C8 Brake Issue On Track
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 383
Likes: 342
From: Bernardsville, NJ
C8 Brake Issue On Track
Hi All,
I'm a new C8 owner (1 week anniversary), and I did the C8 Corvette Experience at the NCM right before picking up my personal car at the Museum. I'm an experienced track driver with 20 years of experience, and I'm a chief instructor with PCA. The C8 I was driving at NCM was a Z51 with standard (non-FE4) shocks, and on the all season tires with standard alignment. It was a chilly, but dry and sunny morning, temperatures around 30 degrees. During the track talk between sessions, the instructor cautioned that the C8 has "brake by wire" technology which can at times create an unusual feel of non-linearity in braking. His instruction was to stay on the pedal and that the car's brakes would not let you down. I didn't think much of this until I was four or five laps in and felt absolutely nothing happen when I applied the brakes in a tight section of the track. It was disconcerting, for sure, and I pressed hander as the car went past my desired braking point before finally responding by getting into the ABS and slowing down. I took it very easy in the final lap or two, and then reported in to the instructor conducting the lead/follow exercise about my brake issue. They tell me that this is normal, but don't see it all that often because few experienced drivers that can push the cars come through the program. Nevertheless, they think its software related, and say that GM engineers have been there and experienced the issue first hand. Is this a well-known phenomenon with the C8 like "ice mode" was (is) with some Porsche cars? I know with Porsches we have lost a couple of cars in DE due to "ice mode" brake issues. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
I'm a new C8 owner (1 week anniversary), and I did the C8 Corvette Experience at the NCM right before picking up my personal car at the Museum. I'm an experienced track driver with 20 years of experience, and I'm a chief instructor with PCA. The C8 I was driving at NCM was a Z51 with standard (non-FE4) shocks, and on the all season tires with standard alignment. It was a chilly, but dry and sunny morning, temperatures around 30 degrees. During the track talk between sessions, the instructor cautioned that the C8 has "brake by wire" technology which can at times create an unusual feel of non-linearity in braking. His instruction was to stay on the pedal and that the car's brakes would not let you down. I didn't think much of this until I was four or five laps in and felt absolutely nothing happen when I applied the brakes in a tight section of the track. It was disconcerting, for sure, and I pressed hander as the car went past my desired braking point before finally responding by getting into the ABS and slowing down. I took it very easy in the final lap or two, and then reported in to the instructor conducting the lead/follow exercise about my brake issue. They tell me that this is normal, but don't see it all that often because few experienced drivers that can push the cars come through the program. Nevertheless, they think its software related, and say that GM engineers have been there and experienced the issue first hand. Is this a well-known phenomenon with the C8 like "ice mode" was (is) with some Porsche cars? I know with Porsches we have lost a couple of cars in DE due to "ice mode" brake issues. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 4,079
Likes: 2,413
From: Florida
Hi All,
I'm a new C8 owner (1 week anniversary), and I did the C8 Corvette Experience at the NCM right before picking up my personal car at the Museum. I'm an experienced track driver with 20 years of experience, and I'm a chief instructor with PCA. The C8 I was driving at NCM was a Z51 with standard (non-FE4) shocks, and on the all season tires with standard alignment. It was a chilly, but dry and sunny morning, temperatures around 30 degrees. During the track talk between sessions, the instructor cautioned that the C8 has "brake by wire" technology which can at times create an unusual feel of non-linearity in braking. His instruction was to stay on the pedal and that the car's brakes would not let you down. I didn't think much of this until I was four or five laps in and felt absolutely nothing happen when I applied the brakes in a tight section of the track. It was disconcerting, for sure, and I pressed hander as the car went past my desired braking point before finally responding by getting into the ABS and slowing down. I took it very easy in the final lap or two, and then reported in to the instructor conducting the lead/follow exercise about my brake issue. They tell me that this is normal, but don't see it all that often because few experienced drivers that can push the cars come through the program. Nevertheless, they think its software related, and say that GM engineers have been there and experienced the issue first hand. Is this a well-known phenomenon with the C8 like "ice mode" was (is) with some Porsche cars? I know with Porsches we have lost a couple of cars in DE due to "ice mode" brake issues. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
I'm a new C8 owner (1 week anniversary), and I did the C8 Corvette Experience at the NCM right before picking up my personal car at the Museum. I'm an experienced track driver with 20 years of experience, and I'm a chief instructor with PCA. The C8 I was driving at NCM was a Z51 with standard (non-FE4) shocks, and on the all season tires with standard alignment. It was a chilly, but dry and sunny morning, temperatures around 30 degrees. During the track talk between sessions, the instructor cautioned that the C8 has "brake by wire" technology which can at times create an unusual feel of non-linearity in braking. His instruction was to stay on the pedal and that the car's brakes would not let you down. I didn't think much of this until I was four or five laps in and felt absolutely nothing happen when I applied the brakes in a tight section of the track. It was disconcerting, for sure, and I pressed hander as the car went past my desired braking point before finally responding by getting into the ABS and slowing down. I took it very easy in the final lap or two, and then reported in to the instructor conducting the lead/follow exercise about my brake issue. They tell me that this is normal, but don't see it all that often because few experienced drivers that can push the cars come through the program. Nevertheless, they think its software related, and say that GM engineers have been there and experienced the issue first hand. Is this a well-known phenomenon with the C8 like "ice mode" was (is) with some Porsche cars? I know with Porsches we have lost a couple of cars in DE due to "ice mode" brake issues. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
In fact probably the main complaint or worry in a bbw system is that you ALWAYS retain the pedal feel and feedback even as the fluid starts to boil ...you won't get a soft pedal unless the system was programmed to give you a soft pedal (none are that im aware of). So you need to heed the brake temp warnings.
Btw i do consider the c8 bbw the best of any ive driven. I own two alfas with brake by wire as well and their pedal feel lacks the linear feel of the c8.
