JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
5/3/22 11:25 a.m.
feature_image

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. …

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P3PPY
P3PPY GRM+ Memberand Dork
5/3/22 8:39 p.m.

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!

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
5/3/22 10:59 p.m.

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. 

tuna55
tuna55 MegaDork
5/4/22 10:06 a.m.

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?

 

 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
5/4/22 10:22 a.m.
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.

tuna55
tuna55 MegaDork
5/4/22 10:35 a.m.
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?

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
5/4/22 10:46 a.m.
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.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter)
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
5/4/22 1:42 p.m.

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.  

nocones
nocones GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
5/4/22 1:50 p.m.

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.  

 

 

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
5/4/22 2:24 p.m.

Normally I consider myself a fan of Hondas and Hyundais, but those V8 noises are infectious.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter)
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
5/4/22 3:47 p.m.

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.  

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
5/4/22 4:08 p.m.

In reply to nocones :

We use the same track they use for all their track days and most TRs. Clockwise with no shoebox. The leaderboard is actually in the issue that'll be in your mailboxes in a few days, but I'll get it to Colin and we'll get it on the web soon, too. 

Vettedrmr
Vettedrmr New Reader
5/7/22 9:28 a.m.

JG,

Great video; just one quick question: what was that scraping sound at 1:06 in the video?

Don't get to the track much anymore, but gotta say your stuff and GRM in general keep me wanting to make a 6 hour trek back to MSR-Cresson.

Have a good one,

Mike

bigben
bigben Reader
5/7/22 2:17 p.m.
Vettedrmr said:

JG,

Great video; just one quick question: what was that scraping sound at 1:06 in the video?

Don't get to the track much anymore, but gotta say your stuff and GRM in general keep me wanting to make a 6 hour trek back to MSR-Cresson.

Have a good one,

Mike

Track Night in America is at Cresson again June 7th.devil

 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
5/7/22 4:17 p.m.
Vettedrmr said:

JG,

Great video; just one quick question: what was that scraping sound at 1:06 in the video?

Don't get to the track much anymore, but gotta say your stuff and GRM in general keep me wanting to make a 6 hour trek back to MSR-Cresson.

Have a good one,

Mike

rev limiter.

And, yeah, get to the track. It beats staying home any day.

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos)
Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
5/7/22 5:12 p.m.

"In fairness, the Z project is still in the development phase, but now it has a solid bogey."

I can't read "bogey" without thinking of being one over par in golf. 
 

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