C7 Corvette test drive from an M3 driver

[Audio Fan]

Originally Posted by gthal

Not true. I have owned an 2 E92 M3's, a C63 coupe and a C7. The C7 interior is very much on par in fit, finish and materials. The paint is similar to my first E92 M3 with some orange peel but nothing to worry about (my C63 had the best paint). The body panel fit is spot on.

I'm not suggesting the build quality might be slightly higher on the MB and BMW but it is very, very close. BTW, my C63 had more issues in the first 4 months of ownership than my C7 had. My M3 (first one) had lots of squeaks and rattles (C7, none).

My point is you are incorrect in your comment quoted above. Some of the very early C7s had some issues but that is not the case now. The only real continued issue, if there is one, is orange peel... but guess what, as mentioned, my M3 had it too.

I saw what I saw on three C7s in the show room. Large, uneven gaps with large amounts of orange peel visible on the darker colors. However, the darker colors tend to hide the large, uneven panel lines better. I've had 4 M3s and two GL450s of late. The Mercedes where definitely more problematic. The Ms seemed great, looked great, and held up great. The gaps were tight and even. Tip: don't look in the garage at your hood gaps. Seriously, you have a great car. Enjoy it.

[stylinexpat]

Everything about the new C7 is good except for 2 major issues which for me are a major turn off. 1) Safety in the event if a crash or accident. Do a Google search and see if you find anything on that C7 for crash tests. Now sit in one and if you are 6'-6'2" tall see where your head sits next to the pillar next to your head. In the event of a roll over you may be decapitated. 2) While the C7 may not have any rear seats try stretching your legs out in either the passenger side or driver's side. Unless you are 5-5'6" tall your long trips will not be so comfortable. While there are no seats behind you, you will find that both seats barely recline back. You are in an upright position all the time so if you plan on sitting in the passenger's side forget trying to lay back and taking a small nap. In the M3 & M4 none of these 2 important issues are a problem. Almost nothing is mentioned on the Corvette website for safety and crash tests.

[Carl L]

Originally Posted by stylinexpat

Everything about the new C7 is good except for 2 major issues which for me are a major turn off. 1) Safety in the event if a crash or accident. Do a Google search and see if you find anything on that C7 for crash tests. Now sit in one and if you are 6'-6'2" tall see where your head sits next to the pillar next to your head. In the event of a roll over you may be decapitated. 2) While the C7 may not have any rear seats try stretching your legs out in either the passenger side or driver's side. Unless you are 5-5'6" tall your long trips will not be so comfortable. While there are no seats behind you, you will find that both seats barely recline back. You are in an upright position all the time so if you plan on sitting in the passenger's side forget trying to lay back and taking a small nap. In the M3 & M4 none of these 2 important issues are a problem. Almost nothing is mentioned on the Corvette website for safety and crash tests.

Crash safety is an often overlooked feature that is literally life and death. One of the main reasons why I admire classic cars like the '67 GT500 but I'd never own one (or even ride in one on public streets). Too may idiots around here missing red lights and swaying into other people's lanes.

[solstice]

I got passed by a blue C7 yesterday, looks great!!

[ersin]

Did anyone see this yet?

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/dr...deo-81358.html

Spoiler: M4 out accelerates a C7 Vette.


Cheers.

[M3guy3]

Originally Posted by stylinexpat

Everything about the new C7 is good except for 2 major issues which for me are a major turn off. 1) Safety in the event if a crash or accident. Do a Google search and see if you find anything on that C7 for crash tests. Now sit in one and if you are 6'-6'2" tall see where your head sits next to the pillar next to your head. In the event of a roll over you may be decapitated. 2) While the C7 may not have any rear seats try stretching your legs out in either the passenger side or driver's side. Unless you are 5-5'6" tall your long trips will not be so comfortable. While there are no seats behind you, you will find that both seats barely recline back. You are in an upright position all the time so if you plan on sitting in the passenger's side forget trying to lay back and taking a small nap. In the M3 & M4 none of these 2 important issues are a problem. Almost nothing is mentioned on the Corvette website for safety and crash tests.

also feel corvettes are to unsafe. you can get a plenty fast car that is also somewhat safe.

[bruce.augenstein@comcast.]

Originally Posted by ersin

Did anyone see this yet?

...Spoiler: M4 out accelerates a C7 Vette.

Cheers.

So who actually won the race?

