2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 - C/D Underbelly

We take you on a technical tour of the C7 Corvette.
Full test of the C7 Corvette Z51: bit.ly/13buWvm
Corvette Mega-Hub: C7 stories, dozens of archived tests, comparos, and more: bit.ly/11eyoZw
C/D Underbelly takes you on a technical tour of the coolest and most interesting cars that swing through Car and Driver HQ.

[@lilredone]

Great to see up close what makes the new Stingray an outstanding automobile.

[@ThaLastBoss]

Love how Chevy put in the extra work to make the Stingray so complex. Very nice.

[@Hiluxtaco]

"We need more light in this garage, Captain!"

[@bernabesuarez8038]

Great video. Tingwall does a good job explaining the tech that makes the C7 a great car and platform.

[@850Demon]

Great video. I love the detailed look at a car most reviewers will just drive and comment about. Keep it up!

[@madogblue]

What a well done review so much more professional than most

[@AudioCrossingVideos]

Seeing the technology of this car up close and personal with explanations is just as cool as the track review. C/D Underbelly is a valuable segment.

[@TheRebuilt1]

Very good information,. I just borrowed my friends 15 Stingray and this experience of driving this Corvette has really changed my opinion of Chevrolet and the Corvette. I have a few small complaints but compared my turbo civic, supercharged CRX and VW 1.8T (all modified) This car is an absolute joy to drive. Kudos to Chevrolet and job well done.

[@sugardippedtitz]

civic? bahaha, not even the same league

[@sixty9fbody]

what a poor lit video... the lighting seriously looks like you guys broke into a garage and needed to lay low.

[@breakernoah]

Like the underbelly technical videos, keep them coming.

[@brodofaggins6078]

Great video, it is cool to learn more about how the Corvette works. Well explained too, keep it up!

[@IBENOUTMYMIND]

Any corvette video makes me 60% stiffer.

[@brodofaggins6078]

Cool to finally find out how the magnetic ride control suspension works. I wondered.

[@juukame]

Same here. I had never even considered owning a Corvette, but this new C7 has completely changed my opinion. I'd gladly have one....in electric blue I think.

[@MrUltraworld]

I have a '10 ZR1 and this car has me really excited. The electronic diff that's integrated into the stability control is genius. Look at the C7's at the strip and see how well this car launches. It comes pretty damn close to the C6 Z06 in handling performance. Add the improved interior & I think they hit a huge homerun with this car. I look forward to this car's big brother. I've already started putting money aside for it.

[@b18c1love]

you don't own a zr1 .

[@JohnUnit]

They mentioned the least important benefit of a dry sump oiling system. Yes it helps in high-g cornering, but more importantly it means the crankshaft isn't operating in oil (or even significant oil mist) which helps efficiency and power, and it allows them to lower the engine since there doesn't have to be space between the crankshaft and the bottom of the pan for 5+ litres of oil.

[@jkheslekrants]

This Car is FREAKIN Spectacular. Best Vette Yet. No Question about it. I can not wait for a C7 Z06

[@totallynotjonathan]

A lot of people think the ls7 engine is huge because of its 7 liter displacement but the the engine fully dressed weighs 440 pounds and and makes 505hp and 470tq whilst the bmw s65 (the engine in the last m3 ;'0 ) is 4 liter displacement makes 414hp and makes 300ft of torque but weighs 445pounds. Oh and these numbers are streight from the manufacturer.

[@pete9047]

Fantastic to see under body shots and learn about that part of the car. Most reviews show you all the pretty stuff on the outside, loved it!

[@troypower4733]

I'm really enjoying my 2015 Z51, I went for the 8 speed automatic, fist automatic performance car I've purchased, happy with my choice. This beast is really well put together, draws tons attention and the handling is top notch and the transmission is excellent. Pleased with the power, if I ever decide I want to bolt on another 150Hp its a no brainer with the Edelbrock SC kit, for $7K.

[@chuckcox207]

this was very helpful to understand the new design of this corvette

[@SRSwain1947]

That was fun! I enjoyed "meeting" Don Sherman on video after reading his work for ages and ages. Cool!

[@IMRgarage]

If I remember Jeremy Clarkson saying in his days of racing they used leaf springs on there cars and turn ins were better and more controllable with the mon leaf . I love the corvette and all the innovation !

