Jan 20, 2023 4:08:19 PM
Jan 20, 2023 9:56:49 PM
EnglishManInNY:Massive credit to GM for building that engine. The main reason I would buy one. Hopefully no more engine failures as they deliver more cars.
I give them credit for what seems like an amazing engine (assuming good track longevity), but they should be crucified for getting rid of the Manual and saddling that high revving motor with this horrendous gearing (aside from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd the other ratios are probably the worst I’ve ever seen).
Huge gaps from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th. And then they have 3 different useless overdrive gears. When you have the luxury of 8 forward gears, but only make reasonable choices on 3 of them.
Someone else did the math and the car is geared to go 388 mph (624 kph) in top gear at redline
So, the R&T data is wrong for the 4 top gears. In 5th, the car does not reach redline (even this gear is too tall for top speed - max speed of 189 mph at 8,250 rpm, but peak power is at 8,400 rpm). In the top 3 gears, the top speed and rpm are progressively much lower.
What's that all about? I don't think the US emissions or fuel efficiency laws require that (and the car is not sold in Europe). Just for American drivers who want the engine to be idling at 1,000 rpm at fast highway speeds, I guess?
BTW - although the top speed in 5th-8th gears is shown to be the same 189 mph, the top gears will never achieve this speed due to the reduced power resulting from the low rpm (way below peak power there).
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22 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.9L Twin-Plug MFI Carbon Fiber replica. Former: 18 GT3 Manual, 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi, 06 EVO9 with track mods
Grant, that's nothing new for an American car. They all like that.
I had a Corvette a long time ago, manual, with the stupid 1-4 skip shift. On highway at times I can't even put it into 6th gear, it's barely ticking over in 5th. I also never used 4th, a lot of the time I either start off in 2nd, or I just go 1st to 3rd and keep driving in 3rd. I get 3rd high enough I go straight to 5th.
American car companies designed and engineered cars for the American market, not the world market. Everything Americans does gets priority.
The new Corvette's gearing reflects that. It's really useful from 0-American highway speed, that's the only metric that matters. Acceleration after that to actual top speed, to an American car company, is just academic.
GM isn't the only one, even Tesla, the new kid on the block, do exactly the same thing. Their cars are hyper good from 0-Ameircan highway speed limit, and after that they turned into a dog.
For the longest time, and even now, a 'good' handling American car means it can do the 180 at the end of the drag strip without rolling over, and it is capable of doing 90 degree city block turns.
Little steps, at least this C8 is really good on a track, be grateful.
964C2:The gearing also helps when the EPA does Highway Mileage testing.....
Right, but do you really need 3 overdrive gears? And do they really sell enough Z06 units to make any difference to GM? I think they simply didn’t want to pay for a proper bespoke gear stack.
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22 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.9L Twin-Plug MFI Carbon Fiber replica. Former: 18 GT3 Manual, 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi, 06 EVO9 with track mods
Actually 5 overdrive gears. 4th to 8th.
The Z06 re-used the same gearbox from the regular car.
Of course there is a budget for everything and the car is built to a price, hence why no bespoke gearbox. The extra went to the engine instead. It's a trade off and GM deemed it a good one.
The Covette's performance would improved a lot already had the kept the same engine but changed to a close ratio non-OD gearbox, but there won't be nice headline numbers for the press. But just imagine the Z06 has the gearing from the GT4RS......
Whoopsy:But just imagine the Z06 has the gearing from the GT4RS......
Exactly. With the same tires, it seems as though the Z06 and 4RS would lap the circuit in the article at about the same lap time. Given better gearing, the Z06 would bury the 4RS (and particularly at a faster track that requires something above the first 3 gears where the Z06 has reasonable ratios).
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22 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.9L Twin-Plug MFI Carbon Fiber replica. Former: 18 GT3 Manual, 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi, 06 EVO9 with track mods