C7 Corvette

[12,000 RPM]

Yea this is def not a regular thing

GM got some splainin to do

[Payman]

Yea this is def not a regular thing

GM got some splainin to do

It's like the Nissan brake issue from a few years ago when C&D almost had someone killed in the new 370Z.

[12,000 RPM]

Yea that was real bad. Weird too.

All this performance and the compromises to get it... it's starting to get a little silly

[Payman]

Yea that was real bad. Weird too.

All this performance and the compromises to get it... it's starting to get a little silly

I'm sure it's an isolated issue. If not GM better be quick to fix any problems with their halo car.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

 
http://vimeo.com/55461336

[FoMoJo]

In typical M/T fashion their writing sucks so it's impossible to know whether it was tranny or engine oil. Either way, it's no surprise as most any street car will overheat on a hot track day - lots of such stories of M3, Viper, Audi, 911, G37/370Z, ZL1, GT-R, etc, etc. Supercharged cars are that much more prone to it as the supercharger gets hot (i.e., more mass to cool) and the air entering the engine is way hotter than ambient.

Excuses, excuses .

[SVT666]

In typical M/T fashion their writing sucks so it's impossible to know whether it was tranny or engine oil. Either way, it's no surprise as most any street car will overheat on a hot track day - lots of such stories of M3, Viper, Audi, 911, G37/370Z, ZL1, GT-R, etc, etc. Supercharged cars are that much more prone to it as the supercharger gets hot (i.e., more mass to cool) and the air entering the engine is way hotter than ambient.

/\ Chevy apologist.  Claims all these other cars suffered the same fate, yet no one else has heard these "stories" and he doesn't give any links.  The only other car I can remember having issues was the old GT500 that would suffer heat soak after a few laps.

[GoCougs]

So why didn't you guys follow my instructions to use Google ? It is (or should be) common knowledge that most cars; even performance oriented - GTR, 911, M3, etc.; when tracked to its utmost on a hot/humid day will generally run hot if not overheat. Also don't forget to throw in brakes and DSG, which are even more prone to overheating. And to be fair here to the Z06 it was an oil temp warning, not a coolant boil over, so it actually didn't "officially" overheat. In typical awful M/T writing we don't even know if it was engine oil - could've been tranny oil in which case no discussion is necessary as ALL slushie ATs ever built will quickly overheat when driven hard.

991 overheats on track
Boss 302 LS overheats on track
370Z overheats on track
BMW (many many) overheats on track
GTR overheats on track
Motor Trend recognizes that ZR1, GT500, GTR overheats on track

[12,000 RPM]

So why didn't you guys follow my instructions to use Google ?

FWIW, the track day experience I did with the 458 and GT-R went all day and I don't think any of the cars there had overheating problems

May just be a matter of switching to a better coolant

[GoCougs]

The matter is highly likely you and the other drivers were able to drive those cars at only a fraction of their potential (slower = less heat).

[afty]

At least in the case of the GT-R, I believe there have been changes over the various model years to address cooling problems.  For example, for 2013 Nissan upgraded the transmission cooler.

[SVT666]

So why didn't you guys follow my instructions to use Google ?

I'm not doing your work for you.

It is (or should be) common knowledge that most cars; even performance oriented - GTR, 911, M3, etc.; when tracked to its utmost on a hot/humid day will generally run hot if not overheat. Also don't forget to throw in brakes and DSG, which are even more prone to overheating. And to be fair here to the Z06 it was an oil temp warning, not a coolant boil over, so it actually didn't "officially" overheat.

Oh, that makes it better then.

[MexicoCityM3]

I can't say I've ever seen a magazine report having a car from a major manufacturer overheat in their track testing.  Certainly not after 4 laps (which works out to be a scant 6 minutes of hard running).

The big badass sedans like the M5 or the E63 overheat at the track. However, that is true especially at altitude.

The matter is highly likely you and the other drivers were able to drive those cars at only a fraction of their potential (slower = less heat).

I don't think so. Most people can put the pedal to the metal every chance they get. Going around turns fast is a different story but that has nothing to do with stressing the cooling system. If anything, a less experienced driver would overheat the car more because of precisely less speed = less cooling. Also, harsher inputs (typical of novices) stress the whole car more.

FWIW, the track day experience I did with the 458 and GT-R went all day and I don't think any of the cars there had overheating problems

May just be a matter of switching to a better coolant

I think a car with the performance pretensions of the Z06 should withstand continuous lapping like a Ferrari does.

