Another car thread. Wanting a sports car. Which one?

in that list he z06 without a doubt. the GS looks the same with a fair bit less power. def z! very nice car i might add!

 

Agreed.

 

The shop that I'm affiliated with here in Kalamazoo deals with late model GM. It's basically their bread and butter. I was thinking about getting a C7 last year. They urged me to get a grand sport. The not sure if you're planning on doing any modifications, but if so, the Grand Sport is a better platform to start with. Zo6 likes to shatter pistons for no reason. Even under stock power.

Strictly did just go through a z06 and refresh a previous build they did a few years ago. Upgraded the charger to a TVS2650 and re-tuned it. Engine is also a Strictly built bullet.



C8's are really fantastic cars. I love them and I think once the pricing comes out of outer space they will be the car to get. For what they MSRP for there really isn't a better car. However, once the C8's pricing isn't ridiculous and the car becomes more obtainable, expect the C7's to PLUMMET in prices.

Either way, whichever one you get I think you'll be happy. I've driven all three of these cars at Grattan and was having a blast in all of them... If you do plan to modify it, I cannot recommend Strictly Performance Motorsports out of Kalamazoo enough. Not because they're my pals, not because, they help me out, and not because they're my on/off employer.

It's because they have been churning out some really awesome, reliable builds. Also the way they treat their customers is really top notch. If what you want isn't in their wheelhouse, they will do whatever they can to find you a shop/individual who can get you what you need. (For example, when they call me in to do custom fab work outside of their scope)

 

I havent done a ton of research, are the internals different from the GS to the Z06 or is the the added super charger?

The Grand Sport is more affordable for sure, I have also read a high milage Z06 is a ticking time bomb?

 

I know the Z06 had a large amount of cooling issues.

With the C7 platform, it looks to me like they moved the engine back further towards the center of the chassis. Which is easy to do because the transmission is in the back, so why not take advantage? However, in doing this they also seem to have really ramped down the nose of the car for aero/packaging/aesthetics purposes. This doesn't leave a lot of room for radiator/ducting systems. With superchargers, EVERYTHING GETS SUPER HOT. Keeping coolant, oil, air, and even fuel at proper temperatures becomes very important. Other then the hood, and maybe the side gills, there really doesn't seem to be much more ducting in place to get all that hot air out of the engine bay. If you look at a ZR1 though. all the ducting is HUGE! The same LT4 engine out of the Z06 is used in the CTS-V and the ZL1 camaro. They dont seem to have as many issues. They do have much larger ducting and cooling units though.

I'm not sure what your intentions are with the car. But IMO the C7 Grand Sport is the way to go. You can track them without worrying about them exploding. The Grand sports LT1 still has a dry sump, so slapping really stick tires on isn't going to cause starvation issues, they stay cool because they aren't boosted, and the interiors are really great. They're cheaper to insure, and require less maintenance. Also, if you do some good searching, you can find them with the carbon brake options.

If you do plan to modify them though, the stock pistons are only good for about 100HP over stock. The OEM slugs are not forged.

But FWIW this day and age is really a great time to build sweet cars. the huge leaps in manufacturing processes, and cost reduction gives us the ability to pull off some really badass shit. 1100hp-1300hp is literally some boost, an off the shelf rotating assembly, and fuel control away in almost every American v8 produced in the last 15 years. Most people I know can BARELY drive the 350-450HP that Camaros/Mustang/Z51/Supra's come from the factory with..

Hell.. I am picking away at building a small tire radial drag car, and the current short block has been built to withstand 35PSI+ of boost and about 1500hp.. All while using an OEM iron block (not even cement filled) and an oem crank. Just waiting on finding another chassis to build before I move forward. The last one I picked up was a shit show and I scrapped it..

 

The issue in the Z06's are with the valve springs. They will snap in half and if you're not paying attention will then drop a valve.

A) This is primarily seen on the automatic transmission cars because the car will switch in and out of 4 cylinder mode. There is a small plug in device that you can get to stop the car from doing this and thus greatly reducing the chance of this happening.

B) The other contributing factor is driving in ECO mode alot. In reports of the manual transmission cars having this happen, they were almost always primarily being driven in ECO. I'm not sure what purpose ECO mode and a 650hp monster serve together but....just No and you're a lot safer.

C) GM has been very good at fixing these engines when this happens under warranty.

I wouldn't let this be a deterrent.

The only way I would go GS is if you plan to rip into the motor and mod it. I opened up mine with a X-pipe, axel back exhaust, and an intake. Freed up a few extra ponies and it's stupid fast. Will run with my buddies GTR, McLaren 650, and Ferrari 458.

 

Overheating issues are in the 14-16 cars, again, primarily noticed in the A8 cars. GM addressed the overheating with a different supercharger lid and some additional cooling in the 17-19 cars.

Also to note, the overheating was seen in track situations. I have not read a single report of them overheating in normal street driving. Friend of mine had a 15 here in Columbia, SC and couldn't get it to overheat at all.

 

I will say that with the zo6 cars that Strictly dealt with, it was the very early ones. The main issues have been addressed by GM, but the cooling issue is still very prevalent. Mostly in track conditions.

If you're mostly going to be getting ice cream in it. You'll be fine..

 

So, other then brakes and super charger and other difference in the cars. If i understand it right I want the z51 suspension package correct?

 

I have a 2018 C7 Grand Sport Coupe. I bought it as a Chevrolet Certified Used Car so it came with a bumper to bumper warranty , powertrain warranty and service package from Chevrolet. Unless you are a serious track driver or racer I see no need to have more than the 460 HP of the stock car on the street. Here in Wake County, NC you have a lot of traffic congestion, too many people, bicycles, cell phones, etc. You cannot use huge horsepower on the street around here. It is the same problems as a liter bike except you have the added width of the car. The Grand Sport though is a great handling car and to me looks great. C8s are great but pricing is still through the roof. Grand Sports have all of the cooling, brakes, and aerodynamics of a Z06 without the complexity of the supercharger and assorted plumbing. The bottom line is that you should buy the car that you want as life is short.

 

I agree, its just hard to decide. I dont want to buy the GS and kick my self in the ass for not getting a Z.

I have read about guys getting the GS and installing there own supercharger from Edelbrock and it coming with some kind of warranty that covers engine issues.

 

What about the jag f-type r?

One of the best looking cars out there, big HP, but Jaguar.

 

The F-type is on my short list whenever I move to a house with enough room for a 3rd vehicle. I'm only interested in the V6 model though, since they didn't put a manual tranny in the V8 cars.

 

Looks like something my grandma would drive. No Thanks.

 

What I heard was "My penis is too small and that car is too subtle to compensate properly."

 

So grandma has better taste than you?

 

Didnt we already figure out your the "get off my lawn age"? Shouldnt you be chatting it up with your people at McDonalds,reading NY Times, bitch about the weather and showing off your New white shoes!!!

 

New white shoes, I’m not the one buying a little red corvette, don’t forget your gold chains either.

Unlike Ohio, there isn’t too much weather for me to bitch about either.

 

Get the GS properly optioned out and be done.

If you want the Z down the road , then sell the GS (my buddies sold in 1 day for cash offer) and go shopping again or give a good tuner guy the money and keep it.

My C5 zo6 is plenty for the street unless you have a hellcat charger playing red light games with you. Insurance is cheap also.

 

as someone who bought a lower level model (camaro ss) and heavily modded it...yes it makes a fair bit more power than a ZL1, but at a bigger cost and its still worth less. start with the more powerful car, play with a bit to make it yours...and you will be better off in the end.