Why The C7 Is The Best Track Day Hero You can buy today.
The Reason to Stick with the C7
I purchased my 2017 C7 Grand Sport back in January. And although timing was not ideal during these uncertain times. I am glad I did. I believe, that with the right skills, the C7 may be the best car to buy right now, to be a track day hero. And here are some of my reasons why:
PRICE
The C7 Z51 can be had (at the time of May 2020) for high to mid $35,000.00 range, and the Grand sports around $50,000.00. That is a lot of car for the money. And what do we get for the price of $50,000.00 for the grand sport?
I will use my car as an example, even though mine came with lots of track day goodies (wheels/tires/brake pads and some power mods) let’s assume you didn’t get as lucky as I did.
TRANSMISSION
Praise be! You can get the last GM transmission for the C7 , the M7, 7 speeds and, although it doesn’t inspire their greatest shift feel in the industry, a small investment into a short shift kit fixes that issue, mine has the MGW shifter that was installed by the previous owner. And it feels great.
ENGINE
The Dry sump LT1 engine found in the C7 Z51 and the Grand Sport are absolute gems. For a multitude of reasons
Power
These motors make plenty of power for most people, but if you wish to add power, bolt-ons/E-85 tune and exhaust can get you even more, past the 600 Crank mark ( if you believe some of the manufacturers claims for those parts) and unlike the LS of years past, the LT1 loves to rev! very linear power all the way to redline. No more does the corvette feel like it has a low revving truck engine was shoehorned in the front.
Oiling
Perhaps the most overlooked part of any engine that is going to be used in racing or HPDE days. The LT1 has not had any oiling issues up to -1.88 G forces (logged by me in my grand sport) where is the old LS has been known to have drops in oil pressure at that level of grip. This has been dead reliable.
Replacement Cost
If something were to happen on track replacement blocks can be had for less then the cost of a Honda Long Block for my S2000, for under $8,000.00. pre-assembled and ready to be tossed in. Should I ever need to find out the limit of the oiling system, this is good info to have.
DATA ACQUISITION
The C7 has a remarkable ECU, and if you opted for the PDR, it even has a built in 5hz GPS that can be logged through the Cosworth software ( that is free by the way) and for the more hardcore data coaches such as myself. You can plug in a AIM Solo DL 2 and get more information that even I would need, including:
Sourced from AIM’s website
Yes, that is a lot of data, BUILT IN. To get this type of data in a S2000 (for example) it would incur a very large cost for sensors and standalone ECU, and even then. You will not have nearly as much information. (It was around $3000.00 to get my s2000 to log oil pressure/temps in an AIM Solo DL) I will be doing a much deeper dive into the data system in the C7 at a later date
CHASSIS
The C7 Chassis has some very common mis-information associated to it, due to its similar design to the C5/C6 generations, there are many out there who claim that they are the same, so “ why bother” getting the C7 when the C6 is the same thing? this is entirely incorrect. it is, in fact 60% stiffer, and all new, as in, nothing was carried over from he C6 chassis. well except a trunk latch and a cabin air filter source: GM. What does this all mean for us? well it means that the car has a phenomenal road feel and very consistent as you throw the car around on a track.
Performance
Time attack is often considered one of the cheapest and best ways to get into racing. So, when we look at a HPDE car, we often compare lap times with Time Attack cars. It may not be always an apples to apples comparison. But it gives us track day heroes a great goal to strive for and a sense of what is “race car fast”. Let’s take Buttonwillow for example. 13CW configuration
This is often the track that most California track rats use as an indication of a car (and drivers) performance level. Lets take some “street car” lap times from last year’s event, GTA’s rules for a street car are laughable, but its important to note that the cars are designed to be driven to and from the track ( no trailer required) hence the name “street” so ill be using them as a good lap time comparison vs the C7.
Here is the top 4 RWD street cars from 2019’s SLB finals ad their lap times. Many of these cars have had years of development, and every driver is incredibly skilled on this list.
These cars are wicked fast. And anything near this would be impressive for a mildly tuned C7 grand sport on street legal tires and stock suspension ( OEM Camaro goodyears)
What did the C7 end up with? A blazing fast 1:50.76
Now I know, the car isn’t built to compete with these SLB cars. But as I said, this is a benchmark that a lot of HPDE drivers compare themselves to. And to be able to accomplish it, reliably, in a stock suspension/stock aero car. Is a game changer for those of us that want to drive to the track, send it, and drive home, “winning” HPDE days, the C7 is the car to get us there.
