The whole premise of the seventh generation of Corvette was supposed to be about bringing Corvette into the modern world, combining performance with comfort and fuel efficiency.
In spite of the bullshit +Tadge Juechter and +General Motors marketing department continue to spread, the base Stingray already failed on all fronts, regarding its objectives. The car is even more cramped than the predecessor, rear vision disappeared completely and the growing core of buyers, overweight and taller than 6 feet still cannot fit in the car. The car is wider and heavier and less aerodynamic, effectively wiping out any possible fuel savings the corporate measures such as AFM could generate.
Now, if the base car is a failure, the upcoming Z06 is even a bigger failure. Why? The car is obscenely heavy, with even worse aerodynamics, much higher rolling resistance while offering absolute no improvements with respect to riding comfort. So what does the new widebody exactly accomplish? Absolutely nothing at all, except for even worse fuel economy and shitty ergonomics of the base car combined with even less outward visibility than the base car.
The problem with the chassis on frame design is that the interior of the car remains constant, no matter how wide the car becomes on the outside. Could the design at least make provisions for accommodating wider tires using the base car width? Of course it could, this way the car would have better aerodynamics while avoiding the visual abomination of flea market additions such as the awful fender flares and other garish add on pieces that at best, look like a retarded afterthought.
Is there a point to making the car wider without expanding the interior room? Absolutely not, especially with a car that is already pretty wide. The truly entertaining part is the uniform outpour of accolades from the Corvette enthusiasts who adore the counterproductive widening of Corvette. Never mind that none of the obese Corvette buyers can fit in the Z06, just like they cannot fit in the base car, wider is apparently better, no matter how retarded the actual outcome may be. Long live ignorant Corvette enthusiasts.!!!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Corvette C7 failure makes for a valuable lesson in humility for Tadge Juechter and last laugh for Corvette C6 owners
First Alexander the Great, then Napoleon, then Adolf Hitler and now +Tadge Juechter . What do they all have in common? A blind ambition to conquer the world and the big failure crowning their plans.
+Tadge Juechter had a great ambition to conquer the automotive world, making Corvette C7 a global sports car, if one believed his bullshit, the latest Corvette would have to be the best thing in the sports cars world, regardless of price. Not only conquering the world had Juechter in mind but also setting himself apart from other Corvette program chiefs, creating a car that make a big leap in Corvette design and development. Juechter even made a point of describing the previous generation of Corvette as obsolete, when compared to his own Stingray baby.
Now, all of this fell apart, the reality is setting in, and defective body panel material and associated fiasco related to awful paint and fit of the car adds the final nail to the coffin of the car already plagued by numerous mechanical and electronic defects and failures.
By now, it is already a very undeniable fact that the only thing the newest generation of Corvette will be associated with is its already infamous truly shitty paint quality and gobs of epoxy UAW heroes in Bowling Green plant use to handle brittle new SMC material.
There is certainly great poetic justice here, the new is worse than the old and in more than one way.
Not only the new material cannot be painted consistently but it also is so brittle that the assembly techniques used on the previous generation of Corvette no longer work. Sloppy and inconsistent bumpers made by suppliers no longer can be corrected visually through panel adjustment and the newest Corvette leaves the factory with not just shitty paint jobs but misaligned panels that become more misaligned with time due to inability to exert force necessary to fully secure them.
Juechter certainly got his lesson for not testing everything that goes into the new car carefully. There are so many other problems this new already has but this part, the appearance is the most visible one, something that makes this car a total joke, even when considered as a bargain, assuming that anything costing over 50k can be considered any kind of a bargain.
The ride of glory is over for Juechter, what he has done to Corvette is truly shameful. The real insult is the fact that the new Corvette is a real porker, in any of its versions and the defective SMC and shitty paint did not contribute to making this car a better one than the previous generation
Juechter was an errand boy during C6 development, there is no doubt he wanted to show his superiority and talent and leadership and instead, he ended up as a complete ass and living joke.
One cannot help but wonder if there is someone with more brains than he has, and he has none, among his corporate handlers to finally let him go. The upcoming Z06 will share all of the problems that the Stingray has and quite a few more, maybe then finally, someone at +General Motors will show Juechter the door?
As it is, the previous Corvette generation is as good as it gets regarding paint quality and finish, and these were not all that good then, pretty funny to see the mediocre quality of the C6 became the unobtainable benchmark for the current Corvette. Life can be very cruel if one is not familiar with the value of humility.
+Tadge Juechter had a great ambition to conquer the automotive world, making Corvette C7 a global sports car, if one believed his bullshit, the latest Corvette would have to be the best thing in the sports cars world, regardless of price. Not only conquering the world had Juechter in mind but also setting himself apart from other Corvette program chiefs, creating a car that make a big leap in Corvette design and development. Juechter even made a point of describing the previous generation of Corvette as obsolete, when compared to his own Stingray baby.
Now, all of this fell apart, the reality is setting in, and defective body panel material and associated fiasco related to awful paint and fit of the car adds the final nail to the coffin of the car already plagued by numerous mechanical and electronic defects and failures.
By now, it is already a very undeniable fact that the only thing the newest generation of Corvette will be associated with is its already infamous truly shitty paint quality and gobs of epoxy UAW heroes in Bowling Green plant use to handle brittle new SMC material.
There is certainly great poetic justice here, the new is worse than the old and in more than one way.
Not only the new material cannot be painted consistently but it also is so brittle that the assembly techniques used on the previous generation of Corvette no longer work. Sloppy and inconsistent bumpers made by suppliers no longer can be corrected visually through panel adjustment and the newest Corvette leaves the factory with not just shitty paint jobs but misaligned panels that become more misaligned with time due to inability to exert force necessary to fully secure them.
Juechter certainly got his lesson for not testing everything that goes into the new car carefully. There are so many other problems this new already has but this part, the appearance is the most visible one, something that makes this car a total joke, even when considered as a bargain, assuming that anything costing over 50k can be considered any kind of a bargain.
The ride of glory is over for Juechter, what he has done to Corvette is truly shameful. The real insult is the fact that the new Corvette is a real porker, in any of its versions and the defective SMC and shitty paint did not contribute to making this car a better one than the previous generation
Juechter was an errand boy during C6 development, there is no doubt he wanted to show his superiority and talent and leadership and instead, he ended up as a complete ass and living joke.
One cannot help but wonder if there is someone with more brains than he has, and he has none, among his corporate handlers to finally let him go. The upcoming Z06 will share all of the problems that the Stingray has and quite a few more, maybe then finally, someone at +General Motors will show Juechter the door?
As it is, the previous Corvette generation is as good as it gets regarding paint quality and finish, and these were not all that good then, pretty funny to see the mediocre quality of the C6 became the unobtainable benchmark for the current Corvette. Life can be very cruel if one is not familiar with the value of humility.
Defective low density SMC and Corvette C7 Stingray misaligned bumper problems
As already mentioned previously, there are two impacts resulting from +General Motors failed attempt to create a light weight SMC material used to make majority of Stingray and Z06 body panels. One impact is the awful paint quality so common to the newest Corvette, regardless of production date. However, the other effect should not be overlooked either as it is certainly easy to see.
Since the defective SMC is considerably weaker than its high density predecessor, it is highly prone to breakage. This breakage is not of accident variety, it happens during Stingray assembly. Urethane bumpers typically show certain degree of dimensional variation, a very common occurrence with injection molded plastic parts, due to shrinkage factor.
Typically, these variation can be eliminated through adjustment of adjacent panels, applying certain amount of force to make the panels fit. This approach was a standard issue on the previous generation of Corvette. A good example of this situation were the front bumper clips popping out after a while, due to tension.
For this generation of Corvette, things have changed however, the new material is very weak, it is brittle and it cracks under stress considerably lower than in the previous generation. Bowling Green management already figured out this part, as evidence by hastily epoxied front fender mating surfaces on numerous cars (not visible until front bumper is removed from the car).
Apparently no chances are being taken with rear bumpers and instead of forced fitment that most likely would result in cracked quarter panels, +General Motors decided to release the cars with misaligned bumper than risk more cracked panels that could be visible in the case of rear bumper.
General Motors of course counts on apathy and lenience of the buyers, with most of them remaining under impression this misalignment is ACCEPTABLE.
However, those few that complain, end up with their cars being bought back by GM. Why? Very simple actually, GM does not want the publicity and more evidence regarding the failure of new SMC material. After all, should someone decide to align the rear bumper, chances are very good the quarter panels are either already cracked or will crack during this process.
One thing is certain, misaligned bumpers are a new rule for the Stingray, not an exception, just as demonstrated by this car. Yes, this truly looks like shit and should not happen on a 20k car but somehow it happens daily on a 70k car. Some bargain this new Corvette is...
Since the defective SMC is considerably weaker than its high density predecessor, it is highly prone to breakage. This breakage is not of accident variety, it happens during Stingray assembly. Urethane bumpers typically show certain degree of dimensional variation, a very common occurrence with injection molded plastic parts, due to shrinkage factor.
Typically, these variation can be eliminated through adjustment of adjacent panels, applying certain amount of force to make the panels fit. This approach was a standard issue on the previous generation of Corvette. A good example of this situation were the front bumper clips popping out after a while, due to tension.
For this generation of Corvette, things have changed however, the new material is very weak, it is brittle and it cracks under stress considerably lower than in the previous generation. Bowling Green management already figured out this part, as evidence by hastily epoxied front fender mating surfaces on numerous cars (not visible until front bumper is removed from the car).
Apparently no chances are being taken with rear bumpers and instead of forced fitment that most likely would result in cracked quarter panels, +General Motors decided to release the cars with misaligned bumper than risk more cracked panels that could be visible in the case of rear bumper.
General Motors of course counts on apathy and lenience of the buyers, with most of them remaining under impression this misalignment is ACCEPTABLE.
However, those few that complain, end up with their cars being bought back by GM. Why? Very simple actually, GM does not want the publicity and more evidence regarding the failure of new SMC material. After all, should someone decide to align the rear bumper, chances are very good the quarter panels are either already cracked or will crack during this process.
One thing is certain, misaligned bumpers are a new rule for the Stingray, not an exception, just as demonstrated by this car. Yes, this truly looks like shit and should not happen on a 20k car but somehow it happens daily on a 70k car. Some bargain this new Corvette is...
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Tradition versus cheapness-Porsche 911 versus Corvette C7
As much as Corvette nuthuggers like to bring out Porsche 911 for comparisons with Corvette Stingray, pointing out that bullshit value for dollar advantage that Corvette Stingray supposedly represents, always making sure to point out the Beetle origin and engine placement of the 911, they never seem to have a valid argument. Why is that?
What is even more interesting is the fact that the douchebag and mouthpiece extraordinaire, +Tadge Juechter always ends up drawing comparisons with the Stuttgart's trademark car, the 911 which in itself is quite puzzling, considering Juechter is supposed an engineer. If any comparisons would be drawn by an engineer, one would expect an engineer to pick a car that is design from the ground up properly since this is where alleged superiority of Corvette would really show.
Nevertheless, what Corvette nuthuggers and Juechter always seem to "forget" is the fact that even Porsche realizes that the rear engine layout is far from ideal, if this was not the case, there would not be a Porsche 914 or Cayman or Boxter. But... here is the kicker, the customers demand the rear engine layout, in spite of its origin dating back to Adolf Hitler and the original air cooled Beetle.
Heck, considering the rising values of air cooled 911's, if customers were in charge, instead of environmental idiots, 911 still would air cooled. Why is that? This is what is called TRADITION and tradition based customer base.
Since Porsche certainly knows the car design subject, their last flagship car using rear engine design was the Porsche 959, back in the 80's. Since then, Porsche supercars have been mid engine design, the proper way, not the Corvette bullshit mid engine based on technicality. Porsche Carrera GT and currently 918 certainly do not carry on with tradition aimed at pleasing customers.
So how does this work with Corvette? The big difference between Corvette carrying on with leaf springs, overhead valve engine and front engine design and obsolete chassis on frame design is the reason why nothing changes with Corvette: CORPORATE CHEAPNESS.
The question that should be really asked is: would customers object to DOHC engine and coil over suspension instead of the carry over garbage consisting of pick up truck based engine and horse buggy suspension and stop buying Corvette? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! In fact, the customer base could be expanded by quite a bit, attracting buyers looking for MODERN DESIGN.
Ironically enough, the only aspect of that could attract the traditionalists, the tail lights was eliminated from the new Corvette. Does this constitute breaking away from the tradition of cheapness? Absolutely not, the shit underneath is still very much the same as the stuff that was there back in 1963 and this is beyond pathetic.
Oh of course there are other traditions such as shitty paint and fit and finish quality but it is very doubtful that anyone is partial to these dubious trademarks of Corvette.
What is even more interesting is the fact that the douchebag and mouthpiece extraordinaire, +Tadge Juechter always ends up drawing comparisons with the Stuttgart's trademark car, the 911 which in itself is quite puzzling, considering Juechter is supposed an engineer. If any comparisons would be drawn by an engineer, one would expect an engineer to pick a car that is design from the ground up properly since this is where alleged superiority of Corvette would really show.
