3000 Mile Review and Observations (Includes Comp. Seats)
01-11-2014, 08:00 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
3000 Mile Review and Observations (Includes Comp. Seats)
I wanted to give this forum my impressions and observations after about three weeks and 3,000 miles of Stringray ownership. I will try to avoid the obvious and instead focus on things I have not seen in other articles or threads. So far my driving experience includes about 2,500 miles of Interstate driving, 200 miles of back road pleasure driving, and 300 miles of commuting in traffic. I have not yet had the pleasure of driving the C7 on a closed course or racetrack.
The car:
Laguna Blue/Brownstone, 3LT, Z51, Exposed CF Roof
MN7
NPP Dual Mode Exhaust
Magnetic Selective Ride
Red Calipers
Black Wheels
Black Mirrors and Spoiler
Competition Seats
FAY
Micro Fiber Upper Interior
R8C Museum Delivery
Overall Fit and Finish:
The fit is very good on my car, gaps are even and alignment inside and out is good.
Body smoothness and paint is OK given the constraints of plastic panels and robot applied water-borne paint, with no post-application correction (color sanding, buffing, etc.). I don’t see any runs or obvious problems, but this is an area we all know GM could improve. Is it good enough? Yes. Would I pay $10,000-$15,000 more for better paint? No. I will likely massage the paint with some very fine compound and apply a quality clear coat gloss enhancer. I will not have the car color sanded since I don’t think there is enough clear coat to allow for it.
The interior is excellent. I upgraded to the 3LT for the Brownstone and I am very glad I did. I was recently on a local drive tour with a large group of Porsches and got a close-up look at some GT3 (Comp Style) and GT Turbo (Luxury Style) cars. But for the plastic on the door sills, the Corvette interior was every bit a match to the Porsches.
Cleaning is a lot more work that either my C5 or C6. The C7 is full of nooks and crannies that take more time to keep clean. This is the price we pay for all those vents and accents.
Competition Seats:
There has been a lot of discussion and debate over the Competition Seats here over the last several months. I took a chance and ordered them without a chance to sit in any ahead of time. Both my wife and I are larger than average (I am 6’1” - currently 275 lbs. – 44” waist – 50” jacket) and I was a bit apprehensive given reports of how uncomfortable they were and how they should only be ordered for a Track car. Let me say I have NO REGRETS on the Comp. Seats, and I would order them again. I will honestly state what I think the pros and cons are of the seats.
Pros are the additional support and the look. Several people have asked me if they are custom or after-market. When I went on the News Year Drive with the Porsches I locked in the shoulder harness and the seat really held me in place. The feeling, while not as confined as my race car seat and 6-point harness, allowed me to feel what the car was doing through my butt and back. This is very important for high performance driving. The long term support and comfort is also very good. We drove three 750 mile days from BG to SoCal and back-leg comfort was never a problem. My wife agreed.
Cons are the perceived initial comfort. When I first sit in the seat it does feel like it is pinching my back and outer-upper thighs. However, once I get used to it the seats are just fine. I am working to get myself back in shape and I am sure once I drop some inches even this will no longer be an issue.
Bottom line these seats are not for everyone. If you plan on high performance driving and like the looks of the Comp. seats go for them, but be aware they are no fluffy easy chair. A good analogy is a mesh ergo office chair. It doesn’t feel as good as the overstuffed easy chair when you first sit down, but your back will feel a lot better after siting in it for hours. If possible you should try to sit in the Comp. seats before you buy, especially if you are larger than a 36” waist and a 40” jacket.
Power:
Full throttle power does not seem much different from my 436HP NPP A6 2008. I was not expecting a difference I could feel given the C7 only has 24 more HP. This is not a disappointment, merely an observation. I will leave it to the drag racers to determine the HP advantage of a stock LT1 over a stock LS3. For real world driving there is a huge difference in torque below 3500 RPM. On a canyon drive I had no need to shift as long as the RPM was above 2500. The LS3 needs to be above 4000 RPM to pull hard.
