Zo6 Top Speed

[Blackened]

GM advertised a Zo6 to go top speed of 171. I don't believe this, I think the car can go alot faster then they advertised can it without mods?

 

[Edmond]

GM advertised a Zo6 to go top speed of 171. I don't believe this, I think the car can go alot faster then they advertised can it without mods?

The Z06's make more than enough power to have a top speed over 171, but the gear ratio's were designed more for acceleration than a high top speed purpose.

Notice that when writers write about the Z06, they call it the quickest production Corvette but not the fastest. The Z06 is quicker than the ZR-1 in the 0-60 but the ZR-1's have a higher top end.

 

[Zippy]

And the stock C6 has been stated to have a top speed of "over 180 mph."

 

[Mr Cowl Hood]

GM advertised a Zo6 to go top speed of 171. I don't believe this, I think the car can go alot faster then they advertised can it without mods?

Well, there's nothing in the PCM code to inhibit it from going past 171 mph. In fact the stock tuning allows for a 255 mph top speed. Basically it's not speed limited. Drag would play a factor, but I don't know anyone who's made it past 180 in a Z06. Do you?

 

[Blackened]

What does that mean Drag Limited? I always read it in mags it confuses me.

 

[DRTH VTR]

I took my Z06 to 160MPH out on a flat straight empty desert road. It was turning about 6000RPM in 5th gear. I think it would have done a bit over 170 before the rev limiter stopped further progress. Apparently it will not pull a higher speed in 6th because of the gearing already mentioned.

As far as 'drag limited' goes, stick your hand out the window at a high speed and feel the drag on your hand due to air resistance. Consider the frontal area and the whole amount of drag created by a fast moving car. Someone better educated in physics may know better than me, but I think the drag force is the square of the multiple of speed. That is, go 2 times as fast and get 4 times the drag. Eventually all the power the engine can produce bumps up against the amount of power needed to overcome drag at a given speed, and it cannot exceed that speed. That will be the drag limited speed. To go faster, more power or less drag are required. Some other cars may have lower gear ratios and hit red line in top gear before they run into the drag barrier. They would not be 'drag limited'. I hope that makes some sense.

 

[8388]

A few years ago a friend in his stock 367 rwhp 02, Z06 did 175 mph. This was GPS verified. I have the video of that race between 2 ZR1's and the Z06.

 

[Mr Cowl Hood]

I took my Z06 to 160MPH out on a flat straight empty desert road. It was turning about 6000RPM in 5th gear. I think it would have done a bit over 170 before the rev limiter stopped further progress. Apparently it will not pull a higher speed in 6th because of the gearing already mentioned.

As far as 'drag limited' goes, stick your hand out the window at a high speed and feel the drag on your hand due to air resistance. Consider the frontal area and the whole amount of drag created by a fast moving car. Someone better educated in physics may know better than me, but I think the drag force is the square of the multiple of speed. That is, go 2 times as fast and get 4 times the drag. Eventually all the power the engine can produce bumps up against the amount of power needed to overcome drag at a given speed, and it cannot exceed that speed. That will be the drag limited speed. To go faster, more power or less drag are required. Some other cars may have lower gear ratios and hit red line in top gear before they run into the drag barrier. They would not be 'drag limited'. I hope that makes some sense.

Actually, in layman's terms, drag refers to the amount of "drag" or suction of air that is produced at the rear of the car. Every vehicle that travels through an atmosphere has a drag coefficient. The lower the drag coefficient, the less suction there is to limit speed. :cool

Anyone know that factor on the C5's? ;help I believe it's slightly better on the coupes than the others.

 

[DRTH VTR]

Actually, in layman's terms, drag refers to the amount of "drag" or suction of air that is produced at the rear of the car. Every vehicle that travels through an atmosphere has a drag coefficient. The lower the drag coefficient, the less suction there is to limit speed. :cool

Anyone know that factor on the C5's? ;help I believe it's slightly better on the coupes than the others.