My experience:

- E46 M3: After a few laps you need to take some care to keep at a reasonable temp. Say, shift at 7,000 RPMs instead of 8,000 after the 4th lap or so. If you do that, it can go all day.

- E90 M3: It can go all day at full tilt.

- 1M: It can go all day with no warnings but gets somewhat hot - oil temps @ around 125 degrees C.

- M5: Can only do a few laps before things get seriously hot.

- Ferrari 360CS. Can go all day - with the temp barely budging beyond the mid-point.

The Z06 shouldn't have this problems. It's a dedicated performance and track oriented car. Especially not at sea level. Even the new turbo M5 can take the heat at sea level.

[FoMoJo]

So why didn't you guys follow my instructions to use Google ? It is (or should be) common knowledge that most cars; even performance oriented - GTR, 911, M3, etc.; when tracked to its utmost on a hot/humid day will generally run hot if not overheat. Also don't forget to throw in brakes and DSG, which are even more prone to overheating. And to be fair here to the Z06 it was an oil temp warning, not a coolant boil over, so it actually didn't "officially" overheat. In typical awful M/T writing we don't even know if it was engine oil - could've been tranny oil in which case no discussion is necessary as ALL slushie ATs ever built will quickly overheat when driven hard.

991 overheats on track
Boss 302 LS overheats on track
370Z overheats on track
BMW (many many) overheats on track
GTR overheats on track
Motor Trend recognizes that ZR1, GT500, GTR overheats on track

You're saying that, under some circumstances, there are some cars that are almost as bad as the Z06 .

[hotrodalex]

Z06 pushes the performance envelope more than most and it's brand new. Would bet new cooling will be included shortly (especially a larger AT cooler).

[12,000 RPM]

Should have been there from the jump. C7s are having some serious issues though so I'm not surprised. GM is boldly going where no pooprod has gone with the EPA's blessing and a factory warranty, but I am not sure it is worth it. Mite be time to switch to dem dere turbos, though that would not solve the cooling problem/.

[MrH]

Guys. One car supposedly overheated. The sky isn't falling.

[FoMoJo]

Guys. One car supposedly overheated. The sky isn't falling.

Yeah, for sure, but you Chevy guys should be used to this sort of think by now .

[MrH]

Yeah, for sure, but you Chevy guys should be used to this sort of think by now .

Since when am I a Chevy guy?

[SVT666]

Guys. One car supposedly overheated. The sky isn't falling.

Not according to the Corvette Forums.  The regular Stingray Z51 is having major transmission overheating issues on track duty.

[MexicoCityM3]

Not according to the Corvette Forums.  The regular Stingray Z51 is having major transmission overheating issues on track duty.

Even the manual?

[GoCougs]

The big badass sedans like the M5 or the E63 overheat at the track. However, that is true especially at altitude.

I don't think so. Most people can put the pedal to the metal every chance they get. Going around turns fast is a different story but that has nothing to do with stressing the cooling system. If anything, a less experienced driver would overheat the car more because of precisely less speed = less cooling. Also, harsher inputs (typical of novices) stress the whole car more.

I think a car with the performance pretensions of the Z06 should withstand continuous lapping like a Ferrari does.

My experience:

- E46 M3: After a few laps you need to take some care to keep at a reasonable temp. Say, shift at 7,000 RPMs instead of 8,000 after the 4th lap or so. If you do that, it can go all day.

- E90 M3: It can go all day at full tilt.

- 1M: It can go all day with no warnings but gets somewhat hot - oil temps @ around 125 degrees C.

- M5: Can only do a few laps before things get seriously hot.

- Ferrari 360CS. Can go all day - with the temp barely budging beyond the mid-point.

The Z06 shouldn't have this problems. It's a dedicated performance and track oriented car. Especially not at sea level. Even the new turbo M5 can take the heat at sea level.

Faster around the track means more engine power output per unit of time and less time for cool down when not on the gas.

The few cars you mention that don't run hot/overheat also have vastly less than 650 hp and are not supercharged. 

The Z06 is a performance car but I disagree that it is a track car. Either way this was highly likely a development/preproduction car so any issues it may have doesn't necessarily mean the production version will have them.

[GoCougs]

You're saying that, under some circumstances, there are some cars that are almost as bad as the Z06 .

No - I'm saying that it's common for most cars to overheat on the track, esp. in hot/humid weather.

[SVT666]

Faster around the track means more engine power output per unit of time and less time for cool down when not on the gas.

