How Does the C8 Corvette Z06 Compare with the Z51 | Track Test and Review

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Check out all of our track test results here: grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/firm-lap-times/

[@ezpz4659]

That fact that my ass owns a 2024 Z06 Z07 is amazing. Bought it a week ago with 18 miles on it. I was the kid everyone bullied in middle school, passed highschool with C's. Did a 4 year contract in the Army. Got out and was broke my whole life. Got a decent career 4 years ago at 30 years old. Now I own a newly built home, and a Z07, and the biggest blessing is my big booty latina wife and beautiful child. God bless the USA, (and big booty Latinas)

[@kentwright5346]

Great call on defining a car that is a "true driver's car". Dynamic inputs in corners that the car responds to signal many desirable characteristics not the least of which is that you can actually feel what the car is doing! Many thanks for a great video!

[@jstein77]

Wow. We knew it would beat the Z51, but I wasn't expecting it to beat the project Vette as well. Impressive!

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

And think about this: I had hundreds of laps in the C5, and maybe 10 flyers on the C8. I can look at that data trace and clearly see areas where I'm losing time due to driver error and not car limits. So I had probably another .3 in the C8 as it sat. Now throw an alignment on it and actually pay real attention to tire pressures and how much faster are you going. The thing is an absolute monster.

[@joepotts8240]

I pick up my 2023 ZO6 Saturday.

[@Turbo329]

Also, it would be interesting to how what a Procharged Z51 would compare. Similar power but different delivery methods.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

It might take a bit more delicacy on the throttle, but once you developed the muscle memory I think it would be a hoot. Might even be advantageous in the real point and shoot sections like between T5 and T6 on our test course.

[@danieldickerson4838]

Yeah, the Z06/Z07 is an absolute track weapon.

[@runningdebate2670]

Great video, just waiting for my Z07 to ship to my dealer finally, hope it gets out before the strike if one happens so it's not held hostage. I'm up in Buffalo would like to drive it a bunch before the snow.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Best of luck taking delivery. Whenever it arrives you're in for a heck of a time.

[@DavidWilks]

I'd really like to see you compare the C8 Z06 to the Camaro ZL1-1LE with the A10 transmission. The ZLE is half the price of a C8 Z06 with performance that truly excels. Make no mistake, the Z06 has a great opportunity to become greater as I have one on order. I have videos on my channel from Road Atlanta that show the dramatic differences when compared to the C7 ZR1 and a 6spd ZL1-1LE.

[@goonthreegtr]

I would guess 1.5 to 2 s difference between zl1 1le vs z06 with z07 package same driver.

[@Turbo329]

@@goonthreegtr That's fair, given how heavy the ZL1-1LE is in stock form. That car needs a 400lb weight reduction to be a true world beater.

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

BINGO. The Y chassis cars cannot be beat, and that is just the beginning without actual cup car aftermarket parts like Porsche does with its GT cars.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

I think given a bit faster track something like a GT3RS could give the C8 fits, because the Porsches have fantastic aero. But you're also talking about a $400,000+ car. It's just astounding what Chevy has done here. It's a real statement.

[@WindyCity1992]

People forgot prior to the 991.2 Porsche was not touching the Corvettes on track. Lap times Dont lie. Tires were the advantage

[@Highlander8282]

Thanks for the great video! very interesting and I appreciate tbe thorough analysis. I think it would be good to refer to it specifically as a rear-mid-engine layout, rather than just mid-engine. There are many great front-mid-engine cars and people mistakenly say they have a front-engine layout, not realizing the difference, and therefore don't appreciate what they are as much as is deserved.

[@MonkeyMD3]

Wonder how the regular c8 would do with those cup2R tires

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

Needs stiffer springs to take advantage of full tire performance.

[@MonkeyMD3]

@@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921 true, but the braking zones where the Z06 had a huge advantage would be mitigated

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

@@MonkeyMD3 On a gp circuit it would be of some advantage with the low end torque curves, but your talking expert driver to manage the torque on exit even with cup 2Rs. The Z06 apparently can peg the throttle on corner exit.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

If you look at the data you can spot some areas where it's kind of easy to make some extrapolations. Also, we kind of know what tires are worth on our test course by now, but let's go back to the data. If you look at areas of pure cornering you get a pretty good idea of how much more grip the tires are producing. braking can be deceptive, because remember the Z06 is approaching the corners faster so it has a LOT of additional energy to convert. The tires help do that more efficiently, but energy is still energy and needs to go somewhere. So I think what you end up with is the better lap time is about 40% power, 40% pure mechanical grip and 20% chassis control. Like, that run through the esses is purely abut shock control. More grip or power doesn't affect that section as much as great shocks do. So I think the C2Rs on the Z51 would be worth 1.2-1.4 seconds. Which is in line with what we see in our tire testing on project cars.

