Greenkirby21

Hey guys! This is my first post, but I have been a long time lurker on here! I hope all of my questions will be new, since I searched a lot!

I hope to be ordering a new C7 very soon! Hopefully the following:
C7 1LT Laguna Blue 7MT and NPP.

If you want to see the actual questions, please skip the ----- section.

Thanks so much for your help, I can't wait to join the family!

------------Background--------------
Many of my questions will probably be very dumb. Here is some background info. My family has always been a euro car family. My first car was a 2006 mini cooper, followed by a 2008 VW Rabbit, and finally followed by my 2009 BMW 128i. The 128i has been the best DD ever IMO - hence why I kept it for 5 years. It is light weight (3200 lbs), great inline 6 engine (230 hp), seats 4 real people (unlike the BRZ which seats only children in the back) and classic BMW 50/50 weight distribution and amazing steering feel. I love it because while it was down on power compared to sports car, the 0-60 was ~5.8-5.9 seconds, and I could floor it through gears 1-3 without getting into legal problems! As some say, its more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow!

However, I am a car guy, and so it is time for an upgrade! There are too many awesome cars to not enjoy them all!

My budget is really 45k-50k. The current cars I was considering were the BMW M235i, CLA45 AMG, and the 981 Cayman. Ultimately, I chose the M235i because it was the best all around. The cayman, while an awesome drive, lacks straight speed acceleration for the price (and lack of options!). The CLA45 AMG I never got to drive, but I didn't like the 4 cylinder engine sound (the exhaust is awesome), and the fact it had no manual was a no no for me. I ended up ordering a Estroil Blue M235i with the Limited slip differential for 47k. 322 hp, 6 speed manual, adaptive ride,seats 4, 4 year maintenance and ~3K left for mods!
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A few months ago, I was on my corporate discount website, when I noticed my company is part of the GM supplier discount!! This totally changed everything, because the C7 was finally in my price range!

I'm going to be honest, I was never a chevy or American car guy. I am relatively young (mid 20's), but the mustang/camaro to me were always drag cars - very fast HP for price, but they are overweight, and lacked refinement and feel. I test drove a base V6 mustang in 2008 and that car just felt like a boat and was not good at all! Again, I'm not trying to hate, this is just my opinion and I couldn't connect with these type of cars. I have similar reasons for the 370z and WRX/EVO, those cars look too boy ricer IMO.

The C7 is on a completely different level, and all I can say to Chevrolet is congratulations!! The car is a looker both inside and out, and I am really hooked. It looks very muscular while at the same time being exotic. The interior is also a big plus, there are 0 complaints from me, and I can be picky!!

So now that I know a C7 is within my budget, I have cancelled my M235i order. I don't really need 4 seats at the moment, but the C7 will be my daily driver (about 30 miles highway each day).

Questions:

I know many of these questions may seem obvious, but with the car being so rare right now, I haven't been able to test drive it, so I have those jitters of ordering/buying a car without driving it first. All the reviews seem to be raving about it, so I highly doubt it will be a situation where I order the car, and don't like it!

1) This is my first V8, so please excuse if this is a silly question. Why does the Chevy V8 seem to act like a turbo? I was looking at a dyno, and the V8 doesn't rev too high, and loses steam on top. Of course, it makes gobs of torque down low.. but when I looked at the dyno.. it looked similar to the one of the M235i, which is a turbo 6. I know the e90 M3 V8 revved to like 8k RPM, and had more NA characteristics (more revs = more HP), but it did suffer from now torque.

2) Why do the dyno numbers I have seen for the C7 seem a bit low? I know as of recent, BMW has been advertising their HP as wheel HP. The M235i on a dyno gets 320 hp, which is what BMW claims as their HP. I saw some C7 dyno's, and they were around 400 hp, or around 60 hp less than what the C7 is. I know dyno's are apples to oranges comparisons... but...

