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Too much power??

12K views 34 replies 21 participants last post by  jjach 
#1 ·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvtWa2xjW18

At some point folks are going to have to consider whether or not their personal driving abilities are adequate to handle the power of the C7 and, heaven help them, the C7 Z06.

Certainly most of the folks on this site seem to be up to the task, but you have to wonder if 700hp in the Z06 or Hellcat is just too much for some people's driving skills.

Lets put it this way, I know folks who I would not want to see driving toward me with a 700 hp car.

What do you think?

Mike
 
#3 ·
I've had my C6 Z since June of '13. I have had numerous sports cars, and this car in it's stock configuration is all I can handle with confidence. So I do agree that there are lots of people that will buy way more car than they can handle. Usually those people are the ones that crack up the car with less than 1000 miles on them. Hopefully they don't hurt anybody else in the process. I remember when I bought my 19 year old son a '13 Mustang GT with the track pack, I enrolled him in Miller Motorsports two day high performance driving school. Best $5K I ever spent. It has allowed him to respect the car he has and enjoy it. Plus I never saw a grim that big on that kids face after the fist day on the road course.
 
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#4 ·
I remember when I bought my 19 year old son a '13 Mustang GT with the track pack, I enrolled him in Miller Motorsports two day high performance driving school. Best $5K I ever spent. It has allowed him to respect the car he has and enjoy it.
Now that's a smart father....and generous too :lol:

Mike
 
#5 ·
I did the then Bragg-Smith, now Spring Mountain driving school for 3 days before I got the 405 hp C5Z in 2003. I didn't do it again when I got the C6Z. I'll probably do Spring Mountain again before I get a C7Z so I can spend as much time as I can in the C7 Z06 to see if I will continue to think I eventually must have one when the dealer prices settle. I know from what I learned about the Z on the track in 2003 has kept me from certain otherwise dangerous (stupid) experiments on public roads.
It would be a prudent thing (and fun and scary) to attend a driving school when you get something like the Z. Z's don't kill people, people kill people and spoons did not make Rosie O'Donnell fat!
 
#7 ·
Totally agree also.
In fact it was my 3-day stint at Bragg-Smith school that convinced me to by a Z instead of a coupe. :yeadog:
I expect to see a rash of FU'd new Z06s in a few months.
 
#10 ·
Just because you have empathy for the untrained low IQ judgment lacking individuals who are in over their heads, I wouldn't want anyone to think you are a government nanny that I know you are not. I too have empathy for the innocent persons that may be hurt by idiot persons, but not enough to say I shouldn't have as much horsepower as I can pay for as long as I'm the one responsible for the consequences of my own actions. I will take responsibility for learning how to use the power. I will attend Spring Mountain again. I will go 8-9/10th on the track, but have no illusions I'd do anything but wreck at 10/10th. I'm not a professional driver. We have no 2nd Amendment to protect our horsepower pursuit of happiness. If I hurt someone else, that is on me and my insurance company. If I hurt me, who cares? That also is on me. If the idiot hurts me, hopefully he or she has lots of insurance. If not, I also have uninsured and underinsured coverage in large numbers. The car companies will built it if they can sell it and do so before the all knowing, all seeing, federal government transparently tells us the stupid voters what is good for us and how much horsepower we can have in our autos. On another example of federal waste, I can't wait till the latest stupid idea of putting calorie labels on commercial food menus unnecessarily becomes an additional cost passed on to the consumer. I wish the federal government would coin money and provide for the common defense but otherwise leave me alone. Rant over. :clap:
 
#11 ·
No, not suggesting anything whatsoever about government intervention.....

I guess my point is simply to put out a warning to those who purchase a 700hp Vette. This is a powerful car and until you fully appreciate how this power can get away from you if not handled properly, there can be serious consequences.

Many, if not most, of the folks here on the site have owned fairly powerful (and possibly very powerful) cars in the past and the new Z is simply the next step in the progression. Others who can afford the new Z may come from 300hp (or less) automobile and figure this is just a new lark and plan to just get on the highway and step on it.

Although my '02 is around 1100 hp, I can still remember well how powerful it was at only 750hp and just how easy it was to let it get away from you if not handled carefully.

I applaud those folks smart enough to go to a high speed driving school to better appreciate how to harness the hp. I didn't but between the hundreds of passes at the strip and a few HPDE's, I learned as well.

Greg, this is just a cautionary tale and in no way would I discourage owning the new Z06 when it comes out. Don't know if I'll go that way myself......but I might :sneaky:

Mike
 
#17 ·
Its darwinism. It is best that the less intelligent be exterminated by their own hand or foot so that they cannot reproduce. This really applies to the more money than brains club. I can agree the media will harp on our hobby making some super smart politician think he should legislate us into submission to save us from ourselves. This is not the answer of course. This is America, land of the free. Maybe GM should build into the price, 3 days at spring Mountain PRIOR to picking up the car, unless you are a professional race car driver with credentials. Then again this goes against my theory and motto. We all know to be careful with guns and to point them in a safe direction…..but their are accidental deaths with guns every year. If your buying a 700HP car, come on you should know the limits of tires, traction, and the pitfalls of oil, antifreeze ect on the pavement that can cause you to lose control???? If not Darwinism will prevail as it should…….
 
