that's what you're looking for.

 

If the $8K cost is not an issue, the Z51 with MSRC is one of the most sophisticated suspensions you can buy on a sportscar... now compared with the Porsche, the Corvette steering is numb, but it is very accurate, and the car handles beautifully.... If you are picky, a "performance" suspension alignment seems to dial out some of the understeer, and is probably worth the money.

Now the MSRC shocks do more than vary the ride.... they can actually adjust the compression and rebound in milliseconds... on the road this may seem like overkill, but on the track it is a game-changer....

Shocks (actually "dampers") provide short-term adjustment of the effective spring rate during "transients"... these occur when the weight of the car is shifting during braking, cornering, and acceleration... and then stop acting when the car is in a steady state.... long story short, in a racecar, proper shock valving allows the car to remain more stable and controllable during these transients... and literally cut seconds off the lap time... a set of race-grade adjustable reservoir shocks for a Corvette could easily cost $8-12K, plus hours of time to set them up and adjust them from track to track...

The MSRC system can pretty much duplicate this performance automatically at a fraction of the cost.... amazing

 

I can guarantee that a non-MSRC Z51 (FE3 suspension) does not have a softer ride than a MSRC Z51 (FE4 suspension) when it is set to Tour.

 

I'd only dink with the suspension if intended for the track.

 

I guess COVID can now travel over phone lines and be stored on VM

 

Ferrari seems to like MagneRide, along with Lamborghini Aventador, etc...

• Ferrari 599
• Ferrari F12berlinetta
• Ferrari California
• Ferrari FF
• Ferrari 458 Italia
• La Ferrari
• Lamborghini Aventador
• Audi TT
• Audi S3
• Audi R8
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
• Land Rover Discovery Sport

 

I originally ordered a 2020 HTC. I wasn't going to track the car so I couldn't justify spending the money for the Z51/MRC package. However, all the discussion about the Z51 package being a must even if you didn't track your Vette had me concerned that I made a wrong decision. As it turns out, my 2020 order never made it past 1100. So when it came time to re-order for 2021, I still didn't go with the Z51 package but I did add the MRC shocks. I've owned two Camaro ZL1s with the MRC shocks so I am very familiar with the technology. I'll be curious to see how it compares in the C8.

 

Is a $50 bottle of wine better than a $12 bottle of wine? Probably. Is it worth it.... who knows?

Is a $5M house on the beach worth 5 times more than a house one block away? Who knows...

As I always say... "If you can afford it, it doesn't matter.... and if you can't afford it, it doesn't matter"

IMHO, the FE4 is the best suspension you can buy on a Corvette...

Is it worth it?.... who knows.