Driving dynamics/mechanics:
The C7 is much easier to drive fast in the twistiness than my C6. I bought the C6 Vert as a touring car and never planned to track it, but I was always a little disappointed in the driving experience in the canyons. The 2008 was possible to drive fast, it just seemed to take too much effort and had a bad tendency to push (tight in NASCAR, or understeer in techie). The C7 reminds me of my 1999 C5 when I had the full Pfadt Coilover suspension really dialed in. Admittedly I have not yet pushed the C7 near its limit, but so far I find it very easy to drive fast around corners. I have been driving NASCAR based live axle race cars for the last few years and sort of forgotten how to drive a high-tech road car around a corner so I will be attending a Spring Mountain -- Ron Fellows Level 2 school in February to re-learn how to drive a Corvette.
The car is also very low fatigue to drive long distances on the interstate. I have always considered Corvette to be the best cars to drive for long hours, not because they are quiet or plush, but because it takes very little effort to keep the car pointed straight down the road.
The ride in Touring (T,E, & W mode) is noticeably smoother than Sport (S) or Track (Tr). I am glad I got the mag ride. My 2008 has it and the C7 seems to be an evolutionary improvement. The ride is however always sports car like, and never as smooth as a luxury car or even a sports sedan. Again like the seats you should try both the Z51 and the base for your ride preference if you do not plan to track the car.
On any pavement rougher than smooth new asphalt, the tires make a lot of noise. I expect this with the width, tread and compound of the Michelins. Just don’t expect this car to be quiet at speed on grooved or rough concrete pavement.
Shifting takes a little getting used to. The seven speed has four vertical gates and it takes some finesse to go from 4-5, 7-6, or 6-5 without skipping 4-7, 7-4, or 6-3. No big deal, just takes some practice and getting used to. As for the CAGS forced 1-4 shift I barely notice it. I think it may have happened a total of 10 times or less in 3000 miles.
The steering is fantastic. No play at all and the smoothness I love about electric assist.
Brakes are not broken in yet. I have not pushed them to the limit so nothing to report here.
Electronics/Infotainment/Etc.
All of the gadgets take some getting used to. I tend to learn what I need as I need it rather than try to learn it all at once. Phone paring and Bluetooth implementation is the best of any car I have used. All of the phone features including phonebook and voicemail work great. Pandora works great with my HTC One android phone (has Beats Audio processing).
I have only used the media player a bit with a USB drive full of music. Seem to work fine.
The 3LT Bose sound system is fine for me, I used to be a semi-pro sound engineer and DJ, so I know how a good system should work and sound, but my high frequency hearing loss makes it impossible for me to be an honest critic of audio quality. I do notice the difference between radio (FM or SIRUSXM) and high bit-rate MP3 or Pandora (I subscribe to Pandora One so I get a high bit-rate). The XM especially sounds thin and tinny compared to a good MP3 or my Pandora. I have tried both the Centerpoint and Normal sound stage settings and they both work depending on the program type. For voice and vocal music Centerpoint works better, while for jazz or instrumental music I like the Normal setting.
Seat memory and exit assist took some getting used to. If you have a C6 or other older GM vehicle with memory recall you will need to get used to it also. The C7 does not have 2 unique key-fobs like earlier years. Both fobs are the same so if you program “Auto Recall” it will always recall the same one regardless of the fob used. Apparently the A6 will let you choose between recall at door open or recall at engine start. The M7 does not have this choice, if you program auto recall it will always be at door open. I suspect GM did this because you have to fully depress the clutch to start the M7 and shorter drivers would not be able to do this from the full back easy exit position. For me the easy exit is useless unless it stays back for easy entry so I leave the auto recall off and just push the button when I get in the car.
Summary:
The car is great and I am very happy with it and the options I selected. I am fortunate enough to have an electric daily driver, but I would have no problem driving the C7 every day if I had to. I look forward to testing the limits at the track and many long road trips to come.
