Sheesh dude. I do not have the guts necessary to drive that car on that course at that speed. I got a little pucker there when the tail got ever so loose, and when headed towards that big red barrier. That looks exhilirating!
Photography by Chris Tropea
Even though The Florida International Rally and Motorsport Park serves as our official test track, and our C5 Corvette Z06 project has been there before, the car has never set an official lap time. Whenever the car’s visited the track, it’s been to break in something or run a cone-down event like an SCCA ProSolo.
Until this past weekend, that is.
At The FIRM’s second Time Trial event of 2022, we strapped on the transponder, mounted up a set of older Hoosier A7s and finally laid down an official lap.
The verdict? Well, despite those Hoosiers being a bit past their prime, the Corvette is officially the fastest car we’ve ever tested there. It’s three seconds a lap faster than the C8 Corvette Z51, which is our reigning OEM champ, and a couple seconds faster than our LS-swapped 350Z. In fairness, the Z project is still in the development phase, but now it has a solid bogey.
In fact, we were the fastest car at the event this past Saturday–until someone in a GT3 Lamborghini Hurracan went out and hung a second and a half on us. But, you know, there are worse things to get beat by, so we’ll live with it.
This Saturday, The FIRM also welcomed the Labyrinth904 crew for a Cars & Coffee event that attracted more than 130 vehicles, ranging from classic imports to late-model muscle and everything in between.
Below you can enjoy a few shots from the day, and ride along on our 1:13.7-second lap.
Sheesh dude. I do not have the guts necessary to drive that car on that course at that speed. I got a little pucker there when the tail got ever so loose, and when headed towards that big red barrier. That looks exhilirating!
In reply to P3PPY :
Yeah, my laps there don't look like that as well.
Bummed I missed Saturday's event at The FIRM, but I was in the air returning from the Nissan Z introduction. Hope to make the next one.
Was the C8 on the same tires? I also didn't quite get the comparison, was the swapped Z also faster than the C8 on the same tires?
I'll likely never aspire to the C8, just too ugly. It's a good bogie though. You've driven both - which is easier/sweeter to drive?
tuna55 said:Was the C8 on the same tires? I also didn't quite get the comparison, was the swapped Z also faster than the C8 on the same tires?
I'll likely never aspire to the C8, just too ugly. It's a good bogie though. You've driven both - which is easier/sweeter to drive?
Admittedly, it's not a true apples to apples comparison, but the C8Z was our reigning production car champion, so it made for a nice headline. Let it never be said we're not above a tiny bit of clickbait from time to time. We got bills to pay like everyone else.
As for easier to drive, the C5, hands down. Although, again, that's not entirely a fair comparison, because I've been building the thing to be easy to drive for four years. Stock to stock the C8 handily takes that crown.
JG Pasterjak said:tuna55 said:Was the C8 on the same tires? I also didn't quite get the comparison, was the swapped Z also faster than the C8 on the same tires?
I'll likely never aspire to the C8, just too ugly. It's a good bogie though. You've driven both - which is easier/sweeter to drive?
Admittedly, it's not a true apples to apples comparison, but the C8Z was our reigning production car champion, so it made for a nice headline. Let it never be said we're not above a tiny bit of clickbait from time to time. We got bills to pay like everyone else.
As for easier to drive, the C5, hands down. Although, again, that's not entirely a fair comparison, because I've been building the thing to be easy to drive for four years. Stock to stock the C8 handily takes that crown.
I won't begrudge you that, I just was curious for the details.
For your next article, 10 laps in a stock C5, a stock C8, your C5 and a well prepped C8. Lap times as well as standard deviation.
JK, kinda.
Thanks for the comparison though. What about the 350Z, same tires as your C5?
tuna55 said:JG Pasterjak said:tuna55 said:Was the C8 on the same tires? I also didn't quite get the comparison, was the swapped Z also faster than the C8 on the same tires?
I'll likely never aspire to the C8, just too ugly. It's a good bogie though. You've driven both - which is easier/sweeter to drive?
Admittedly, it's not a true apples to apples comparison, but the C8Z was our reigning production car champion, so it made for a nice headline. Let it never be said we're not above a tiny bit of clickbait from time to time. We got bills to pay like everyone else.
As for easier to drive, the C5, hands down. Although, again, that's not entirely a fair comparison, because I've been building the thing to be easy to drive for four years. Stock to stock the C8 handily takes that crown.
I won't begrudge you that, I just was curious for the details.
For your next article, 10 laps in a stock C5, a stock C8, your C5 and a well prepped C8. Lap times as well as standard deviation.
JK, kinda.
Thanks for the comparison though. What about the 350Z, same tires as your C5?
The Z is running Pirelli slicks and its best so far has been about half a second slower than the C8Z. It's still very much in sorting hell, though, so expect times to drop as development continues.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
I'm sure the modded C5 is easier for you to drive. You have lots of laps in it. Knowing a car well pays off.
I didn't realize there was an unofficial official GRM FIRM Leaderboard. What FIRM course configuration do you guys run for um.. science.
At the post challenge trackday it would be an amusing opportunity to get some lap times for challenge cars in that board. Assuming it holds together if GRM makes it they are welcome to take some laps in my Challenge car, again for science.
Normally I consider myself a fan of Hondas and Hyundais, but those V8 noises are infectious.
In reply to Colin Wood :
V8 noises are so good. It's one of the reasons my crappy 96 Crammit makes me smile so much.
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