[c1pher]

Originally Posted by RedCarrot

Corinne, I have owned a base Corvette Stingray for nearly four years and it is simply an amazing machine to drive. I had no desire for Corvette or any American car prior to the C7.

Engine: its fast rev'ing 6.2L N/A engine produces linear, tire-screeching power through out the entire rpm range. Its simultaneous roar AND scream, together with the acceleration, induces exhilaration akin to that of a 100-foot (33-meter) roller coaster drop. It's thirsty in city driving but sips like an Englishman on the highway to the tune of 32mpg. Collectively it get 1-2mpg less than the M2 in mixed driving.

Suspension: ride with the base suspension (non-magnetic suspension) is more compliant (less stiff) and comfortable than the M2. Yet it exhibits nearly zero body roll on turns - it just stays flat and easily controllable the whole way through - which is very confidence-inspiring. Traction threshold on turn is just incredible and beyond approachable on public road. This can be a good or bad (less drama) thing depending on your perspective.

Transmission: the gear box is a bit vague and spongy - like most BMW manuals - but precise nonetheless and has a more reassuring engagement "click" than BMW. Fortunately there's an aftermarket shift kit that takes it to Porsche gear box level. Then there's this dreaded 1-to-4 gear thing (it forces you to shift from 1st to 4th by locking out 2nd and 3rd when you drive at low speed at light throttle.) It is bothersome to me enough that I would never buy the car if it couldn't be easily defeated (and it could) via aftermarket.

Interior: The quality of interior material is fantastic (esp. if you opt for the full leather dash), besting the M3/M4 level IMO. I like the driver focused, cockpit-like styling as well. The customizable/selectable digital gauge is great - I like it personally. The entertainment/nav/phone integration is where it falls well short in execution.

I really enjoyed the C7 that I traded-in toward the M2. If I had owned an M2 for a few years and then C7 came out later, I would've just as easily do the opposite. Who knows, maybe the upcoming mid-engine C8 will be my next car in a few years.


PS.
I was amazed how well the C7 was recognized and received by everyone from 5-yo girls to 90-yo men, across all races etc. Literally I had est. 5-yo girls screaming out "Corvette Stingray" as I drove past; I had old Asian men that normally don't give crap about cars came up to me to talk about it. There's was a surge of young Corvette owners of different races on the forum, a vast departure from the gold-chain-wearing-bald-dude stereotype. It's one of those few cars that transcends demographic.

Me either, the C7 was really the first Corvette I wanted. I liked the C6 but the interior was subpar. I like that the cockpit is very up to date, the entire screen is digital and customizable. The heads up display is also configurable and surprisingly a helpful aid at times. People walk up to my C7, take photos etc. They also will wave at me, stare at the car etc. Never really happens with the 135is.

I have the base suspension, but am very happy with it. I would compare it to how the base Porsche suspension would be compared to PASM. If you require more compliance, you could go with magnetic ride, a Z51 package etc. Or you could just add a set of swaybars and shocks from the Z51 and save some money there (FE3 suspension).

Also, driving in sport or track has removed any throttle delay I experienced when I first got the car. I was driving in touring mode at first.

I am surprised that I get overall better fuel economy compared to my 135is. I get 20-21 mpg in mixed driving with the 135is and 23-24mpg with the C7 under identical conditions. My overall fuel economy is 25.7mpg since I've owned the car, but I have taken a good bit of highway trips where I am averaging 31-32mpg at 75-80 mph.

I think my only real compliant is tire noise from the Pilot Super Sports, but plan to remedy that with AS3s which is what my 135is is now riding on.

[RedCarrot]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

I think my only real compliant is tire noise from the Pilot Super Sports, but plan to remedy that with AS3s which is what my 135is is now riding on.

You will love life sooo much more after you get rid of those run-flat crap! Save big on rotational mass and unsprung weight too. Speaking of which, I still have a set of 18/19 Finspeed F10 forged wheels in brushed transparent smoke finish. PM me if you are interested

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by Aloha Joe

Was just in Vegas and rented a C7 for 24 hours and drove it in a spirited fashion through the Valley of Fire State Park and back, then went on the 15 & 95 for a few high speed straights. The car is no doubt faster in the straights and turns than the M2 and also feels pretty good doing it.

Back in the 3rd quarter of 2015 when I started my quest for a new car, there were 5 cars on the list and the C7 was one of them. I went on all the different car forums and started to do my research. However it didn't take too long to cross the C7 off the list due to information on the Corvette forums and user reviews. While the looks and stat numbers are great, so were some of the issues & problems.