3) Here is my main dilemma. Since my budget is 50k, I can get a base 1LT C7 or spend 3k on mods for my M235i. I could easily get a tune for 400 hp. I know the BMW is a sport coupe, while the C7 is an actual sports car, but I am worried the base C7 might be bad since it doesn't have the Z51 package? I know the C7 can be tuned as well, but I won't be able to due to budget concerns.

4) How's the drive? This is a silly question for sure, but I haven't been able to drive a C7 at all, let alone a 1LT. From what I have read on the forums, the base C7 can be floaty? My dealership, which has accepted my supplier discount, only has a 80k Z51 3LT C7 that is some sort of launch edition model, as it said 1/something (300) on the plaque. The dealer isn't allowing any test drives of it.. but they did let me sit in the car, and rev it.

5) Does anyone have performance numbers for 1LT non Z51? All the reviews I see with performance figures have a Z51.

6) Is the NPP worth it, or should I get aftermarket? I know this has been beaten to death, but it looks like aftermarket exhausts are expensive on the C7. The NPP is a ~1000 option, and I heard it at the dealership. It sounded great, but I wish it was a bit louder and popped more. I had the car in track mode. However, I think for the price, it is hard to beat. I saw a corsa exhaust I liked for the C7.. but the price was about 2k and it wasn't a full exhaust. I am planning on getting the NPP and maybe in the future I can do an X pipe change or something? What kind of exhaust is the NPP? Is it full exhaust, cat back, or axel back?

7) How are the touring seats? My current 128i has sports seats with adjustable everything, and they are fantastic! The C7 in my dealership only had the competition seats... which while AMAZING, they are out of my budget : (. From pictures I have seen online, the C7 touring seats seem to be lacking butt bolsters.. it seems to be almost flat. I think the competition seats have the same bottom part, and those felt flat too.

8) On the 1LT non z51, are the side bolsters adjustable at all? I know the 2LT/3LT come with electric adjustable bolsters.. but does the 1LT have manual side bolsters or something? TO give reference, I am 6 ft 1 150 lbs, so very on the thin side!

9) How is the steering? My biggest complaint of the M235i I test drove is that the electric steering felt HORRRIBLE. The actual turn in, and short ratio was awesome, and it was weighted nicely, but there was no FEEL at all. I think I am too spoiled with my current mechanical steering.

The only "good" electric steering I have seen is on the 981 cayman I test drove. How does the C7 compare to it?

10) How are the stock brakes? Are they more linear, or do they have a strong initial bite. I saw on motor trend that the M235i braked in 103 ft, which was the same as the Z51. How does the 1LT compare since it has smaller brakes?

11) Since this is my first Chevrolet, how are they in terms of reliability and maintenance. I know the first 2 year are free, but are corvettes expensive to maintain? Since I drive ~10k miles a year, in 5 years I should have about 50k before I will probably hop into another car.

12) I am thinking on waiting on 2015 model since they are so close, and I am not in a major rush to get the car. However, I am pretty mad that the price increase occurred in march!! If not, I would probably be getting a Z51 1LT right now : (. I'm ok with a small increase, but not 2k or more!

Thanks so much for your help! Sorry for so many questions!!

My dealership right now is only accepting GM supplier discount on non Z51 cars, but I will asks again to make sure. I really like the Z51 option, but at 4k more, its over my budget : (.

6spdg37s

I went to a m3 and back to another 2 vettes...

My car is being built this week so I can't speak on driving the c7 yet.

all my previous vettes made power thru the whole band.

air86

Question 3. A C6 Base 1LT starts at 53 and from what others have said here will be going up for MY15 as well. Also the maint. on this car can be rediculous and you will probably be getting new brakes fairly quickly within 3 yrs or so. So a budget of 50 grand unless i am reading wrong may not be enough unless you plan o putting 50 grand down then i retract this answer.

