On C6 "Selective Ride Control" or "Z51"?

[lwilliams]

I have available the Selective Ride control or the z51 pkg. Please tell me which one would be better to have. I also am trying to figure out whether to go Automatic or manual. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

 

[Tuna]

I have available the Selective Ride control or the z51 pkg. Please tell me which one would be better to have. I also am trying to figure out whether to go Automatic or manual. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

Suspension: Depends!

Z51 is the performance handling package. It's stiffer and better handling all the time.

The selective ride control allows you to switch between soft and firm settings giving you the best of both worlds in one car -but- not the 'ultimate' in handling.

How do you plan to drive your car?
Autocross regularly? Road courses? Open road events? Just love that firm ride everyday? -- Z51 is for you.

Cruising around town, parades, road trips with a friend, occasional racing activity. MagRide is the way to go.

I have MagRide on my 03 and I love it.


Stick or auto: Depends!

How are you going to use the car?

Check out the other threads here in the CAC about the auto/stick debate.

All 3 of my cars are stick. Wouldn't have it any other way now.

 

[lwilliams]

I appreciate that..I will be mostly driving it around town. I won't be doing any racing. I just don't want to lose the z-51 performance if it actually is a great performance upgrade.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

If it were me the car would have a manual transmission and the Z51 package. The "standard" brakes just look tiny through the wheels on the base car and I'd go for all of the performance I could anyway.

Whatever you decide, make sure the Vette is yellow!

 

[lwilliams]

Thanks for the information also. I am just having a crazy hard time with this thing.

 

[yellow_2002_germany]

Another option is to mix and match. I have the F45 on my car with the Z06 sway bars and can notice a difference in hard cornering.

It would certainly be harder to mix and match the other way around by having Z51 and trying to do the F55 thing.

 

[vettepilot]

Also remember on the C6 Z51 option, this is a more complete performance package than was the C5 Z51 suspension package. The C6 package not only includes the suspension upgrades of higher rate springs, stabilizer bars, and shock valving, but also includes the lower geared 6 speed transmission, upgraded tires to the new F1 Supercar EMTs, upgraded brake rotors, transmission oil cooler and a power steering oil cooler. Great package!
I think, (I didn't look this up yet) but the only difference in the Z51 package ordered with the automatic would be of course the A4 trans VS the 6 spd. I'm certain all A4 trans get a cooler.
For everyday type driving and weekend cruising, I think the automatic with the F55 suspension would be to the liking of most softcore Vette enthusiasts, but not the hardcore drivers. Z51 would probably be better for those people.


vettepilot

 

[Hib Halverson]

I appreciate that..I will be mostly driving it around town. I won't be doing any racing. I just don't want to lose the z-51 performance if it actually is a great performance upgrade.

If we're comparing base manuals to Z51 manuals, there will be a slight increase in acceleration performance due to the Z51's lower 1st-3rd gears. The handling of a Z51 compared to a base car with F55, will be slightly better but only noticeable at the limit. I should add that generally, around race tracks C6 base cars are comparable to C5 Z51 and C6 w. F55 is probably just a tiny bit better than the old Z51.

The ride with F55 is outstanding.

On the manual vs. auto issue, the man., even the base man., will have the performance edge. in 0-60 and quarter mile, but I bet the auto might be better 0-30.

If you want to read a C6 road test see:
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/2005/sequel1.html

If you want some in-depth info on F55 "Magnaride" there's a good article on the C5 version of the system at:
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/kb/question.php?qstId=503
Other than calibration, the C6 version is very similar.

 

[WhalePirot]

If it were me the car would have a manual transmission and the Z51 package. The "standard" brakes just look tiny through the wheels on the base car and I'd go for all of the performance I could anyway.

Wow! Great minds!

Those standard discs DO look small! I went looking to decide if I liked the orange or blue color best, and came away liking the YELLOW. I'd never have expected that. I did like a yellow LT-1, in '71, however.

After driving an automatic with the stock axle, I like neither. The auto is too slow and not adaptive enough for my split driving personality (unlike BMW's 6-speed auto) and the taller standard rear gears make for a nice driver, but not what I expect from this car. Again, I find the 745 feels quicker off the line.

I admit being spoiled by the power of my '84 and look for at least that level of performance, with MUCH better packaging and reliability from a 22-year-newer C-6. I was leaning towards the C-6 Z06, but may have to wait for a paddle-shifted 5 or 6-speed 'automatic' to be fully satisfied.

BTW, I am NOT a total Bimmerphile. I think BMW blew it with their choices of cheap materials, lessened steering 'feel' and the stupid downshift-only buttons on the US version of the new 7er's wheel. I am rather eager to sell it back to them, actually.

 

[WhalePirot]

I had some time with the new Z-51 package and was convinced that, for my oft-aggressive driving, it was the only way to go; plus the other items in the package make it a tougher car, but then found, after spending more time with it, that my aging butt got tired of the ride on freeway washboard sections. I began to long for a way to soften it, temporarily.

Seems a shame to not offer the mag shocks with the higher performance/heavier duty parts included with the Z-51 option. Bear in mind that I have been driving the roughest riding Corvette ever made: the '84 Z-51, which I have made stiffer by removing ALL rubber, save the body mounts, so I am somewhat used to it.

I am finding that I would prefer to mix and match options, over the packages Chevy binds us to. To do this afterwards is quite expensive.

 

[OLDGOAT]

Bundling of options-why?

Anybody have a clue why GM is bundling options the way they are? Is it to reduce costs by limiting "flavors" of the car that are built? For me the #1 attraction of Z51 is the brakes. The closer ratio trans seems like a very minor thing....not like close vs wide ratio 4 speeds back in the "old" days. And the handling upgrades....well, with a base car as good as the C6 it's a tough sell given that the ride might be harsh for everyday driving. Seems to me that the brake upgrade alone would be a nice $850 option that almost everyone would select. It could still be part of the larger Z51 package though. Or...as others have suggested selective ride with Z51 perhaps with an additional setting called, appropriately, "Z-51". A quick look at the expected age breakdown of C6 owners shows why it would be a good idea to separate the brakes out as a separate optional upgrade.