[@MonkeyMD3]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports omg. That's awesome. Thanks for the analysis

[@superdp7580]

Taking my C8 Z06 to the firm next week.👍🏼

[@goonthreegtr]

that's awesome. let us know how it goes

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

You'll love it. The car is very well suited to the track.

[@goonthreegtr]

any lap time?

[@Turbo329]

It cannot be understated that this is a very difficult car to drive on the limit and the vast majority will not be able to exploit its potential. If you're not up to the task, you will get handled by decent drivers in lesser cars. Otherwise, the car is Legendary! I hope they get the Transmission teething issues sorted out.

[@NightriderX2]

Agreed.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

We'll respectfully disagree a bit on this. we found the handling of the C8 to be extraordinarily benign at the limit. Maybe even *too* benign. Particularly in long corners where the front gives up long before the rear and you spend the last 2/3 of the corner just waiting for the exit to open up. Certainly things are happening very quickly, but we found the overall drivability of the car at the limit to be exceptional.

[@Turbo329]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports I can respect that. Maybe it all comes down to setup. There's a vid circulating of a driver at NJMP (My neck of the woods) who was struggling to keep things civil. He drives respectable laps and is pretty competent. The car just seemed oversteery and ass-endy and that's a very unforgiving recipe for the uninitiated. You know that game we used to play as kids at the dinner table? When you would balance your chair on two legs.... then right before you fall backwards you save it? The C8 Z06 appears to be very much like that. Keep in mind that your test track appears to be flat with minimal elevation changes. It's smooth, and the curbing isn't such that would disrupt the car's stability. With all that said, obviously my opinion accounts for very little since I have not had the privilege of thrashing one. But with 20+ years on track I do trust my intuition that the C8Z will not suffer fools or your typical track rat who cannot save snap oversteer. If you have the car for some more time, try a rollercoaster track like Road Atlanta and let me know what you think.

[@goonthreegtr]

lap time in the stock z06 he accomplished would be fastest lap time on most time trials. I don't think anyone had ran faster in a bone stock car or even close. they also noted there are improvements can be done to be even faster and it Is 90 deg! anyways the best way obviously everyone run same day as weather can make a giant difference

[@Turbo329]

​@@Grassrootsmotorsports C8 Z06 vid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5DHm5Vnjdpld9U the car was a turn 1 nightmare in this vid. Now by contrast, look at my vid here where I ran 2 seconds per lap faster and see how composed my car was: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnSQdZerfNWfisU

[@xozindustries7451]

Very impressive car, what is the weight difference between both if the corvettes? Also impressive driving, wringing everything out of both of those cars that aren’t race cars

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

The Z06 gains some weight from additional coolers and cooling fluids, but loses it due to light weight wheels and brakes. For similarly-equipped cars the Z06 (with carbon wheels) is only around 30 lbs heavier than the Z51.

[@stevehoagland1179]

Thanks for making the video!! Good insights. Do you have any information on the driver for the test? Experience level etc?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

The driver for all our track tests is Grassroots Motorsports Production Manager (and also your video host and data analyst) J.G. Pasterjak. 5'6". Aquarius. Bats right/throws right. Been involved in motorsport since 1986. Autocrosser, road racer, time trialer. Licensed by SCCA, IMSA, NASA, Nurburgring competition permit, multiple vintage and enduro orgs. He actually just wrote a column about his approach to track tests and you can read it here: grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/this-is-how-we-do-it-testing-cars/

[@stevehoagland1179]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports awesome thanks!!!

[@jmos96]

Better brakes and stickier tires for the Z51 might make the Z06 less compelling. However, it begs the question of whether the Z51s dry sump it up to the task of the increased G forces that better tires and brakes would produce.

[@goonthreegtr]

I have z51 on ap competition racing brakes and cup 2 tires also have goodyear 3R tires (stickier than cup 2 R I believe). educated guess should be within 2 s on that course. both cars are monsters

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@goonthreegtr Driving the Z51 with the track alignment was a huge revelation. Stock it's great. With a decent alignment it's just transformed into a truly awesome track machine, particularly with those AP brakes. I think it's really indicative of just how inherently good the chassis is.

[@mikesimmons8556]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports I am on a full track alignment and running RE71RS stones on my 2022 Z51. I LOVE THIS CAR! Your review helped me make the purchase, so thank you.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@mikesimmons8556 We are always happy to be your enabler, whether it be a Miata on blocks abandoned at a reservoir, or a brand new C8.