Question 2. I have seen people post stock c7 dynoing at 420 some of them. But rule of thumb is supposedly 10-15% loss from the crank to the wheels.

Quesiton 6: NPP is totally worth it. I wasn't going to get it at first but man would have i regretted not getting it. I love the sound and when im at a light and someone pulls up with their window down i go from tour to sport and watch the person in that car look. brings a smile

Sorry i couldnt' answer some of your questions

Question 9; The steering is nice imo. I am not a critic but i like the stiffness in sport and the looseness in tour and eco.

creeves84

That's a heck of a lot of questions- I really didn't consider myself a Corvette person till I ordered a C7 for my wife's birthday. I have to say it is the best well rounded cars I own. I have a group of cars from a Ferrari, Porsche, Shelby CSX (aka Cobra) and a BMW along with some other stupid cars. I find myself grabbing the keys to her Corvette before any others in the garage.

On the power, a V-8 is nothing like a turbo- lots of low end torque. Plenty of power with the "base" engine (non-Z-51). Power is a funny thing- the C-7 is a powerful car but not as powerful than others I have but this is drivable power. On the numbers-the car is faster than the average driver can handle- it will blow past most cars if you can extract the power out of the car properly. I say that as many, including myself are still learning to drive the C7 and the power band that it has to affectively put the power to use. Its as fast, if not faster than my Ferrari and 911. Unless you want an auto I wouldn't wait for the 2015- if you find one that fits the budget and options desired buy it. Looks like a 7 manual is what you will be looking for so buy and drive it this year.

I didn't order the NPP and I couldn't offer advice even if I did it is really what you think if it sounds good. If you don't like the sound you can always add later different system with little additional costs. The add if I recall is about 1K and you can get some aftermarket systems for about $1500 plus labor, or you can change it out fairly easily.

Again I can't say what your thoughts of good are for the brakes and electric steering- I find them exceptional for a non Z-51 car. Better feeling that anyone other car I have at a 1/3 of the cost. The seats fit me well but I can't say you will like the support but I like them. They are comfortable and supportive for my needs.

Cost to own- much less than anything you are looking at (after the "free" periods of BMW). If you want an expensive car to maintain look for a Porsche. When I was looking for a car for my wife's birthday surprise it was going to be a new 911, but after I saw and drove the C7 its a better car! Price dependent or not- is it a perfect car-NO but I have yet to find one, this is close and much closer than anything else I have currently.

I'm not a showy guy but I took her car to get a hair cut and to the mall and no less than 5 people approached me and some took video of the car on the road.

Where are you located?- maybe a local forum member can offer assistance with a ride along in his or her C7. I'm not so blinded by the C7 that I only have a love affair for that car- prior when I wanted to take a quick drive I grabbed the BMW in the past as my "favorite".

Greenkirby21

Thanks for your response! Sorry I wasn't clear, the max I want to spend on the car itself is ~50k. I know I need to have set aside for maintenance and repairs.

For example, an oil change on my 128i out of warranty was 130 dollars. Is that about the same for the corvette? I know my brother had an SLK55 AMG mercedes, and when he had to replace the brakes at 50k it was $2,000. He ended up just trading in the car for something else.

air86

Well corvettes come with 24 month free oil changes i think its a total of 4 free changes. 130 dollars sounds right if you go to the stealership for your servicing.

Greenkirby21

Thanks for your input! This is pretty much what I was looking for! There is a reason why the C7 is getting such stellar reviews. When you can get a 55k car and compare it favorably against a 911, then you know something is right! I actually ordered my 128i before driving it, but I could at least test drive the 328i knowing I was getting a smaller, faster car with the same specs.

I don't think I have seen one bad review yet of the C7 - which has me excited! I hope, and think it will be as awesome as everyone claims it to be

Art-2008

I have a 1LT Z51 (also Laguna Blue), but the performance of the non-Z51 is VERY close. Chevrolet quotes 1.03 g for the Z51 & 1.0 g for the non-Z51. I don't have a non-Z51, but I doubt they "float".

