The one thing you should know about the C7 Z06.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- What happens when you take a 650 horsepower monster in the form of the C7 Corvette Z06 with a manual transmission out for a track day at the most technical road course in America?
When I got the chance to review a 2016 Corvette Z06 3LZ with seven-speed manual transmission on track and I was excited to give it a go, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated by the car's stats. Can a regular driver have fun with this much power and torque on tap?
#z06
#corvette
Fantastic video! Nice way to pay homage to one of the greatest sports cars…and it’s built in America. Go ZO6!
It does seem like a great place to live as a can enthusiast in New England. We actually considered moving to North Carolina before the last recession as we couldn't figure out how we'd be able to buy a house up here. It wasn't for us at all, and went to school in southern FL which is too far south for us now with kids. Still feel like I'm trying to find that right sweet spot between the two.
NC, TN and Northern GA for sure are great spots for spirited driving. Great part of being in Northern GA is that we are close to Atlanta Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta and Barber Motorsports, three very different and awesome facilities. I can't imagine Real Estate being a lot more that New England?
Nice job with the in-car audio! No wind noise, even with the roof off! Enjoyed that.
One word. Murica!!
Will be getting one for Christmas. Can’t wait. 😎 Awesome video
That’s so cool! Somebody must be on Santa’s “nice” list.😆 What color are you going for? Manual or auto?
C7Z is a beast.
Best word to describe it!
Would love to see a back to back vid of the same car with the DSC mag ride controller installed. Supposed to be a much better driving experience.
C7 ZO6💪💪
I get a kick out of people suggesting that there is "too much" power. I mean, it's not like it's an on/off switch where you only get 0 or 650. Manufacturers conveniently provide us with a variable power controller call a throttle pedal. You can dial in as little or as much as you want during any given moment. If you're only comfortable with 325 hp instead of 650...then don't push the pedal down more than halfway.
Yeah, the learning curve on track is higher with more power, because you can't just stomp the pedal all the way down through the apex and beyond. But moving smoothly between throttle and steering input is something you're supposed to be learning at the track anyway.
Excellent point! There is a mental intimidation factor. Also, this car has so much torque down low in the rpm range that even at partial throttle on cold tires the rear stepped out on my out lap, which just played into the intimidation factor. Tire choice probably makes a big difference with these cars, I think I found out later that it was on run-flats 😕
@@JoshVanVeld Of course tires play a MAJOR role. GT3s don't do what they do because they're on no-name all seasons, after all.
The best engines for track use are often considered to be the ones that build torque linearly with revs, and rev high to make their power. This is one reason why naturally aspirated is favored over forced induction, and if you have to have forced induction, supercharging is often favored over turbos, or at least over old-school turbos that lag and then come in strong suddenly. The smooth, linear build up makes it easier to predict and control the desired output power from moment to moment. As you've discovered, high torque down low in the rev range makes things touchier. Not impossible of course, but you need to develop a more sensitive touch for your right foot, whereas with engines having less torque down low, but making their power with high revs, they lean a little more towards the "you can mash the go pedal without issue" fantasy, even if they have just as much maximum power.
I used to put heat-cycled out tires on my Exige sometimes, to make grip lower, on purpose. I found it really helped me fine tune my right foot better than when I had way more grip than I did torque. When I could just mash the go pedal all the time, I wasn't really learning as much. Same thing applies in the rain. I never got really, really good in the rain, but I did make improvements at a higher rate. Some cold wet sessions in your Miata might help you learn to tame that Z06, but do so at a pace that won't kill you for mistakes.
@@xtnuser5338 Yes, thank you! I want to improve my rain driving (lots of experience in endurance races but I feel like I’m still missing the secret). I’d also like to get the hang of driving on the skid pad.
Had a c7z z07 pack with a manual. Beautiful car and I loved it but always felt it wasn't polished. With the amount of power and the low end torque, it was completely unusable on the streets or back roads safely. The poor support from the seats played a major role in this, along with the "loose" steering column which had so much play in it, combined with the electric steering and the seats, made in impossible to consistently control at the limit
The C6 Z06 might be the best Z06 (thanks to the LS7), but I have a fondness for the ridiculousness that is the C7 Z06. It's such a monster. Sure would look good in your garage. Just saying... 🙂
I tend to agree with your opinion on which one the best is. Is that a hint about what my garage will look like later this week? Hmmm 🤔🤨🧐
@@JoshVanVeld Tell me more! I also heard that Jordan Taylor may sell his C8-R #3 after Petit since it is the IMSA finale :)
@@eromain37 Unless it has a manual I'm not interested! 🤣
I used to have a C7 Z06. It simply did not exude confidence on backroads or more importantly the track. The car overheated on me 3 times on track. I switched to the ZL1/1LE a few years ago and to this - best decision ever. The Alpha chassis Camaros with the 1LE magic is something to behold. Nothing but pure confidence.
Confidence is EVERYTHING! I've heard a lot of people say the C7 chassis couldn't quite handle the power of the LT4. I certainly wasn't inspired to push the car to the limit. I appreciate the comment - I'm going to be on the lookout for a fast Camaro to try out. You wouldn't happen to be within 100 miles of Dawsonville GA would you? 😁
Did the owner mention anything about cooling issues on track?
Good question. I should have addressed that in the video since I know it was a big talking point when the car was new. He told me he has not experienced any. I did not run the car super hard or for multiple sessions the way you might at a typical track day. I'm sure conditions play a part too.
No cooling concern at all and I was at Road Atlanta and Barber in the middle of the Southern Summer. A8 are more notorious with this issue.
Only one NOT intimated on that picture was Pikachu :)
😂😂😂
Thoughts on the targa vs hardtop?
For a street car I love the versatility of the targa top. You get most of the top-down feel of a convertible but without sacrificing the hardtop looks or worrying about a soft top developing leaks as it gets older or carrying extra weight for a motorized mechanism to lower/raise it.
For me personally, searching for my next track car, the targa aspect wouldn't really be a big selling point. We left the top off for the video just for the sake of looking cool 😅
I had many convertibles over the years and while you can't beat the convenience of the push of a button, they are tricky to track and some lose most of their trunk. GM did a great job with the Vette as it is easy to put up and away and trunk space is not sacrificed.
Because nothing exceeds like excess
😂😂😂