[@mikesimmons8556]

🤣🤣@@Grassrootsmotorsports

[@bryang9601]

I just went to the grassroots website, and I saw the list of their fastest cars, and it looks like they really don’t get the opportunity to test any decent sports cars, like Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc. I would think that someone in Florida with step up with one or two of these vehicles I’d let you guys test them on your track.

[@Ravenholm337]

This makes me excited for the GT3 program

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Ultimately, GT3 programs are as much about support as they are the car product. All the cars-which tend to be developed by contractors under varying levels of factory guidance-usually end up with similar performance and reliability levels due to BoP. So what ends up separating them is who has the best support after the purchase. Which manufacturers have the best equipped parts trucks in the paddock, and the fastest turnaround times for customer needs. It's been a looooong time since chevy had a non-factory Corvette program, but I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how they attack the GT3 marketplace.

[@Ravenholm337]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports big hopes!

[@ricardoosantos100]

The C8 Z51 is an incredible value. Basically, exotic numbers are available for an affordable price.

[@shanemb3]

If Ferrari would’ve delivered a car it would’ve been accompanied by a team of techs to tune that car for that specific track.

[@baxtermullins1842]

I love my Z51!

[@EdJeanVazquez-f1x]

I am wondering how the C8 Z51 will perform with the same power and the same braking system as the C8 Z07 compare them

[@seanirby3155]

What driver mode and PTM settings were you using? Are you able to put power down on corner exit without excessive wheel spin? I have the base ZO6 and replaced the 4Ss with regular Cup2s and constantly struggle with oversteer on corner exit no matter what PTM settings I use. It seems PTM is not working even in Sport. My C8 lap times on R7s are actually better at this point, which is a huge disappointment. Any ideas? Other a stiffer suspension settings and aero are there any other performance differences between the ZO6 and ZO7?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

We use as little intervention as we can tune in. For this car i think that meant there was almost zero traction management (I did a pretty solid burnout to test it), but I did feel a tiny bit of front wheel brake intervention on a corner exit at one point to stabilize the nose. Didn't see to lose momentum, though, and I' not sure you can turn that one completely off, anyway.

[@seanirby3155]

I believe Race 2 in PTM turns everything off. Race 1 and Sport have some of the nannies. Sounds like you may have been in Sport. The manual says PTM will limit wheel spin on corner exit.(other than Race 2). Doesn’t work in my car.

[@WolfpaqC8]

⁠@@seanirby3155hi. Unless GM changed the PTM parameters from the (2022+) Stingray, stability is on in sport and allegedly off in Race 1 & 2. Were you able to resolve the PTM problems you eluded to? Possibly tire-related? I’ve found the PTM to be very conservative (slow) to provide power on not hot tires (like 3 full laps on R7’s), especially at tracks like Mid-O and VIR where the surfaces are well-traveled. At Road America where the surface is new, 1 lap and PTM says Go!

[@lee1130fromtwitter]

What was the c7 Z06 time? In comparison?

[@ReconRelay]

Great video thank you!

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Glad you liked it!

[@johnmoorhousedecorated-nam899]

When does the aero wing kick in. When does it make a difference. Speed?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Even at low speeds, aero has some effect on localized pressures. But remember that drag (and therefore aero effectiveness) increases by the square of the speed, so higher speeds mean more downforce, and the difference ramps up dramatically. that said, even 40lbs of downforce in a 40mph corner can alter handling balance enough to make a measurable difference. is it going to be giant chunks of time faster in slow corners? No. But it might add enough stability that your lap-to-lap variance in slow corners is much more consistent. That said, above about 70mph you can definitely feel the car enjoy a lot more stability from the aero bits. Particularly in the kink, where both C8s are among our fastest cars through that section.

[@soccerkingfenich347]

Do you think a GT3RS could compete with the zo6 in terms of track ability?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Short answer: yes. Longer answer is our test track may prioritize the point-and-shoot ability of the C8Z, so on our particular track it could be a close match. On a faster track the GT3's more extensive aero and longer legs could give it a better shot. At any rate, we think we may be able to find out soon. Stay tuned :)

[@tonygruber7665]

Amazing!

[@Jimsjunkyard]

Was the test done in manual mode? Probably a dumb question

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

With modern paddle boxes and automatics with track settings, we always do at least a few laps in auto mode just to make sure we aren't missing anything. We always seem to be fastest in manual mode, although some cars have been close enough to practically call it a tie (pretty much anything with a ZF 8 speed, for example).