Many who drag race the car recommend the base model(and 1LT) because it is the lightest version of the car.

The Z51 has an oil capacity of approx. 9 & 1/2 quarts, while the non-Z51 C7 has a conventional oil pan. I used to own a BMW M Roadster, it will cost you pennies to maintain your "Chevy" compared to any of the German brands.

The 1LT interior has no adjustable bolsters. But even the 1LT has a beautiful interior.

Based on your situation, I recommend the base C7 1LT with the dual mode exhaust. I really like the sound, it can be turned on & off, and it adds 5 HP & 5 LBS of torque.

I've been fortunate enough to own some nice cars before, but the 2014 C7 is the best car I've ever owned!

If possible, I recommend that you buy or order now. GM may be believing all of their good publicity and try to move the car "up market" with an "up market" price.

Also, since cost is a major concern, I assume that you are aware that Laguna Blue costs just under an extra $1,000. Other nice colors like Torch Red or Black are free.

Good Luck, try to find one that you can test drive, you will forget all of your concerns.......it's really that good!

creeves84

Just wait till you start comparing the options for personalizing your new car compared to other brands you mentioned. Save some money for the fun add-ons that is where you will see the biggest differences all in your favor.

You will love the performance of the C7 but you will love all the options for performance bolts on if you so desire.

Greenkirby21

Thanks! Do you have any pictures of your car? I think I will be going with the black interior, but the gray seems nice as well. I currently have beige/black in my car.

I really like the blue color, so totally worth the 900 IMO! I'm not a fan of black/white.. too generic for me. My current car is red, so I would like to get something else. Yellow is good too.. but I saw the blue during an auto show and I fell in love with it

Greenkirby21

Do you have any exhaust recommendations to look at? What type of exhaust is the NPP over the conventional stock exhaust? If I get the NPP, could I change it's sound by getting a different X pipe, for example? Where does the NPP take over the stock?

The thing I really like about the NPP is how "exotic" it sounds. It has a nice pop/explosion. The other ones I have seen on youtube are loud, but don't have that nice pop like in the following video:

Gadfly

Personally, I wouldn't buy one without the Z51 package and 2LT, you just loose too much of what the car is.

vincent_esq

I will try to answer most of your questions with my opinions, and they are only my own opinions below, following each questions in red:

1) This is my first V8, so please excuse if this is a silly question. Why does the Chevy V8 seem to act like a turbo? I was looking at a dyno, and the V8 doesn't rev too high, and loses steam on top. Of course, it makes gobs of torque down low.. but when I looked at the dyno.. it looked similar to the one of the M235i, which is a turbo 6. I know the e90 M3 V8 revved to like 8k RPM, and had more NA characteristics (more revs = more HP), but it did suffer from now torque.

I'm not familiar with dynos, but the C7 drives nothing like a turbo. You get power from around 1200rpm all the way up to 6k. You will feel the rush beginning around 2.5k to redline. I've had many cars including a C4, NSX, Viper SRT, S600, SL500, and this is the second fastest car. The viper was the fastest with the most torque, but mpg was in the low teens even when I babied it around the freeway. I can get 30-33mpg on the highway with the C7. Come to think of it, it has the best gas mpg of the bunch I've had.

2) Why do the dyno numbers I have seen for the C7 seem a bit low? I know as of recent, BMW has been advertising their HP as wheel HP. The M235i on a dyno gets 320 hp, which is what BMW claims as their HP. I saw some C7 dyno's, and they were around 400 hp, or around 60 hp less than what the C7 is. I know dyno's are apples to oranges comparisons... but...

Hmm...I don't know the answer to this. Are you sure BMW advertise their HP as rwhp?