[@mazetga]

I think we have yet again, another vette which will hold it's own very well on the world stage, putting up numbers with cars at twice and more the money while looking good and feeling good doing it. C7.R and the GT3 cars will also be very strong. Love the vettes!

[@cyberatti]

Good video! One of the first videos to go underneath the Stingray.

[@TheDudeAr]

What you are saying is the firing cylinders liners and rings will wear faster then the ones that do not fire. The thing is it takes hundreds of thousands of kilometers for any of them to start wearing significantly. Even my 2000 montana with 300k on it, the engine is perfectly sound. Remember when the cylinders are deactivated it is in a low load situation, where wear and tear are the at the least.

[@ripkej77]

FYI in my 505 hp Z06 I achieved 30+ mph going 55 and 27+ mpg going 80 mph. Believe or not the C4 was getting over 25 mpg. This is a great car but Corvette has always made a great car.

[@harolds789]

Large disp generally means more weight/engine size/mass cutting efficiency. Small disp, low rpm IS more efficient, just harder to achieve. F1 engine rule changes will mean running 1.6L V6 turbo/hybrid engines with the same power, 15k rpm limit, instant power, reliability (one race before rebuild) as the current V8s (and use less fuel). F1 engine makers are already doing the R&D on these now to be ready.

[@MrUltraworld]

I have an '11 ZR1 that I'm happy with. But the multimatic spool, the integrated MRC, TDC system that also uses tire temps really interests me. A rev matching 7 speed would be a welcomed addition too. And it's 60% stiffer? Very cool stuff.

[@MrOnemanop]

Absolutely the worst cost cutting decision Ford made on that car. Thanks for bringing it up

[@roadwraith6]

You are one cool Car geek :) Good review. I just love car tech and numbers :)

[@sasajungic89]

yeah they are really interesting. Nice to see how different cars really are and what manufacturers do to make cars corner and put the power down better. I hope they do a GTR. I'm a big fan

[@1PortuguesaBonita]

I'm impressed with this Corvette. It Looks great, has far more technology then the previous and seems well put together. now all they need is a dual clutch transmission and they would have a super car. If I didn't already have a gtr I would consider this car. Its very comparable to the gtr with a great price. Great Job GM keep it up!

[@Blackgam3r]

I agree for the most part I just feel that if you can make a engine with more displacement perform as well as an engine that uses revving or forced induction technology then it's a completely valid method of achieving performance. Neither's necessarily better it just comes down to preference and the racing heritage of the manufacturer.

[@emih8869]

and this is why it is worth the price

[@LysergikFuneral]

Nice to see SOAD on the radio.

[@QuietStormX]

Nice little review of the C7 Stingray.

[@MyHandsAreCats]

Pushrod engine = no OHV setup, so the heads are smaller, keeping the engine package smaller. That being said, they're usually limited in the # of valves per cylinder. Rather than being able to run 4 per cyl, they'll run only 2. volumetric efficiency would then go down. Given the hp/liter of each, the BMW engine makes a lot more in that aspect, but the corvette makes up for it with being able to increase displacement w/o adding too much weight or making the engine too big.

[@canah1]

absolutely stunning car, the z06 will be a wet dream!

[@KpopNiDontStop]

Here in 2020 now I can actually afford one!!

[@admiralfloofz658]

Yes, over 100 kg. An LS9 is over 200 kg, more like 220 kg and an F1 engine is 95 kg. Add that to a car that weighs around 500 kg it will severly effect its performance. And yes I do, I race Porsches in modsport and PCSR here in Sweden, but I havent mentioned that because anyone can make shit up on the internet.

[@ItsXXnotXXme]

Come on I want to see you guys track it. It's now a world class sports car so much technology such good styling. Man this car is going to kick ass.

[@5571350M8]

This Corvette is just a sports car, but the ZR1 is a supercar.

[@digitaltouch35]

Wow I love this, you should start doing this kind of review for a lot of other cars. Technical and different, I like!

[@undertake782]

Lol, he got the two mixed between wet sump and dry sump. A wet sump is the one that prevents oil from sloshing to one side of the pant in hard corning.

[@5571350M8]

There are definitely LS7's producing that kind of power to the wheels, and there are naturally aspirated LS7's producing around 750bhp. There are also FI LS7's producing up to 900bhp hp, but anything more than that would deteriorate and detonate pretty quick. No four-figure numbers.

