stefanL

Yesterday I was informed that I cannot pick up my new Z06 which was delivered to the dealership a few days ago, because there is a recall concerning a cooling problem with the breaks. This is a Eurospec Version and at this point I cannot tell if this will affect all Z06s or only Euro Spec, or if they just do the recall for cars delivered to Europe though there is no real technical difference.

They first haul it back to the Importers HQ, which is in the Netherlands.
Then depending on some production change / variation they obviously are unable to clearly link to the VIN Number, they can fix it there, or they even ship it back to the factory acorss the atlantic ocean.

In the German Corvetteforum, one guy reported that he has warped his discs when he hat to hit the breaks hard at top speed (yes I do mean 198 mph) and the engineer from the importer whom I talked to yesterday admitted that theses two issues are related.

He also said they might change the whole front fascia design because of it.

Anyway, the importer said they give me any car this large dealer organisation has in stock for free as long as I have to wait for mine. ( I demanded a Maserati, we'll see!)

New cars are coming this way in September.

If I have to wait that long, I hope they at least have the winter tires out, which was promisewd to me by the head of "Cadillac & Corvette Group Europe" himself.

I just hope, this just does not affect you guy in the US ( and not just because not most of you are not going to see speeds near 200mph)

hawaiianswiss

Do you know the last 5 digits of your VIN Number? Which country are you from?

I am also waiting for my Z06 here in Switzerland which should arrive anytime soon.

That`s unbelieveable If they really have to ship it back to the US .

stefanL

Hi Hawaiianswiss,

sorry I do not know the VIN, yet. (Never actaully seen the car)

However I will keep the forum posted about the development.

63Corvette

Please give us (in the US) some feedback on the "Winter Tires" because our owner's manual says we can't run winter tires, and the TireRack says there are NO winter tires made for the Z06, so they won't sell us any.

AU N EGL

Brake cooling is not a problem. The brake pads are the problem. Too soft of a compound.

Looking at changing the brake pad compound. Carbotech makes alternative pads and other companies are looking into it.

No such thing as a warped rotor, just imporper bedding of the brake pads and rotors by the new owner.

outnumbered

I spent an entire weekend at speeds of 140-165 max with stock set up and had ZERO issues.

stefanL

About the winter tires: Well we don't have any in Germany either, right now - but I did get this promise (plus from this year on, they are the law over here...).

I have alredy promised to keep you all posted...

All Info I gave here are quotes. About the high speed breaking incident with ruined rotors afterwards, you might want to ask Tomislav63.

An Engineer of the official importer told me, the issues are related.

Can't tell you anything about the likeliness of an "issue", but keep in mind: Breaking from 200 mph is more than double the energy compared to breaking from 150.

And LG already told everyone: Those breaks are not track ready at least (regardless of pads), which s altogether something competely different than just high speed driving I admit.

But if the whole issue would just be pads, I can't imgine them to plan to ship cars back to the US...

But then agian: What they tell the customer does not necessarily reflect the truth, right?

LTC Z06

Thanks for keeping us informed.

outnumbered

How exactly are you using the brakes at 200 mph?I agree with AU N EGl
If the rotors are not seasoned and pads bedded there will be issues.
Also would using the tubes from the air ducts to the spindle help?
I am currious to the issues.I will lurk.

Cobra4B

Sorry... but I don't buy this... the oem ducting on the new Z is very much like the DRM aftermarket ducts for C5's and looks to be very effective.

No the brakes are not designed for repeated panic stops from top speed... you're buddy just needs to go ahead and get a fell aftermarket big brake kit w/ some semi-racing pads.

hawaiianswiss

I also find this very strange! What about all the cars already delivered? Something doesn`t sound right and your dealer is not telling the truth.

outnumbered

I believe the stock ducts just send air into the wheel.With the hoses it will send air directly to the spindle or center of the rotor.
I as well am still currious to the situation.Many here track their cars and I am sure they are all not babying the brakes.If you stand on the brakes from 200 I would guess most brakes set ups wouldn't take it.

allanlaw

Ask the dealer to put in writing the exact reason why delivery cannot be made at this time. Ask for copies of any material that they are relying on. Do this before they sell the car to someone else at a higher premium over MSRP (a little trick they do here). Alternatively, it can be another game that the EU is playing to screw with American products over there.

Cobra4B

The factory C6Z ducts are like having DRM ducts w/o putting on the spindle hose extensions. They blow air inside the wheel on the brakes, where as thefactory C5 part wsa more of a inner edge tire cooler

AU N EGL

actully it sound more like this guy needs to learn HOW TO DRIVE in the first place. No one in there right mind would drive 200 mph even on the few section of the autobaun. Most race tracks dont have straight long enough, Not even the Mulsanne staight on the Circuit de Sarth, close but not quite.

Winter driving is reserved for SUVs. The only place to drive a corvette in winter is in the sunny south.

Mitch Millett

As a Cadillac/Corvette service dealer and the only Hummer dealer for the U.K. I have extensive dealings with GM from across the pond. You have been fed alot of Anybody who hits brakes at 200mph hard in a Z06 will "warp" the disc so to speak due to the pad compound. It's nothing to do with warping but deposits building up on the discs as was previously stated. Doing 200mph alone with such an open wheel design would generate a serious amount of cooling power.

Anything you've been told about restyling the front end as a result is rubbish. As for returning vehicles to the factory?? That's the biggest lie a customer could ever be told. Sending factory technicians out is one thing, but vehicles are NEVER returned to the factory. I've currently got an H3 with an incurable misfire. That is more of a problem than the braking issue mentioned here. Solution? New engine. It's not going back to the factory and nobody from the factory will be coming to assist.

outnumbered

stefanL

as for story stinks: Yes, exactly my impression.

You cannot go 200mph on the autobahn:
Well, occasionally you can - i did and, by the way hotting the brakes at this kind of speed in an governor free M6 was without any drama recently.

(The guy with the warped rotors is no buddie of mine - as stated, he wrote about this on the German forum, but the importers technician, I talked to seemed to know about it, and yes we already had a flying roof in this conuntry, too)

They try to give this car to a better paying customer?
Well, they offered me to pick me up at the airport just hours earlier, besides I am buying 200 cars a year for my company, they definetly do not want to get me pissed.

So I think somethng else is hidden thet makes this story so interesting for all of us I feel.

Winter driving:

I do live in the South - of Germany that is. Winterly conditions can occur 6 months a year, and I am often away from home with my car.
So why should I park iit 50% of the time? I do drive my Elise in winter.
Peolpe have winter tires on their Porsche Turbos or Lamborghinis, so why not on the Z?

Over her eyou cannot just buy additional cars for every purpose:
Thgere are high taxes on EVERY car you own (Especially high on large engine ones), you pay extra insurance for EVERY car (2 cars, two times the insurance..) etc, plus there is not that much space to park a fleet of cars here (think NYC and you get the picture).
Besides I simply hate SUVs...

I definetly will get more statements and do some investigation (Actually these lines are part of it).
Next thing I will call the European HQ in Amsterdam again.

We will figure this out, won't we.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this.

AU N EGL

Yes we can understand that. Have to pay insureance on each car we own here too. My wife and I have two vettes, a toyota carolla and my pick-up truck. another vett about to be built soon.

But you have to pry my dead body out of my pick-up before I give it up. and it isn't even a desiel doully, yet