isulliva

I see a lot of posts about how Z51 is necessary. After driving a non z51 non mag ride for 4,000 miles in 3 months, then trading it in for a z51 mag ride and going 500 miles the same day, I figured I would give my 2 cents impression. Maybe this will help someone trying to decide which to get. And since I drove them literally back to back for these distances, maybe my insight can help.

The non z51 rides like butter. Its night and day difference even with mag ride on the softest setting. The non z51 feels like a luxury car over bumps. Never went slow for speed bumps, train tracks, anything, it just cruises right over them. My brother is a huge hater of GM and any expensive car, after a weekend of driving my vette he wouldnt shut up about how smooth and buttery the ride is. It also holds corners just fine, i took plenty of curvy roads at well over 1G in the winter on the all terrain tires with 0 slipping. hell i even drove it through 2 big winter storms before the roads were plowed. The brake feel is also much better, there seems to be more travel and feedback. You always know how hard you are braking.

The z51 has a much rougher ride, you feel every little bump. this only benefits me when coming out of my driveway. In the non z51 i had to go very slow to prevent the underside from lightly scraping that plastic under the frunk. The z51 is so stiff the shocks dont rebound coming down and i can back up a but faster. all other aspects of the ride are worse. The brakes are very stiff with very little travel, you push and the pedal just stops. Feels like you are just pushing against a wall and the harder you push the more you brake, vs the non z51 increasing resistance with increased braking.

0-60 on my non z51 was MUCH faster, you get to 60 in 2nd gear. so i was running 2.9 all day with plenty of 2.8 and some 2.7s even (in winter on normal back roads). The z51 needs to get to 3rd for some idiotic reason. This has caused the 0-60 to be between 3.2-3.6 on the same roads, in warmer conditions. The non z51 just felt faster in all ways.

So, TLDR, if you are not planning to track the car, i would highly highly highly recommend skipping the z51, and skipping mag ride too. The base suspension feels just perfect for cruising and can still carve corners better than anyone is going to be doing on streets. there is literally 0 need for z51. i only have it because after attending ron fellows, i want to try tracking the car. But, if i dont track it, or tracking proves to be too expensive, i will 100% be selling it and going back to a non z51 non mag ride, its just better in every way.

The exhaust sounds nice tho, so i would order that, def worth the 1500 bucks upgrade.

dmitrysgarage

I think it really depends on what you personally like even if you don't track the car. Also it probably matters if its going to be your only car. I've tried both on the C8, but I didn't care for the non-z51 non-mag ride so for me it was the opposite; Z51+mag was a 100% must have. I don't really want it to feel like a luxury car, ultimately it's not ever going to be as comfy as say my Audi in comfort mode. If i switch to the audi after driving the vette for a week it's shocking how comfortable it is in there. I'm literally like "wow were the seats always this comfy?" With the vette I ride in track mode pretty much the entire time. Though to tell the truth I still drive the Audi in it's version of track mode too lol, it's equipped with a similar suspension package.

This is all ultimately personal preference, no one is right or wrong in this situation and it's great we have so many options in 2023. Everyone can have exactly what they like!

Tim0shel

But this still doesn't compare a Non-Z51 but with Mag Ride which I think puts it in a stronger argument for having a Non-Z51 if you never plan to track the car hard.

Good comparison and it really comes done to each person just get what you want and enjoy it. People are so opinionated these days arguing to no end for something that suits them but not someone else. Or just don't pay attention to facts.

isulliva

I would imagine mag ride is the same on both. Softest ride would be non z51 non mag, then mag ride on touring, then hardest would be straight z51 or mag ride on track mode.

The point I was making, is of you want a nice ride both for regular drives and road trips, that can also perform exceptionally well in the twisties, the base is the way to go. Anything else (z51 or mag ride) you sacrifice so much comfort on the road, for a performance gain that's barely noticeable. So if you don't plan on tracking the car, you are just getting an overall worse riding vehicle. Unless you like that hard ride.

Again. To each his own. But many people are asking if it's worth it. And my opinion is , if you aren't going to track it, and don't want the warranty for track, you will be far happier with the non z51 and no mag ride. Probably why before they didn't offer mag ride on non-z51. Touring on mag ride isn't even close to as smooth as the non mag ride car is.

If you want the z51, I would 100% go with the mag ride

Joe’s Z06

Excellent writeup, thanks

bjarble

Being my 1st Corvette, i struggled with this decision (mainly mag ride, early on i figured the Z51 was functionally a track option only).

I opted for no-mag ride.

i like to drive fast and “spirited” wherever possible but I also wanted the most compliant ride as possible - assuming the base car will handle plenty fine for public streets.

Also, Michigan roads often look like they’ve been bombed by the Luftwaffe and I wanted to drive as much as possible without knocking a tooth filling loose.

Based on your feedback, i feel good about my choice!

Actually, ride quality was 1 of the main reasons I chose the C8 over the BMW M3.

isulliva

I'm just south of you in Indiana. Our roads are pretty crappy too. After about 30 minutes I was deeply regretting my swap hahaha. If I don't track it this summer I'm getting back on a list to swap it back. Hell maybe I can just pull the mag ride off and have base suspension put on 🤣 then I still have the powertrain warranty for track hahaha

bhvrdr

thanks for posting.