3) Here is my main dilemma. Since my budget is 50k, I can get a base 1LT C7 or spend 3k on mods for my M235i. I could easily get a tune for 400 hp. I know the BMW is a sport coupe, while the C7 is an actual sports car, but I am worried the base C7 might be bad since it doesn't have the Z51 package? I know the C7 can be tuned as well, but I won't be able to due to budget concerns.

I have a base C7 non-z51, 1LT with NPP. Sounds like the car you are targeting.

4) How's the drive? This is a silly question for sure, but I haven't been able to drive a C7 at all, let alone a 1LT. From what I have read on the forums, the base C7 can be floaty? My dealership, which has accepted my supplier discount, only has a 80k Z51 3LT C7 that is some sort of launch edition model, as it said 1/something (300) on the plaque. The dealer isn't allowing any test drives of it.. but they did let me sit in the car, and rev it.

How's the drive....well, I have 7.5k on my C7 after owning since Dec. 2013 (5 months). On all of my other cars above, I averaged less than 6k/year. I usually have 3-4 cars in our garage. On my viper, which was most fun, but very tiring, I only drove 1k/year! I sold it because, I was not driving it. I still own 4 cars right now, and manage to get 7.5k miles on the C7. We even go to costco and Home Depot with the C7 instead of the lexus or the SUV.

Secondly, my wife never ever drive any of my sports cars, including the C4. I skipped the C5 and C6 because did not find them attractive to me. With this C7, we fight like little kids as to who turn it is to drive. Of the 7500 miles, she probably logged in about 3k miles! This is one fun and easy car to drive! Did I mention it was fun to drive?

5) Does anyone have performance numbers for 1LT non Z51? All the reviews I see with performance figures have a Z51.

My viper was the fastest car period. For the seat of the pants feel, if the Viper was a 10, I would say the C7 is 8.5. The S600 would be 7. The Nsx would be 2. The c4 would be 6. Those are not really numbers, but just my own experience comparing to my own cars of the past.

6) Is the NPP worth it, or should I get aftermarket? I know this has been beaten to death, but it looks like aftermarket exhausts are expensive on the C7. The NPP is a ~1000 option, and I heard it at the dealership. It sounded great, but I wish it was a bit louder and popped more. I had the car in track mode. However, I think for the price, it is hard to beat. I saw a corsa exhaust I liked for the C7.. but the price was about 2k and it wasn't a full exhaust. I am planning on getting the NPP and maybe in the future I can do an X pipe change or something? What kind of exhaust is the NPP? Is it full exhaust, cat back, or axel back?

I have NPP and I love that on the freeway on touring or eco mode, it's as quiet as my lexus. However, when you want it loud, it's not loud enough for me OR my wife. But then again, I am use to the viper, which was LOUD. Also, I think that the insulation in the C7 is spectacular. I was driving behind in my lexus while my son and wife was in the C7. He took off normally on track mode from a redlight, and it sounded GREAT. However, I know that from the inside, it does not sound loud enough for me.

7) How are the touring seats? My current 128i has sports seats with adjustable everything, and they are fantastic! The C7 in my dealership only had the competition seats... which while AMAZING, they are out of my budget : (. From pictures I have seen online, the C7 touring seats seem to be lacking butt bolsters.. it seems to be almost flat. I think the competition seats have the same bottom part, and those felt flat too.

I have no problem with the touring seats. I have taken about 5 trips which lasted more than 250 miles, and both my wife and I had no problems with the seats. I am much shorter than you, 5'5", but I am also slim (130lbs).

8) On the 1LT non z51, are the side bolsters adjustable at all? I know the 2LT/3LT come with electric adjustable bolsters.. but does the 1LT have manual side bolsters or something? TO give reference, I am 6 ft 1 150 lbs, so very on the thin side!

Non adjustable bolster. I kinda wish they were adjustable, but no biggie.

9) How is the steering? My biggest complaint of the M235i I test drove is that the electric steering felt HORRRIBLE. The actual turn in, and short ratio was awesome, and it was weighted nicely, but there was no FEEL at all. I think I am too spoiled with my current mechanical steering.

