It's Not a Z But . . .

[NJC8]

I reached the fork in the road where I had to decide whether to continue to wait for a Z allocation or pursue an opportunity to upgrade my current 2020 C8 Z51. To give myself options, I joined the wait list for the Callaway supercharger program when it became available. And when the Lingenfelter Magnuson program was announced I contacted them as well. The decision I had to make wasn't so much based on $ as that would clearly favor waiting for a Z and selling my current C8 privately. However, I would never track the Z and the high RPM capability of the LT6 wouldn't be of much use in the daily driving I normally do. I suspected the low/mid range torque of a supercharged LT2 might bring the most smiles to my driving experience. The folks at Lingenfelter referred me to East Coast Supercharging which is close to where I live. The scheduling gods smiled on me and in about six weeks Chris and good folks at ECS had the Magnuson supercharger installed along with a valve train upgrade and Borla S-type exhaust. I have never even seen a Z let along driven one but it is hard to imagine it would be more fun than the combination of brutal acceleration when I want it along with much, much improved low/mid range throttle response around town complimented by the visceral experience of the supercharger whine and the crackle of the exhaust overrun. If my number had come up earlier, I would probably be smiling in a Z right now wondering how anything could be better. But, I am pretty content with a supercharged LT2 which I think makes a pretty good option for those who want more from their C8 but either can't get or think a Z might not be the best choice for them. To dress things up a bit, Chris powder coated the top of the supercharger to match the valve covers so I think it looks pretty good as well.

[Nasty2ss]

Wow so cool, that thing must be a beast now.Good luck and enjoy the ride.

[John]

GREAT move. Your car will be/IS) a beast now! Happy, happy driving to you.

[Boomer]

I don't mess with my C8. Some mods! Thanks. Paragraph spacing would help.

[3 Z06ZR1]

I reached the fork in the road where I had to decide whether to continue to wait for a Z allocation or pursue an opportunity to upgrade my current 2020 C8 Z51. To give myself options, I joined the wait list for the Callaway supercharger program when it became available. And when the Lingenfelter Magnuson program was announced I contacted them as well. The decision I had to make wasn't so much based on $ as that would clearly favor waiting for a Z and selling my current C8 privately. However, I would never track the Z and the high RPM capability of the LT6 wouldn't be of much use in the daily driving I normally do. I suspected the low/mid range torque of a supercharged LT2 might bring the most smiles to my driving experience. The folks at Lingenfelter referred me to East Coast Supercharging which is close to where I live. The scheduling gods smiled on me and in about six weeks Chris and good folks at ECS had the Magnuson supercharger installed along with a valve train upgrade and Borla S-type exhaust. I have never even seen a Z let along driven one but it is hard to imagine it would be more fun than the combination of brutal acceleration when I want it along with much, much improved low/mid range throttle response around town complimented by the visceral experience of the supercharger whine and the crackle of the exhaust overrun. If my number had come up earlier, I would probably be smiling in a Z right now wondering how anything could be better. But, I am pretty content with a supercharged LT2 which I think makes a pretty good option for those who want more from their C8 but either can't get or think a Z might not be the best choice for them. To dress things up a bit, Chris powder coated the top of the supercharger to match the valve covers so I think it looks pretty good as well.

I think I would save time and money too and agree with the rest as well! I'm still exploring my last upgrades on my C7Z's. Amazing results too with Maguson blowers.

[3 Z06ZR1]

I don't mess with my C8. Some mods! Thanks. Paragraph spacing would help.

He wanted Z06 performance.

[NJC8]

Nice to know we have a grammarian on the forum but good point on paragraph spacing.

[JB]

I’d always be wary of modding the c8 as the replacement cost out of warranty on the transmission is around 20 grand. Having needed transmission replaced driving my car as a daily driver precludes me from modding my car. In anyway.

that said Chris at ECS supercharging is a great guy. I used to race at englishtown with him at the corvette challenge before he even started or just started ECS. That’s over 20 years ago. I always admired Chris and Doug. Good guys and I’m sure your modded c8 is awesome.

hopefully you’ll run at Atco and post up some times.