Nevertheless, what Corvette nuthuggers and Juechter always seem to "forget" is the fact that even Porsche realizes that the rear engine layout is far from ideal, if this was not the case, there would not be a Porsche 914 or Cayman or Boxter. But... here is the kicker, the customers demand the rear engine layout, in spite of its origin dating back to Adolf Hitler and the original air cooled Beetle.
Heck, considering the rising values of air cooled 911's, if customers were in charge, instead of environmental idiots, 911 still would air cooled. Why is that? This is what is called TRADITION and tradition based customer base.
Since Porsche certainly knows the car design subject, their last flagship car using rear engine design was the Porsche 959, back in the 80's. Since then, Porsche supercars have been mid engine design, the proper way, not the Corvette bullshit mid engine based on technicality. Porsche Carrera GT and currently 918 certainly do not carry on with tradition aimed at pleasing customers.
So how does this work with Corvette? The big difference between Corvette carrying on with leaf springs, overhead valve engine and front engine design and obsolete chassis on frame design is the reason why nothing changes with Corvette: CORPORATE CHEAPNESS.
The question that should be really asked is: would customers object to DOHC engine and coil over suspension instead of the carry over garbage consisting of pick up truck based engine and horse buggy suspension and stop buying Corvette? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! In fact, the customer base could be expanded by quite a bit, attracting buyers looking for MODERN DESIGN.
Ironically enough, the only aspect of that could attract the traditionalists, the tail lights was eliminated from the new Corvette. Does this constitute breaking away from the tradition of cheapness? Absolutely not, the shit underneath is still very much the same as the stuff that was there back in 1963 and this is beyond pathetic.
Oh of course there are other traditions such as shitty paint and fit and finish quality but it is very doubtful that anyone is partial to these dubious trademarks of Corvette.
General Motors insists on using defective low density SMC on 2015 Corvette Stingray and Z06 while "searching for effective remedy"
There is no doubt that +General Motors missed the boat with their failed attempt at A-class ultra low density SMC. As already explained here the material the newest generation uses (A-class means it is used on painted outer body panel surfaces) is a failure. The material is both porous and brittle, resulting in multitude of cracked body panels (where the previous high density SMC held up just fine) and countless paint defects and truly shocking amount of orange peel.
However, what is even more shocking is the fact that +Tadge Juechter , his corporate leash handlers and the Bowling Green plant management are aware of the problems and continue to produce the newest Corvette while supposedly searching for solutions.
What does this mean? What this means is that Corvettes using this defective material are being produced while GM experiments with solutions. What it also means is that should the solution be ineffective, whoever buys these "R&D" cars may be dealing with problems even worse than the original problem.
So what are the GM geniuses doing to solve this problem? First of all, not testing the material adequately prior to starting the production was both really stupid and short sighted. By all accounts, based on this screw up alone, Juechter and the rest of the Corvette team should have been fired long time ago. Now, Mary Barra and company allows the idiots who caused this problem in the first place, to fix it which makes Barra just as much of an idiot as the Corvette team. Pretty obvious that there is nobody on the Corvette team or at the plant who has the ability to fix this problem. If someone was capable, the production of Corvette would be stopped until the problem is solved and solve EFFECTIVELY.
As of now, Juechter and other idiots are "experimenting" with applying two primer coats to seal the surface effectively. Can this work? Of course it can but it has to be applied using correct primers and allowing for sufficient preparation before painting the parts. This preparation must allow for sufficient curing time between the coats and SANDING of the surface. Is this actually possible considering the high production rates, painting personnel that includes robots and unqualified UAW members working at the plant? NOT A CHANCE.
The super bad orange peel is on the Stingray as a result of thicker primer used to deal with the porosity of the defective new SMC. High build primers need sanding prior to applying base coat, this is a fact but apparently not to the GM crew. Fast drying high build primer is a guarantee of lumpy surface that results in orange peel. What will exactly happen if TWO coats of primer are applied? Can you say SUPER ORANGE PEEL?
In reality, there is only one kind of primer that can fix the problem with - POLYESTER PRIMER which in reality is a two part polyester spray on gel coat that definitely requires longer curing time, sanding and follow up urethane primer before the color base coat can be applied.
Application of polyester primer requires separate spraying equipment and experienced painters, something that renders this solution an IMPOSSIBILITY given the current set up.
Furthermore, even if polyester primer was applied, there are two major problems with this solution:
1. The extra weight of the primer would negate any weight savings from the lighter material while adding very high cost that would result in even more price hikes for the newest Corvette.
2. The improvement in surface quality would do absolutely nothing regarding the STRENGTH of the new SMC, it would be just as brittle as before and anyone pulling off their front bumper would be in for quite a surprise seeing the factory repair attempts to patch up cracked fender mating surfaces while attempting to mate them with the front bumper.
The real solution? ABANDON THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL and either go back to the high density SMC (a few extra pounds means nothing anyway, considering that both the base Stingray and Z06 are already super heavy porkers) to achieve better surface finish quality OR...
find a better material, one that is superlight, yet a true A-class, suitable for surface areas and compatible with basic paint techniques.
Are these materials available? Of course they are, like this one:
http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/34270/core-molding-technologies-introduces-airilite-low-density-smc/
It is never too late to man up, acknowledge the problem and then rectify it EFFECTIVELY. Will this happen? Not a chance, there is absolutely nobody in GM capable of actually handling this issue.
On the bright side, as dumb as Stingray buyers are, eventually, they may realize that class action law suit may be the way to go. Even better way would be to avoid buying the seventh generation Corvette altogether but they are too brain washed and outright too stupid to realize this.
However, what is even more shocking is the fact that +Tadge Juechter , his corporate leash handlers and the Bowling Green plant management are aware of the problems and continue to produce the newest Corvette while supposedly searching for solutions.
What does this mean? What this means is that Corvettes using this defective material are being produced while GM experiments with solutions. What it also means is that should the solution be ineffective, whoever buys these "R&D" cars may be dealing with problems even worse than the original problem.
So what are the GM geniuses doing to solve this problem? First of all, not testing the material adequately prior to starting the production was both really stupid and short sighted. By all accounts, based on this screw up alone, Juechter and the rest of the Corvette team should have been fired long time ago. Now, Mary Barra and company allows the idiots who caused this problem in the first place, to fix it which makes Barra just as much of an idiot as the Corvette team. Pretty obvious that there is nobody on the Corvette team or at the plant who has the ability to fix this problem. If someone was capable, the production of Corvette would be stopped until the problem is solved and solve EFFECTIVELY.
As of now, Juechter and other idiots are "experimenting" with applying two primer coats to seal the surface effectively. Can this work? Of course it can but it has to be applied using correct primers and allowing for sufficient preparation before painting the parts. This preparation must allow for sufficient curing time between the coats and SANDING of the surface. Is this actually possible considering the high production rates, painting personnel that includes robots and unqualified UAW members working at the plant? NOT A CHANCE.
The super bad orange peel is on the Stingray as a result of thicker primer used to deal with the porosity of the defective new SMC. High build primers need sanding prior to applying base coat, this is a fact but apparently not to the GM crew. Fast drying high build primer is a guarantee of lumpy surface that results in orange peel. What will exactly happen if TWO coats of primer are applied? Can you say SUPER ORANGE PEEL?
In reality, there is only one kind of primer that can fix the problem with - POLYESTER PRIMER which in reality is a two part polyester spray on gel coat that definitely requires longer curing time, sanding and follow up urethane primer before the color base coat can be applied.
Application of polyester primer requires separate spraying equipment and experienced painters, something that renders this solution an IMPOSSIBILITY given the current set up.
Furthermore, even if polyester primer was applied, there are two major problems with this solution:
1. The extra weight of the primer would negate any weight savings from the lighter material while adding very high cost that would result in even more price hikes for the newest Corvette.
2. The improvement in surface quality would do absolutely nothing regarding the STRENGTH of the new SMC, it would be just as brittle as before and anyone pulling off their front bumper would be in for quite a surprise seeing the factory repair attempts to patch up cracked fender mating surfaces while attempting to mate them with the front bumper.
The real solution? ABANDON THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL and either go back to the high density SMC (a few extra pounds means nothing anyway, considering that both the base Stingray and Z06 are already super heavy porkers) to achieve better surface finish quality OR...
find a better material, one that is superlight, yet a true A-class, suitable for surface areas and compatible with basic paint techniques.
Are these materials available? Of course they are, like this one:
http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/34270/core-molding-technologies-introduces-airilite-low-density-smc/
It is never too late to man up, acknowledge the problem and then rectify it EFFECTIVELY. Will this happen? Not a chance, there is absolutely nobody in GM capable of actually handling this issue.
On the bright side, as dumb as Stingray buyers are, eventually, they may realize that class action law suit may be the way to go. Even better way would be to avoid buying the seventh generation Corvette altogether but they are too brain washed and outright too stupid to realize this.
Over 37k 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray buyers means...
There are over 37 thousand fools willing to part with their money or commit themselves to a long term financial obligation aka car loan. Yes, the demographics of Corvette buying crowd are definitely changing. Not just the silver hair crowd but even the younger buyers have been duped into buying another overhyped product ridden with defects and flaws and advertised as a "high performance bargain".
Seeing the number of used Stingrays already cluttering the used car lots, the Corvette affair may be a short one for a few but still, the power of advertising and marketing misinformation is right down impressive.
As it is, the comedy will be continuing and it may get even better with time. There is no doubt that both the new 8 speed automatic transmission and the overweight porker advertised as 2015 Z06 will contribute their healthy share of problems and headaches to the ignorant buyers but then again, what would this blog be if the buyers did not keep coming and the weight of the buyers would not be mistaken for their IQ?
This is of course a rhetorical question since the show must go on and fun continue.
As usual, +Tadge Juechter marketing skills are considerably more impressive than his engineering "expertise" but of course, this is a given.
Seeing the number of used Stingrays already cluttering the used car lots, the Corvette affair may be a short one for a few but still, the power of advertising and marketing misinformation is right down impressive.
As it is, the comedy will be continuing and it may get even better with time. There is no doubt that both the new 8 speed automatic transmission and the overweight porker advertised as 2015 Z06 will contribute their healthy share of problems and headaches to the ignorant buyers but then again, what would this blog be if the buyers did not keep coming and the weight of the buyers would not be mistaken for their IQ?
This is of course a rhetorical question since the show must go on and fun continue.
As usual, +Tadge Juechter marketing skills are considerably more impressive than his engineering "expertise" but of course, this is a given.
General Motors changes sign at Bowling Green Corvette C7 factory
By now, it is already an unpleasant FACT that the newest Corvette is a certifiable piece of shit, with quality and reliability rivaling its predecessors from the 70's and 80's.
Since absolutely nothing can be done to improve the quality of the car and the cracking and ill fitting body panels and truly shitty paint will be there as long as the seventh generation of Corvette production continues, time to at least update the sign at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green.
From this, which is not just a joke but an insult and outright lie
to this which describes exactly what happens with the newest Corvette.
Since absolutely nothing can be done to improve the quality of the car and the cracking and ill fitting body panels and truly shitty paint will be there as long as the seventh generation of Corvette production continues, time to at least update the sign at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green.
From this, which is not just a joke but an insult and outright lie
to this which describes exactly what happens with the newest Corvette.
Friday, August 29, 2014
2015 Corvette C7 Stingray is off to great start!!! More exploding windows!!!
If 2014 Stingray convertibles explode their rear windows, this is nothing compared to exploding side windows on brand new 2015 Stingrays.
What a great start for the new and improved Stingray, LMAO. Certainly nothing a new owner would expect or want. Maybe it is time to install some nets in Stingrays? According to +Tadge Juechter , new Corvette was made for the track, so why not save the buyers from this aggravation and save +General Motors money from warranty work and subsequent law suits?
Other parts of Stingray that can potentially explode include new automatic transmission, hydraulic tensioners, radiators, differentials and of course, torque tubes and engines.
What a great start for the new and improved Stingray, LMAO. Certainly nothing a new owner would expect or want. Maybe it is time to install some nets in Stingrays? According to +Tadge Juechter , new Corvette was made for the track, so why not save the buyers from this aggravation and save +General Motors money from warranty work and subsequent law suits?
Other parts of Stingray that can potentially explode include new automatic transmission, hydraulic tensioners, radiators, differentials and of course, torque tubes and engines.
2015 Corvette C7 Z06 cartoonish rear end-the next step in Batmobile evolution
First the base Stingray and now, the 2015 Z06 rear end designs certainly do not inspire a revolution in aesthetics, on the contrary as a matter of fact-they are truly repulsive. With this obvious fact stated once again, there is certainly a pattern that the newest generation of Corvette follows.
The typical "inspiration" recognized by many is the current generation of Chevrolet Camaro. Yes, there are certainly styling (if one can speak of style in this case) cues certainly recalling Camaro and its blocky and gaudy rear end design, however, there is more to it and the upcoming Z06 certainly illustrates this aspect all too well: Batmobile resemblance.
In fact, the Batmobile styling and lineage is so obvious with this car that one cannot help but wonder if this car will be used directly in the next Batman movie.