The car:
Laguna Blue/Brownstone, 3LT, Z51, Exposed CF Roof
MN7
NPP Dual Mode Exhaust
Magnetic Selective Ride
Red Calipers
Black Wheels
Black Mirrors and Spoiler
Competition Seats
FAY
Micro Fiber Upper Interior
R8C Museum Delivery
Overall Fit and Finish:
The fit is very good on my car, gaps are even and alignment inside and out is good.
Body smoothness and paint is OK given the constraints of plastic panels and robot applied water-borne paint, with no post-application correction (color sanding, buffing, etc.). I don’t see any runs or obvious problems, but this is an area we all know GM could improve. Is it good enough? Yes. Would I pay $10,000-$15,000 more for better paint? No. I will likely massage the paint with some very fine compound and apply a quality clear coat gloss enhancer. I will not have the car color sanded since I don’t think there is enough clear coat to allow for it.
The interior is excellent. I upgraded to the 3LT for the Brownstone and I am very glad I did. I was recently on a local drive tour with a large group of Porsches and got a close-up look at some GT3 (Comp Style) and GT Turbo (Luxury Style) cars. But for the plastic on the door sills, the Corvette interior was every bit a match to the Porsches.
Cleaning is a lot more work that either my C5 or C6. The C7 is full of nooks and crannies that take more time to keep clean. This is the price we pay for all those vents and accents.
Competition Seats:
There has been a lot of discussion and debate over the Competition Seats here over the last several months. I took a chance and ordered them without a chance to sit in any ahead of time. Both my wife and I are larger than average (I am 6’1” - currently 275 lbs. – 44” waist – 50” jacket) and I was a bit apprehensive given reports of how uncomfortable they were and how they should only be ordered for a Track car. Let me say I have NO REGRETS on the Comp. Seats, and I would order them again. I will honestly state what I think the pros and cons are of the seats.
Pros are the additional support and the look. Several people have asked me if they are custom or after-market. When I went on the News Year Drive with the Porsches I locked in the shoulder harness and the seat really held me in place. The feeling, while not as confined as my race car seat and 6-point harness, allowed me to feel what the car was doing through my butt and back. This is very important for high performance driving. The long term support and comfort is also very good. We drove three 750 mile days from BG to SoCal and back-leg comfort was never a problem. My wife agreed.
Cons are the perceived initial comfort. When I first sit in the seat it does feel like it is pinching my back and outer-upper thighs. However, once I get used to it the seats are just fine. I am working to get myself back in shape and I am sure once I drop some inches even this will no longer be an issue.
Bottom line these seats are not for everyone. If you plan on high performance driving and like the looks of the Comp. seats go for them, but be aware they are no fluffy easy chair. A good analogy is a mesh ergo office chair. It doesn’t feel as good as the overstuffed easy chair when you first sit down, but your back will feel a lot better after siting in it for hours. If possible you should try to sit in the Comp. seats before you buy, especially if you are larger than a 36” waist and a 40” jacket.
Power:
Full throttle power does not seem much different from my 436HP NPP A6 2008. I was not expecting a difference I could feel given the C7 only has 24 more HP. This is not a disappointment, merely an observation. I will leave it to the drag racers to determine the HP advantage of a stock LT1 over a stock LS3. For real world driving there is a huge difference in torque below 3500 RPM. On a canyon drive I had no need to shift as long as the RPM was above 2500. The LS3 needs to be above 4000 RPM to pull hard.
Driving dynamics/mechanics:
The C7 is much easier to drive fast in the twistiness than my C6. I bought the C6 Vert as a touring car and never planned to track it, but I was always a little disappointed in the driving experience in the canyons. The 2008 was possible to drive fast, it just seemed to take too much effort and had a bad tendency to push (tight in NASCAR, or understeer in techie). The C7 reminds me of my 1999 C5 when I had the full Pfadt Coilover suspension really dialed in. Admittedly I have not yet pushed the C7 near its limit, but so far I find it very easy to drive fast around corners. I have been driving NASCAR based live axle race cars for the last few years and sort of forgotten how to drive a high-tech road car around a corner so I will be attending a Spring Mountain -- Ron Fellows Level 2 school in February to re-learn how to drive a Corvette.
