Mopar Jimmy

As most here know the C7 ZR1 with it's auto transmission set the production car lap record at VIR, and watching the video it's my educated guess that this record setting run was down while paddle shifting and not with the shifter in the regular drive mode. I have really been enjoying the paddle shifters on my ZR1 with A8 trans. more and more lately, and just want to confirm whether that track lap record at VIR was down while paddle shifting or not?

Not a lot of activity here b/c these King of the Hill C7 ZR1s are fairly rare (as far a corvettes go) with less than 3,000 made, so a little new King of the Hill (of all front engine vettes ever to be built) owner enthusiasm never hurts to keep the juices flowing on this C7 ZR1 section.

SBR

I believe that when the record lap was set, the car was left in D and the driver let the computer do the shifting.

C7&7

I am sure it was paddle shifted.

RustySeatbelt

I can't find anything online specific to what the VIR run was done in, but I believe Mero has said before that the car is faster left in D, and letting the computer do its own thing. Based on that, I'm going to go with SBR above.

Mopar Jimmy

I would think that would be the case also but after looking at the video closely not certain now. Interesting topic, look forward to finding out the answer to this question.

TheRobSJ

When I did Laguna Seca a couple months ago, I tried for a lap to paddle it myself (like they taught us to at Ron Fellows). But I found myself hitting it too late and banging off the limiter because of the lag too many times and just clicked it into D and let the computer handle it.

Every session...by the time the warm up lap was done, the transmission was shifting perfectly. Holding gears where I would have, shifting where I would have. It takes a bit of the involvement out of the experience, but honestly I think there’s really no improving on it if I tried to take over myself.

However. For an autocross type situation, I’d probably leave it in M and try to paddle it.

Mopar Jimmy

Great input and I agree 100%.

SouthernSon

Correct.

Jim Mero

Hey there, Rusty

You are correct, the car was in drive which enabled the race track shift algorithm. As good as the automatic is in this mode, it is too slow when tapped on the race track. Having said that, when on a high spirited road, I love tapping.

Hope that helps, Jim

Mopar Jimmy

Thanks for your info here Jim Mero confirming the car was in drive when the VIR record was set. What is meant by tapping, hitting the paddle shifters and down shifting I assume?

mjf6175

Hey Jim....thanks for the clarification. May I ask a somewhat related question? While I know you are now retired from GM ( CONGRATULATIONS! ), before retiring did you get much seat time in the handling development of the C8? Any thoughts or comparisons between the handling of the C8 and the C7 ZR1 you can share? Was the C7 ZR1 used as a benchmark for the C8?

And let me, like many others here have, thank you for the terrific C7 ZR1 that I own, the best FE Corvette and probably the last manual one.

serpent

Jim, did you guys consider using a DCT for the c7 zr1 development? I really wish GM went with this to go out with a bang for the last front engine vette.

SBR

I agree, would love to have Jims insight on this. My guess is that the DCT at the time would not be able to handle the power of the LT5. Again just a guess on my part.

Hib Halverson

If it would have fit, Tremec's DCT would have requiired a major change in the C7s structure aft of the rear bulkhead as well as a redesign of the drive axles and perhaps the rear suspension. Obviously, for a one year model at the end of the platform lifecycle, GM, much less any car maker, would have not have opted the big investment changing that would have required.

Also, we have to consider the time line. It's not like, during the C7 ZR1 development someone at Tremec could have gone "poof" and the TR-9080 would magically appear. At the time the development that resulted in the 2019 ZR1 took place, it's likely few, if any, TR-9080s even existed because the program that resulted in the DCT was still in the design and ealy development stages and not even close to being ready for use in a production application, much less one with 755-hp.

Jim Mero

Hi Jimmy, you are correct.

Jim Mero

Hey there mj,

Thank you for the kind words. I can assure you, feedback from customers like you are my motivation.

Relative to the C8, I was given the choice to work on the C8 but I would have had to give up the C7 ZR1 as those two programs were parallel timing. Knowing that I would be retiring soon, quite honestly I not want to jump into that hornets nest for the last year of my career knowing that I would never see the car into production, Also, there is no way I was going to let anybody else do the C7 ZR1. Especially because I knew it would be a sub seven car at the Nurburgring.

So a new administration took on the c8. The new guys who took on that car, are very talented, and they'll tell you so. LOL, but they were either very protective, or insecure relative to getting an opinion from the old school guy. So, to date I have never driven one. Apparently they did a pretty good job because I have seen very few negative comments about the vehicle dynamics. For sure, they did use a C7 as a baseline/target car. But they also had a fleet of mid engine cars they use for reference as well.

Thanks, Jim

Jim Mero

Hi Serpent,

Hib is 100% correct.

Thanks, Jim

YELLOWDREAMZ

Jim, thanks for heading up the ZR1 design. Your touch makes it a truly special car. I am lucky enough to have one which I would have never thought when I was a Kid dreaming of having a Corvette some day. It is sad that the C8 team never asked for your opinion out of respect for you and your talents.
Their loss for sure.
Thanks for everything you did to make the Corvette a great vehicle...........

Jim Mero

Hey there Dreamz,

Even in my older years, (60 on Monday) I still have the same dream you did relative to owning a C7 ZR1, I’m not sure it’s in the financial books, but you never know.

Relative to not participating in the C8, quite honestly, for reasons I suspect you would know, I was totally fine with that.

Finally, I so appreciate your kind words. That was my total motivation, serving the customer. And when I read comments like yours, the sense of satisfaction is very rewarding.

Thanks again, Jim

Mopar Jimmy

Well said and I agree 100%. Thank you Jim Mero for your input on this thread and for designing such an awesome Corvette, the true King of the Hill of all front engine Corvettes ever to be built!

Quick question Mr. Mero, I have heard that the A8 transmission in the C7 ZR1 with its computer programming actually shifts gears faster than a Dual Clutch Transmission when the ZR1 is in Drive (D) and you go to wide open throttle. Is that true? Thank you Jim, you are a gentleman and a class act.