Special thanks to my dad for letting me do this review. The C7 Corvette is the last front engine model, and an incredible bargain in so many ways. An agile, excellent all around performer even in base trim, and the power is amazing!
I feel like this stingray and the grand sport are the best for city driving with the manual. That 450 HP to me is perfect, it's still a powerful car that you can still get some good engagement in a manual on. The manual Z06 and ZR1 have crazy next level power that for city driving the gears have to be very tall, it's got to be harder to enjoy that manual transmission if you rarely need to get beyond 2nd gear in the city (lol).
2016 was when they introduced the flat bottom wheel. Now you got me debating buying a used one of these. The first experience I had with one of these with the automatic via a rental. Sitting in it felt like a Porsche 911 or high end exotic. Driving it was AMAZING! I would have to at least go with 2LT due to the front cameras they have to protect you from scraping it.
Beautiful job reviewing the C7 manual 1LT. Completely agree and I worked at the Chevy Tech Center where the car was designed. Well done. C5-C7 and the 5-6 Gen Camaro are true automotive performance values as you correctly say. PS. I prefer the car not lowered for ground clearance...getting in and out of the car and a bit more suspension travel. But I am an oldster who has lowered too many cars and regretted it. Personal preference only.
Coming from you that sure means a lot, thank you very much and glad you liked the video. Really cool that the video reached you, even cooler that you worked where you did! Dad worked at the Columbus, OH Fisher Body plant for 30 years, he sure loves this car. Such a shame they're stopping the 6th gen Camaro but can't wait to see the 7th, hope it looks like the 70-73 with round tailights and front split bumper design! Definitely old school like you and prefer no hybrid, as the 7th gen Camaro may be though. Understand what you mean about lowering it too lol. Grew up with dad having things like a 68 396 Camaro convertible, he even had a 69 COPO in the early 70's, love em! A pleasure talking with you my friend and take care.
Man! Those rims on the TransAm!!!!! It was already beautiful! But, its definitely even more beautiful now. You did a great job, the bestest of the restest! You definitely need to take some pics in a good area or whatever. The car can justify its self. I mean you could really make a calendar of it or so. I just can't believe how much it brought out that TransAm...! So, this Corvet it stunning and incredibly sleek. I didn't want to say. But, im not a fan of Yellow vehicle's and i guess it's because I've always pretty much been around or my Dad has always chose black vehicles. But, this Corvette is absolutely sick! The camera view of the hood during the drive really had me in love. Red and Yellow just stand out and insurance is more as well. But, im sure it's higher on bright colors like neon green, pink or orange and so on. Lol...i dont care. I want a 2017 Yellow Corvette now. That thing was beautiful. Anyways, thats a good looking car and i love it. Im not a machanic by any means. But, i know the basics and from you shifting down and up and pulling outvthe speed explains so much. I didn't realize how much speed you can gain by just being in 2nd or 3rd for so long with the acceleration down, like peddle to the metal. Which i never had a manual. I did drive a manual a few times. But it was nothing like that. And the 77, 79, 93, that my Dad had back in the day and the 1980 TransAm that my Dad has in the garage are all automatic. I mean i heard manual is quicker because u can control it your own self/the gears. And i was shocked to hear you say that an automatic in this 2017 could be quicker? Idk. But, if thats what i heard and heard you rigjt, it must be due to all this newer technology. Sorry if i didn't here that right. I think back in the day, maybe a manual was faster, only if u probably knew hiw yo shift gears. Like the 1979 Pontiac TransAm "Automatic" had a oldsmobile engine 400? And the 4 speed was the actual Pontiac engine. I know the automatics had the liter on the shaker and the manual had the 6.6 TA on the shaker. And then likd the 93 and newer had the corvet engines in them. Which i do believe between 82-92 some of them had the corvet engines too. Thats what im thinking the LS1 means. Shoot! I hate that Pontiac disappeared in 2002. Suposebly if they do come back out with another TransAm, its gonna be called a Buick TransAm. Could y imagine how weird that would be?😂
Sounds like you have an awesome dad too, when I was 12 he went to Louisiana to get a 79 Silver Anniversary TA, always loved when he picked me up from middle school in that lol. Corvette is definitely more fun with a manual, you'd love it. Thanks for the love on the 78 Trans Am too, feel really thankful to have it. We had a 2015 Corvette automatic and it put down less at the wheels than this one, the automatic just shifts so quick. Appreciate all your comments, we feel a lot alike on these cars, thanks my friend. Glad you like the old school Cragars on it too. Hear you on that Mustang your friend has too lol, I had to replace the rear shocks with Koni's recently even with the low mileage, it was bouncing everywhere over RR tracks etc. Lol
Another super video. The C7 with the manual is a bucket list car for me. Either owning or at least a drive. I'd love to get onto the nearest motorway (highway) and set cruise control in 7th and eat up the miles in style. I noticed on the long straight section of road you were at around 53mph in 5th. Does the engine have enough torque to maintain that speed in 7th ? Was pretty shocked to see a roundabout - thought it was just the Brits had those to confuse visiting drivers 😆
Hahaha, yeah we hate the roundabouts too, unless we're in a sports car with no traffic LOL. I'd say 7th kind of lugs unless you are 75mph+, you'd definitely fall in love with a C7, probably the best bargain for all it does performance-wise, quality is much better than previous gens too, nice leathers, panels etc.
You really know your stuff, just learned a few things about these, that's always appreciated my friend! Yeah they do sound sick wide open, has some musclecar in it haha. Did not know the 2014 didn't have afm at all, good info. Not dogging the automatic they rock and roll, had a 2015 Z51 (8 speed auto) I bought from dad, sure liked it. I'd say go for it on a used C7, totally!! I ordered a 2024 Red Hot color LT1 Camaro, shouldn't have but it's the last year for em. I wanna buy one new, break it in easy etc and take good care of it. Let me know if you get a C7, I hope you do, I would but can't quite afford it lol. If you do get an auto and you have that infamous shudder, change the transmission fluid to the updated Mobil 1 stuff and have your tuner disable 4 cyl mode, it'll get rid of that. Our 3lt had that, fixed it right up ^^
So the 2015 got the Active Fuel Management in the automatic cars only. Due to this the car I bet feels slower because at part throttle it may be only using 4 cylinders. It is not until you put your foot in it that it really takes off. Plus the rear end with the automatic I bet is a lower number so that would make it feel slower off the line. Yep the manual gets 3.42 ratio and the automatic gets either 2.73 or 2.56. 2.73 was the performance ratio so I bet yours was the 2.56 since it was non Z51. 😁
Nice, we ended up changing the transmission fluid to an updated Mobil 1 fluid, and a tune got rid of the 4 cylinder mode infamous "shudder" on a 2015 Z51 8 speed.
Nice, that's one heck of a C7, 3lt Z51. We had a yellow auto in that spec years back, talk about the ultimate machine. Definitely hang onto it my friend, the last (and best imo) of the front engine/rear drive Corvette.
