Does the C7 Corvette ZR1 Have Too Much Power?
It’s a question we often ask ourselves about a number of topics. How much is too much? This applies to things like slices of pizza, pints of beer, and horsepower. But this is America, right, the land of excess? We can’t possibly have too much power, can we? Well, apparently, some folks think so. Including Corvette Forum member Izzy1000, who believes that the C7 Corvette ZR1 has a tad too much gusto for its own good.
“The car makes tons of horsepower, but it can’t keep the tires on the road. Last week I tested a manual Corvette ZR1. We finally got some cooler weather in Orange County and I headed to the toll road. The entrance was a straight road which takes you to the tollway. I was accelerating in 1st, shifted into 2nd and stepped on the throttle and all hell broke loose.
The rear of the car literally jumped up and the rear moved to the right. Then it jumped all the way to the left. The ZR1 was in sport mode and the electronics saved the car from doing a 360. Even on the toll road when in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd the tires continued to break free from the road under hard acceleration. A powerful engine with a mediocre suspension at best.”
Of course, several forum members jumped in to point out the flaws in this argument.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with a mediocre suspension,” notes Warp Factor. “That’s simply what you get with an extremely high-powered, front engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Without very careful throttle modulation, especially in cooler temperatures.”
“Maybe learn to drive it,” quipped krackenvette. “When you buy a high horsepower vehicle, you need to learn to drive it. You don’t just go out thinking you are all that and a bag of chips.”
Which may sound a little snippy, but it’s true. 700+ horsepower cars aren’t for everyone. Because yes, if you stab the throttle in the wrong conditions you’re going to have a bad time. Or, in our eyes, a good time. But even those of us who are experienced drivers respect our cars and learn them before we go hog wild.
Unsurprisingly, bjankuski feels the same way. Especially when you consider how summer compound tires tend to perform in cold temperatures.
“What do you think will happen with 755 hp on street tires, on a cold unprepped surface? You need to respect that level of power and use common sense. A 500 hp car will do the same thing on a poor surface.”
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