juanvaldez

O.K., noob looking to by a very specific car, '10 - '13 Grand Sport Coupe with manual transmission. I would like to get the variable exhaust because of the 6 hp (I like quite cars). I have a question about the magnetic ride control.

On one hand I don't like the added complication. This will be a daily driver. I plan to put 100,000 miles on it. Should I be looking for this or avoiding it.

I've seen a couple of nice '12 GS, manual with the only option the exaust for around $45k asking. I was hoping to get closer to $40k with winter coming on.

jimmie jam

I would not let the F55 stop me from buying. I ordered it on mine. Many, many cars have this option and there are extremely rare issues with the system and dampers. Nothing is fool proof...if you find the right car and it has F55 on it just do it. Good luck.

wrh3

When I bought my GS I was specifically looking for one without F55 and it just so happened that I found exactly the car I wanted, all but F55.

Fast forward a few years.....Having recently traded that in for another C6 with F55, I think the F55 is superior to the regular suspension. It does not have any of the weird transitional characteristics that the regular GS suspension had (prior to replacing it with Pfadt JOC Stage 1) and now I would look for a car with F55. The shocks are a bit pricey when they go so watch for leaks before the warranty expires.

BWF07

The only issue you meed to be aware of, is the cost of replacing the shock should they give it up. On the flip side should that happen, many buy the after marker shocks and there attachment that plugin to make the computer think that the shocks are operating properly.
Now for the NPP exhaust, if you like quite cars why would you want teh NPP? I doubt you will ever notice the increase in HP, but you will notice the noise with the baffles open over closed.
As stated, if you find the car you want, don't pass it it because of an extra option or not.
Good Luck.

CrvtBB

If you have F55 you'll probably love it and it is an impressive technology with several benefits over the stock suspension. However, if you buy one without F55, I suspect you'll probably never miss it. There are also some really good aftermarket shock options out there for the standard suspension (e.g., Koni and Bilstein) to tailor the ride and handling to your liking, and you can always transition to coil-overs for even more tuning options.

As far as NPP, I think it's the best of both worlds - especially with a mild-to-wild option to open the baffles whenever you want.

Good luck with the search.

EvanZR1

I have both NPP and F55 and love them both.

corvette-kyle

Having experience with both the F55 shocks and the JOC stage 1 setup what are your thoughts on both of them?

I am in a position now where all four of my mag ride shocks are leaking and have been looking into the JOC package if I can still get ahold of it.

Wakemaker89

Likewise, I was specifically looking for the F55 option when I bought mine a few months ago.

EvanZR1

To expand a little more on my love of both:

NPP is a must have feature for me. I like my car loud but my wife doesn't, so NPP is a great solution. When it's just me in the car, I tend to leave it open all the time. When she's in the car, I close it. I will say that on long trips I would probably close it even if it was just me, so this can also play into your decision.

F55 is something that's a little harder to quantify. If the roads in your area are rough, you'll appreciate it more. If they are smooth, you'll probably never even notice it. Yes, I can tell a difference between Tour and Sport, but I typically leave it in Tour because it does such a good job. I do however occasionally throw it into Sport before doing some cornering, and it's nice to have the choice.

Of the two options, I would rate NPP as more desirable, but for me both were a must have.

Wayne O

Intake and exhaust are important overall 'performance' considerations but I would not let the 'rated' 6 hp of the variable exhaust influence your decision. 6 hp is negligible at best. Personally, I want a performance car to sound like a performance car. If you don't like the added "complication" of the controlled, MR suspension why consider the 'gimmicky' needlessly complicated variable exhaust? The stock Corvette sounds pretty tame to begin with.

Notwithstanding I replaced the magnetic suspension with a coil-over suspension (for dedicated track use) I feel the MR suspension is the best 'all-around' suspension offered by Corvette. Anything mechanical can break but the magnetic suspension has proved to be quite reliable. There are sensors and a control system but the MR dampers are mechanically quite simple. Whether or not the MR suspension is worth it to you I can't say but if the car will be a high mileage, daily driver I would personally want the magnetic suspension. Good luck whatever you decide on.

Rebel Yell

[QUOTE=jimmie jam;1587841779]I would not let the F55 stop me from buying. I ordered it on mine.

Very true. Don't let it stop you from buying the right car. The F55 package was on the car I bought. I rarely use it, but it is quite nice when you're in the twisties and having a little fun.