2015 C7 Corvette Z06 Breaks Cover

[Rob]

hey Rob, I'm originally from "Manchesta" Ma. Spent many a wonderful day up in N.H...Kangamangus Hwy in the fall, in a roadster or on my bike...man, some fabulous memories!

Very cool! I love it up there. I don't get up there as often as I'd like, but whenever I get a chance, I take the Vette up there and enjoy the open, winding roads and the beautiful scenery!

 

[Rob]

Too funny about all of the color-discussion. I think a Corvette looks good in just about any color, with the exception of some colors in the seventies, and black....which I'm just not a fan of because to me, it hides the lines of a car too much. Ironically, my last daily driver was black and my current daily driver is black, but that's because they both came with the options I was looking for. I'm hoping my next car will be anything but black. :L

 

[WhalePirot]

"All Corvettes are really WHITE."

True... AND white light is ALL colors. I agree with my wife who says any design looks best in one color. After all, the design medium, paper or screen, IS one color, right?

Having seen a number of C7s in person, the rear fascia looks better than i expected and the angularity of the car fits better without round lights, despite my preference for staying with that design cue.

I also think the car is too gimmicky or busy, in the side details, versus nice flowing, elegant lines. What's with the at rear spoiler? It suggests boy-racer gimmickry on rice burners.

I learned long ago, to either like what I have or be unhappy with yearnings for the newer version. Truth be told, my antique affords me way more performance than roads and traffic allow, with just enough technology to fail.

 

[JJS]

Truth be told, my antique affords me way more performance than roads and traffic allow, with just enough technology to fail.

Well said.

 

[Baldie88]

I scared the sh!t out of myself with a buddy's 07 Z06. That has 505hp so do I really need a Z06 with 620hp? NO! But if some kindly uncle that I didn't know leave me something in his will I'll be right down to the local Chevy dealer with check in hand. Make mine cyber gray, black or crystal red please.

I'm positively embarrassed that my 88 had 245 hp stock. My V6 Traverse has 288 hp.

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[USA1Z06]

Gimmicky ?

I'm not sure what people are talking about when they say gimmicky. Are you talking about front splitter, rear spoiler, side skirts, front brake ducts, rear brake ducts, etc. I realize the vast majority of Vette owners don't take their cars to the track, but some people do. I have had my C6Z06 on the track in past years and all these so called gimmicky things would be very useful on the track. The big horsepower would be very helpful on the track also. It would be true all these things would be overkill for a streetcar not taken to the track. In that case you don't need a Z06 anyway. The Z06 is essentially made for the track.

 

[JJS]

Even the 436hp C6 will scare the sh*t out of you until those tires are nice and hot. Give it the gas coming out of a corner while the tires are cold and buythe time you straighten out (in nano seconds) you're thinking what the hell just happened - and that's with traction control ON.

 

[ltmax]

New Slayer

Bodywork is really overdone, but functional for the most part, so that's good.
This Z had better get a dual-clutch trans, preferably re-geared with a ~3.80 rear! That is the ONLY thing that kept the C6 Z-06 from completely dominating the sport-car world.
Over 600 hp? Dammit - if that ain't enough, yer doing something wrong! I'll bet a good Bob Bondurant driver course is worth ~100 hp... A constant-power-flowing dual clutch is certainly due by now and this Vette must get the right gears - fk the cafe ratings, production volume won't make that much difference! If this Z gets those two drivetrain items - domination, no question.

Can't wait to see Nordschleife lap times. I'll take the first shot: 7:10

 

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

~Industrial'Designer makes suggestion toward further perfecting the 2015's styling features...!!

-While the styling-theme has been given a still more aggressively snarley appearance, -there is one rather serious to me glaring flaw in the frontal-motif, --see if you agree!? Looking at the frontal-pic, you will note that the two styling-creases immediately R&L of the center-crease have no reason at all for being (-thus they appear to merely clutter the styling); --however if they had instead terminated them inward into the 'V'-winged logo, then the creases would serve to accent the 'shaker like' matte-black center-piece, and thereby make good aesthetic sense! Hopefully the designers will catch this atrocious flaw before the tooling is committed, i suspect the V-logo was not on the clay when they executed these otherwise extraneous crease-lines...!?

-Pertaining now to the angry headlamp-modules, -i'm among the many that find daylight/running-lights highly irritating (-distracting of proper roadway attention, especially when they are in your RV-mirrors!), -besides being a waste of fuel-energy; -and don't jump on me about safety-reasons, -as i was the one that urged Greyhound-bus to first implement the idea decades ago, -then truckers & motorcycles adopted the notion; --but for cars it seems way to much of a good thing..!
~Robt. Vonheck -in SanDiego 92123

 

[ROCKET-REX]

Excitement builds to the ultimate return of THE KING OF THE HILL 4- CAM/ SECOND GEN LT-5 BEAST!!