#19 ·
I've seen posts like this before on various sports car forums, the whole "darwinism" thing comes in to play as a tongue in cheek answer often - but there's some truth to that. Alternatively I'd point out the MAJORITY of people who can afford a C7Z do not intend on beating the crap out of it on the street - they're either silver haired waxers or track day whores - or occasionally both, but neither is a candidate for around town foolery.

The other glaring issue I'd pose to your question would be the fact that anyone w/ a small downpayment and average credit can get a $10,000 jap sportbike that would destroy a Z06 in a straight line and has more speed than 99% of ANYTHING on the road exotics included - so you got that end of the spectrum too, yeah the new C7Z is fast and powerful, but there's always something better out there.

It is like anything else - people who choose to engage in risky behavior will do so, whether its on a $10,000 sportbike or $100,000 Z06..
 
#20 ·
The other glaring issue I'd pose to your question would be the fact that anyone w/ a small downpayment and average credit can get a $10,000 jap sportbike that would destroy a Z06 in a straight line and has more speed than 99% of ANYTHING on the road exotics included - so you got that end of the spectrum too, yeah the new C7Z is fast and powerful, but there's always something better out there.
Oh sorry, I guess I should change my question to fit your answer. How about this...

Is there any type of vehicle in the world faster than the new Z06?

Better, huh... :lol:

Oh btw, welcome to the site!

Mike
(the silver haired waxer)
 
#23 ·
Powa Schmowa - IMO the C7Z is just where stock sports cars should be :)

Now as to whether there are people I have met that should not be allowed anywhere near a C7Z?

Hell yes.

In fact, there are some folks I know that can barely handle one of these new 200 to 300hp family sedans.

All we can do is hope and pray that they don't take anyone else with them when they do something stupid.
 
#26 ·
Mike,

I think with common sense this new z06 will be appropriate.

With as fast as cars are today....I think many of the sports cars out are dangerous in the wrong hands...

For the most part corvette owners are among the safest drivers respectful of their cars capabilities.....I point to low insurance premiums based off claims as my precedent.
 
#29 ·
I owned a 2002 Z06 until last month when I bought this 2016 Z06. This thing is a rocket and way to much power for me, but I love it and I am going to keep it. I have found a happy medium on the gas pedal and where I am at and especially who is around me. Of course there is never to much power but this is close to it. No regrets.
Walt
 
#30 · (Edited)
I did the four day program at Bondurant's after purchasing a C6 Z06. The car was a beast. So far I feel that the C7 Z06, even with additional horsepower, is easier to drive. The better seats make a big difference. I'll weigh in after my Spring Mountain experience.

BTW - as long as the tires are warm and you are "rolling along" the Z06 will hook up under full throttle, at least the automatic version (which I am really enjoying). The acceleration is BRUTAL !
 
#32 ·
Cars only go as fast as the driver pushes the gas pedal. That being said around here this type of problem goes all the way back to the 2001-2002 time frame. The Viper owners club said that a new viper owner if he does not crash in the first three weeks he might make it. The would swap ends on drivers that put their foot in it because of the amount of torque at the very low end, more than other cars becasue of the V-10. During the same time period we had Z06's but they had active handling and a different type of driver than Viper owners. Not every new viper owner that I encountered at car shows had any prior high power car experience. Darn we live in a era of 400hp+ stock Mustangs eek.
 
#33 ·
Panzer makes a good point, "Cars only go as fast as the driver pushes the gas pedal." Push the new Z06 a bit and (with the automatic) it will drop down a gear or two, build a bit of boost, and take off about as hard as my old Cobra Mustang or similar to my wife's 2002 Corvette (non Z06) performs at WOT. It's fast enough to get around slower traffic but not unlike most high performance car owners are used to experiencing. As long as the tires are warm, full throttle results in an instant "leap" forward that has to be experienced behind the wheel (IMO). The technology does an excellent job of putting the horsepower to the ground. I'll be exploring the limits of available power of the new Z06 at Spring Mountain.
 
#34 ·
yeah my camaro auto and 800hp on E85.. its like that. I forget its auto.. give it some gas and it down shifts and jumps lol.. also can spin tires at 80mph so got to be careful.. problem is people that dont. they think im the best driver in the world even though i never do anything but floor car on highway. no training. no hpde. no nothing.. just because it hasnt happen doesnt mean it wont. You see then commenting on youtube that driver sucks i would of drifted that thing and not crashed.. those the ones that crash..
respect the power.. roll into it and dont be embarrassed to get out of the gas..
 
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