Couldn't tell from the video.

Bruce

[phear_me]

Coming from a Corvette C6 to the BMW M4 I would describe it as such:

The corvette is the best performance value for your money.
The M4 is the best overall call for your money.

Relative to each other the Corvette leans towards performance and M4 leans towards luxury.

[DieGrüneHölle]

Originally Posted by ersin

Did anyone see this yet?

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/dr...deo-81358.html

Spoiler: M4 out accelerates a C7 Vette.


Cheers.

LOL...cute little video. A bad launch shows how the Vette would run down the M4 quite well.

Sorry for anyone who thinks a lighter car with more hp and tq won't be faster in a straight line.

C7 Z51 owners with bone stock Stingrays are well into 11 sec 1/4 mile.

[USE Z4S]

Originally Posted by Blipit_

LOL...cute little video. A bad launch shows how the Vette would run down the M4 quite well.

Sorry for anyone who thinks a lighter car with more hp and tq won't be faster in a straight line.

C7 Z51 owners with bone stock Stingrays are well into 11 sec 1/4 mile.

Hmm... This rings pretty defensive. Power and torque curves and gearing are all very important parts of the equation, not just "raw" numbers.

[DieGrüneHölle]

Originally Posted by USE Z4S

Hmm... This rings pretty defensive. Power and torque curves and gearing are all very important parts of the equation, not just "raw" numbers.

Call it what you will, I can admit a Corvette is faster than my BMW. It is just facts, bone stock M4's will not be running mid 11 sec 1/4 mile.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by Blipit_

C7 Z51 owners with bone stock Stingrays are well into 11 sec 1/4 mile.

Originally Posted by Blipit_

It is just facts, bone stock M4's will not be running mid 11 sec 1/4 mile.

C7 wont either ! search in youtube for stock C7 or see this thread:
http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthr...=994002&page=2

[gthal]

Originally Posted by M6-Coupe

C7 wont either ! search in youtube for stock C7 or see this thread:
http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthr...=994002&page=2

Yes, the C7 will run mid to high 11's stock. There have been a lot of real owners, in real life situations document this with slips. 11.6 to 11.8 seems to be easily achieved with an auto car. MT's are in the 11.8-12.0 range.

There is a fast list on the Corvette forum... and the guys going to the drag strip are consistently hitting those numbers.

Say what one will about the C7 but it is delivering from a performance perspective without any doubt.

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by phear_me

Coming from a Corvette C6 to the BMW M4 I would describe it as such:

The corvette is the best performance value for your money.
The M4 is the best overall call for your money.

Relative to each other the Corvette leans towards performance and M4 leans towards luxury.

Performance encompasses everything and not just driving dynamics. If I can have a trunk full of groceries and still hit the on-ramp in 60mp in 4.3 seconds, I'd argue the M4 is the best value for the dollar. Likewise...bluetooth, leather seats and a well put together interior is not necessarily luxury. Where is this luxury? Nothing about the m4 aims for that demographic. That term is used too loosely. Jaguar, Lexus, mercs. are luxury brands. BMW still has the performance/pseudo-luxo market. Even the Alpina is a bit rugged.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by gthal

Yes, the C7 will run mid to high 11's stock. There have been a lot of real owners, in real life situations document this with slips. 11.6 to 11.8 seems to be easily achieved with an auto car. MT's are in the 11.8-12.0 range.

There is a fast list on the Corvette forum... and the guys going to the drag strip are consistently hitting those numbers.

Say what one will about the C7 but it is delivering from a performance perspective without any doubt.

I referred to that thread to show the real world and not people who claim they did something as I can claim my M6 can go 0-60 in 3.6 second (and I actually did one time), but I don't have any record to prove it so and if you see the thread I posted the link, then the real world record is about 12.
BTW for people who claim C7 is running 1/4 mile in mid 11 and M4 cannot,have you guys ever driven M4? is there anybody to have a record in drag? or you are going with numbers? the real world is slightly different...

[gthal]

Originally Posted by M6-Coupe

I referred to that thread to show the real world and not people who claim they did something as I can claim my M6 can go 0-60 in 3.6 second (and I actually did one time), but I don't have any record to prove it so and if you see the thread I posted the link, then the real world record is about 12.
BTW for people who claim C7 is running 1/4 mile in mid 11 and M4 cannot,have you guys ever driven M4? is there anybody to have a record in drag? or you are going with numbers? the real world is slightly different...

