Jim Mero on Overcrest podcast

[JoeCT]

An interesting interview with Jim Mero, recently retired Corvette Ride and Handling engineer. I’m sure many are familiar with Jim as I see many posts about him on the forum already. Jim tells his story leading up to his years on Corvette and there is a particular segment beginning at just before 54:00 that offers some perspective on the mid engine C8.

Here’s an overcast link starting at that timecode: https://overcast.fm/+LAwGu76mY/53:55

or find the podcast in your favorite player by title “Overcrest ...A Pretty Good Car Podcast” it’s the June 21 episode.

You can listen to it at their page as well:
https://overcrestproductions.com

[ZORA 69]

Thanks JoeCT enjoyed it

[SheepDog]

Thanks for posting. Jim Mero is a fantastic driver and master the Z06 and ZR1. At the limit and in expert hands, the FE may be the more capable, . But ordinary people in the C8 will probably and hopefully more easily go faster. Especially from stop lights to 70.

Takes an exceptionally high skill to do 2.9 zero to 60 in the FE. Learners permitters will do it soon in the ME.

The back end of the rear trunk has a wide opening I hope for those gulf clubs and other nice stuff for weekends and a quick trip from Costco.

[John]

Kudos to JoeCT for posting that, and very nice subsequent analysis SheepDog.

[MidEngine]

JoeCT well done. Thank you for sharing that. Jim Mero is a hero of mine and many.

[John]

Even more about Mr. Mero’s concerns thanks to the below GM Authority article. Thank you GM Authority; as noted in its last paragraph, one can subscribe to this great site via your email inbox daily. Their daily email is one of the most important pieces of my morning learning curve. To subscribe, you can just go to the last paragraph in this article and click on the “Subscribe” word.

Why A Retired Corvette Engineer Worries About The Mid-Engine C8 Corvette

• BY SEAN SZYMKOWSKI
• — JUN 25, 2019
• We’re only a few weeks away from the dawn of a new age for the Chevrolet Corvette. The mid-engine C8 Corvette will debut on July 18 and usher in a radical redesign for America’s time-tested sports car. While fans are eager, one notable individual is a little worried.

Jim Mero, a Corvette ride and handling engineer of 34 years, now retired, spoke on the Overcrest podcast in a new episode. There, he uttered some pretty dramatic words: “I worry about the mid-engine (Corvette).”



What has Mero somewhat doubting the move to the mid-engine layout is the current car’s performance capabilities. Mero, the same engineer who lapped both the C7 Corvette Z06 and Corvette ZR1 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife for unofficial lap times, confessed he was part of the mid-engine C8 Corvette development team before his retirement.

Thus, he was there when executives signed off on the move to a mid-engine layout. He recalled the engineering team rented what was considered the best mid-engine and rear-engine sports cars at the time. The benchmarking group included an Acura NSX, Ferrari 458 Italia, Audi R8, and a few Porsche 911s.



In benchmarking tests, Mero said the current Corvette Z06 “smoked them.” It gave the team pause, per Mero’s comments, to perhaps reflect on the switch to a mid-engine layout.

Executives disagreed, per the retired engineer. They liked the feel of driving the mid-engine Corvette at speeds well below the car’s limit and noted the view from the driver’s seat was better than that of the front-engine C7 Corvette. However, Mero said he countered the points saying the mid-engine car offered far less utility. The C8 Corvette will still fit a golf bag, but perhaps not much else in its “frunk.”



Mero hasn’t been a part of the team for years now, but he said the C8 engineers will need to “reinvent the wheel” to try and perfect the car’s formula. He noted the mid-engine car will not offer a perfect weight distribution (50/50) and understeer will be a big problem to overcome. This is a fan who’s completed 15,000 laps in Corvettes, so he knows a thing or two about how they behave.

In the conversation, Mero argued the mid-engine car likely wasn’t necessary to achieve the team’s performance goals, but he reckons it will still be “crazy popular.” We’ll soon find out if a mid-engine layout was the right move.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Source: Overcrest Podcast[/Quote]

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/06/...e-c8-corvette/

[Meldoon]

I wonder about the understeer he mentions. I recently read an article about the 911, and how when it first came out, “drivers” had to re-learn how to drive in a car with understeer. Different techniques.
Will the C8 feel as planted as my Grand Sport?
Will it be as forgiving?
Will the feedback be as different as in my 79 911?
Just how “different” will it be to drive?
I even wonder if the Corvette Racing Team will be looking for drivers with more experience in mid engine racers? (they are great drivers, so, I doubt it)
HEY GM!!!!! Where’s The BEEF!!!!!

[John]

You are right, that there are different techniques for driving a ME as opposed to a FE, of course those differences becoming much greater when one moves from the street to the track. This is why and I so many others have already posted, especially those of us who have never driven a mid engine car, that we are planning on going to the Spring Mountain Corvette Owners School early on in our C8 ownership.

Onee article today noted, Mr. Mero had not been part of the C8 program before he left GM last December. Most importantly, I am not ruling out that the excellent Corvette chassis development program team led by the highly accomplished, C8 Vehicle Performance Manager Alex MacDonald (who also set C7 track records, such as at VIR), and whose earlier C7/C8 experience was as its Chief Chassis Engineer, has not collectively and fully addressed potential handling issues.

I will relay one confidential conversation by a person highly involved in the C8’s development as a top member of the Corvette team said a long time ago, “the car is coming along better than we had hoped it would.”

I remain unconcerned, yet smart enough to know my personal ME inexperience requires me to go to Spring Mountain to get more skilled in ME driving techniques.

As to your last question about whether the Corvette team would look for more experienced ME racers, IMO the highly skilled professional C7.R drivers would make all necessary adjustments to the me C8.R in short order, and perhaps already have done so in limited testing and development sessions.

[JoeCT]

One thing is knowable now, versus the front ME, the rear ME will be a different experience. There will be many advancements and as with every new generation you have to expect that Corvette engineers will deliver the goods in every qualitative performance measure. For my part, I’m super interested to see how it connects with its heritage given the fundamental change. Long live the king!

[John]

I’m with JoeCT. It is going to connect with 66 years of history, but in what many ways???

In fact, I am now going to make that a thread for us to ponder.

[JB]

With todays active handling technology we will get all the benefits of rear mid engine and none of the negatives.

gm has studied rear mid engine benefits and negatives for years as previous corvette FE beat many on the track...

gm understands how to beat the competition on performance on the track.

i wouldnt worry at all.