Through the years, the Batmobile styling has changed and evolved, however, there are always cues helping recognize it is A Batmobile. The rear end of the past Batmobiles apparently inspired Corvette designers so much that in fact, the Z06 looks like a Batmobile, especially from the rear end.
The typical "inspiration" recognized by many is the current generation of Chevrolet Camaro. Yes, there are certainly styling (if one can speak of style in this case) cues certainly recalling Camaro and its blocky and gaudy rear end design, however, there is more to it and the upcoming Z06 certainly illustrates this aspect all too well: Batmobile resemblance.
In fact, the Batmobile styling and lineage is so obvious with this car that one cannot help but wonder if this car will be used directly in the next Batman movie.
Through the years, the Batmobile styling has changed and evolved, however, there are always cues helping recognize it is A Batmobile. The rear end of the past Batmobiles apparently inspired Corvette designers so much that in fact, the Z06 looks like a Batmobile, especially from the rear end.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Factory hold on 2015 Corvette C7 Stingray with 8-speed automatic versus rave press reviews and manufacturer performance figures
Since ALL Corvette Stingrays with the "faster than PDK" A8 transmission are still on quality control hold in Bowling Green +General Motors Corvette plant, allegedly plagued with serious software issues, one cannot help but wonder how exactly did the journalists and all of them manage to test non defective cars? Furthermore, how did +Tadge Juechter arrive at the performance figures of 3.7 seconds and 11.9 sec ET,?
What is the probability that everyone involved received cars not subject to the quality hold? The probability of +Tadge Juechter disclosing the Nurburgring time seems to be considerably higher.
The irony of this situation is undeniable: the new transmission works like a charm for reviewers while none of the cars can be delivered to buyers due to flawed software operating the transmission.
The power of advertising dollar is impressive as ever and GM certainly does not fall short making car magazines happy and the reviewers provide great return on GM's advertising investment. This is of course until the general public finds out that so called independent reviews involve cars that cannot possibly perform the way Juechter and press describe them. This is certainly a text book example of getting caught red handed, LOL.
What is the probability that everyone involved received cars not subject to the quality hold? The probability of +Tadge Juechter disclosing the Nurburgring time seems to be considerably higher.
The irony of this situation is undeniable: the new transmission works like a charm for reviewers while none of the cars can be delivered to buyers due to flawed software operating the transmission.
The power of advertising dollar is impressive as ever and GM certainly does not fall short making car magazines happy and the reviewers provide great return on GM's advertising investment. This is of course until the general public finds out that so called independent reviews involve cars that cannot possibly perform the way Juechter and press describe them. This is certainly a text book example of getting caught red handed, LOL.
Corvette C7 Stingray design flaws and inferior parts failures continue to give owners massive headaches
The more complex cars become, the more parts there are to break and give their owners solid headaches.
When companies that run their business on the cheap try to compete with others, using more complex and involved designs, loaded with electronically controlled features, this is a certain recipe for disaster.
+General Motors of course has a great track record regarding failures and self inflicted wounds. Thus, it is no wonder that the truly overly complex convertible top design used on the Stingray continues to give owners more problems than benefits. Of course this is a perfect 2fer. Not only extra weight but a disaster waiting to happen as well.
Until now, the failures related to the convertible top typically were limited to malfunctioning switch that out of the blue refused to operate the top or worked half way before stopping.
However, things are getting more interesting now, resulting in rear windows exploding right behind the formerly happy owners. Hopefully GM will be able to determine the cause and grace all the owners with another recall followed by shortage of parts to fix the problem? No doubt this is exactly what will happen.
When companies that run their business on the cheap try to compete with others, using more complex and involved designs, loaded with electronically controlled features, this is a certain recipe for disaster.
+General Motors of course has a great track record regarding failures and self inflicted wounds. Thus, it is no wonder that the truly overly complex convertible top design used on the Stingray continues to give owners more problems than benefits. Of course this is a perfect 2fer. Not only extra weight but a disaster waiting to happen as well.
Until now, the failures related to the convertible top typically were limited to malfunctioning switch that out of the blue refused to operate the top or worked half way before stopping.
However, things are getting more interesting now, resulting in rear windows exploding right behind the formerly happy owners. Hopefully GM will be able to determine the cause and grace all the owners with another recall followed by shortage of parts to fix the problem? No doubt this is exactly what will happen.
Things 2015 Corvette C7 Z06 buyers can count on...
1. Shitty paint, hopefully still on the car when delivered.
2. Torque tube carrier bearings failing in a hurry.
3. Automatic transmission overheating.
4. Top speed undisclosed.
5. 2016 version making 2015 dated.
2. Torque tube carrier bearings failing in a hurry.
3. Automatic transmission overheating.
4. Top speed undisclosed.
5. 2016 version making 2015 dated.
2015 Corvette C7 Z06 no show at Nurburgring?
By any account, +Tadge Juechter and his crew should be already at the ring, first impressing themselves and then impressive the general public with blazing times for the new Z06.
If indeed, heavier and less aerodynamic is better for performance of the Corvette top dog, then it is time to prove it and prove it quickly. There are plenty of Z06 porkers touring spit and shine car shows but somehow testing the new car became the lowest priority.
Has the era of Nurburgring testing ended with Corvette C6? Unfortunately it seems this way and it is not even raining for Tadge to whine and excuse himself from revealing lap times.
Hey Tadge, here are directions to the Ring from Bowling Green for you, in case you forgot how to get there...
If indeed, heavier and less aerodynamic is better for performance of the Corvette top dog, then it is time to prove it and prove it quickly. There are plenty of Z06 porkers touring spit and shine car shows but somehow testing the new car became the lowest priority.
Has the era of Nurburgring testing ended with Corvette C6? Unfortunately it seems this way and it is not even raining for Tadge to whine and excuse himself from revealing lap times.
Hey Tadge, here are directions to the Ring from Bowling Green for you, in case you forgot how to get there...
How fast does the Corvette C7 8-speed 8l90 automatic transmission really shift?
This marketing bullshit has been going on since the beginning of 2014: +Tadge Juechter doing his expected bullshit song and dance about new 8-speed automatic transmission shifting faster than the highly praised Porsche PDK transmission. So is this really the truth and the whole truth?
Here is the funny part: unlike +General Motors , Porsche readily discloses the shift time, 1/200 second.. This number has been disclosed voluntarily by Porsche and ZF from the very beginning and it has been proven many times over and over that it is the valid number. Moreover, this number applies to BOTH MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC modes for PDK transmission, this part has been very well documented as well.
So how about the General Motors new wonder 8-speed wonder? Not only has this number been ever disclosed but the mouthpiece Juechter never bothered to clarify if this "fast shifting" applies equally to automatic and manual mode and then if it applies to upshifts and downshifts.
So where is the actual clarification Tadge? In the land of Nurburgring and Cd LaLa Land? Must be...
Care to clarify Tadge? If indeed any scenario indeed generates shorter shift times, can the transmission last an entire track event without warning light coming on and car resorting to a limp mode (is there a track limp mode set up)?
Again, actual numbers talk much louder and clearer than any marketing bullshit. Time to man up, Tadge.
Here is the funny part: unlike +General Motors , Porsche readily discloses the shift time, 1/200 second.. This number has been disclosed voluntarily by Porsche and ZF from the very beginning and it has been proven many times over and over that it is the valid number. Moreover, this number applies to BOTH MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC modes for PDK transmission, this part has been very well documented as well.
So how about the General Motors new wonder 8-speed wonder? Not only has this number been ever disclosed but the mouthpiece Juechter never bothered to clarify if this "fast shifting" applies equally to automatic and manual mode and then if it applies to upshifts and downshifts.
So where is the actual clarification Tadge? In the land of Nurburgring and Cd LaLa Land? Must be...
Care to clarify Tadge? If indeed any scenario indeed generates shorter shift times, can the transmission last an entire track event without warning light coming on and car resorting to a limp mode (is there a track limp mode set up)?
Again, actual numbers talk much louder and clearer than any marketing bullshit. Time to man up, Tadge.
New 8-speed 8l90 Corvette C7 Stingray automatic fails to surpass or even equal Porsche PDK transmission
To make it clear, there are cars that are fast and then there are cars that can be driven fast. The age of dumbification is certainly here and the newest Corvette is the best example of this trend.
The case in point, the nausea inducing ongoing bragging regarding the 8 speed slush box shifting faster than the PDK version of DTC transmission. The key phrase here is THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS GEARS FASTER, this is not the case of allowing the driver to select gears faster. What does this mean? To put it simply, the less input from the driver, the faster the car will go. In other words, whoever sits behind the wheel is a driving equivalent of sperm donor and driving experience has been reduced to artificial insemination, with the fun part non-existent.
Now, bullshit like this is fine among grandpa and grandma crowds but what in essence amounts to discouraging improvements in driving skills renders the newest Corvette, equipped with automatic transmission the very last car anyone serious about sports cars and competitive driving should consider.
So what happens when someone actually tries to take control of the newest Corvette and attempts to shift the gears using the supplied manual paddles?
The car sucks, just like any other car equipped with a slush box. Long time ago, Porsche tried this with their Tiptronic transmission that was quite awful to drive, especially in manual mode. With time, Porsche wised up and these days, its PDK sets a new standard not in just fast driving but especially in driving EXPERIENCE.
So what is the problem with the conventional slush box in a sports car? The presence of the torque converter and associated inefficiency and delay remain, no matter how small the diameter of the converter becomes, the losses and REACTION instead of ACTION are still there. Is this an answer to DTC? No effing way it is nor it ever will be. A better mouse trap is still a mouse trap, no matter how much bullshit +Tadge Juechter spews out.
Here is an article that describes exactly what happens: the lag time between selecting a gear with the paddle and the transmission complying. Why DTC does not do this? DTC is a take on MANUAL transmission, gear selection physically selects gear instead of merely sending a signal, big difference right there and certainly something that will never validate a Corvette with a slush box as a world class sports car. Not that it really matters but the latest manual version, with its THREE OVERDRIVE gears is not that much behind in castrating the driving experience part.
Being the douchebag Juechter is, the part he selected to advertise as supposedly faster than PDK, WOT in AUTO mode. Everything else is not just equal to PDK or other DTC transmissions, it is outright INFERIOR, including the former driving experience.
The funny part is of course that in order to gain efficiency, weaker materials are used in the transmission, including aluminum where it should be steel and further reduction in diameter of torque converter, to reduce the rotational inertia, supplemented with even higher stall speed, make the latest porker called Z06 even heavier, the second transmission cooler had to be added while praying for the transmission not to overheat. So while Juechter keeps bullshitting about the new transmission being lighter, it really is not due to the extra hardware it requires to keep it alive. This is actually not a surprise, after all, that 99 pounds lighter frame already set the curse for Juechter's way of bullshit mistakenly called reasoning.
http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/chevrolet/2015-chevrolet-corvette-stingray-review-4080.html
There is no doubt that the usual Corvette enthusiasts will their panties in a bunch and this is unfortunate, delusion is not a healthy choice in life.
The case in point, the nausea inducing ongoing bragging regarding the 8 speed slush box shifting faster than the PDK version of DTC transmission. The key phrase here is THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS GEARS FASTER, this is not the case of allowing the driver to select gears faster. What does this mean? To put it simply, the less input from the driver, the faster the car will go. In other words, whoever sits behind the wheel is a driving equivalent of sperm donor and driving experience has been reduced to artificial insemination, with the fun part non-existent.
Now, bullshit like this is fine among grandpa and grandma crowds but what in essence amounts to discouraging improvements in driving skills renders the newest Corvette, equipped with automatic transmission the very last car anyone serious about sports cars and competitive driving should consider.
So what happens when someone actually tries to take control of the newest Corvette and attempts to shift the gears using the supplied manual paddles?
The car sucks, just like any other car equipped with a slush box. Long time ago, Porsche tried this with their Tiptronic transmission that was quite awful to drive, especially in manual mode. With time, Porsche wised up and these days, its PDK sets a new standard not in just fast driving but especially in driving EXPERIENCE.
So what is the problem with the conventional slush box in a sports car? The presence of the torque converter and associated inefficiency and delay remain, no matter how small the diameter of the converter becomes, the losses and REACTION instead of ACTION are still there. Is this an answer to DTC? No effing way it is nor it ever will be. A better mouse trap is still a mouse trap, no matter how much bullshit +Tadge Juechter spews out.
Here is an article that describes exactly what happens: the lag time between selecting a gear with the paddle and the transmission complying. Why DTC does not do this? DTC is a take on MANUAL transmission, gear selection physically selects gear instead of merely sending a signal, big difference right there and certainly something that will never validate a Corvette with a slush box as a world class sports car. Not that it really matters but the latest manual version, with its THREE OVERDRIVE gears is not that much behind in castrating the driving experience part.
Being the douchebag Juechter is, the part he selected to advertise as supposedly faster than PDK, WOT in AUTO mode. Everything else is not just equal to PDK or other DTC transmissions, it is outright INFERIOR, including the former driving experience.
