Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

My rental in CA was a black Honda Civic.  I'm used to rental cars being boring, this one was probably the best rental I've had this side of the pond.  It had a sun roof for example and accelerated, braked, and handled quite well for a very basic model.  It got about 38 mpg according to the computer.  The ride was perhaps on the firmer side but I prefer that.  I could live with such a vehicle, though it's not really very sporting.

Chevrolet Lead Engineer Reveals How The New Z06 Handles Better Than The Standard C8 Corvette


YouTuber Speed Phenom (Austin Everett) recently posted a POV video in the Corvette C8 Z06 at Laguna Seca Raceway. His latest video, though, offers even more insight into the car as he talks with one of Chevy's lead engineers from the Corvette team at the track regarding the Z06’s handling attributes.

Austin Everett speaks with Mike, one of the lead engineers for the Z06’s suspension setup. Being the most track-focused C8 Corvette ever, he wanted to delve into the important questions that racing fans might be wondering about.

Austin starts off by asking if there are any key points to highlight about the new FE7 suspension with the MagneRide on the Z07 package. Mike says that he believes the biggest factor is the “notion that the suspension had to be brought up to the same level as the rest of the car”, especially with the visceral engine; the chassis ultimately had to match that.

Austin also asked if someone would be able to feel the difference between a C8 Z06 Z07 and a standard Z06 Z51. Mike ultimately says yes, because when it comes to the FE7 and FE6 cars, the spring rates are higher on the former. Mike also reiterates the fact that the ride frequencies on the C8 Z06 with the Z07 package are about 30 percent higher than on one with the Z51 package. The spring rate differences along with the damping, he says, bring a whole new level of platform support to the mid-engined Corvette.

Mike says that one of the coolest features on the new Z06 (FE6 and FE7) is probably Chevrolet’s use of a helper spring. With the spring rates on the C8 being so high, Chevy used a helper spring that sits in tandem with the coil spring to allow for a full rebound. With this setup, you still get that spring retention, but you didn’t give up wheel travel to get it.

Moving on to the Cup 2 R tires and the carbon fiber wheels, Austin asks if drivers are getting a new calibration for the setup. Mike says that for Magneride, Chevy was able to keep a common calibration no matter if you had the aluminum or carbon fiber wheels. As you go from FE6 to FE7, however, there is a steering calibration difference that comes with the carbon wheels. There’s enough of a difference in steering feel, quickness, and directness that it required its own calibration.

Austin concludes that the FE7 Z07 package is ideal for those looking to get the most aggressive setup possible. The standard Z06 with the Z51, however, is perfect for anyone who enjoys more street composure. It all comes down to your personal use. The Corvette offers a spec for both sides of the spectrum and the C8 is certainly a winner in any respect.

With those points said, Austin tells Mike that he strongly believes people need to run the car stock first to really get a feel for what the C8 can do before changing anything out. After all, the all-new Corvette C8 Z06 was born to win and comes ready to do just that.

Ed Zachery

the Z06 is just for status and perhaps the very rare off chance of blowing by someone on the autobahn or interstate that otherwise could keep up with the reg C8

well, status of having the sound of that Z06 engine noise

FE7 Z07 package??  the track

Some are not.  I recall test driving a Mustang II in about 1975, it was truly awful in every respect.

I've rented 3 Mustang convertibles that were entirely pedestrian, one was a V6 and two were the turbo 4s with the 10 speed.

I'm sure the 5.0 is spiffy.

Going to the independent rear end helped the Pony cars.

Mustang has the DOHC engine while Camaro stuck with the "OHV" design, which rather amazes me today.  They have variable valve timing with the single cam and pushrods.

I've pondered getting a Mustang 5.0 convertible but keep deciding to be practical.  The GTI has a sunroof (which I rarely use).

I forget the sunroof is there, but I usually am driving either a mile and a half to the Kroger or 500 miles at 80 mph.

My wife says she uses it a lot.  To me,  the sunroof is noisy and pointless.  I do like convertibles, and cabriolets.