[@5571350M8]

I'm not comparing the cars, I'm comparing the engines. And it is larger in physical dimensions. And there's thing thing called an engine swap. People compare engines when they look for one to put in whatever car they have. The most popular engine swap there is? LS. Into Porsches, M cars, Z's, Silvias, RX7's, 240's, off road vehicles, airplanes, helicopters, you name it.

[@LifeInElSalvador]

can't wait for the upgraded version...

[@Feenyxxx95]

No,,, he got it right. Dry sump is the external reservoir. The wet sump is a traditional pump in pretty much every engine.

[@DaveDude571]

i love getting the real details

[@ashy5474]

thanks man! this video was really detailed

[@bz7139]

Hats off Chevy, you really came through with this vette. Can't even argue about the lower power since you cut the bill in half. I would gladly take the extra 60k in performance mods of my choice!

[@admiralfloofz658]

Its made to reduce cost so more teams can compete but you still want the engineering side of things. Williams had a car in 1976 I think it was, 1.5 liter straight 4 with a turbo. 1500 hp. Its so far the world record for bhp per liter. I do agree thou, if you want to look at the most technologicly advanced racecars in the world look at the Audi R18 E-tron

[@GOINFINITI]

Love the detailed review - nice :)

[@SonneAndreas]

Yes, you are!

[@navispeed1398]

Good video! Thanks!

[@inycuda]

Who are the 31 D Bags who dislike this? The technology in this car is awesome. Getting it under 65k on a well appointed car is amazing.

[@Albee213]

I have never been a Vetter fan... However the C7 makes me want one. Bad.

[@xanderrr521]

shit. it's growing on me. i thought it used to look too much like an italian, but now it looks just fine.

[@harolds789]

Stronger chassis, less lean in the corners, less flexing, fewer cross members needed to avoid flexing, lighter metals needed to cope with other stresses on the car when pushed to the limit, can take more punishment easier. Engineers can look at suspension tweaks to improve ride without compromising structural integrity.

[@aleks6989]

They're also being pushed hard 100% of the time. fuel economy drops dramatically the minute you put your foot into anything. But you're talking about fuel efficiency in terms of mpg. what about thermal efficiency? or volumetric? or brake? or arbitrary?

[@rahush7245]

7-Speed is already standard but i would love to see a dual-clutch with launch control as an option as well.

[@kingofquartz]

People that think the transverse composite leaf springs mean the vette has "ox cart" suspension need to watch this video. You wouldnt believe the amount of Europeans that think the vette has a live axle based solely on them hearing the phrase "leaf springs". In reality the transverse leafs have numerous advantages over coil springs and that is why they are used on the vette.

[@whatabeast56]

I can see where you might be skeptical of the "more reliable" claim, but if you were to compare a 6.2 DOHC of near identical layout to the LT1, you would find that the small block is more reliable because there are far less moving parts than a DOHC engine.

[@Blackgam3r]

My point is that hp/mpg is the proper way of gauging how "effecient" an engine is and not hp/litre. Fuel consumption determines how much overall work a car is doing. So if a 2.4 liter V8 revving to infiniti guzzles more gas than a NASCAR engine it shouldn't automatically get an efficiency sticker slapped on it just because it's doing it with less displacement.

[@PaulChoix55]

System of a Down at 2:58? That's what i'm talking about!! Really cool overview of the 'Vette by the way.

[@admiralfloofz658]

The M3s engine is built for the M3, its calculated for the cars weight, aka BMW reccons it doesnt need more torque than it has so its built to rev. Yes ofcourse its a bit heavier with 4 cams, cams are heavy, no its not bigger. You fail to realize that you cant take a performance cars engine out of the car and then compare them, engines are made for the car theyre in and its respective needs.

[@monkeyRL]

A thing of beauty!

[@scottkelley4517]

Great info on the car I can’t believe how well made this vehicle is coming from an engineer and vette owner. Also side note the trimec transmission on a ss 1le was way clunkier in my opinion may just be my experience but the vette did it right.

[@harolds789]

The current S65 uses a 5.5L biturbo producing and extra 120 lb·ft over the LS7 450 (215 Ib extra with the performance pack). Even with a smaller displacement. Weight unknown

[@harolds789]

Large disp = bigger engine = more weight/mass. Large DOHC in V form usually allow extras to but put into the V space (turbos nowadays)

[@MrLathor]

Why do people still complain about leaf springs? Reviews say that the car is very composed over rough pavement and has record braking grip levels.