The few cars you mention that don't run hot/overheat also have vastly less than 650 hp and are not supercharged. 

The Z06 is a performance car but I disagree that it is a track car. Either way this was highly likely a development/preproduction car so any issues it may have doesn't necessarily mean the production version will have them.

Keep making excuses.

Oh, and the Z06 is absolutely a track car.

[12,000 RPM]

Yea if the Z06 isn't a track car, what is? What are the carbon brakes and high speed aerodynamic pieces for? The thing's performance threshold is well beyond what you can even begin to approach on the street. 1.2gs! Where can you hit those grip levels on the street in good conscience?

Come on Cougs.

[FoMoJo]

Since when am I a Chevy guy?

Not you.  I was supporting your comment about the sky not falling by remarking that it's nothing unusual...just so the Chevy guys don't feel they need to make excuses.  We all expect things like this to happen to Chevys.

[GoCougs]

C'mon, guys. Just because cars are hi-po or can be driven on the track doesn't mean they are track cars. So, how do we know if it's a track car? I have provided a cheat sheet:

Is it available in convertible form? Not a track car.
Is it available with a slushie A/T? Not a track car.
Does it have forced induction? Not a track car.
And most obviously, does any facet of it - engine, tranny, brakes - run hot or overheat on the track? Not a track car.

R8? F12? F458? M3/M4? 911 Turbo? SLS? Huracan? F-Type R? Viper? None of these are track/race cars, including the game-changing Z06. They are designed to be relatively comfortable hi-po street cars.

There are very few legit track cars available from the factory - Z/28, 911 GT3, F458 Stradale, maybe a scant few others.

[SVT666]

C'mon, guys. Just because cars are hi-po or can be driven on the track doesn't mean they are track cars. So, how do we know if it's a track car? I have provided a cheat sheet:

Is it available in convertible form? Not a track car.
Is it available with a slushie A/T? Not a track car.
Does it have forced induction? Not a track car.
And most obviously, does any facet of it - engine, tranny, brakes - run hot or overheat on the track? Not a track car.

R8? F12? F458? M3/M4? 911 Turbo? SLS? Huracan? F-Type R? Viper? None of these are track/race cars, including the game-changing Z06. They are designed to be relatively comfortable hi-po street cars.

There are very few legit track cars available from the factory - Z/28, 911 GT3, F458 Stradale, maybe a scant few others.

You're delusional.

[MexicoCityM3]

Faster around the track means more engine power output per unit of time and less time for cool down when not on the gas.

The few cars you mention that don't run hot/overheat also have vastly less than 650 hp and are not supercharged. 

The Z06 is a performance car but I disagree that it is a track car. Either way this was highly likely a development/preproduction car so any issues it may have doesn't necessarily mean the production version will have them.

High school physics, eh? Remember that a novice driver actually wastes a lot of power by driving in an inefficient manner around the track. It has barely an impact on cooling, and if it does it should be on the negative side.

The Z06 is a car that many owners will track. And believe me, even if you track occasionally not being able to do more than a few laps will be huge bummer for those owners. If you track, you get a car like the Z06 to own anything else lapping out there.

I agree, however, that this is a single example / data point of overheating so nothing conclusive IMO.

[GoCougs]

High school physics, eh? Remember that a novice driver actually wastes a lot of power by driving in an inefficient manner around the track. It has barely an impact on cooling, and if it does it should be on the negative side.

The Z06 is a car that many owners will track. And believe me, even if you track occasionally not being able to do more than a few laps will be huge bummer for those owners. If you track, you get a car like the Z06 to own anything else lapping out there.

I agree, however, that this is a single example / data point of overheating so nothing conclusive IMO.

Yes, it is all about high school physics . Wasting energy (poor lines, lots of errant accel and decel) speaks to lower average speed = less average/peak energy dissipated/retained - the car simply doesn't go/accel fast/long enough to build up a lot of heat in any one particular system. However, as average speed increases the higher the engine power per unit time (= more energy into coolant/oil) and the higher the braking speeds (= more energy into the brakes as kinetic energy tracks with velocity²).

Sure, some will track it but the Z06 has fundamentally changed from its predecessor - slushie A/T, supercharger, convertible. I've obliviously never tracked a Z06 but even then teh Googles says lots of stories of C5 and C6 Z06s running hot/overheating on hot track days (but no surprise - most all factory cars will). So, the C7 Z06 owner may be bummed, but he shouldn't be.