The funny part is of course that in order to gain efficiency, weaker materials are used in the transmission, including aluminum where it should be steel and further reduction in diameter of torque converter, to reduce the rotational inertia, supplemented with even higher stall speed, make the latest porker called Z06 even heavier, the second transmission cooler had to be added while praying for the transmission not to overheat. So while Juechter keeps bullshitting about the new transmission being lighter, it really is not due to the extra hardware it requires to keep it alive. This is actually not a surprise, after all, that 99 pounds lighter frame already set the curse for Juechter's way of bullshit mistakenly called reasoning.
http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/chevrolet/2015-chevrolet-corvette-stingray-review-4080.html
There is no doubt that the usual Corvette enthusiasts will their panties in a bunch and this is unfortunate, delusion is not a healthy choice in life.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
The truth about weight increase of Corvette C7 Stingray and Z06-Tadge Juechter's idiocy continues to grow
If there was a quintessential example of an idiot, +Tadge Juechter certainly qualifies to win this dubious honor-after all, this is the guy who single handily killed off Corvette as a genuine sports car, turning it into an overweight travesty and caricature of itself.
Not only does Tadge Juechter takes the field of physics back to the dark ages, a few centuries before Isaac Newton came up with the three basic laws of physics that continue to be valid everywhere but at +General Motors and so called "Corvette engineering team) but he continues to insult something called COMMON SENSE (a concept fully foreign to the majority of Corvette enthusiasts and buyers).
The statement Tadge Juechter made over a year ago regarding Corvette gaining weight in order to increase its fuel efficiency should get this guy fired right there but apparently not just Tadge but his corporate leash handlers permanently dozed off in their high school physics classes as well.
Unfortunately, it does not come as a big surprise that Juechter continues his mission of making Corvette heavier and less aerodynamic to make it more nimble, faster, quicker and more fuel efficient. Does this sound very stupid? Of course it does but realizing this part requires a trace of intelligence and this is certainly not a hot commodity among Corvette designers and buyers.
With the base Stingray, the average weight gain of the "lightweight frame" equipped car was about 6% gain but the newest Z06 kicks it up a notch and then some, making the weight gain OVER 10% over its predecessor and 7% over the last ZR1.
What does this all mean? Right off the bat, this weight increase results in immediate fuel economy DECREASE, rendering the corporate fuel efficiency measures such as the pseudo VVT and DI, considerably less effective than they could have been otherwise. To put it simply, IF the weight of the newest Corvettes at least remained the same, then the new cars would be showing fuel economy savings considerably higher than the Stingray shows currently, with Z06 showing at least some marginal MPG improved, in spite of horsepower increase.
What does the weight increase actually do? This substantial weight increase kills the city and combined MPG. When combined with horrible aerodynamics of the newest generation, highway MPG gets shitty as well, with DI and AFM barely making up the difference.
What would happen if the newest Z06 lost weight? This is how it would work, instant fuel economy savings, without loading the Corvette with the corporate measures designed for pick up trucks.
These savings would be quite substantial, especially in CITY CYCLE driving, where Corvettes spend most of their times due to senility of the typical owners.
Here is an example what Corvette could have achieved if the design and engineering team was not led by the quintessential idiot, Tadge Juechter.
Not only does Tadge Juechter takes the field of physics back to the dark ages, a few centuries before Isaac Newton came up with the three basic laws of physics that continue to be valid everywhere but at +General Motors and so called "Corvette engineering team) but he continues to insult something called COMMON SENSE (a concept fully foreign to the majority of Corvette enthusiasts and buyers).
The statement Tadge Juechter made over a year ago regarding Corvette gaining weight in order to increase its fuel efficiency should get this guy fired right there but apparently not just Tadge but his corporate leash handlers permanently dozed off in their high school physics classes as well.
Unfortunately, it does not come as a big surprise that Juechter continues his mission of making Corvette heavier and less aerodynamic to make it more nimble, faster, quicker and more fuel efficient. Does this sound very stupid? Of course it does but realizing this part requires a trace of intelligence and this is certainly not a hot commodity among Corvette designers and buyers.
With the base Stingray, the average weight gain of the "lightweight frame" equipped car was about 6% gain but the newest Z06 kicks it up a notch and then some, making the weight gain OVER 10% over its predecessor and 7% over the last ZR1.
What does this all mean? Right off the bat, this weight increase results in immediate fuel economy DECREASE, rendering the corporate fuel efficiency measures such as the pseudo VVT and DI, considerably less effective than they could have been otherwise. To put it simply, IF the weight of the newest Corvettes at least remained the same, then the new cars would be showing fuel economy savings considerably higher than the Stingray shows currently, with Z06 showing at least some marginal MPG improved, in spite of horsepower increase.
What does the weight increase actually do? This substantial weight increase kills the city and combined MPG. When combined with horrible aerodynamics of the newest generation, highway MPG gets shitty as well, with DI and AFM barely making up the difference.
What would happen if the newest Z06 lost weight? This is how it would work, instant fuel economy savings, without loading the Corvette with the corporate measures designed for pick up trucks.
These savings would be quite substantial, especially in CITY CYCLE driving, where Corvettes spend most of their times due to senility of the typical owners.
Here is an example what Corvette could have achieved if the design and engineering team was not led by the quintessential idiot, Tadge Juechter.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
General Motors witholds delivery of 2015 Corvette C7 Stingrays equipped with 8l90 8-speed automatic transmission
While the 2015 Corvette Stingrays equipped with 7-speed MANUAL transmissions are as of today being delivered to the +General Motors dealers, all 2015 8-speed AUTOMATIC Stingrays remain on quality control hold of undetermined duration.
Isn't this another classic, courtesy of +Tadge Juechter and his fine engineering team or what?
On the bright side, this is the first time with the Stingray that someone at the Bowling Green plant decided to pull the plug on deliveries instead of letting the buyers figure out what is wrong with their new cars. Did someone manage to stay awake and alert at BG plant? Sounds like the new plant manager may be off his ass and being proactive, unless this is all a pure coincidence.
Certainly, a great confidence builder for the buyers opting for the new "faster than PDK" slush box.
Hey Tadge, how the eff could you make your claims regarding 8l90 in Corvette if the darn thing refuses to work? Will the marketing claims regarding comparisons to PDK carry fine print disclaimer "superior to PDK when functioning properly?). Hopefully that second transmission cooler on Z06 really works...
Isn't this another classic, courtesy of +Tadge Juechter and his fine engineering team or what?
On the bright side, this is the first time with the Stingray that someone at the Bowling Green plant decided to pull the plug on deliveries instead of letting the buyers figure out what is wrong with their new cars. Did someone manage to stay awake and alert at BG plant? Sounds like the new plant manager may be off his ass and being proactive, unless this is all a pure coincidence.
Certainly, a great confidence builder for the buyers opting for the new "faster than PDK" slush box.
Hey Tadge, how the eff could you make your claims regarding 8l90 in Corvette if the darn thing refuses to work? Will the marketing claims regarding comparisons to PDK carry fine print disclaimer "superior to PDK when functioning properly?). Hopefully that second transmission cooler on Z06 really works...
Ultra low density SMC SNAFU at the core of all Corvette C7 Stingray paint quality and cracking panels problems-a dirty secret General Motors hides from the buyers
The science of composites is not just a science, it is also an art. When developing new materials, sometimes there is a meaningful progress and sometimes there is a failure. When the failure is discovered during the development stage, it is not a big deal but... if it is discovered after production run starts, it becomes a true nightmare.
+General Motors already demonstrated what it does as a corporation after problems in production cars are discovered-absolutely NOTHING, just like with the faulty ignition switches.
Thus, it is no surprise that the same strategy was adopted by +Tadge Juechter and company, regarding the marketing bait he loves to wave around, the ultra low density SMC body panels the newest Corvette uses in a FAILED attempt to reduce its weight.
SMC or sheet molded composites have been around Corvette since 1972, with not much change occurring until about 1999 when GM started pursuing the venue of low density SMC materials.
The first Corvette that used low density SMC was the C5 hard top coupe and Z06. At that time, the technology did not allow for using low density SMC for outside panels, thus, only the inner part of the roof structure of that car utilized the low density SMC.
Due to the problems with the lack of paintable surface on low density SMC panels, they were not used on the sixth generation on any outer panels (this is the reason why so many previous generation current Stingray owners are puzzled by better paint quality prevailing on the previous generation of the Corvette.)
However, things have changed big time with the latest Corvette. There is no more high density SMC used for the outer panels, all outer and non carbon fiber parts are of not just low but ultra low density SMC.
What is exactly ultra low density SMC? As a matter of fact, it is not all that different from low density SMC, just even lighter, with more filler and less matrix and resin.
Ironically enough, the filler General Motors uses, the glass microspheres, is the same filler the author of this blog uses for his composite adventures.
What is exactly the purpose of glass microspheres filler? MASS REDUCTION due to lesser density is the reason. The microspheres are hollow, the resin bonds the microsphere outer walls and air is trapped in the material.
The benefits of microspheres are numerous: of course there is the mass reduction but there is also less shrinkage due to lesser resin content and microspheres retaining their shape while remaining hollow.
This lack of shrinkage, incidentally, is the reason why Juechter mouthpiece has been bragging about body panel gap reduction. When panels shrink less, there is less leeway to account for thermal shrinkage and expansion.
However, since nothing is perfect, there are also disadvantages to using this glass microsphere rich material: there is loss of strength (not just resin but also glass fiber matrix amount was reduced). The loss of strength of the new material is very obvious with the cracked fender panels that Bowling Green employees are busy patching up using epoxy.
The other drawback is the lack of suitable paintable surface. The problem with microspheres is that when sanded, the surface becomes porous, containing many micro pinholes. Even though these pin holes are not visible to naked eye, they come out when a panel is painted. The other problem with this new SMC material is the use of polyester resin instead of the vinyl ester resin used in the past. The vinyl ester resin is costly but it gives considerably higher quality and more consistent final product. This part was not obvious with C5 or C6 cars because at that time, calcium carbonate was being used as a filler.
Calcium carbonate as a filler allows for high quality A class body panels, very suitable for painting, without using special primers. Very obvious this is no longer the case.
GM long acknowledged this problem and did not attempt to use the ultra low density or even normal low density SMC in the past for painted top surfaces. What was needed was a suitable primer that would seal off the surface while filling in those pinholes.
With the seventh generation of Corvette, this urethane based primer is finally here but this new primer created a few new problems, problems that are directly related to the orange peel. Ironically, the primer chosen might have not been the best choice since the new Corvette paint finish is likely to have the flaws the primer should eliminate.
Since this primer is thicker, it is rather difficult to apply in a smooth coat, the surface tends to be very bumpy and lumpy and ideally should be sanded prior to applying the color coat but... this is GM, cheap is the name of the game and after very thin coats of base and clear are applied, the orange peel in the primer can be easily seen.
What would it take to improve the paint quality on the newest Stingray and upcoming Z06? GM would have to admit the problem and revise the primer or its application methods but this would be a miracle, impossible to happen.
The biggest irony of the newest Corvette is the fact that the final products, both the Stingray and Z06 ended up being true porkers, their weight, considering they lack coil over suspension, DCT and all wheel drive is truly obscene and revolting. The price for this weight gain is a shitty paint quality that makes backyard rattle can paint jobs look terrific-certainly a triumph of (failed) technology, LOL.
Certainly, these are FACTS that the General Motors does not like to have surfaced but without disclosing this embarrassment, there will be no hope for improvement, especially since the typical C7 buyers prefer the ostrich approach, burring their heads deep in the sand and practicing ignorance and denial over a pint of freshly brewed kool aid.
+General Motors already demonstrated what it does as a corporation after problems in production cars are discovered-absolutely NOTHING, just like with the faulty ignition switches.
Thus, it is no surprise that the same strategy was adopted by +Tadge Juechter and company, regarding the marketing bait he loves to wave around, the ultra low density SMC body panels the newest Corvette uses in a FAILED attempt to reduce its weight.
SMC or sheet molded composites have been around Corvette since 1972, with not much change occurring until about 1999 when GM started pursuing the venue of low density SMC materials.
The first Corvette that used low density SMC was the C5 hard top coupe and Z06. At that time, the technology did not allow for using low density SMC for outside panels, thus, only the inner part of the roof structure of that car utilized the low density SMC.
Due to the problems with the lack of paintable surface on low density SMC panels, they were not used on the sixth generation on any outer panels (this is the reason why so many previous generation current Stingray owners are puzzled by better paint quality prevailing on the previous generation of the Corvette.)
However, things have changed big time with the latest Corvette. There is no more high density SMC used for the outer panels, all outer and non carbon fiber parts are of not just low but ultra low density SMC.
What is exactly ultra low density SMC? As a matter of fact, it is not all that different from low density SMC, just even lighter, with more filler and less matrix and resin.
Ironically enough, the filler General Motors uses, the glass microspheres, is the same filler the author of this blog uses for his composite adventures.
What is exactly the purpose of glass microspheres filler? MASS REDUCTION due to lesser density is the reason. The microspheres are hollow, the resin bonds the microsphere outer walls and air is trapped in the material.