Are you suggesting that the force needed to move the air out of the way of the front of the car is immaterial in drag? That the rear is the only factor that produces 'drag'?

 

[Blackened]

Thanks guys that makes more sense now. But is the Zo6 faster then a regular C5 coupe/ convert. Also which has a higher top speed the Zo6 or Zr1?

 

[DRTH VTR]

Thanks guys that makes more sense now. But is the Zo6 faster then a regular C5 coupe/ convert. Also which has a higher top speed the Zo6 or Zr1?

I am not 100% sure about this, so I may be corrected. I think that the coupe may have a very slightly higher top speed than the Z06, but they are close. Of course, the Z06 accelerates faster than the coupe. The ZR1 has a higher top speed than any stock version of the C5. It isn't very much, but it is a bit faster top end.

 

[Edmond]

I think the coupes do have a higher top speed than the Z06's because of the gearing. I think the drag created by the convertible top on the convertibles would drag the car more than the roof on the coupes.

I think the ZR-1's top out at around 180 or so?

 

[Rob]

Thanks guys that makes more sense now. But is the Zo6 faster then a regular C5 coupe/ convert. Also which has a higher top speed the Zo6 or Zr1?

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/zr1/zr1perf.html

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/z06/z06perform.html

 

[ZEDohSIX]

You also might want to check out this thread from one of our sister forums:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=743570
In particular look at the conversation between Painrace and myself. The thread title is misleading.

 

[Mr Cowl Hood]

Are you suggesting that the force needed to move the air out of the way of the front of the car is immaterial in drag? That the rear is the only factor that produces 'drag'?

No, as stated, the very definition, in automotive terms, drag is referred to the forces imposed by air at the rear of the car. That's all.

The air forces at the front and anywhere else on the car are referred to in different terms. All surfaces of the car have issues with air and performance. See?

 

[CKA_Racing]

From what i have read in car mags, the coupe cuts thru the air a little better than the hard top C5's like the Z06 and 99-01 hard tops. Has to do with the the air flow over the back half. But the Z06 has more power of course than a standard C5, so that changs things some.

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

It will go past 6500 rpm

With a programmer such as my Diablosport Predator, I can get an additional 100 rpm. Boy was I disappointed. My 99 Hardtop got an additional 600 rpm from the Predator, raising it to 6600. I was hoping I could go 500+ on my ZO6, but not the case, gained 100. Damn.

 

[Mr Cowl Hood]

With a programmer such as my Diablosport Predator, I can get an additional 100 rpm. Boy was I disappointed. My 99 Hardtop got an additional 600 rpm from the Predator, raising it to 6600. I was hoping I could go 500+ on my ZO6, but not the case, gained 100. Damn.

If I understand what you're saying correctly, the Predator only allowed you to add 100 rpm as a rev limit for your Z06, right? Was that from 6600-6700? If your Z06 is stock then that's about right as the power trails off before 6600 anyway so raising it only allows you to shift way past it's potential. Take a look at someone's dyno sheet for a stock or near stock Z06. There's not much to be gained beyond 6600 rpm.

I use LS1 edit to tune LSX cars and I can go higher than 6700 but rarely do for this reason.

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

Thanks Mr. Cowl Hood

Wow that's nice to know! Thanks for that info. I was hoping for +/-7000 rpm, but got disappointed. In the lower gears would have been alot of fun.

 

[DRTH VTR]

No, as stated, the very definition, in automotive terms, drag is referred to the forces imposed by air at the rear of the car. That's all.

The air forces at the front and anywhere else on the car are referred to in different terms. All surfaces of the car have issues with air and performance. See?

This is a case where we are saying the same thing in different words. I understand that you are using the technical definition of drag. The question was about what 'drag limited' meant. In that context, all forces acting to decelerate the car could be considered drag. That is also how I have seen the word used in flight school. The forces slowing the plane are grouped into the term 'drag'.