Agreed that claims and reality are often different. Here is an example of 8 completely stock C7s and their times from Corvette Forum. There are slips posted in the same thread to confirm these numbers so they are all absolutely legit.

I have driven the M4 but I cannot say how close it will get to these numbers. If I am betting, a completely stock M4 will be very low 12.

Rank~~ E.T.~~ Trap~ 60'~ Driver~~~~~ M.Yr. Details
1~~~~11.496~~118.96~~1.683~SNORMAN~~~~'14 A6 (Post#4)
2~~~~11.617~~120.17~~1.738~VNAMVET~~~~'14 A6 Z51 Timeslip in sig, (Post#21)
3~~~~11.743~~119.05~~1.745~jrwood~~~~~~'14 A6 non-z51, with NPP, Used launch control (Post# 84)
4~~~~11.940~~116.00~~1.790~Fore58~~~~~~'14 A6 Non Z51 track mode and traction control off, Convertible (Post#97)
5~~~~11.955~~119.62~~1.919~Kyle Lemish~~~'14 M7 non Z51 and no NPP (Post#13)
6~~~~12.074~~116.79~~1.928~jb306y~~~~~~'14 M7 Non-Z51, M7, NPP, launch control (Post# 85)
7~~~~12.164~~116.31~~1.938~Greg Quillen~~~'14 M7 Z51, Has NPP (Post#15)

Note that every auto C7 was in the 11's. I would LOVE to see the M4 get these numbers too but I don't think we will... speculation, clearly.

Link to the discussion... C7 Fast List

[USE Z4S]

Omfg who cares. The cars are probably close enough that a better driver will turn faster laps at the local track. C7 is a great value and a beautiful and fast car. It's probably faster than an M4 by a very small margin... But it definitely compromises the M4 quality and usefulness to achieve that slight margin.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by USE Z4S

Omfg who cares. The cars are probably close enough that a better driver will turn faster laps at the local track. C7 is a great value and a beautiful and fast car. It's probably faster than an M4 by a very small margin... But it definitely compromises the M4 quality and usefulness to achieve that slight margin.

For the same reason people care about lap times, braking distances, skid pad, etc...

If you don't care about these things, why bother joining the discussion?

I do agree that acceleration is but one small component of a car's performance and, depending on how you use that car, maybe not even close to the most important. I also agree that we are talking about relatively small differences in what are already very fast cars.

[JoeKixxon]

Note: Decided to threadsurrect (TM) this instead of starting a new one

Rode in a co-workers C7 for the first time. He is not stingy with the throttle. Holy poop that thing is fast, torquey, and sounds AMAZING. Although he does have a header on it. I think the Vette might also have better gadgets than BMW from what I could tell... Oh and you can keep a handgun behind the touch screen. It rolls down like a window. (This IS Texas folks).

The seating is so low. You basically sit right on the deck. I thought the F80 was low (sidebar: I always feel bad for my Mom when I take her to lunch or shopping... she can barely pull herself up and out of the M3).

The Chevy is faster, angrier, and sounds better, but since I can only afford one high-end car, the M3 is definitely still my choice. I personally think the Bimmer looks much better (totally different look, but I prefer it) and it's just so much more practical which I really do like and enjoy. It's great throwing the dogs in the back seat and heading out for some outdoorsy stuff with the wife. It's an ideal grocery getter. And I can even pick up more than one person from the airport. WITH BAGS.

That was my first experience in a C7 so I wanted to post. AWESOME car. But, still... ///M3 for me

[stylinexpat]

Originally Posted by M3guy3

also feel corvettes are to unsafe. you can get a plenty fast car that is also somewhat safe.

All you have to do is just sit in a C7 Vette and see where your head sits next to the pillar to the left of your head then thick of low that pillar is and look at the distance between the top of your head and roofline. Then look up a few accidents and see what happened to that pillar and roof in an accident. Next you will notice that there are very few if any crash test results on the new C7.

Great car and great performance but horrible for safety features and side and rear visibility. There is also very little space inside to back up your seat so long distance trips will be horrible on your back and legs if you need to stretch unless one is on the short side or does not mind driving like they are sitting upright in a chair.

[ASAP]

Z06 or bust... now that's a sports car.

[skillz911]

I bought a C7 with the thoughts of selling the M4. For now I have decided to keep both.