I'm very happy that I settled on the M2, while the C7 is the faster car, IMO the M2 is definitely not 2nd in the fun & feel category. One last note, I've seen on the forums that Vegas has no fun roads to drive. Do the Valley of Fire, enter from the Henderson side, pay the $20 to get in and enjoy the 50 miles of empty smooth turns. You then can exit through the other entrance or return the way you came, I chose the latter

Thanks for the insight. What were the issues with the C7 that you read?

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by RedCarrot

Corinne, I have owned a base Corvette Stingray for nearly four years and it is simply an amazing machine to drive. I had no desire for Corvette or any American car prior to the C7.

Engine: its fast rev'ing 6.2L N/A engine produces linear, tire-screeching power through out the entire rpm range. Its simultaneous roar AND scream, together with the acceleration, induces exhilaration akin to that of a 100-foot (33-meter) roller coaster drop. It's thirsty in city driving but sips like an Englishman on the highway to the tune of 32mpg. Collectively it get 1-2mpg less than the M2 in mixed driving.

Suspension: ride with the base suspension (non-magnetic suspension) is more compliant (less stiff) and comfortable than the M2. Yet it exhibits nearly zero body roll on turns - it just stays flat and easily controllable the whole way through - which is very confidence-inspiring. Traction threshold on turn is just incredible and beyond approachable on public road. This can be a good or bad (less drama) thing depending on your perspective.

Transmission: the gear box is a bit vague and spongy - like most BMW manuals - but precise nonetheless and has a more reassuring engagement "click" than BMW. Fortunately there's an aftermarket shift kit that takes it to Porsche gear box level. Then there's this dreaded 1-to-4 gear thing (it forces you to shift from 1st to 4th by locking out 2nd and 3rd when you drive at low speed at light throttle.) It is bothersome to me enough that I would never buy the car if it couldn't be easily defeated (and it could) via aftermarket.

Interior: The quality of interior material is fantastic (esp. if you opt for the full leather dash), besting the M3/M4 level IMO. I like the driver focused, cockpit-like styling as well. The customizable/selectable digital gauge is great - I like it personally. The entertainment/nav/phone integration is where it falls well short in execution.

I really enjoyed the C7 that I traded-in toward the M2. If I had owned an M2 for a few years and then C7 came out later, I would've just as easily do the opposite. Who knows, maybe the upcoming mid-engine C8 will be my next car in a few years.


PS.
I was amazed how well the C7 was recognized and received by everyone from 5-yo girls to 90-yo men, across all races etc. Literally I had est. 5-yo girls screaming out "Corvette Stingray" as I drove past; I had old Asian men that normally don't give crap about cars came up to me to talk about it. There's was a surge of young Corvette owners of different races on the forum, a vast departure from the gold-chain-wearing-bald-dude stereotype. It's one of those few cars that transcends demographic.

Always nice to read a review from someone who owned both cars before. While I was narrowing down my choices, the C7 was high on the list. The Grand Sport out performed the Porsche 911 S according to R&T testing and the Stingray compared very well against both the base 911 and the S. The C7 is the generation where GM really put in the work to make the Vette into a world class sports car.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by Motivate

Thanks for the insight. What were the issues with the C7 that you read?

Not to speak for the other poster, I think most of the issues stem from the eight speed automatic, particularly the 2015 and 2016 which replaced the six speed auto. Other things I’ve read include HD radio removed but returned in 2018, active fuel management, skip shift in the manual, thigh bolster being narrow and throttle response. Most of these topics are mainly due to driver preference, and not sure if they drove the cars before they bought them or not or didn’t research properly. Also some people complain about the noise the pilot super sports make.

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

Not to speak for the other poster, I think most of the issues stem from the eight speed automatic, particularly the 2015 and 2016 which replaced the six speed auto. Other things I’ve read include HD radio removed but returned in 2018, active fuel management, skip shift in the manual, thigh bolster being narrow and throttle response. Most of these topics are mainly due to driver preference, and not sure if they drove the cars before they bought them or not or didn’t research properly. Also some people complain about the noise the pilot super sports make.

I've read about the A8 issues during my research but I would've went with M7 regardless. What was the issue with the active fuel management and throttle response? The skip shift is the one where it goes from 1st to 4th when you drive leisurely or are you referring to something else?

[c1pher]

Some people don’t like the AFM kicking in which is why they use the Range OBD module. Some people also think the throttle response sucks so they get a throttle controller. Once I learned to drive in sport mode, that essentially eliminated that complaint for me. You are correct on the skip shift.

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

Some people don’t like the AFM kicking in which is why they use the Range OBD module. Some people also think the throttle response sucks so they get a throttle controller. Once I learned to drive in sport mode, that essentially eliminated that complaint for me. You are correct on the skip shift.