The benefits of microspheres are numerous: of course there is the mass reduction but there is also less shrinkage due to lesser resin content and microspheres retaining their shape while remaining hollow.
This lack of shrinkage, incidentally, is the reason why Juechter mouthpiece has been bragging about body panel gap reduction. When panels shrink less, there is less leeway to account for thermal shrinkage and expansion.
However, since nothing is perfect, there are also disadvantages to using this glass microsphere rich material: there is loss of strength (not just resin but also glass fiber matrix amount was reduced). The loss of strength of the new material is very obvious with the cracked fender panels that Bowling Green employees are busy patching up using epoxy.
The other drawback is the lack of suitable paintable surface. The problem with microspheres is that when sanded, the surface becomes porous, containing many micro pinholes. Even though these pin holes are not visible to naked eye, they come out when a panel is painted. The other problem with this new SMC material is the use of polyester resin instead of the vinyl ester resin used in the past. The vinyl ester resin is costly but it gives considerably higher quality and more consistent final product. This part was not obvious with C5 or C6 cars because at that time, calcium carbonate was being used as a filler.
Calcium carbonate as a filler allows for high quality A class body panels, very suitable for painting, without using special primers. Very obvious this is no longer the case.
GM long acknowledged this problem and did not attempt to use the ultra low density or even normal low density SMC in the past for painted top surfaces. What was needed was a suitable primer that would seal off the surface while filling in those pinholes.
With the seventh generation of Corvette, this urethane based primer is finally here but this new primer created a few new problems, problems that are directly related to the orange peel. Ironically, the primer chosen might have not been the best choice since the new Corvette paint finish is likely to have the flaws the primer should eliminate.
Since this primer is thicker, it is rather difficult to apply in a smooth coat, the surface tends to be very bumpy and lumpy and ideally should be sanded prior to applying the color coat but... this is GM, cheap is the name of the game and after very thin coats of base and clear are applied, the orange peel in the primer can be easily seen.
What would it take to improve the paint quality on the newest Stingray and upcoming Z06? GM would have to admit the problem and revise the primer or its application methods but this would be a miracle, impossible to happen.
The biggest irony of the newest Corvette is the fact that the final products, both the Stingray and Z06 ended up being true porkers, their weight, considering they lack coil over suspension, DCT and all wheel drive is truly obscene and revolting. The price for this weight gain is a shitty paint quality that makes backyard rattle can paint jobs look terrific-certainly a triumph of (failed) technology, LOL.
Certainly, these are FACTS that the General Motors does not like to have surfaced but without disclosing this embarrassment, there will be no hope for improvement, especially since the typical C7 buyers prefer the ostrich approach, burring their heads deep in the sand and practicing ignorance and denial over a pint of freshly brewed kool aid.
Corvette C7 Stingray paint quality problems affect more and more cars-if you must drive Stingray, RENT and DO NOT BUY
By now, it is painfully obvious that buying the new Corvette is not a smart thing to do. There is a serious flaw in the ultra low density SMC used for body panels and more and more cars fall victim to this issue. If the panels do not crack, they are full of orange peel and if they are not, this is only due to paint literally FALLING OFF the car.
Here is another example of what happens when flawed materials are combined with shoddy paint preparation and ill body panel fitment. By all accounts, this damage should be limited to a slight rub mark or in worst case, paint chipped along the mating edge of the fender, where it meets the front bumper.
Instead, due to surface cohesion and possible lack of full paint curing, the paint literally comes off the fender like a plasti dip spray job. Totally unacceptable and right down shameful to see this sort of paint failure on a car that supposed to be a flagship of +General Motors Chevrolet brand.
Here is another example of what happens when flawed materials are combined with shoddy paint preparation and ill body panel fitment. By all accounts, this damage should be limited to a slight rub mark or in worst case, paint chipped along the mating edge of the fender, where it meets the front bumper.
Instead, due to surface cohesion and possible lack of full paint curing, the paint literally comes off the fender like a plasti dip spray job. Totally unacceptable and right down shameful to see this sort of paint failure on a car that supposed to be a flagship of +General Motors Chevrolet brand.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Corvette C7 Stingray (Third) World Class Interior?
Apparently +Tadge Juechter forgot to clarify that when he described the newest Corvette's interiors as "world class", he really meant THIRD WORLD CLASS.
There are four elements that either make or break car interior:
1. Quality of materials.
2. Workmanship.
3. Ergonomics.
4. Individual and distinct styling.
After inspecting several of new Corvettes, here is how those four elements work in Stingray:
1. Vinyl is of super cheap, surface painted variety, adhesive used are either expired or unsuitable for permanent upholstery work. Leather is of the split variety with leather paint that wears off from just looking at it.
2. The fitment of interior trim is purely accidental, if it fits, it is the buyer's lucky day. The vinyl clad dashboard parts show signs of vinyl wrinkling from the moment of delivery. The seams on partial leather seat upholstery splitting is the norm, not an exception.
3. To call the interior cramped is an understatement and quite puzzling since at least according to +General Motors , the interior dimensions are virtually identical to the previous generation. However, somehow only a midget portion of buyers manages to fit in the car comfortably. The rear and side vision are a case of wishful thinking and due to horrible quality of display, the rear view camera provides no relief. Bottom seat cushions forgot to grow bolsters.
4. Entering Corvette C7 is a great case of throwback to the 80's, if there was a CD player in this car, A Flock of Seagulls or Prince should be a standard issue.
As it is, none of the four NECESSARY elements have been satisfied with the Stingray, thus, WTF are you talking about Tadge?
Since pictures speak louder than words, here is a very graphic example of "world class" leather used in the newest Corvette.
3.
There are four elements that either make or break car interior:
1. Quality of materials.
2. Workmanship.
3. Ergonomics.
4. Individual and distinct styling.
After inspecting several of new Corvettes, here is how those four elements work in Stingray:
1. Vinyl is of super cheap, surface painted variety, adhesive used are either expired or unsuitable for permanent upholstery work. Leather is of the split variety with leather paint that wears off from just looking at it.
2. The fitment of interior trim is purely accidental, if it fits, it is the buyer's lucky day. The vinyl clad dashboard parts show signs of vinyl wrinkling from the moment of delivery. The seams on partial leather seat upholstery splitting is the norm, not an exception.
3. To call the interior cramped is an understatement and quite puzzling since at least according to +General Motors , the interior dimensions are virtually identical to the previous generation. However, somehow only a midget portion of buyers manages to fit in the car comfortably. The rear and side vision are a case of wishful thinking and due to horrible quality of display, the rear view camera provides no relief. Bottom seat cushions forgot to grow bolsters.
4. Entering Corvette C7 is a great case of throwback to the 80's, if there was a CD player in this car, A Flock of Seagulls or Prince should be a standard issue.
As it is, none of the four NECESSARY elements have been satisfied with the Stingray, thus, WTF are you talking about Tadge?
Since pictures speak louder than words, here is a very graphic example of "world class" leather used in the newest Corvette.
3.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Second transmission cooler on 2015 Corvette C7 Z06 further reaffirms the major design flaw of rear mounted coolers and automatic transmission overheating
As much as +Tadge Juechter and +General Motors marketing department like to brag about superior performance of automatic transmissions, both six and eight speed, there is never a sentence given to address a well documented by now problem with overheating of automatic transmission during high performance endurance driving. The problem certainly is there, it has been there since the beginning of Stingray production and it certainly did not go away with the newest Z06.
Unlike with the previous generation of Corvette, the transmission cooler resides now in the rear, hopefully scavenging air flow from the quarter panel mounted ducts or even worse, from under the car, in the case of convertible models.
The instances of overheating transmission indicate that both the location and capacity of the cooling systems are inadequate. Only a brilliant engineer like Juechter would expect a rear top or bottom mounted inlets to provide air flow equal to front mounted location, LOL. The fact that both the discontinued and the new eight speed transmissions use smaller diameter converters and higher stall speeds makes the matter even worse.
Why was this done? Certainly not to improve cooling characteristics. The real answer is WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION. Contrary to popular belief, the junk such as AFM, dual mass flywheel and semi VVT add enough weight to cause weight distribution problems. Relocating as much of hardware as possible to the rear is a necessity, not a gesture of performance considerations.
Thus, the cooling systems for the differential and transmission have been moved to the rear. Juechter can bullshit as much as he wants but the fact remains that this is the only reason why anyone would even consider moving these systems to the rear of the vehicle.
The problem here is that there is no efficiency needed in these locations and things become even worse with the new Z06, apparently to the point where GM could no longer ignore complaints from the base car owners and decided to be proactive and attempt to keep the automatic transmission cooler. The fact that the Z06 porker adds even more weight up front, must have made this decision even easier. Hopefully the automatic Z06 can now make more than one lap on a track? LOL
However, what does this do for the buyers of base 2015 Stingray and 2014 model year? Absolutely nothing, they are still screwed and with no remedy on horizon. Maybe the aftermarket can make more money here?
Unlike with the previous generation of Corvette, the transmission cooler resides now in the rear, hopefully scavenging air flow from the quarter panel mounted ducts or even worse, from under the car, in the case of convertible models.
The instances of overheating transmission indicate that both the location and capacity of the cooling systems are inadequate. Only a brilliant engineer like Juechter would expect a rear top or bottom mounted inlets to provide air flow equal to front mounted location, LOL. The fact that both the discontinued and the new eight speed transmissions use smaller diameter converters and higher stall speeds makes the matter even worse.
Why was this done? Certainly not to improve cooling characteristics. The real answer is WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION. Contrary to popular belief, the junk such as AFM, dual mass flywheel and semi VVT add enough weight to cause weight distribution problems. Relocating as much of hardware as possible to the rear is a necessity, not a gesture of performance considerations.
Thus, the cooling systems for the differential and transmission have been moved to the rear. Juechter can bullshit as much as he wants but the fact remains that this is the only reason why anyone would even consider moving these systems to the rear of the vehicle.
The problem here is that there is no efficiency needed in these locations and things become even worse with the new Z06, apparently to the point where GM could no longer ignore complaints from the base car owners and decided to be proactive and attempt to keep the automatic transmission cooler. The fact that the Z06 porker adds even more weight up front, must have made this decision even easier. Hopefully the automatic Z06 can now make more than one lap on a track? LOL
However, what does this do for the buyers of base 2015 Stingray and 2014 model year? Absolutely nothing, they are still screwed and with no remedy on horizon. Maybe the aftermarket can make more money here?
Will General Motors ever release a full set of performance figures for the 2015 Corvette C7 Z06?
The hell will freeze over before this happens and thus, this was purely rhetorical question. In order for the specifications to be released, there is one requirement that must be satisfied by a new car: these specifications must surpass the figures of the car it replaces.
As it was already well documented, +Tadge Juechter permanently "forgot" to release the top speed of the Stingray just like he "forgot" to release performance figures for the manual version of the car or the ever popular Nurburgring lap time.
Will things change for Z06? Absolutely not!!! The car is over 400 pounds heavier than the predecessor and aerodynamically inferior, even without the gaudy Walmart style ground effects, thus, the top speed of the new car will never be disclosed. In order for this to happen, this car would have to exceed the 205 mph well documented top speed of the previous ZR1 and this will just not happen due to pesky physics laws.
No performance figures will be ever released for the convertible version of the car, this is a given.
As usual, lateral acceleration will be available, after it is measured at about 65 degrees ambient temperature due to summer only tires as with the Stingray.
0-60 time, this one should be interesting... The car has a great disadvantage against the last, manual transmission ZR1 and its 3.4 seconds. Since the car is considerably heavier, only an automatic transmission version may have a chance, due to small converter and hopefully less inertial and friction losses. If this happens, by some miracle, then without any doubt, the result will be advertised across the board for all Z06 cars since this is what Juechter and +General Motors did with the base Stingray.
Quarter mile speed and time should be interesting to see. The car has enough horsepower to achieve good times and speed, in good weather and with automatic transmission but if it can surpass the last ZR1, this is yet to be seen. Although the aerodynamics do not matter in this case, extra weight does as it does the torque management and heat soak. If the car can manage anything, it better be at the first try or it will not happen at all. Latest Dodge Viper already showed what torque management can do...
And finally, the Nurburgring lap time... Even the Z51 Stingray already has problems with automatic transmission overheating due to inadequate cooling system design and capacity. Can new Z06 with automatic transmission survive a several laps on Nurburgring without overheating the transmission? Since Juechter never admitted what happened with the base car at the ring, chances are very good the automatic version of Z06 will not be suitable there either. GM needs a significant achievement using the new automatic transmission to validate it as a suitable equivalent of DTC, if this does not happen, then all the time Juechter spent bullshitting about it was wasted and there is no advertisement for the new transmission that is supposed to be the across the board corporate jewel.
Based on the bullshit and lack of information that continues to surround the Stingray, the new Z06 has a great chance to follow the exact same fate. The increase in claimed horsepower already indicates that the extra weight causes negative impacts on expected performance of this porker.
As it was already well documented, +Tadge Juechter permanently "forgot" to release the top speed of the Stingray just like he "forgot" to release performance figures for the manual version of the car or the ever popular Nurburgring lap time.