The only "good" electric steering I have seen is on the 981 cayman I test drove. How does the C7 compare to it?

I have no problem with the steering, but I never really noticed anything bad with any of my other cars....maybe I am ignorant in this area. However, the feel of the steering from in Touring and in Track is totally different. Touring is more like lexus. Track is very precise.

10) How are the stock brakes? Are they more linear, or do they have a strong initial bite. I saw on motor trend that the M235i braked in 103 ft, which was the same as the Z51. How does the 1LT compare since it has smaller brakes?

I have no problems with the brakes either, but I have nothing to compare to here. Comparing to my viper and previous cars, there is nothing significant to report, either positive or negative.

11) Since this is my first Chevrolet, how are they in terms of reliability and maintenance. I know the first 2 year are free, but are corvettes expensive to maintain? Since I drive ~10k miles a year, in 5 years I should have about 50k before I will probably hop into another car.

My most reliable cars were the C4 and the Viper and the Nsx. I drove the C4 for 5 years and logged about 35k miles, and the only thing that broke was the alternator. The NSX never broke down, but I only kept it for 4 years, and although it was very nice, it was too slow. As to my viper, I never even needed to see the dealer, but then I only put in 6k miles in the 6 years that I owned it. My mercedes......don't even go there. I have had an S500, S600, SL500. So if you are going from German cars, you will be VERY happy with the reliability and price of maintenance.

12) I am thinking on waiting on 2015 model since they are so close, and I am not in a major rush to get the car. However, I am pretty mad that the price increase occurred in march!! If not, I would probably be getting a Z51 1LT right now : (. I'm ok with a small increase, but not 2k or more!

Thanks so much for your help! Sorry for so many questions!!

My dealership right now is only accepting GM supplier discount on non Z51 cars, but I will asks again to make sure. I really like the Z51 option, but at 4k more, its over my budget : (.[/QUOTE]

cor28vettes

30 mile hwy DD should be perfect for the Vette except for the stock tires if you're up north in winter. The Vette will have plenty of torque and won't let you down at the top end if you like tickets. With your tight budget restraints be content to get into one w/o options. Expect further price increases along the way at '15 price announcement. Opt for extended GMPP w/member 'CeYaBye' just before the 3yr b to b expires. Anticipate lower maintenance costs than the foreign cars you mentioned. I do my own oil changes rather than the glorified $250 on wife's MB. Don't know your location but a forum dealer can have the car courtesy delivered to your local dealer. Issues will pop so row with the flow. Simply keep it under warranty. Go to a local Vette show and talk to C7 owner(s). Maybe you can get a ride or even a drive when the show is over.

To wrap this up, sounds like yours will be a blue pick too -
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=3467243
this for the wheel on a budget
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=3466924

GL

1KULC7

I have a BMW 335i and HP is to the flywheel not to the RW. 320 Hp is high, normally its around the 305 -308 area. Don't even know why or how you can begin to compare you 2 series to the Corvette. Two extremely different cars that are not even close to their specification or performance. Sorry by Corvette is way far more advanced, and I know BMWs well.

I use to own a Mini and several BMWs with electric steering, the worse was the Mini, while Corvette is far advanced from what BMW has now, this is my own opinion and I have been driving a 6 series this week while my BIMMER is getting repaired.

Pennies to the dollar to maintain the Corvette over the BMW, even at dealership level, part are about 1/2 the cost of BIMMER parts, so you are ahead immediately.

Unless you get the Mag drive, the car is similar to the Z4 in the drive, remember its a sports CAR not a sport Sedan....

Better reliability than the BMW all the way around, period.

