455230

No.

scott53

No interest whatsoever in the C7 Z51 package. I had a C6 Grand Sport, Z51 with wide body package. Loved it! But never came close to using the full capabilities. My base coupe will be delivered to the dealer before year's end. That is all that I need.

themonk

well then it's not for you.

myron

z51

themonk

Hey, that's my first name.

455230

Reading these z51 threads shows me how much GM missed the boat by not putting in a speed limiter of 170 mph and then charging $695 for the speed limiter removal.....

Im sure this would have been a must have option around here, because you never know when you would use it....

romaja

Well thought out response. I agree that some dont buy it because of the price. Also, some wanted to drop the constraint so they opted out of the Z51.
I will purchase a 2015. It will be my first Corvette. I plan on touring and maybe some HPDE in the future so the Z51+Mag ride+NPP will be my choice. This will be my retirement present so I want to do it right. The extra 8% in cost won't break the bank either.

From what a lot of C6 owners have indicated, they have enjoyed their mag ride option a great deal .

The great thing is we all have a choice. " Their are many roads to Dublin"

ZL-1

Well that's an interesting way of looking at it ... but after the Z06 appears 4 weeks from now we'll ALL be feeling a bit inadequate, Z51 or not

themonk

let's revisit this thread after the first Z06 gets delivered then all the haters out there can tell the Z06 owners just how much of a waste of money their cars are.

thedofuss

of course, the Z51 package is defined, and you presumably know all which it includes, as well as what you really get. im still waiting for my car, which is a Z51, so cant respond first hand to what performance difference it makes, but others can. i can add that the wheels are different on the Z51, which i presume you noticed, and imo, significantly better than the base series 1lt-3lt. but thats purely personal choice. i believe that others have or will comment on this, but want to reinforce resale value. if you are looking to sell your car at some point, and do not have the Z51 package, you will reduce available number of prospects, obviously. clearly, impossible for anyone to accurately quantify at this point.

in summary, i went with the Z51 package because it was the only way i could get the wheels i wanted, and was told (incorrectly, it turns out) by my dealer that i could not purchase the wheels from GM, which was, of course, my other option. it appears that the package is mostly to enhance the overall speed and performance of the vehicle, e.g., the wheels are larger on the front and back, enabling the vehicle to take turns more quickly and with less sliding. my guess is that the average driver, who is buying this car for the appearance and basic performance, would be very happy without the Z51 package, and others have posted that opinion, being far more knowledgeable than myself.

surely, i could not personally ascertain the difference in acceleration, e.g., between the 2, although perhaps the ride would feel different, as that has been referenced. if you want the best racing car, and perhaps expand your resale base, buy the Z. otherwise go with the base--again assuming the tires arent an issue. [NOTE: as of this writing you could probably get the C7 of your choice tomorrow. if you want the Z51 package, the wait period is likely a minimum of 2-3 months, but no one with that knowledge is talking.] i know, ridiculous response, and too long.

rstrait

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that at this time there is a $2000 discount on the base, none on the Z51. So the cost difference is obviously 2K more.

Atticus Alan

I'll be interested in the ZO6 revisitation.

I haven't heard too much about differences in the fuel mileage for the Z51 vs. base, but I imagine the functional vents and cooling of the Z51 would adversely impact the mileage. In addition, the dry sump oil system likely requires more oil than the base version. I know many Corvette owners don't care about such considerations, but some do. Anyway, just a few more variables for your consideration.

hiperfman

I remember hearing one of the corvette race drivers Tommy Milner describe the Z51 as being just like the ZO6. He said the Z51 was close to or equal to the Z06.

Are you serious ???

stingray238

I checked onstar I've gotten 19 mpg in 1600 miles. I actually get a kick out of starting it up in track mode at the gas station....I'm guessing I'm not a good model of fuel economy.... but I'm having a he'll of a time!

thedofuss

so are you suggesting that regardless of where or who your dealer is, they will automatically discount your non-z51 vehicle by $2,000? with all due respect--your statement lacks a fundamental element of credibility.

Woodson

How much longer does the oil take to get up to temp in the Z51? I will be doing a lot of short(ish) drives because my commute is only 20 minutes.

FrankTank

I'd be curious to know this too, being a former owner of an earlier C6 Z06, that was one of my pet peeves, the oil cooling was so good that in fall months and even spring if the temp was below like 60 outside my oil would not get above 150 and it took forever to get up around 170 or so. That part of the car is really designed for the track, and at least in the later model C6Z06 they changed the oil cooler to be driven by the engine coolant vs air and that helped some.

craig04c5

This is an excellent question and one that applies to me as well since my commute is also 15-20 minutes of mostly rural non stop and go traffic. I really never gave the extra oil and cooling a thought. The more I think about it the more convinced I am that a non-Z51 is for me. If only we could get the Z51 style wheels.

Larry/car

The dry sump oil system is the primary reason I did not go with the Z51 package. The longer warm up time prohibits short trips and necessitates more frequent oil changes, due to moisture (condensation). Will not miss the Z51 spoiler and I like the silver base wheels (had the polished aluminum on C6). Miss magnetic ride, hopefully not?

03SGVETTE

Not a quick reply but hopefully a helpful one, I am picking up my non-z51 tomorrow. Here are some of the excerpts I saved from other threads here that helped me to clearly conclude that I do not need the z51 - I preferred I put my hard earned cash into the 3lt interior option.

Originally Posted by talon90
It was a difficult decision for me. Honestly, primarily budgetary. For me, if I got the Z51 it would have had to have been with the magnetic ride. That bumped an otherwise value package up to a slight discomfort for me.