[@goatmonkey2112]

I can't wait to hear the other reviewers (you know the ones) talk about how terrible it is to have an antiquated leaf spring suspension like on a horse carriage. Then in the next sentence talk about how great the ride and handling are. You know it's going to happen.

[@Aquariansevenone]

Great video!

[@balaboy169]

Loving the direct injection. The physical size of an ohv is so much smaller its ridiculous. I have a sc400 lexus with the 4 cam 32 valve 1UZFE v8 and im doing an ls swap. There is alot of space saved as well as 75 lbs potentially and the COG is lower as well. Ohv engines are way smaller.

[@xflynskywlkr23]

What do you propose? To let teams do whatever they want? The main reason for rules is to limit cost. Otherwise the big teams with the huge budgets would just spend their way to the championship like many did in the past. Smaller teams with lower budgets would be even more helpless than they are right now. To answer your second question, i don't think limiting rpm's would be a wise decision given how many people love the sound of f1 which is surely something f1 has to be mindful of.

[@CincoMuertez]

If i had the money i would buy this beauty

[@xflynskywlkr23]

to decide which is better as they were built for different needs.

[@86gtforme]

how would it do that? the cylinders still move so the wear would be the same as having them running

[@goatmonkey2112]

Why is the video so pixelated even at 1080p? The edges are not crisp.

[@whatabeast56]

OHV and OHC have actually been around for the same amount of time. And OHV engines are generally more compact, lighter, more reliable, and have a lower center of gravity. Clearly these are all features that positively affect a performance car. But they are impractical in an economy car due to slightly higher fuel consumption. Stop being a troll.

[@111danish111]

Im guessing the rear leaf spring also acts like an anti roll bar !

[@Huey7703]

Pilot Super Sport tires summer only, crack in the winter, even in the cold garage

[@2HRenovation]

So that's what the leaf suspension look like.

[@kingofquartz]

Interesting question but I very seriously doubt that has not been taken into account by GM. The torture test their performance engines like no other big auto maker. I am certain they have ran multiple engines to the point of failure with multiple driving situations. If they did need to change up the firing order in eco mode it wouldnt be difficult to accomplish.

[@kmikem78]

There is sooooo much more technology pumped into this car that actually puts that 460 hp to use. This car is extremely underpriced for the technology it offers. Also do not underestimate power to weight when it comes to judging that 460 hp.

[@chocolatte6157]

I am not a corvette hater but the technical advances on this car have been around on other cars, Ferraris and Porsches for 20 years.

[@GlassTopRX7]

Modern cars use coilover struts, not coil springs. The reason Chevy uses leaf spring is cost not performance. Not uncommon for the big tuners to switch them over to coilovers, though that's likely for more control over the tuning. The only advantages it has is cost, and a negligible advantage in weight.

[@GETEMBEAU81]

I've never wanted a "Vette" more than i want one now.

[@nickolastiguan]

Porsche GT3's electric steering is apparently really good, has good feedback

[@Hiluxtaco]

The infotainment system adds 30 lbs. to the weight of the car?! HOLY CRAP! What is that Double-DIN, Flat Panel Display Unit made out of? Lead?

[@HuffyDrums]

Ok good im the only the only one. I do love the engineering done on it while keeping it still affordable though.

[@DV-cm3tb]

Check out transverse leaf springs on wikipedia. They have: Less unsprung weight Weight is positioned lower Also work as an anti roll bar Are MORE expensive than normal springs. They are better, don't take my word for it. look it up.

[@viranjith]

great coverage!

[@geraldnau425]

Fantastic video

[@kelin818]

It actually goes into a v4 mode to save gasoline, which in turn helps it acheive 30 mpg highway. Jesus christ.

[@jonienglish3231]

does this 2014 Corvette have a Cacuum Booster or Electric Power Brakes

[@KpopNiDontStop]

Here in 2020.

[@signorearachide5782]

No, probably not, considering that an LS9 in the same trim as an F1 engine would make close to the same horsepower, over three times the torque, and add less than 200 lbs to the car. The extra 200 lbs would slow it down some, sure, but then again, I would hope a unique race engine that was 200,000 dollars more expensive would be *at least* significantly lighter than a production car engine. Nevermind a race prepped LS... that 200 lbs wouldn't matter when you are putting out 900hp/800lb ft

[@Arsing116]

Nice video! Saw a couple at the dealer but they are probably special order/taken though.