I have been driving BMW for over 15 years, and I like them as a luxury sport sedan type drive. I would NEVER buy a Z4 as I think they are underpowered, and over prices, and too damn small, but Corvette is perfect for me and what I look for in a car. I have driven almost every sports car out there, from the American Muscle Cars of the late 60's to the exotic sports cars, and it comes down to this for me, dollar for dollar the Corvette (2014 model) is the best deal on the planet period. Time will tell how the cars hold up during harsh winters and hot summers, but like any car, if you take care of the car it will take care of you.

I think in your case your questions are good, but you need to experience the car with a test drive and all your questions will be answered. Although you tried to be objective with your questions, answers will be opinionated or subjective when asking other people. You need to see and test drive the car yourself, only you can answer your own questions.

cmicasa

OP. You should just go test drive one. If you still choose the BMW.. Then you wanted a backseat all along, cause that's the only thing a BMW, as fares far as performance, holds over a Stingray at the moment. That includes even their mightiest.. $110,000 M6.. well mostly.

Art-2008

Sorry, but I'm too "computer stupid" to post photos. I'll ask my daughter for help, but it may take a couple of days.

I have the black interior, I originally ordered grey but it only comes with light grey carpet that was way too light for me.

I agree 100% about the paint, Laguna Blue really "pops"!

I forgot to mention in my original post, I would also add the Z51 rear spoiler to the base car.

Greenkirby21

Thanks everyone for their help! I ordered my C7!

My order right now is for a 2014, but if the 2015 models come out and there isn't a HUGE price increase, and my suppliers discount is applicable, then the dealership said I can just switch mine to a 2015.

Here is my build:

1LT Laguna Blue
7 Speed Manual
Competition Seats (seats/steering wheel/ shifter in suede/microfiber)
NPP Exhaust

FYREANT

See answers below.. I know you already ordered, but figured some of these may still help you :-)

Questions:

I know many of these questions may seem obvious, but with the car being so rare right now, I haven't been able to test drive it, so I have those jitters of ordering/buying a car without driving it first. All the reviews seem to be raving about it, so I highly doubt it will be a situation where I order the car, and don't like it!

1) This is my first V8, so please excuse if this is a silly question. Why does the Chevy V8 seem to act like a turbo? I was looking at a dyno, and the V8 doesn't rev too high, and loses steam on top. Of course, it makes gobs of torque down low.. but when I looked at the dyno.. it looked similar to the one of the M235i, which is a turbo 6. I know the e90 M3 V8 revved to like 8k RPM, and had more NA characteristics (more revs = more HP), but it did suffer from now torque.

feels nothing like a turbo car regardless of what dyno runs show. Previously had an Evo IX MR so I can speak from experience. There is no 'lag', when you put your foot down, it just moves. The engine is still a modular design, not overhead cams so it will lose power up top as opposed to a OHC style engine with variable valve timing and electronic lift control.

2) Why do the dyno numbers I have seen for the C7 seem a bit low? I know as of recent, BMW has been advertising their HP as wheel HP. The M235i on a dyno gets 320 hp, which is what BMW claims as their HP. I saw some C7 dyno's, and they were around 400 hp, or around 60 hp less than what the C7 is. I know dyno's are apples to oranges comparisons... but...

Previous response on this is correct. 15% loss through the drivetrain. So expect about 400 or so to the wheels.

3) Here is my main dilemma. Since my budget is 50k, I can get a base 1LT C7 or spend 3k on mods for my M235i. I could easily get a tune for 400 hp. I know the BMW is a sport coupe, while the C7 is an actual sports car, but I am worried the base C7 might be bad since it doesn't have the Z51 package? I know the C7 can be tuned as well, but I won't be able to due to budget concerns.

base model is still VERY capable. Z51 is worth the price, but you can mod the car to be close to a Z51 on your own. Upgrade to Z51 sway bars to bring the suspension close to same spec, and upgrade the rotors to Z51 to get the brakes. (This will be confirmed tomorrow on another thread here) just can't add the dry sump that I am aware of..