[@JerryCecco]

ACCESSIBLE???? have you tried to buy one? How's the Cup2R tire tracklife?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

By "accessible" I'm really referring to the amount of performance potential the driver is able to extract from the car. It's a very easy car to drive fast, turning novices into experts and experts into heroes. As for actual availability, well, we all know the current dealer and market climate. Last I checked dealers are still getting $50k over list for Z06s with a year wait, but that's better than the $100k over they were getting when they first dropped. And, ultimately , it's a mass-produced car by a huge company. I like to think that there's a future where if you want a Z06 that one is available at a dealer within a few hours drive at or near list. I'm not sure how far away that future is, but hopefully it's coming. Not that I'll have 4150k to drop on a car then, eight, but it's nice to dream. As for the Cup2Rs, I can't really comment of overall lifespan, but I can say that in our testing, we usually find that track-focused tires last longer on track than pure street tires. They may have a shorter overall lifespan, but they handle abuse and extreme dynamic heating better than a tire that also needs to do daily driver duty. Our test car had just come from a full weekend at Sebring where the driver did like half a dozen track sessions, as well as driving to and from the track, and to and from our test day. The tires still had plenty of grip and predictability, and had about 1500 street miles on them as well. It's a fast, heavy car so it's going to use tires at a fair clip, but it doesn't appear to be unusually abusive to them.

[@JerryCecco]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports I bought a used 2017 M7 Z06 (in 2019) and I had hopes to get the NEXT Z06, but the street price is NUTS. and as I'm learning the consumables ARE super high. I think the C8Z will be a collector car as GM does not know how to fulfill demand

[@justsomerandomguyman]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports Already seeing the C8 Z06 for 136k. Likely to see $110k-$120k in another year or 2

[@blkcyborg92]

How does the car feel? I know it’s a great car but I’m a low weight freak and I know the c8 is a heavy car. That’s also we’re the Porsche has the advantage

[@maxskullic9879]

Get rid of the understeer and put a proper manual in it, then it will be the perfect corvette! Car guy 101!

[@fredeb67]

As much as I love and proud of the C8 ZO6, I think the new GT3 RS is a better and faster track car. Even the GT3 would be a contender to the ZO6. If GM made the ZO6 more track focused, I think it would be on par if not better on track than Porsche's GT3 cars. That being said, the ZO6 is a much better road car.

[@goonthreegtr]

are you getting new gt3rs for track use?

[@fredeb67]

@@goonthreegtr Did I say I was getting a GT3/RS?

[@goonthreegtr]

@fredeb67 better and faster why not get it to track? if not which car you will be tracking

[@redtesta]

c6 z06 , c6 zr1, c7 z06, c7 zr1 and c8 z06.

[@bobbyserchion]

I doubt it 😂

[@samson4969]

You said we're talking about something you can walk into a Chevy dealer and order or buy??? Have you actually tried walking into a chevy dealer and asking to order one or if they are one of the few deals that happens to actually have one sitting, coned off in their showroom, do you think you can just buy it??? The answer is NO!!! These greedy and arrogant dealers are demanding 50k over MSRP. The sales person had the nerve to tell me "this is not for the common man, this is for the wealthy". The car is being artificially inflated to exclude the average person.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

See our reply to JerryCecco below, but, yeah, the current state of the new car market-especially when it comes to enthusiast cars-is pretty predatory. That said, it's better than it was a year ago, and I like to think we're headed back to a toward a more sane marketplace. It's not back yet, but the needle is moving (slowly) in the right direction.

[@craigthescott5074]

Only for now because of the hype. When the stingray came out it had a premium too. People were selling used ones for more than the dealers. Im sure prices will come down and there will be no premiums when all the hype is over with the Z06.

[@dphet]

$200k 720s would probably smack it

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Starting list on a 2023 720S looks to be a little over $300k, so, yeah maybe there's challengers under half a mil. Still, the C8 at half price from that McLaren still seems like kind of a deal. Although the McLaren will probably retain value better long term (which is great for the owner but not so much for the person who's looking for a second hand deal.)

[@mikebridges20]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports Right up until the McLaren breaks. Better reliability than they used to have, but....

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@mikebridges20 Are you saying British cars are unreliable? Shocked. Shocked I am.

[@g4do]

Not faster than the 720 s , 765lt, 911 turbo s , Gt3 rs , GT2rs, Ford Gt , McLaren artura...

[@goonthreegtr]

you have lap times from those cars at this track? I know for sure 2021 911 turbo s can't beat that time since we tracked it there. of all the car you listed only gt2rs and 765 was faster. on lightening lap, Ford gt ain't even close over 4 s behind at VIR. different track different results.

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

You better check your lap times because the Z06 is faster than all those cars except a 765lt on almost any modern track. The Z06 is faster than those cars at VIR grand course, which is a big track. At the RING the lead might disappear on the last straightaway but only then.