Will things change for Z06? Absolutely not!!! The car is over 400 pounds heavier than the predecessor and aerodynamically inferior, even without the gaudy Walmart style ground effects, thus, the top speed of the new car will never be disclosed. In order for this to happen, this car would have to exceed the 205 mph well documented top speed of the previous ZR1 and this will just not happen due to pesky physics laws.
No performance figures will be ever released for the convertible version of the car, this is a given.
As usual, lateral acceleration will be available, after it is measured at about 65 degrees ambient temperature due to summer only tires as with the Stingray.
0-60 time, this one should be interesting... The car has a great disadvantage against the last, manual transmission ZR1 and its 3.4 seconds. Since the car is considerably heavier, only an automatic transmission version may have a chance, due to small converter and hopefully less inertial and friction losses. If this happens, by some miracle, then without any doubt, the result will be advertised across the board for all Z06 cars since this is what Juechter and +General Motors did with the base Stingray.
Quarter mile speed and time should be interesting to see. The car has enough horsepower to achieve good times and speed, in good weather and with automatic transmission but if it can surpass the last ZR1, this is yet to be seen. Although the aerodynamics do not matter in this case, extra weight does as it does the torque management and heat soak. If the car can manage anything, it better be at the first try or it will not happen at all. Latest Dodge Viper already showed what torque management can do...
And finally, the Nurburgring lap time... Even the Z51 Stingray already has problems with automatic transmission overheating due to inadequate cooling system design and capacity. Can new Z06 with automatic transmission survive a several laps on Nurburgring without overheating the transmission? Since Juechter never admitted what happened with the base car at the ring, chances are very good the automatic version of Z06 will not be suitable there either. GM needs a significant achievement using the new automatic transmission to validate it as a suitable equivalent of DTC, if this does not happen, then all the time Juechter spent bullshitting about it was wasted and there is no advertisement for the new transmission that is supposed to be the across the board corporate jewel.
Based on the bullshit and lack of information that continues to surround the Stingray, the new Z06 has a great chance to follow the exact same fate. The increase in claimed horsepower already indicates that the extra weight causes negative impacts on expected performance of this porker.
2015 Corvette C7 Z06 easily breaks the 100k price barrier-at the introduction
If history is any indication, just as it was with C5 and C6 Z06 cars, the first year price tag will not be there for long before it goes up significantly. This is exactly what happened with C6 Z06 back in 2007 and seeing how prices crept up on the Stingray, there is no reason not to believe it will not happen again.
+General Motors got away with bait and switch strategy in the past because the cars were so good although at the end, this tactic fired back, with crapload of unsold Z06 cluttering dealers lots for many months. As a result, the discounts needed to push them off the lots easily outweighed the profits from the price hike.
How will it work with C7 Z06 porker?
As it is, the introductory MSRP for the couple is slightly shy of 79k (including destination charge) with convertible Z06 starting at 5k more.
1YZ07 Corvette Z06 Coupe -- $78,000.00 MSRP
..........................Destination... $995.00
1YZ67 Corvette Z06 Conv ----$83,000.00 MSRP
..........................Destination ...$995.00
2LZ Z06 Equipment Group 1YZ07/1YZ67 --$3,270.00
3LZ Z06 Preferred Equipment Group 1YZ07/1YZ67 --$8,650.00
Z07 - Performance Package
includes:
(J57) 4-wheel antilock, 4-wheel disc, carbon ceramic brakes,
(FE7) Z07 suspension with Magnetic Selective Ride Control,
(XFM) front P285/30ZR19 and rear P335/25ZR20 Michelin Pilot
Super Sport Cup 2 summer-only run flat tires,
and level 3 Aero Package
(splitter end plates and clear adjustable wicker bill) ----$7,995.00
Requires CFZ or CFV
CFZ - Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package
includes Carbon Flash-painted splitter and rockers,
and more aggressive rear spoiler ---------$2,995.00
CFV - Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package
includes visible Carbon Fiber splitter and rockers,
and more aggressive rear spoiler --------$3,995.00
Of course these prices and trim groups do not include extra charges for automatic transmission, exposed carbon fiber roof, color matched body vents or premium colors or wheel upgrades.
Conservatively, 100k is the expected price of a typical street poser car with a few bling options on top of 3LZ, Z07 and CFV standard poser edition.
Of course, the so called "market adjustment charge" will be added by the dealers receiving the initial shipments of this porker.
This pricing, skillfully grafting very pricey options that will bait the customers puts this gaudy porker right in the league of Nissan GTR and Dodge Viper. Will the customers be smart enough to realize this part? Seeing how the super heavy weight of this former track car and lack of performance figures are already being excused by heavy kool aid drinkers, the customers will be as dumb as ever.
+General Motors got away with bait and switch strategy in the past because the cars were so good although at the end, this tactic fired back, with crapload of unsold Z06 cluttering dealers lots for many months. As a result, the discounts needed to push them off the lots easily outweighed the profits from the price hike.
How will it work with C7 Z06 porker?
As it is, the introductory MSRP for the couple is slightly shy of 79k (including destination charge) with convertible Z06 starting at 5k more.
1YZ07 Corvette Z06 Coupe -- $78,000.00 MSRP
..........................Destination... $995.00
1YZ67 Corvette Z06 Conv ----$83,000.00 MSRP
..........................Destination ...$995.00
2LZ Z06 Equipment Group 1YZ07/1YZ67 --$3,270.00
3LZ Z06 Preferred Equipment Group 1YZ07/1YZ67 --$8,650.00
Z07 - Performance Package
includes:
(J57) 4-wheel antilock, 4-wheel disc, carbon ceramic brakes,
(FE7) Z07 suspension with Magnetic Selective Ride Control,
(XFM) front P285/30ZR19 and rear P335/25ZR20 Michelin Pilot
Super Sport Cup 2 summer-only run flat tires,
and level 3 Aero Package
(splitter end plates and clear adjustable wicker bill) ----$7,995.00
Requires CFZ or CFV
CFZ - Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package
includes Carbon Flash-painted splitter and rockers,
and more aggressive rear spoiler ---------$2,995.00
CFV - Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package
includes visible Carbon Fiber splitter and rockers,
and more aggressive rear spoiler --------$3,995.00
Of course these prices and trim groups do not include extra charges for automatic transmission, exposed carbon fiber roof, color matched body vents or premium colors or wheel upgrades.
Conservatively, 100k is the expected price of a typical street poser car with a few bling options on top of 3LZ, Z07 and CFV standard poser edition.
Of course, the so called "market adjustment charge" will be added by the dealers receiving the initial shipments of this porker.
This pricing, skillfully grafting very pricey options that will bait the customers puts this gaudy porker right in the league of Nissan GTR and Dodge Viper. Will the customers be smart enough to realize this part? Seeing how the super heavy weight of this former track car and lack of performance figures are already being excused by heavy kool aid drinkers, the customers will be as dumb as ever.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
One other item Corvette C7 Stingray has in common with Corvette C4, besides the interior
Funny how Corvette buyers like to resort to unquantifiable qualities to justify the superiority of their car and the purchase of Stingray.
The one quality mentioned the most is of course the ubiquitous REFINEMENT.
Allegedly, this refinement can be found everywhere in the Stingray, including the interior.
Is this really the case? Here is one example that certainly dispels with this delusion:
THE REAR HATCH
As mentioned in the title, besides the eerily similar interior design, the newest Corvette has one other quality that appears to be a direct carry over from Corvette C4 and that would be the rear hatch closing mechanism and more accurately, the difficulty of closing it.
Corvette C4 rear glass has to be one of the shittiest when it comes to close it, in fact, there is a fine line between pushing so hard on the glass and feeling the whole thing is just going to shutter from pushing on it.
So how about the newest Corvette? Surprise surprise, it is just as hard to close if not worse. Where the previous generation of Corvette had a power assist servo unit to assist the tailgate operator who only had to tap on the tailgate before the assist would take over and close the gate, the newest generation actually requires to either lower the side windows or lean very hard on the hatch to close it.
It is right down uncanny how much the hatch closing of Stingray resembles that of C4. So... is this part of the refinement process? If this is the 21st century, why does the hatch closing activity remind of the 80's so much?
Refinement typically means IMPROVEMENT of all areas that should be improved for comfort and ergonomics. Only in Corvette world, making things WORSE than before is a fully acceptable approach.
The one quality mentioned the most is of course the ubiquitous REFINEMENT.
Allegedly, this refinement can be found everywhere in the Stingray, including the interior.
Is this really the case? Here is one example that certainly dispels with this delusion:
THE REAR HATCH
As mentioned in the title, besides the eerily similar interior design, the newest Corvette has one other quality that appears to be a direct carry over from Corvette C4 and that would be the rear hatch closing mechanism and more accurately, the difficulty of closing it.
Corvette C4 rear glass has to be one of the shittiest when it comes to close it, in fact, there is a fine line between pushing so hard on the glass and feeling the whole thing is just going to shutter from pushing on it.
So how about the newest Corvette? Surprise surprise, it is just as hard to close if not worse. Where the previous generation of Corvette had a power assist servo unit to assist the tailgate operator who only had to tap on the tailgate before the assist would take over and close the gate, the newest generation actually requires to either lower the side windows or lean very hard on the hatch to close it.
It is right down uncanny how much the hatch closing of Stingray resembles that of C4. So... is this part of the refinement process? If this is the 21st century, why does the hatch closing activity remind of the 80's so much?
Refinement typically means IMPROVEMENT of all areas that should be improved for comfort and ergonomics. Only in Corvette world, making things WORSE than before is a fully acceptable approach.
The hidden costs of 2015 Corvette Z06 ownership
The newest Z06, apparently the ultimate in old guy crowd pleasers is aerodynamically inefficient and considerably higher than it should. What are the ownership consequences?
1. Bad fuel economy-no matter how many fuel saving nannies the tool in charge, +Tadge Juechter adds to this behemoth, the fact remains that heavy car requires more energy to get going than a lighter one. In fact, relying on nannies to accomplish fuel efficiency is as stupid as it gets-the nannies add weight themselves and can be effective only under very specific conditions-unlike less weight and better aerodynamics.
2. More stress on the engine and drivetrain components such as clutch, differential, drive axles or the newest slush box - which means shorter lifespan for parts that could last longer otherwise. Again, basic physics here, something Juechter has no clue about at all.
3. Shortened lifespan for the brake-and again, some breaking news here: it takes larger force to stop a heavier vehicle than a lighter one. Now, more frequent replacement of pads and rotors and flushing brake fluid can be annoying but when the brake rotors are of ceramic variety, the cost can be and is quite outrageous.
4. Questionable resale value due to zero pedigree any Corvette carries and potential costs and risks a buyer of the used Z06 would be assuming. This part is already well demonstrated with no resale value past generation Z06 carries (valve problems) and matching ZR1 resale beatings owners take when trying to sell or trade in their cars.
The conclusions: the newest Z06 buyers should plan their cars and coffee events less frequently than they would do with the base Stingray or previous generations (as long as a tow truck is reserved).
The other obvious conclusion is that Tadge Juechter is a self indoctrinated idiot, spending more time convincing himself than practicing sound engineering or even common sense. The buyers soon to follow in his steps.
1. Bad fuel economy-no matter how many fuel saving nannies the tool in charge, +Tadge Juechter adds to this behemoth, the fact remains that heavy car requires more energy to get going than a lighter one. In fact, relying on nannies to accomplish fuel efficiency is as stupid as it gets-the nannies add weight themselves and can be effective only under very specific conditions-unlike less weight and better aerodynamics.
2. More stress on the engine and drivetrain components such as clutch, differential, drive axles or the newest slush box - which means shorter lifespan for parts that could last longer otherwise. Again, basic physics here, something Juechter has no clue about at all.
3. Shortened lifespan for the brake-and again, some breaking news here: it takes larger force to stop a heavier vehicle than a lighter one. Now, more frequent replacement of pads and rotors and flushing brake fluid can be annoying but when the brake rotors are of ceramic variety, the cost can be and is quite outrageous.
4. Questionable resale value due to zero pedigree any Corvette carries and potential costs and risks a buyer of the used Z06 would be assuming. This part is already well demonstrated with no resale value past generation Z06 carries (valve problems) and matching ZR1 resale beatings owners take when trying to sell or trade in their cars.
The conclusions: the newest Z06 buyers should plan their cars and coffee events less frequently than they would do with the base Stingray or previous generations (as long as a tow truck is reserved).
The other obvious conclusion is that Tadge Juechter is a self indoctrinated idiot, spending more time convincing himself than practicing sound engineering or even common sense. The buyers soon to follow in his steps.
2015 Corvette C7 Z06- General Motors replaces a legitimate track car with a GT poser track car replica
If the dead could arise from their graves, there is no doubt Zora Arkus-Duntov would be already busy pulverizing +Tadge Juechter for the true atrocity he just committed on a car wearing the formerly meaningful Z06 moniker, something that Duntov worked so hard to establish during his stint at +General Motors .