4) How's the drive? This is a silly question for sure, but I haven't been able to drive a C7 at all, let alone a 1LT. From what I have read on the forums, the base C7 can be floaty? My dealership, which has accepted my supplier discount, only has a 80k Z51 3LT C7 that is some sort of launch edition model, as it said 1/something (300) on the plaque. The dealer isn't allowing any test drives of it.. but they did let me sit in the car, and rev it.

As I mentioned previously, upgrading the sway bars on a base model REALLY tightens it up. the base alone is by no means "floaty"

5) Does anyone have performance numbers for 1LT non Z51? All the reviews I see with performance figures have a Z51.

Other than road racing numbers, all straight line numbers should be close if not identical. Same HP/TQ. Only thing that would change that is the NPP exhaust which will net you 5 HP.

6) Is the NPP worth it, or should I get aftermarket? I know this has been beaten to death, but it looks like aftermarket exhausts are expensive on the C7. The NPP is a ~1000 option, and I heard it at the dealership. It sounded great, but I wish it was a bit louder and popped more. I had the car in track mode. However, I think for the price, it is hard to beat. I saw a corsa exhaust I liked for the C7.. but the price was about 2k and it wasn't a full exhaust. I am planning on getting the NPP and maybe in the future I can do an X pipe change or something? What kind of exhaust is the NPP? Is it full exhaust, cat back, or axel back?

I had stock exhaust and added NPP and its great. I wish it was a bit louder and raspier at lower RPMs so I may end up going with Corsa but for the price, get it and if you don't like it sell it to another member on here. Some aftermarket systems use the NPP valves so its good to get it either way

7) How are the touring seats? My current 128i has sports seats with adjustable everything, and they are fantastic! The C7 in my dealership only had the competition seats... which while AMAZING, they are out of my budget : (. From pictures I have seen online, the C7 touring seats seem to be lacking butt bolsters.. it seems to be almost flat. I think the competition seats have the same bottom part, and those felt flat too.

I thought the touring seats were more comfortable myself. This is just a preference thing though and is specific to you really.

8) On the 1LT non z51, are the side bolsters adjustable at all? I know the 2LT/3LT come with electric adjustable bolsters.. but does the 1LT have manual side bolsters or something? TO give reference, I am 6 ft 1 150 lbs, so very on the thin side!

nope. They sure dont. Need 2LT for that.

9) How is the steering? My biggest complaint of the M235i I test drove is that the electric steering felt HORRRIBLE. The actual turn in, and short ratio was awesome, and it was weighted nicely, but there was no FEEL at all. I think I am too spoiled with my current mechanical steering.

The only "good" electric steering I have seen is on the 981 cayman I test drove. How does the C7 compare to it?

I can't tell much of a difference so I think they did a good job. Plus the driving mode selected can tighten the steering also.

10) How are the stock brakes? Are they more linear, or do they have a strong initial bite. I saw on motor trend that the M235i braked in 103 ft, which was the same as the Z51. How does the 1LT compare since it has smaller brakes?

stock brakes are great, and if you want more or Z51 brakes just upgrade the rotors to Z51 rotors and pads. Done!

11) Since this is my first Chevrolet, how are they in terms of reliability and maintenance. I know the first 2 year are free, but are corvettes expensive to maintain? Since I drive ~10k miles a year, in 5 years I should have about 50k before I will probably hop into another car.

My first Chevy too. Cant weigh in here yet..

12) I am thinking on waiting on 2015 model since they are so close, and I am not in a major rush to get the car. However, I am pretty mad that the price increase occurred in march!! If not, I would probably be getting a Z51 1LT right now : (. I'm ok with a small increase, but not 2k or more!

you're so close to 2015 release I would wait. My opinion though

Thanks so much for your help! Sorry for so many questions!!

My dealership right now is only accepting GM supplier discount on non Z51 cars, but I will asks again to make sure. I really like the Z51 option, but at 4k more, its over my budget : (.

Good luck!