I have owned both a mag ride z51 and a non mag ride non z51 car.

I agree the non z51 non mag ride was less tightly damped compared to mag ride on its softest settings but in no way was the high speed damping (not to be confused with high vehicle speeds) of mag ride harsh in any way. It is simply more stiffly low speed damped for better ody control and handling but bumps are taken extremely well.

With non z51 non mag ride there is both softer low and high speed damping so you will feel a bit less body control and bumps in the road. It does feel more touring of a vehicle. Great for many drivers.

The adjustability of the mag ride is night and day incredible compared to any other active suspension car I have owned which are multiple Audi active suspension cars and Porsches with PASM. It's absolutely incredible how much high speed compliance you get in touring mode versus stiffness you get in track mode.

As for 0-60 times, the published numbers and multiple verified magazine articles and multiple drivers times speaks for themselves.

The z51 is imperceivablly faster to 60mph. That's been tested a thousand times and is true.

That said the non z51 car is a bit faster after 60 mph due to the lack of aero slowing it down. The z51 is designed to put down a faster road course lap (and it will) not have faster acceleration to 150mph (which it won't).

JDSC8VETTE

My only experience with the Z51 was my two days at Ron Fellows. I'm sure for the track it's a must but I never feel that my std C8 is lacking anything during my daily drives. It does everything I want it to and I never feel like I'm limited.
A good friend of mine has had both Z51 C7 and C8's and both std C7 and C8's. After the C7 Z51 he said he would never order another Z51 and ordered a base C8. When his allocation for his second C8 came in he was forced to get a Z51 because couldn't get the base at the time and he feels it's a big waste of money.
You will get lots of opinions on this subject but the truth is there is no right or wrong way to order a C8. I personally don't feel the need to get the Z51 but I do like the performance exhaust and I like the features that come with the 2 Lt so that's how I ordered mine.

formie95

Great write up. I love the comparisons. I would have to say for me personally, I didnt buy my C8 or any C's for that matter to ride like a Cadillac. I would have bought a Cadillac if I wanted a Cadillac ride. One of the loves about this car is feeling every bit of the road. If I run over a pebble, I want to feel it I run mostly in my mode with the suspension stiff, and tight steering. Absolutely love the way the C8 feels on the road and how responsive it is.

C8driver

I have owned two C8 Corvettes, both of them non Z51. The first one did not have mag ride, the second one does. Mag ride is the best money you can spend. The ride on the new one with mag ride is FAR superior to the ride on the old one with base suspension.

Red C8 of Jax

Thanks for the write up, I agree with your impressions; however, you must realize that most everyone who got the Z51 package will NOT admit that they don't like their Z51's and will disagree with you.

bhvrdr

Lol it goes both ways. Most people who didn't buy z51 or mag ride will not admit they wish they did

Human beings tend to try and justify decisions already made versus deliberate alternatives.

That said Ive owned multiple c8 Corvettes with and without and both have their merits depending on what you want.

Ih2lose

What makes a Z51 Faster ? if both cars had the performance exhaust .

grboggs

The gearing is slighty different from what I read ( From another site). The base does 0-60 in 3.0 (according to Chevy), the Z51 in 2.9, and the Z51 has to make 2 shifts before 60, the base only one. So the Z is a bit quicker off the line, but some of that is probably due to tires. All Z51s come with aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP summer tires, sized 245/35ZR-19 up front and 305/30ZR-20 in back. They replace the base model's standard Michelin ultra-high-performance all-season tires of the same size.

I think that in normal driving, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference the final drive ratio makes. Still trying to figure this out myself.

My Z51 is being produced tomorrow. I went for the Z51 due to constraints before that it was Non-Z51. I'll find out soon enough.

bhvrdr

They are extremely similar to 60mph. The added gear change is offset by the lsd and aggressive gearing.

cariboocreek

Z51 is a package not a different car. Has been for several generations before the C8. Z51 is a choice like Arctic White or Torch Red. Only one in a thousand C8 owners could actually tell or make the difference matter between a non-Z51 or a Z51 optioned car. In the hands of the right driver a non-Z51 car will outperform a Z51 car in the hands of the wrong driver. Most of us are the wrong driver.....

tadda

^

Well said and I agree!

INTIMIDAT3R

I had mag ride when I had my ZL1.

I test drive a C7 with and without it. I ordered my C7 with it.

I don't have to be convinced about mag ride on the C8. I test drove a used one with it and it was smooth as silk and hugged the corners.

I ordered my C8 with mag ride.

As far as the Z51 package, I never tracked my C7 and will never track my C8, but...

GIMME THE Z...

jeffersonvandyke

Thanks for this review. I have never driven a new c8 much less sat in one. I believed the z51 would make the ride too hard as well (read that a lot) and you confirmed that. As far as comfort if it's a daily driver it makes a lot of sense to stay away from the z51 package and its firmness. I'm a non-z51 guy without the mag ride with the performance exhaust in 3000 status. I know others will disagree but for me, I made the right choice and you just reassured me of that. Excellent read. The one other thing I believe to be true is that if you track the car and have a crash your insurance co will stay too bad so sad. Like driving the car on ice, you have no coverage.