I only have 1 very important question for the fine folks @ GM T-Center as in when will the SUPER ICONIC 4-CAMMER second coming
LT-5 return for its due respect to put the KING OF THE HILL back in the record books for 24 HR SPEED RECORD like the 90 ZR-1 did.
with DIRECT-INJ @ over 30,000 psi/E-TURBO/EXHAUST out the top of the cyl head with INTAKE through the VALVE/CAM COVER for
the ultimate also a FLAT-PLANE CRANK=900+ HP!!!!!!!! Just take a look @ MERCURY MARINE'S WICKED QC4V MONSTER'S that tie very
heavily to the awesome collaboration of GM/CHEVROLET ENGINEERING/LOTUS ENGINEERING/MERCURY MARINE=SMASH 50 YR 24 HR
UNLIMITED SPEED RECORD!!!!!!!! Now this incredible feat was held until just a couple yrs back.Do U all remember when JOHN LINGENFELTER held the record for 0 to 150 and back with a wicked ZR-1.How about the SLEDGEHAMMER he piloted to 254.76 MPH.
Legend is John took his WICKED ZR-1 TWIN TURBO LT-5 to a non corvette meet @ beach-bend in BG for some test & tune with GRAHAM
BEHAN.There was a fast stang that thought john was a joke when he got all sideways and had to abort the first run.he & graham consulted about the rear tire pressures to lower a tad.so john lined up with this proud FOX STANG,and when the green lit the ZR-1
flashed across the beams @ 9.52 second's elasped time with a speed over 150 MPH!!!!!!!! now after john picked up his winning time slip,
he parked his WICKED 4 CAMMER LT-5 TWIN-TURBO BEAST in the lowly mustang's slot in the pits.AMEN!!!!!!!! If this legendary tuner/inventor/racer persona was still with us,he would clearly have a NASTY VETTE @ 300MPH+.I just got back from the NCM picking
up my iconic 69 SANDCAST CB-750 HONDA IN CANDY-TONE RUBY RED from the first M/C display they held.now the MOTORSPORT'S PARK is coming along very nicely.ZORA is cheering loudly.Just check out ken lingenfelters web-site,as he has all of johns incredible
works of art now.with the 1 BILLION just spent at Tonawanda eng plant in buffalo NY,GM can build this ultimate 4 cammer V-8 in house.
this is the reason they have moved the whole special build team from wixom mi to the factory in BG KY.and with corvette racing calling
the new racetrack across the street their home test track will be so awesome.I just want to see the CORVETTE return to the top like
it first did in 1990,which changed everything about what folks thought about this icon for the better ever since.so come on GM,put all
the cards on the table to the tune of LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!! Just my 2 cent's worth T-U.ROCKET-REX M/C MAN UP.mad

 

[Rob]

Ok....I'm sorry but...I love my 1990 ZR-1...and it's great for what it is and what it was.. but when you can justify to me why GM should make another front-end heavy Corvette with an engine that has a lot more weight and many more moving parts in it than what they're capable of building for less weight, much less moving parts and a hell of a lot higher output, then I'll gladly take a swig of the "bring back the LT5 engine" koolaid. Until then, I'm happy to enjoy my 1990 ZR-1 for what it is and what it was in Corvette history and gladly accept that technology has moved on and the LT5 engine is now old technology.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[2vetteEd]

The only think I don't like are the tail lights... Even though they changed from "round" over the years I still like the oblong style, I think the direction they have recently gone makes it look like a Camero from the distance...

It no more looks like a Camaro then O'bumma looks like George Bush. Cut us some slack with the tail lights.

 

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

~Regarding postings #50 Vrs. #51 on V8 configurations....

-While post #50 is quite interesting nostalgia, -the author is obviously very much in the DOHC-camp of obsession with complexity, -for Chevrolet-engineering has really pulled a rabbit out of the hat with their compact OHV-wonder of the 21th-century, -which has enabled the innovative Corvette/Design-engineers to explore chassis-packaging which would have been impossible had they not demonstrated the foresight and professional-integrity to resist the temptation to go along with the DOHV-trend. Chevy-engineers perceived things differently, -they sensed that valve-actuation is most efficient at the heart of the block instead of cumbersomely outside the block, and then focused upon precisely tunning the weight/strength of the lifters/push-rods/rocker-arms to attain surprising RPM's = HP, --thus ultimately resulting in a chassis which is more ideally balanced! While refinements are ongoing, the next major challenge (-especially in view of Gov'mt.-mandates) is that of weight-reduction; --will we ever see a nimble 2,300-lb Corvette which would therefore not need the fail-danger & complexity of Pwr.-steering & Pwr.-brakes..!!?
~Robt.vH -Indus.Designer

 

[LLC5]

-While post #50 is quite interesting nostalgia, -the author is obviously very much in the DOHC-camp of obsession with complexity, -for Chevrolet-engineering has really pulled a rabbit out of the hat with their compact OHV-wonder of the 21th-century, -which has enabled the innovative Corvette/Design-engineers to explore chassis-packaging which would have been impossible had they not demonstrated the foresight and professional-integrity to resist the temptation to go along with the DOHV-trend. Chevy-engineers perceived things differently, -they sensed that valve-actuation is most efficient at the heart of the block instead of cumbersomely outside the block, and then focused upon precisely tunning the weight/strength of the lifters/push-rods/rocker-arms to attain surprising RPM's = HP, --thus ultimately resulting in a chassis which is more ideally balanced! While refinements are ongoing, the next major challenge (-especially in view of Gov'mt.-mandates) is that of weight-reduction; --will we ever see a nimble 2,300-lb Corvette which would therefore not need the fail-danger & complexity of Pwr.-steering & Pwr.-brakes..!!?
~Robt.vH -Indus.Designer

You are correct, V-8 OHC engines (either double or single) are a waste of money, parts, weight, complexity, repair costs, and also feature a higher center of gravity and packaging nightmares, for engines that don't turn over 8000 RPM.

If you are going to spin an engine 8-9-10,000 rpm's then an OHC engine can help your cause. But if not, save yourself the expense and weight and stay with a proven push rod engine. Not exactly sure why Ford went to OHC V-8's, but their customers are sure paying for it......