The car is also very low fatigue to drive long distances on the interstate. I have always considered Corvette to be the best cars to drive for long hours, not because they are quiet or plush, but because it takes very little effort to keep the car pointed straight down the road. The ride in Touring (T,E, & W mode) is noticeably smoother than Sport (S) or Track (Tr). I am glad I got the mag ride. My 2008 has it and the C7 seems to be an evolutionary improvement. The ride is however always sports car like, and never as smooth as a luxury car or even a sports sedan. Again like the seats you should try both the Z51 and the base for your ride preference if you do not plan to track the car.
On any pavement rougher than smooth new asphalt, the tires make a lot of noise. I expect this with the width, tread and compound of the Michelins. Just don’t expect this car to be quiet at speed on grooved or rough concrete pavement.
Shifting takes a little getting used to. The seven speed has four vertical gates and it takes some finesse to go from 4-5, 7-6, or 6-5 without skipping 4-7, 7-4, or 6-3. No big deal, just takes some practice and getting used to. As for the CAGS forced 1-4 shift I barely notice it. I think it may have happened a total of 10 times or less in 3000 miles.
The steering is fantastic. No play at all and the smoothness I love about electric assist.
Brakes are not broken in yet. I have not pushed them to the limit so nothing to report here.
Electronics/Infotainment/Etc.
All of the gadgets take some getting used to. I tend to learn what I need as I need it rather than try to learn it all at once. Phone paring and Bluetooth implementation is the best of any car I have used. All of the phone features including phonebook and voicemail work great. Pandora works great with my HTC One android phone (has Beats Audio processing).
I have only used the media player a bit with a USB drive full of music. Seem to work fine.
The 3LT Bose sound system is fine for me, I used to be a semi-pro sound engineer and DJ, so I know how a good system should work and sound, but my high frequency hearing loss makes it impossible for me to be an honest critic of audio quality. I do notice the difference between radio (FM or SIRUSXM) and high bit-rate MP3 or Pandora (I subscribe to Pandora One so I get a high bit-rate). The XM especially sounds thin and tinny compared to a good MP3 or my Pandora. I have tried both the Centerpoint and Normal sound stage settings and they both work depending on the program type. For voice and vocal music Centerpoint works better, while for jazz or instrumental music I like the Normal setting.
Seat memory and exit assist took some getting used to. If you have a C6 or other older GM vehicle with memory recall you will need to get used to it also. The C7 does not have 2 unique key-fobs like earlier years. Both fobs are the same so if you program “Auto Recall” it will always recall the same one regardless of the fob used. Apparently the A6 will let you choose between recall at door open or recall at engine start. The M7 does not have this choice, if you program auto recall it will always be at door open. I suspect GM did this because you have to fully depress the clutch to start the M7 and shorter drivers would not be able to do this from the full back easy exit position. For me the easy exit is useless unless it stays back for easy entry so I leave the auto recall off and just push the button when I get in the car.
Summary:
The car is great and I am very happy with it and the options I selected. I am fortunate enough to have an electric daily driver, but I would have no problem driving the C7 every day if I had to. I look forward to testing the limits at the track and many long road trips to come.
01-11-2014, 08:38 PM
#2
Advanced
"The C7 does not have 2 unique key-fobs like earlier years. Both fobs are the same so if you program “Auto Recall” it will always recall the same one regardless of the fob used. Apparently the A6 will let you choose between recall at door open or recall at engine start. The M7 does not have this choice, if you program auto recall it will always be at door open".
FWIW, my car is an M7 and the key fobs are numbered #1 and #2. I'm not sure of the significance of this and whether they are capable of recalling settings for two different drivers. I haven't had the car all that long and I'm the only driver. Also in the infotainment settings it's possible to choose between recall at door open or at ignition on.
Ray
FWIW, my car is an M7 and the key fobs are numbered #1 and #2. I'm not sure of the significance of this and whether they are capable of recalling settings for two different drivers. I haven't had the car all that long and I'm the only driver. Also in the infotainment settings it's possible to choose between recall at door open or at ignition on.