The way I use the car, I needed to be realistic in what I "needed" vs. what I "wanted". This car (as all my Corvettes are) is a touring car first and foremost. My wife and I like to travel and we will take this on long road trips. I needed the convenience features of the 2LT. My wife will also drive this car from time to time while I'm away on business and I wanted a car that was easy for her to deal with. I track my car once, maybe twice in a year. I drive my car a lot. I went with the package that cost less and made sense for my driving habits. We'll see what happens in the end but I'm perfectly content with my decision. I figured that I might miss the Z51 for the day that I get to be on a track but I was sure I'd miss the other comfort and features the other 364 days of the year.
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The reasons I'm going non-Z51:

1) Weight. The extra 150 lbs of the upgraded components (I'm including the 2LT interior as part of the weight increase over the base car) go against my purposes of a performance vehicle. I'll be reducing weight in any area I can upon receiving the car.

2) Handling. I'm coming from a 2007 Mustang. The base StingRay is 2 levels above my car in the handling department, at least. I'm already getting a massive upgrade in chassis rigidity, handling and ride characteristics I desire out of a performance car. There will be nothing left to be desired for me.

3) Price. I'll be needing to avoid extras for the specific reason that Callaway will supercharge the car under factory warranty without paying for their entire Callaway package, and the extra power from the supercharger is much more valuable to me than the 1.1 lateral g performance of the Z51 and MSRC. My Mustang makes 480whp. I use the power often. I won't go backwards in the power category. I want to be at 600+ bhp and 3100 lbs. Slicks would put the car in the 10 second range down the strip. I live my life 1/4 mile at a time, lololol.

The only thing I will miss is the increased braking performance. I use brakes aggressively. Guess I'll be doing a rotor upgrade on it.

4) I don't like the Z51 wheels. I'd pay for a 19/20 version of the base wheels over the Z51 style in a heart beat. I like the spoiler, but I like it better without.

My options are simple.

Base StingRay Torch Red, Black 1LT, yellow calipers, done.

If I were not getting the blower, it would be base, torch red, 3LT Kalahari, Carbon Fiber Dash (wish this was 1LT available), yellow calipers. Classic Ferrari colors. Damn I wish you could get full Kalahari in 1LT with the synthetic wrapped dash in that color. It looks SO damn good!!

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snaked, take a look at the following link provided by john R regarding magnetic shock costs, it will.... shock you

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-replaced.html

kenmont, I know how you feel, but there are many reasons why one would not get the z51, such as according to base car owners, even those that race, it is not needed for the street at all. Costs to repair mag shocks are ridiculous, you go through tires faster, initial cost is much higher (5K with mag shocks), delivery is much worse, greater possibility of wheel damage in potholes, oil takes too long to heat up in the Z51, etc etc. The Z51 is not for everyone.
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3 weeks and 1300 miles on my base 7 speed and I agree completely. I went with base because this is a daily driver that must cope with bad roads. I want that extra rubber between my rims and the potholes. Last week I discovered that Track is the perfect mode to drive a base car in unless you're on the highway (link the tach to Sport if you prefer); on the highway use Eco. Track gives a more aggressive throttle curve, makes it feel like a different car, more like an LS7 at anything less than full throttle.

The great part of dialing Track on the base car is that you still have that really smooth comfortable ride of the base C7 . Correct me if I'm wrong but I think when you dial a Z51 to Track you are also setting the shocks to their hardest setting? This would discourage using Track all the time.
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ZL-1, thanks so much for the additional non-Z51 input, every bit of information I am receiving is telling me that I did not make a mistake going base under my expected driving conditions, and it seems as if you feel the same way now having the car. If I may ask a question, does your car give a "boatlike" feeling when turning corners, or is it tight around the turns you would encounter on the street?
I can answer that! It goes around corners like it is on rails! No perceptible lean, just "digs in" and feels awesome!
Just so you know.........I have driven Fiat X 1/9's, Formula Ford, Sports 2000, A Modified in SCCA National competition and won five National titles. When I drive my new C7, it feels like I am driving my little X 1/9 with the power of the A Modified car! The C7 will exceed your expectations!
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I should mention that my most recent corvettes were a C6 Z51 and a C6 Z06 upgraded to 19/20 PS2's. I'm familiar with good-handling corvettes with very little lean. The amazing thing about the base suspension is that you no longer have that hip-hop on worn interstates yet no floatiness either. A real nicely balanced ride. I was prepared for more lean but really don't notice any. It does feel tight around turns in street driving
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Just to bring things into perspective after the last few posts I should mention that everybody's needs are different. Guys who track their car will definitely want Z51. And its a real cool option for guys who don't put on a lot of miles too, fantastic handling and all the heavy duty stuff. A great value , hard to resist. But those of us who drive more miles, and off warranty, are more likely to appreciate the lower maintenance and tire costs of a non-Z51, which is still a very good handling car.

The marketing department was wise to make all the press cars Z51/MRC and to promote Z51 in the beginning. This ensured that the C7 earned a reputation for outstanding track performance. Now that reputation can carry on to future C7s regardless of options .
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I keep reading these posts on Z51 vs non Z51 option. I had ordered the Z51 and after two months of waiting I changed my order to a non Z51. I was very concerned and ordering the Z51 because of what all of the forums say. Now after receiving my car without the Z51 option Im really happy that I made the right decision. The car drives like a true sports car but also drives like a car that can be driven every day. I would have ordered the Z51 if there was no constraint, as I thought it would be a safer bet. Knowing what I know now, thankfully the non Z51 is such a great car I made the right decision based on my real experience for me. And if you are racing and if you really need that .4 sec of a difference you should make that decision. Take a look at the base vetts at the 1/4 mile now getting down into the 9's. Most if not all are not Z51.