[telepierre]

I am cheering this upgrade big time. I am proud owner of a 12 year old C6 with a edelbrock E-Force and it's still chugging along as the best corvette sleeper I have ever known and it wont be the last corvette with a S/C either.

It is my understanding the package comes with some added work on the DCT? I know the LT2 holds it fine if you don't bit it up too much at the track...

[Jetdriver]

What is the HP increase? Do you have to upgrade clutches and axles? Thinking I might go with the Soler throttle controller as has been discussed here on the forum just to spice it up a bit. I don't track this car.

[NJC8]

602 rwhp @ 6300 RPM and 570 lb-ft torque at 4800 RPM. Torque curve very flat and above 500 lb-ft from 2500 to 6300 RPM. Did not upgrade clutches and axles - yet anyway. I agree the main worry card is the DCT. Car is great fun to drive but I suspect a Soler throttle controller and exhaust would really wake up a C8 and give much of the same street driving experience (minus the supercharger whine of course.)

[topfuelman]

I agree with the 20G trans. replacement, the supercharger would be a "no-go" for me. Don't wait for it to break before upgrading clutches, half-shafts. Have fun with it, but you're living on borrowed time. The Z06 was "designed" for 670hp, the Stingray was not.

[Hillslam]

I bet without doing a truckload of HARD dumps at a prepped track that trans lasts a decade.

Just evening out the karma in here from these Negative Nancies. Looks nice, bet it drives great. And history has taught us the Stingrays are the mod kings.

[meyerweb]

I'm happy with the torque and power of my stock Stingray, but agree with the OP's opinion that on the street the low-end grunt of the LT2 is preferable, for me, to the high end HP of the LT6.

[John]

I really like meyerweb your bolding the worlds “for me” in your post. Well done and to the point!!!

I have talked to several who state that one needs to become used to driving a high RPM car, that a drive here or there in one (a test drive, your buddy allowing you to drive theirs for an hour or twice that, etc.) will not be able to give anyone a meaningful, accurate comparison. For example, while it is fact that at 2,500 RPM the Stingray has better torque and thus if one drives routinely in that RPM or even 3000 RPM range the Stingray is there not only more “torque-ful” but also truly delightful, though if one has a Z06 or Porsche or other high RPM car and instead of driving around routinely in the 2,500-3,000 RPK range but makes the adjustment and finds themselves now routinely driving in their high RPM sports car at 4,000+ RPM range, is that statement that that an LT2 is preferable for street driving any longer accurate?

My friend who has owned and driven for literally decades has had a wide variety of regular low end but high torque Corvettes and conversely loved his screaming RPM Ferraris, Porsches and similar exotics, stated to me the day after the Z06’s reveal when we learned of its 8,600 RPM top that one needs to really drive a high RPM car continuously for a month or longer at high RPM’s to properly make that adjustment.

Similarly I had a delightful, lengthy phone conversation with Jack Holmes of savagegeese. He also noted that not has he and his other Porsche buddies made that adjustment to routinely being and enjoying being in higher RPM range. For him it is very natural, and instinctive to be at the higher RPM ranges as he even runs his around town errands. Even that his muscle memory on the throttle is such that unlike some others who are getting used to their new Z06 as their first high range RPM car — with those folks commenting on that the Z06 has a long throttle tip in point, that the Z06’s throttle tip in point is not something coming from his high RPM driving background is something he noticed.

Like everything in life, it is what we are used to. Like a thoroughbred, a quarter-horse, or prefer A Tennessse Walking bourse that normally takes you nicely and gently down a wooded path…. Nice that GM has given us two great choices with a third one right around the corner. A Stingray is a superb car for way more than half of C8 owners. Yet, I am already personally loving driving my high revving e-ticket thrill ride. AND OH, will the E-Ray be such a great third option!!!


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