Ray
01-11-2014, 09:20 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
"The C7 does not have 2 unique key-fobs like earlier years. Both fobs are the same so if you program “Auto Recall” it will always recall the same one regardless of the fob used. Apparently the A6 will let you choose between recall at door open or recall at engine start. The M7 does not have this choice, if you program auto recall it will always be at door open".
FWIW, my car is an M7 and the key fobs are numbered #1 and #2. I'm not sure of the significance of this and whether they are capable of recalling settings for two different drivers. I haven't had the car all that long and I'm the only driver. Also in the infotainment settings it's possible to choose between recall at door open or at ignition on.
Ray
FWIW, my car is an M7 and the key fobs are numbered #1 and #2. I'm not sure of the significance of this and whether they are capable of recalling settings for two different drivers. I haven't had the car all that long and I'm the only driver. Also in the infotainment settings it's possible to choose between recall at door open or at ignition on.
Ray
From the current 2014 Corvette Manual PDF on the chevrolet.com website, page 5-44:
Link to Manual
Auto Memory Recall
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off.
Select Off, On - Driver Door Open,
or On - At Ignition On (Automatic
Transmission only).
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off.
Select Off, On - Driver Door Open,
or On - At Ignition On (Automatic
Transmission only).
01-11-2014, 09:23 PM
#4
Racer
Member Since: Oct 2013
Location: Snohomish WA
Posts: 357
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With my A6, one fob links to memory 1 and the other one to 2. I have both set to recall on ignition on. Fob 1 recalls my settings and fob 2, my wife's.
If I unlock the door with my fob, my seat, side mirrors, and steering wheel automatically adjust to my settings at ignition on. My wife's fob does the same thing for her.
If I unlock the door with my fob, my seat, side mirrors, and steering wheel automatically adjust to my settings at ignition on. My wife's fob does the same thing for her.
01-11-2014, 09:25 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
With my A6, one fob links to memory 1 and the other one to 2. I have both set to recall on ignition on. Fob 1 recalls my settings and fob 2, my wife's.
If I unlock the door with my fob, my seat, side mirrors, and steering wheel automatically adjust to my settings at ignition on. My wife's fob does the same thing for her.
If I unlock the door with my fob, my seat, side mirrors, and steering wheel automatically adjust to my settings at ignition on. My wife's fob does the same thing for her.
01-11-2014, 09:39 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
The interior combination is very handsome.
I really liked the remark about the huge (your words) increase in useable torque. That kind of torque is what you can use day in and day out w/o getting flashing lights in your rear view mirror! Don
I really liked the remark about the huge (your words) increase in useable torque. That kind of torque is what you can use day in and day out w/o getting flashing lights in your rear view mirror!
Don
01-11-2014, 09:43 PM
#8
Well written and informative review. I like it.
I get nervous about the clear coat on new vehicles; but another C7 owner on here had their's wet sanded without a problem.
.
Even if true, I would delete that part.
Also, I'm surprised you were able to park those cars sticking out on the road without any hassle. Where was that?
I will not have the car color sanded since I don’t think there is enough clear coat to allow for it.
Both my wife and I are larger than average
Even if true, I would delete that part.
Also, I'm surprised you were able to park those cars sticking out on the road without any hassle. Where was that?
01-11-2014, 09:44 PM
#9
Safety Car
Hey adamsocb,
Great C7 write-up! Nice to read some impressions about the competition seats from an owner who actually has them! Thanks for taking the time to report your impressions.
Congrats on your C7. Many happy miles to you.
Great C7 write-up! Nice to read some impressions about the competition seats from an owner who actually has them! Thanks for taking the time to report your impressions.
Congrats on your C7. Many happy miles to you.
01-11-2014, 09:55 PM
#10
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
New Years Day morning, there was no traffic and we were only there for a few minutes. The CHP was lurking just up the road to keep us honest and we decided not to linger. Around 100 cars total, mostly Porsches, a couple of C6 Z06s, and just one other C7.
Very well done