So mainly just different preferences from people and not real issues. About the tires, aren't they formulated for the C7 specifically? If they change out the factory run flats, wouldn't the handling suffer vs factory spec?

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by Motivate

So mainly just different preferences from people and not real issues. About the tires, aren't they formulated for the C7 specifically? If they change out the factory run flats, wouldn't the handling suffer vs factory spec?

Possibly, but I don’t know. I know they are Michelin’s Pilot Super Sports on my car. They are pretty wide so I’m sure they make changes to the tread pattern based on tread width and aspect ratio etc.

When I swapped the Bridgestone run flats for Michelin AS3+ on my 135is, I didn’t feel I lost any handling. I even went up a size.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

Possibly, but I don’t know. I know they are Michelin’s Pilot Super Sports on my car. They are pretty wide so I’m sure they make changes to the tread pattern based on tread width and aspect ratio etc.

When I swapped the Bridgestone run flats for Michelin AS3+ on my 135is, I didn’t feel I lost any handling. I even went up a size.

Based on anecdotal evidence, I think that Corvette spec PSS are a lot stickier or softer than normal PSS or BMW *-marked PSS tires. C7 PSS tires will start to crack if parked outside below 40F for a prolonged period of time whereas I haven't seen this complaint anywhere on the F8x forums.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by chris719

Based on anecdotal evidence, I think that Corvette spec PSS are a lot stickier or softer than normal PSS or BMW *-marked PSS tires. C7 PSS tires will start to crack if parked outside below 40F for a prolonged period of time whereas I haven't seen this complaint anywhere on the F8x forums.

Do you think they are more like sport cup 2?

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

Possibly, but I don’t know. I know they are Michelin’s Pilot Super Sports on my car. They are pretty wide so I’m sure they make changes to the tread pattern based on tread width and aspect ratio etc.

When I swapped the Bridgestone run flats for Michelin AS3+ on my 135is, I didn’t feel I lost any handling. I even went up a size.

I've read that they are formulated with the Corvette engineers and have tested to pull as much as 1.08 g for the Z51 and 1.05 g for the base, which is insane. Not sure if I would want to mess with that perfection. But I guess it depends on the results the C7 owners are getting in real life.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

Do you think they are more like sport cup 2?

Could be, but only Michelin and GM know. Might be a Cup 2 compound with the PSS tread pattern to avoid hydroplaning in the rain.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by Motivate

I've read that they are formulated with the Corvette engineers and have tested to pull as much as 1.08 g for the Z51 and 1.05 g for the base, which is insane. Not sure if I would want to mess with that perfection. But I guess it depends on the results the C7 owners are getting in real life.

I’ve only ever gotten to .77g according to my HUD lol. With it being cold out, I’m hesitant to try any harder. I think the GS does over 1.15g according to tests I read. My car does grip like crazy. It’s definitely confidence inspiring.

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

I’ve only ever gotten to .77g according to my HUD lol. With it being cold out, I’m hesitant to try any harder. I think the GS does over 1.15g according to tests I read. My car does grip like crazy. It’s definitely confidence inspiring.

Haha, hard to get the g's that they get in tests in daily driving. You're right, I think the Z06 (same suspension as GS) got 1.16g which is the highest Motor Trend ever recorded or something.

It all comes down to are the C7 owners feeling any drop in performance if they go away from the factory spec tires. If they do, it's probably better to just live with the tire noise.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by Motivate

Haha, hard to get the g's that they get in tests in daily driving. You're right, I think the Z06 (same suspension as GS) got 1.16g which is the highest Motor Trend ever recorded or something.

It all comes down to are the C7 owners feeling any drop in performance if they go away from the factory spec tires. If they do, it's probably better to just live with the tire noise.

I made the choice to go with AS3+ on my 135is instead of the PSS since I wanted to be able to drive in colder temperatures. I didn’t realize how quiet they are and how nice they ride. I have some time to decide on the Vette.

[Motivate]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

I made the choice to go with AS3+ on my 135is instead of the PSS since I wanted to be able to drive in colder temperatures. I didn’t realize how quiet they are and how nice they ride. I have some time to decide on the Vette.

Another thing to think about is that these sports cars don't have a spare in the trunk. What happens in case of a flat if you are not using run flats? I guess that's a question too for M2 owners who doesn't use run flats.

[c1pher]

Well,frankly that is one reason I went with a taller tire, since there are lots of potholes and uneven surfaces in N. VA. I have AAA, but what’s going to happen is they take me to a nearby place to fix the tire if it isn’t catastrophic or replace it. Some places won’t work on a run flat tire so having non run flats opens up options at least since you can’t drive to a service station like you can on runflats.