EDIT - OK... so I change my mind now that I've driven the car in 70+ ambient temps. The power is far more usable now. Sucker is fast.

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A generous friend is letting my babysit his Stage 3 Z06 MN7. After a few days with the car I've come away feeling it's too much to enjoy on the street & backroads driving. I have no idea why some of you want more power. The car will spin the Sport Cups through 3rd. It goes 92 in 2nd gear which is "go to jail speed" around here. The chassis and driving dynamics are fantastic, but I guess I just don't see the point of all the power; especially all the low-end. The phrase, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow" truly does apply. You don't get to run up and down through the gears much as they're so tall.

Other observations from my 6'4" 250lb self. The comp seats are a bit too aggressive for me for street driving. I'd get base seats and swap a racing seat in for track weekends. That said, they're great on track. I drove a student's base C7 Z51 at VIR last summer and it was the first time I've ever been able to push a street car that hard and not be fighting the seat. I was going to order mine with comp seats, but real around town time has changed that opinion; YMMV.

It's too quiet... even with exhaust override to Track Mode. I thought some on here saying that were being silly. I was under the impression track mode was loud all the time. The car isn't loud at all under low rpm partial throttle. Roll into it and it gets loud in a hurry, but going back to point one up top "back roads driving" and not being able to row through the gears due to the long gearing... end result is that semi-legal moderate driving results in a quieter experience than desired.

FWIW I've been a NASA (not the space agency) instructor since 2011 and been competing in Corvettes since the mid 2000s. My most recent car was a full road-race C5 that I recently sold.

I'll probably end up with a previously enjoyed Z51 Stingray in the garage

Babysitee


Old ride


PS - How do I engage lauch control? I'm not going to use it as it's not my car, but was sitting in it tonight and it crossed my mind.

PPS - I've noticed the lack of rev down that some have commented on here. It doesn't do it all the time, but I can see how it'd be unnerving on track. You let off the gas and the throttle sort of hangs. Wonder why?

 

I understand. Drive it in sub 40 degrees and hang on.

 

For manual cars;
Select the PTM (Performance Traction Mode - Track mode & 2 pushes of the center button), put the car in 1st gear, keep the Throttle down until the rpms stabilize, & dump the clutch while holding down the accelerator/throttle until the end of 1st gear, and upshift as normal. If you let up on the throttle during launch it will go out of launch control (pedal to the metal, & dump the clutch, steering wheel straight).

I just got back from the Corvette Owner's school at Spring Mountain, so I have very minimal track experience, but enough to learn and enjoy what this Z can do. One Canadian Stingray owner after mistakenly assigned a Z, stated, he wished that he had bought the Z, due to the acceleration in the straight away.

I like to think that every time a pass a car on a two lane road (legally), I call on that power to get me there effortlessly and thrillingly.

You can modulate the power, going up the gears and it is very exciting, though not by any means overwhelming. I try not to spin the tires, too easy to do so at will.

Just about any car can get you into trouble if you're not judicious in when & where you accelerate, beyond reasonable limits.

 

 

I do agree with you that the Z06 is simply too much car for the backroads. For one, if you just bury the throttle pedal for a few seconds, you are already in "criminal violation" territories, meaning, go to jail and have your car impounded. The LE has far too much advantage with their always-on video recorders from all angles. I actually agree that something like the new Miata could be more fun over backroads because you can wind out that little engine, enjoy the fine handling, all that while you're still reasonably close to the speed limits. With the Z06 fun begins at way north of triple digit speeds and if you're busted, they'll throw the key away!

I have the NA C7 and after tuning the suspension to my preferences I did a 60+ mile spirited drive over my local canyon roads and came away thinking that a Z06 would be a total waste of everything up here. The NA engine, plus my CAI, provide more than enough power on these low speed, winding roads to scare the pants off of most people.

As to the seat; I am in the process of changing out the base seats with ultra light weight racing seats. There are a couple of reasons. The angled side bolsters on the bottom of the seats tend to press against a nerve in my thighs and causes a lot of pain after 30 or so minutes.
The upper side bolsters feel fine for normal driving but, not enough for my spirited cornering practices. I find my body being pushed out of position by the cornering forces. BTW - I'm 6', 185 lbs, 34 waist. During my last drive I had the passenger seat out (-60 lbs) and the glass top off (-21 lbs) and I could genuinely feel the positive differences in handling. With both seats replaced I will be saving close to 80 lbs while I am also looking at other weight loss options, as well. The only compromise I made while ordering the very tight Regular sized racing seat for me, I ordered the same seat in Large size for my passengers. They may not appreciate the tightly locked-in sensation.

 

Tool Hoarder...I think you're pretty dead on actually. My C5Z was running 580whp/512wtq and I just pulled the supercharger and sold it. I actually miss the days of 400whp when I could come out of a turn and put down the power. My car became that of just pure throttle management. Even with the MN12 tranny, my car would go from zero to illegal as hell REAL fast. Just wasn't worth it.

I'm spending about 1 more year with my C5Z I think, then it's Grand Sport time.

 

ptm!

 

.ptm!

 

Since you are a NASA instructor this might not impress you much but in my opinion, while the C7Z M7 may be a bit much for full throttle driving on the street, that power sure is nice to have on the back straightaway at COTA. 😄

 

There's a NASA event at VIR in May. The owner of the blue car told me the only things I can't do are drive it to California or let anyone else drive it

 

There is no such thing as too much power. I have been enjoying cars I have for years that make the Z06 power levels look marginal. This on the street and backroads. YMMV

 

I get that sentiment, but I just didn't find the car exciting to use in a semi-legal fashion. I spent a couple hours driving it around last night with the top out. It was a lot of 2nd and 3rd gear coasting and throttle-modulation. Maybe the roads around here aren't conducive to any real "good" driving vs. somewhere out west. The car is exhilarating rolling through 2nd and 3rd getting onto the highway, but that's about it.

 

Thanks for the information, and I wish you a speedy recovery from whatever happened to you.

 

 

Great! I think you said it had Cup 2's as well. I bet you will have a blast with it at VIR.

Just an observation I had at my last outing at COTA.... It was 63*F when I went out on my first session. It took 3 laps before my Cup 2's gained full grip.

Have a blast, man!

 

Can you get trackday insurance for a car you don't own?

 

Can't answer that, I don't know. But I would think that owner could and then put you on the policy as the driver. Definitely a good question and if you get an answer, please post it.

 

Absolutely true! Especially true for boats and tow vehicles but applies to sports cars as well.

 

It's a Z06.. that means something. Even on the back roads of Western VA. You don't have to use all the gas monkeys and tork monsters unless you want too!

 

To paraphrase Daryle Singletary...


Too much fun, what's that mean?
It's like too much money, there's no such thing
It's like a girl too pretty with too much class
Being too lucky, a car too fast
No matter what they say, I've done
But you ain't never had too much fun.