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Not to burst anybodies bubble but performance wise the c7 z51 m7 wasn't really that big a leap in actual performance over the c6 z51 m6.
top speed?
Acceleration to 60 mph?
lateral cornering G s?
braking?
if you take into account tires? The cup 2 tires of the c7 grand sport z07 are a stickier tire than the michelin 4s on the c8...
so even the c7 grand sport non cup tire example wasnt quite as strong as the cup 2 shod GS Z07 model....
all that said...the c7 is awesome. The c8 I fully expect to be a little better...
just the 0 to 60 acceleration and quarter mile performance pretty much does that ..
2.9 seconds to 60 mph is mind blowing for the standard z51 ..
3.0 seconds to 60 mph and 11.3@124 mph for the standard stingray is even crazier...at 60 grand
i dont mean to be difficult but these numbers alone besides all the rest are actually pretty impressive.
Hi Jerry,
The C7 Z51 was a significant improvement over the C6 Z51. I don't recall acceleration or braking numbers, but, if i recall correctly the lateral acceleration of the C6 Z51 was about .9g and the C7 Z51 was about 1.07g.
Relative to track performance
VIR Full, I believe the best I could muster in a C6 Z51 was 2:11ish. The C7 Z51 was 2:02.9
VIR Grand the C6 Z51 was north of 3 minutes, the C7 Z51 was 2:51
For reference we always had a C6 on hand at VIR so the times were compared on the same day.
At the Nurburgring, the C6 Z51 was well north of 8 minutes, probably closer to 8:15-8:20, and the C7 Z51 was 7:39 (with 2 offs)
Relative to the Grand Sports, the C6 was 8 minutes and the C7 was 7:27.
I suspect (hope) the C8 will produce respectable lap times if nothing else because of the DCT. On the Nurburgring in both the C7 Z51 and C7 Grand Sport, the entire lap was run in 3rd and 4th gears with the exception of 2 5th gear areas, where the acceleration rate dropped dramatically because in the ratio change. The Grand Sport essentially stopped accelerating because of the downforce.
Looking forward to it, but it’s still going to on an early car that won’t reach “final” production for nearly 3 more months. Lots of fine tuning still to be done I’d bet.
That's how magazines test cars - as they come from the factory.
Plus most people have no interest in driving around with -3 degrees camber on the street. Tires get expensive quick.
Bigger question, is the review in the magazine any different than their first drive review and subsequent track test against the C7?
Not exactly true.
If we recall the C7 (as well as other GM cars) have shown up and been tested as you mention. However several other vehicles in some of the same test showed up with factory representatives that made changes to optimize their cars as the test went on and track conditions changed.
I agree that's probably GM's fault for not taking more of a hands on approach. (hopefully they have learned a valuable lesson and don't repeat that mistake this time around).
But to insinuate all the testing is on equal footing is not quite accurate.
That's how magazines test cars - as they come from the factory.
Plus most people have no interest in driving around with -3 degrees camber on the street. Tires get expensive quick.
Bigger question, is the review in the magazine any different than their first drive review and subsequent track test against the C7?
RUBBISH .... Porsche , McLaren , Ferrari etc all send teams and sometimes multiple cars prepped by THEIR mechanics for testing and the testers NEVER get to keep the cars in their possession even for an hour without the manufacturers nannies hovering over them .... All the car mag testers ever get to do is sit in the car and drive whatever they are given
"New, but improved" is clickbait/must buy this copy of the magazine. Of course its improved, everything from the interior to performance is improved. The question is, improved by how much??.....
"New, but improved" is clickbait/must buy this copy of the magazine. Of course its improved, everything from the interior to performance is improved. The question is, improved by how much??.....
Exactly, our media, newspapers, magazines, network news, has gone full bore tabloid to suit the declining mentality of the average American who cares more about his Facebook than how he will fund his retirement or who is President. Crap is King. Half the people in this country can't give you the name of a single one of their state's legislators.
RUBBISH .... Porsche , McLaren , Ferrari etc all send teams and sometimes multiple cars prepped by THEIR mechanics for testing and the testers NEVER get to keep the cars in their possession even for an hour without the manufacturers nannies hovering over them .... All the car mag testers ever get to do is sit in the car and drive whatever they are given
Yes and no. *If* the test being done is say Lightning Lap, then yes, some manufacturers may send a prepped car or even some "handlers" to babysit. Most of the time it is brake pads, extra tires and fluids. But occasionally a car comes with different suspension geometry settings. And sometimes a car like the Viper ACR is tested with different settings as it is part of the package. But those cases are exceptions instead of rules. *Usually* if the test is for a vehicle that has to be driven on and off track, there isn't much time to set the car up differently unless they bring two cars. Between the photographers finding locations and getting shooting done, putting the editorial staff through the vehicle, video guys doing their thing and performance testing time itself there isn't much extra time.
So for *most* magazine testing that is done with press fleet cars, the cars aren't typically modified with crazy track settings as most of the journalists driving them are only driving them on the street (most newspaper, TV, Influencers, etc., etc). I'm not saying some manufacturers don't treat their press cars differently than regular production cars, but there is a long standing issue with track geometry settings and disclosing that when the article is written. Many arguments have been had over the years between PR/Communications people and journalists that do testing. Sending a ringer usually leaks out these cell phone camera/social media crazed days and it is difficult to hide, leaving everyone to have to explain the issue publicly if they get caught. Would a magazine catch a couple extra negative degrees of camber? Maybe not. Would they catch a larger sway bar? Maybe not. Different pads? Different tires? Good possibility. Different engine tune? Maybe, but you better hope they don't test another car without it.
Performance differences are so tiny these days, that you better have a really good complete package if you want to win a shootout. That takes a bit more work.
Keep it up car magazines, just need some of the 37,000+ people who have ordered the car to back out and I will get mine faster! lol... Sounds like politics to me, get one side to blast the other on a daily bases and eventually perception becomes reality......
Nope - the magazine says it's all-new: a real test, compared to the first driving impressions (although still of a not-regular-production car).
Car and Driver did have a real test with all numbers including a track test vs the C7 Z51. It's been online for about a month now. It's just now getting to print.
11-13-2019, 10:59 AM
December Car & Driver promises “ultimate” C8 test