What is a Corvette Z06 suppose to stand for? A lighter version of a production Corvette, with extra power and handling upgrades and brakes worthy of racing on a track or road curse.
Both previous generations of the Corvette accomplished this mission rather well, with the best of the bunch being 2006 C6 Z06. Of course things went downhill from there as the performance of the car was so good that then upcoming Corvette ZR1 would have a pretty hard task of justifying its steep price increase over Z06.
There is no doubt that the Z06 formula Duntov came up with works and it works very well. Light chassis and no frills interior and big displacement naturally aspired engine lend themselves very well to endurance racing and considerably better than the heavier and considerably more expensive ZR1, highly susceptible to the effects of heat soak and power robbing supercharger parasite.
One problem here, very few so called Corvette enthusiasts actually race their cars (unless someone sets up a road curse in their church or golf course parking lot and even then, LOL) and these people are more concerned with the color of their upholstery than the actual race performance of their car.
Another problem here, the development and production cost of high performance naturally aspired and high revving engine is considerably higher than its lower compression and displacement supercharged counterpart. GM never really resolved all the problems with the LS7 engine, they were minimized on the updated later parts but the older ones, they are a true time bomb waiting to explode in the owner's wallet.
As it is, Juechter either intentionally or through his ignorance, decided to take the supercharged route and eliminate any possibility of creating a worthy successor to the last Z06. What as produced is a travesty of a track car, a lookalike, with the visual deceptions implying its Z06 orientation.
To see a 3600 pound behemoth pretending to be a track car is very sad, at least to those who understand the principles behind a sound track car. Lighter is always better, no matter how much bullshit Juechter spews, heavier cars can be raced and tracked but the cost of doing so goes up quite a bit. Maybe Juechter is retarded and does not understand that heavier car wears out tires, brakes and suspension parts considerably sooner than a car that weighs less? Once again, Juechter comes across not as an engineer but a fully ignorant high school drop out pretending to be a mechanical engineer. Did Tadge buy his degree online or in Philippines?
So what is this new porker really? In reality, it is a replacement for the previous ZR1, just heavier and with worse weight to power ratio than its predecessor. In other words, the new car is inferior not to just the real track car it supposedly replaces but the last ultimate GT Corvette. To top it off, the car is not only heavier but it also has worse aerodynamics than either of the predecessors, clearly demonstrating how incompetent really Tadge Juechter is.
To sum it up, the new Z06 is a poser that will be bought by the typical poser crowd, too busy with the next coat of wax and extra carbon fiber trim piece than the actual (lack of) performance aspects of the latest SO CALLED Z06.
What is a Corvette Z06 suppose to stand for? A lighter version of a production Corvette, with extra power and handling upgrades and brakes worthy of racing on a track or road curse.
Both previous generations of the Corvette accomplished this mission rather well, with the best of the bunch being 2006 C6 Z06. Of course things went downhill from there as the performance of the car was so good that then upcoming Corvette ZR1 would have a pretty hard task of justifying its steep price increase over Z06.
There is no doubt that the Z06 formula Duntov came up with works and it works very well. Light chassis and no frills interior and big displacement naturally aspired engine lend themselves very well to endurance racing and considerably better than the heavier and considerably more expensive ZR1, highly susceptible to the effects of heat soak and power robbing supercharger parasite.
One problem here, very few so called Corvette enthusiasts actually race their cars (unless someone sets up a road curse in their church or golf course parking lot and even then, LOL) and these people are more concerned with the color of their upholstery than the actual race performance of their car.
Another problem here, the development and production cost of high performance naturally aspired and high revving engine is considerably higher than its lower compression and displacement supercharged counterpart. GM never really resolved all the problems with the LS7 engine, they were minimized on the updated later parts but the older ones, they are a true time bomb waiting to explode in the owner's wallet.
As it is, Juechter either intentionally or through his ignorance, decided to take the supercharged route and eliminate any possibility of creating a worthy successor to the last Z06. What as produced is a travesty of a track car, a lookalike, with the visual deceptions implying its Z06 orientation.
To see a 3600 pound behemoth pretending to be a track car is very sad, at least to those who understand the principles behind a sound track car. Lighter is always better, no matter how much bullshit Juechter spews, heavier cars can be raced and tracked but the cost of doing so goes up quite a bit. Maybe Juechter is retarded and does not understand that heavier car wears out tires, brakes and suspension parts considerably sooner than a car that weighs less? Once again, Juechter comes across not as an engineer but a fully ignorant high school drop out pretending to be a mechanical engineer. Did Tadge buy his degree online or in Philippines?
So what is this new porker really? In reality, it is a replacement for the previous ZR1, just heavier and with worse weight to power ratio than its predecessor. In other words, the new car is inferior not to just the real track car it supposedly replaces but the last ultimate GT Corvette. To top it off, the car is not only heavier but it also has worse aerodynamics than either of the predecessors, clearly demonstrating how incompetent really Tadge Juechter is.
To sum it up, the new Z06 is a poser that will be bought by the typical poser crowd, too busy with the next coat of wax and extra carbon fiber trim piece than the actual (lack of) performance aspects of the latest SO CALLED Z06.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Weight distribution of 2015 Corvette C7 Z06
Since the car is at the minimum, 100 pounds heavier than the base Stingray and very likely double of that, how is the weight distribution of this porker going add up to the magical 50/50?
The majority of weight will be added up front, including all the supercharger plumbing, heat exchanger and the supercharger itself. Since the base car is supposedly 50/50 will +Tadge Juechter perform the magic act himself or will the bullshit ritual of guessing the weight distribution just magically appear in sales brochure?
For the base car, the +General Motors information regarding weight distribution showed up well ahead of actual weight being disclosed. The 50/50 remains constant for the base car, regardless of transmission and Z51 option presence or absence.
How is this magic going to work again, accounting for transmission choice and convertible vs. coupe variants? Considering that Juechter still suffers from amnesia regarding Stingray top speed, drag coefficient and Nurburgring lap time, he most likely will suffer from identical case of amnesia explaining the true phenomenon of Corvette 50/50 weight distribution.
The majority of weight will be added up front, including all the supercharger plumbing, heat exchanger and the supercharger itself. Since the base car is supposedly 50/50 will +Tadge Juechter perform the magic act himself or will the bullshit ritual of guessing the weight distribution just magically appear in sales brochure?
For the base car, the +General Motors information regarding weight distribution showed up well ahead of actual weight being disclosed. The 50/50 remains constant for the base car, regardless of transmission and Z51 option presence or absence.
How is this magic going to work again, accounting for transmission choice and convertible vs. coupe variants? Considering that Juechter still suffers from amnesia regarding Stingray top speed, drag coefficient and Nurburgring lap time, he most likely will suffer from identical case of amnesia explaining the true phenomenon of Corvette 50/50 weight distribution.
It is official: 2015 Corvette C7 Z06 is a PORKER, with kerb weight STARTING at 3550 pounds!!!
This is actually not a surprise to anyone but the +General Motors kool aid hard drinking crowd.
Nevertheless, this is certainly an accomplishment +Tadge Juechter should add to his employment portfolio.
Considering that the previous ZR1 was only 12 hp shy of the 650 hp figure Juchter keeps throwing around while weighing over TWO HUNDRED POUNDS MORE than the ZR1, the extent of this accomplishment is right down impressive.
Here is the Juechter spin on facts: 3550 lbs for Z06 coupe and 3680 lbs for the convertible version of the "fastest Corvette ever".
Here is the reality of Juechter's bullshit: the figures quoted are for lowest and lightest trim level only and for manual transmission and with CERAMIC BRAKES, with absolutely no options installed. Add LZ3 trim and automatic transmission, along with the highest level of ground effects and Juechter will be thanking his lucky star if the scales stop at 3600 pounds.
What is amazing about this Z06 weight "reduction" achievement? Unlike any competitors, Corvette supposedly uses a "light aluminum frame", lighter body panels and lacks basic and typical sports car elements such as coil over suspension or overhead cam engine layout. The Z06 does not include AWD configuration, either.
Yes, Juechter loves to brag about all the weight savings measures that new Corvette incorporates but as with the base car, all these measures add up into a substantially heavier predecessor that supposedly used obsolete technologies.
As a result of all this brilliant engineering work, the newest Z06 is officially the heaviest Corvette yet, and this is based on the typical half truths and misinformation Juechter dumps on the public.
Hopefully, GM does not consider slapping Zora's name on this porky piece of shit, chances are very good Zora would be getting out of his grave and bitch slapping Juechter personally.
As usual, the question should be asked? How is this possible that Tadge Juechter still has his job? Can this douchebag dump more crap on Corvette? Asking rhetorically of course.
Nevertheless, this is certainly an accomplishment +Tadge Juechter should add to his employment portfolio.
Considering that the previous ZR1 was only 12 hp shy of the 650 hp figure Juchter keeps throwing around while weighing over TWO HUNDRED POUNDS MORE than the ZR1, the extent of this accomplishment is right down impressive.
Here is the Juechter spin on facts: 3550 lbs for Z06 coupe and 3680 lbs for the convertible version of the "fastest Corvette ever".
Here is the reality of Juechter's bullshit: the figures quoted are for lowest and lightest trim level only and for manual transmission and with CERAMIC BRAKES, with absolutely no options installed. Add LZ3 trim and automatic transmission, along with the highest level of ground effects and Juechter will be thanking his lucky star if the scales stop at 3600 pounds.
What is amazing about this Z06 weight "reduction" achievement? Unlike any competitors, Corvette supposedly uses a "light aluminum frame", lighter body panels and lacks basic and typical sports car elements such as coil over suspension or overhead cam engine layout. The Z06 does not include AWD configuration, either.
Yes, Juechter loves to brag about all the weight savings measures that new Corvette incorporates but as with the base car, all these measures add up into a substantially heavier predecessor that supposedly used obsolete technologies.
As a result of all this brilliant engineering work, the newest Z06 is officially the heaviest Corvette yet, and this is based on the typical half truths and misinformation Juechter dumps on the public.
Hopefully, GM does not consider slapping Zora's name on this porky piece of shit, chances are very good Zora would be getting out of his grave and bitch slapping Juechter personally.
As usual, the question should be asked? How is this possible that Tadge Juechter still has his job? Can this douchebag dump more crap on Corvette? Asking rhetorically of course.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Unsold 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray cluttering dealers lots prevent General Motors from 2015 models shipments
With too many unsold 2014 Stingrays, +General Motors has not shipped a single 2015 Corvette yet, in apparent attempt to clear dealers lots and prevent grand scale discounting that would hurt dealers bottom lines.
Nice move by GM although they apparently missed the memo that the previous announcements identified first half of August as the time for 2015 Corvettes to be shipped.
Funny how in spite of the supposed big sales figures, there are more cars that are unsold than being sold and until the lots clear up a bit (Labor Day bet by GM?), the shipments of already made (for the last two months and currently sitting at Bowling Green plant) will not be happening.
The small problem for +Tadge Juechter and company is the fact that other car manufacturers do not have this problem and have their 2015 cars already available. Maybe this is the time for GM to turn that 75 Hertz Corvettes into 7500? Sounds like this would be a great idea, to keep those sales claims coming.
Nice move by GM although they apparently missed the memo that the previous announcements identified first half of August as the time for 2015 Corvettes to be shipped.
Funny how in spite of the supposed big sales figures, there are more cars that are unsold than being sold and until the lots clear up a bit (Labor Day bet by GM?), the shipments of already made (for the last two months and currently sitting at Bowling Green plant) will not be happening.
The small problem for +Tadge Juechter and company is the fact that other car manufacturers do not have this problem and have their 2015 cars already available. Maybe this is the time for GM to turn that 75 Hertz Corvettes into 7500? Sounds like this would be a great idea, to keep those sales claims coming.
Monday, August 18, 2014
General Motors turns valet mode option into illegal spying and recording device-Corvette C7 Stingray owners can become legally liable
In general, the rule of thumb is not to let a stranger drive your valuable possession on four wheels but... if it has to be done, then keeping strangers like valets and dealer lot attendants and mechanics in line by restricting their ability to take the car anywhere and tear a crap out of it sounds like a great idea.
+General Motors , as usual, does not break any new grounds here-many companies have been offering valet restrictive driving mode for years.
However, GM may be taking matter too far in this case.
How does the Valet mode work in the Stingray? After entering a personal code on the touchscreen, the vehicle's power is cut down to prevent tire smoking and engine over revving. When the Stingray is in the valet mode, the driver sees this firmly displayed on the screen.
But... what the driver does not see is a notification that he or she are being recorded using the onboard camera and PDR, offered as an option on the Stingray. What the accidental driver does not know either is the fact that not only the video is being recorded but AUDIO as well. Thus, effectively, GM provides the Stingray owners with eavesdropping device and allows them to record other people's voices, WITHOUT A NOTIFICACTION AND PERMISSION.
While it is not illegal to photograph or record images in public places in almost every state, some states have eavesdropping laws that criminalize recording oral conversations without permission, which has led to arrests due to the fact that videographers don't usually make silent movies.
And here lies the stupidity of GM: even if an event of wild valet gets caught on the recorder, it is very likely it will be readily tossed out by a judge due to the lack of permission obtained from the driver.
Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing stopping such person from aggressively pursuing the owner of the car for illegal recording of that person, without obtaining an explicit permission. A smart plaintiff will not only sue the car owner to the last penny but sue GM as well and hopefully Mary Barra and +Tadge Juechter personally, to teach them a good lesson in laws protecting citizens of this country.
To see something really stupid coming from GM and Juechter is not a big surprise but this time, GM may be breaking new grounds-in violating people's privacy and personal freedom rights. On the bright side, this newest entrapment should be a big hit in China.
+General Motors , as usual, does not break any new grounds here-many companies have been offering valet restrictive driving mode for years.
However, GM may be taking matter too far in this case.
How does the Valet mode work in the Stingray? After entering a personal code on the touchscreen, the vehicle's power is cut down to prevent tire smoking and engine over revving. When the Stingray is in the valet mode, the driver sees this firmly displayed on the screen.
But... what the driver does not see is a notification that he or she are being recorded using the onboard camera and PDR, offered as an option on the Stingray. What the accidental driver does not know either is the fact that not only the video is being recorded but AUDIO as well. Thus, effectively, GM provides the Stingray owners with eavesdropping device and allows them to record other people's voices, WITHOUT A NOTIFICACTION AND PERMISSION.
While it is not illegal to photograph or record images in public places in almost every state, some states have eavesdropping laws that criminalize recording oral conversations without permission, which has led to arrests due to the fact that videographers don't usually make silent movies.
And here lies the stupidity of GM: even if an event of wild valet gets caught on the recorder, it is very likely it will be readily tossed out by a judge due to the lack of permission obtained from the driver.
Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing stopping such person from aggressively pursuing the owner of the car for illegal recording of that person, without obtaining an explicit permission. A smart plaintiff will not only sue the car owner to the last penny but sue GM as well and hopefully Mary Barra and +Tadge Juechter personally, to teach them a good lesson in laws protecting citizens of this country.
To see something really stupid coming from GM and Juechter is not a big surprise but this time, GM may be breaking new grounds-in violating people's privacy and personal freedom rights. On the bright side, this newest entrapment should be a big hit in China.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
General Motors unacceptable corporate attitude toward safety recalls put another blemish on Corvette C7 Stingray
Currently, the queen of recalls, Mary Barra directed +General Motors to issue 3 recalls affecting millions of econo boxes from the past, including jewels like Cobalt, Malibu and Impala.
The current recalls:
Recall #1 - cruise control malfunction and failure. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
Recall #2 - brake pedal and brake light malfunction and failure. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
Recall #3 - automatic transmission shift cable may disntegratei, resulting in inability to select gear, or retaining selected gear, possibly resulting in collision with other vehicles. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
The pattern observed here is extremely disturbing. Without any doubt, GM fucked up in the past, cheap materials, flawed designs and lack of will to correct mistakes even after discovering the problems.
For an average driver, the issues and their implications may sound right down scary, creating a perception OPEN safety recalls on record? What value would be determined by a dealer upon a trade in? Who would be liable for any accident that may happen in the future, until the recalls are addressed?
In reality, the owners of these cars are fully screwed and what is really shitty, is the fact that these are people on limited incomes (who else would be driving POS like that?)
Now, going back to Corvette Stingray and even the previous generations of the car. The Stingray is already plagued with so many issues and with no parts available to fix them. What would happen if there are multiple safety recalls issued on Stingray or the previous generation and parts are not available to fix them?
The owners of Stingrays and C6 would be royally SCREWED just like the owners of the pieces of junk are currently. The ability of selling or trading Corvettes with open safety recalls would be non existent unless someone literally wants to give them away.
The red flags are already there: problems with the Stingray persist and continue to appear daily, the parts needed for repairs are unavailable. The Stingray is not a Cobalt, there are very limited numbers of these cars out there, there should sufficient spares available but there are not. It does not take a genius to figure out what would happened if ALL Stingrays and older Corvettes were recalled.
The best approach to deal with this possibility:: STAY AWAY FROM CORVETTE and GM horrible customer service and corporate attitude. There is no doubt that the exact same fate of Cobalt owners would be meeting the Stingray owners.
Apparently Mary Barra and +Tadge Juechter do not understand that what really gives an edge to a car when competing with other makes is not performance but quality and customer service. As it is, the General Motors is a fully failed company and any car that comes from this company should be avoided, no matter how good it may be (and Stingray is not that great anyway).
The current recalls:
Recall #1 - cruise control malfunction and failure. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
Recall #2 - brake pedal and brake light malfunction and failure. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
Recall #3 - automatic transmission shift cable may disntegratei, resulting in inability to select gear, or retaining selected gear, possibly resulting in collision with other vehicles. Parts currently unavailable, ETA N/A.
The pattern observed here is extremely disturbing. Without any doubt, GM fucked up in the past, cheap materials, flawed designs and lack of will to correct mistakes even after discovering the problems.
For an average driver, the issues and their implications may sound right down scary, creating a perception OPEN safety recalls on record? What value would be determined by a dealer upon a trade in? Who would be liable for any accident that may happen in the future, until the recalls are addressed?
In reality, the owners of these cars are fully screwed and what is really shitty, is the fact that these are people on limited incomes (who else would be driving POS like that?)
Now, going back to Corvette Stingray and even the previous generations of the car. The Stingray is already plagued with so many issues and with no parts available to fix them. What would happen if there are multiple safety recalls issued on Stingray or the previous generation and parts are not available to fix them?
The owners of Stingrays and C6 would be royally SCREWED just like the owners of the pieces of junk are currently. The ability of selling or trading Corvettes with open safety recalls would be non existent unless someone literally wants to give them away.
The red flags are already there: problems with the Stingray persist and continue to appear daily, the parts needed for repairs are unavailable. The Stingray is not a Cobalt, there are very limited numbers of these cars out there, there should sufficient spares available but there are not. It does not take a genius to figure out what would happened if ALL Stingrays and older Corvettes were recalled.
The best approach to deal with this possibility:: STAY AWAY FROM CORVETTE and GM horrible customer service and corporate attitude. There is no doubt that the exact same fate of Cobalt owners would be meeting the Stingray owners.
Apparently Mary Barra and +Tadge Juechter do not understand that what really gives an edge to a car when competing with other makes is not performance but quality and customer service. As it is, the General Motors is a fully failed company and any car that comes from this company should be avoided, no matter how good it may be (and Stingray is not that great anyway).
Saturday, August 16, 2014
A warning to Corvette C7 Stingray owners: DO NOT PARK NEXT TO JAGUAR F TYPE
Especially the F Type coupe. Any attempt to neglect this warning will result in a feeling of deep shame combined with total regret and humiliation.
Why? Simply put, the F Type fit and finish and paint quality are so spectacular that the likelihood of Stingray owners abandoning their vehicles immediately is the most likely outcome.
The irony of the situation is that the Jaguar is currently owned by Tata Motors, a third world Indian company and the quality issues improved greatly since the takeover of the company.
After inspecting a few F Type cars on the local lot, the results are very impressive, not only is the quality of these cars superb, there is also an extraordinary CONSISTENCY in quality between the vehicles. These qualities are especially visible in the newest addition to F Type family, the coupe.
The paint quality of F Type coupe can be easily described as faultless mirror, it is so smooth and deep. The consistency of body panel gaps is amazing, as is the quality of interior materials and quality of materials used to build the interior. The car is absolutely stunning.
On the other hand, a quick visit to a +General Motors dealership and quick overview of the Stingrays this dealer happened to have necessitates employment of certain phrase to describe the Stingray: an absolute PIECE OF SHIT.
If indeed, the Stingray is quicker than the F Type, this is a great news to the Stingray buyers: easy to create a sufficient distance between the Stingray and the F Type, to avoid a direct visual comparison.
The bottom line is: avoid parking your Stingray right next to an F type coupe, this car will make the Stingray look like a true piece of automotive JUNK.
Why? Simply put, the F Type fit and finish and paint quality are so spectacular that the likelihood of Stingray owners abandoning their vehicles immediately is the most likely outcome.
The irony of the situation is that the Jaguar is currently owned by Tata Motors, a third world Indian company and the quality issues improved greatly since the takeover of the company.
After inspecting a few F Type cars on the local lot, the results are very impressive, not only is the quality of these cars superb, there is also an extraordinary CONSISTENCY in quality between the vehicles. These qualities are especially visible in the newest addition to F Type family, the coupe.
The paint quality of F Type coupe can be easily described as faultless mirror, it is so smooth and deep. The consistency of body panel gaps is amazing, as is the quality of interior materials and quality of materials used to build the interior. The car is absolutely stunning.
On the other hand, a quick visit to a +General Motors dealership and quick overview of the Stingrays this dealer happened to have necessitates employment of certain phrase to describe the Stingray: an absolute PIECE OF SHIT.
If indeed, the Stingray is quicker than the F Type, this is a great news to the Stingray buyers: easy to create a sufficient distance between the Stingray and the F Type, to avoid a direct visual comparison.
The bottom line is: avoid parking your Stingray right next to an F type coupe, this car will make the Stingray look like a true piece of automotive JUNK.
How happy are Corvette C7 Stingray buyers with their cars? A used Stingray with 9 miles on it
This question should not be even asked was it not for this jewel: a 2014 Stingray with NINE MILES on it, being sold by of all possible makes, a Mazda dealer. What happened here? Someone bought a brand new Corvette and drove it straight down to the Mazda dealer to trade up for a Miata?
There are plenty of low mileage used Stingrays already flooding the market but this one is in a league of all its own.
There are plenty of low mileage used Stingrays already flooding the market but this one is in a league of all its own.
Corvette C7 Stingray owners continue to be busy making their cars even tackier than General Motors
This may be hard to believe (well, actually it is not) but Corvette Stingray buyers manage to outdo +General Motors in making the already gaudy and garish Camarovette considerably tackier than what +Tadge Juechter and his team already came up.
On the bright side (pun FULLY INTENDED), seeing AARP crowd spending its time finding new places to stick more LED's around their cars is a good thing, keeping them off the streets is the best thing that can happen to the other motorists.
Oh and yes, someone decided not to just fill in the area around the exhaust tips but light it up as well, LOL.
On the bright side (pun FULLY INTENDED), seeing AARP crowd spending its time finding new places to stick more LED's around their cars is a good thing, keeping them off the streets is the best thing that can happen to the other motorists.
Oh and yes, someone decided not to just fill in the area around the exhaust tips but light it up as well, LOL.
Absolutely horrible paint quality of Corvette C7 Stingray continues
To err is very human but to admit to erring is divine... Obviously everyone at +General Motors , including +Tadge Juechter and Recall Mary are very very human...
Here is another example of the truly shitty paint quality that became a trademark of the newest generation of Corvette. The extent of orange peel is simply unbelievable, along with signs of what appears like pretty rough sanding marks. WTF Tadge? How strong is that GM kool aid that dupes people into buying these turds?
Here is another example of the truly shitty paint quality that became a trademark of the newest generation of Corvette. The extent of orange peel is simply unbelievable, along with signs of what appears like pretty rough sanding marks. WTF Tadge? How strong is that GM kool aid that dupes people into buying these turds?
Friday, August 15, 2014
Corvette C7 Stingray drivers-soon to memorize Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat 4-door tail lights
Gotta give it to Chrysler, they are on the roll, first with Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and now with 4-door Dodge Charger equipped with the same 707 hp supercharged V8.
Since the MSRP of the Charger Hellcat is less than $61k, it makes it cheaper than the Corvette optioned with anything more than 1LT trim and well below any Stingray being offered for sale by +General Motors.
With 0-60 at 3.7 sec, the Charger is faster than the fastest of the base Stingrays, auto Z51, with the big difference of having the ability to deliver its number at any time of the year due to being shod with all season tires, unlike the Stingray that still lacks the ability to be driven during winter (apparently +Tadge Juechter still refuses to disclose performance figures for all season tire configuration).
With ET of 11 seconds flat, again on all season tires, maybe the upcoming Z06 can equal this time, assuming Tadge will disclose the number. Of course, the 2015 Z06 will be costing at least $30k more and will be 2-door short but these are just small details, LOL.
The bottom line, Corvette stopped being the high performance bargain in USA, and this happened in the first year of its production, not to mention both the Charger and Challenger tail lights look considerably better than those the newest Corvette have.
The best bet for Stingray owners with drag strip aspirations, after making sure that the ambient temperature is above 40 degree, at least, make sure no Challenger or Charger Hellcats are in the next lane, there is nothing more embarrassing than being beat by a car that is heavier and with not just the driver but his entire family watching the beating taking place FROM THE PASSENGER SEATS.
Two solutions for GM and Tadge: either make the Stingray tail lights and entire better looking to prevent Hellcat drivers from thinking they are coming against just another Camaro porker while giving them reason to look at Stingray rear end or... do some actual performance oriented engineering to make the Corvette a genuine high performance car. Since this would have to involve making the newest Corvette lighter, the rear end revision seems like a more viable option.
To see a 4-door family car stealing the limelight and buyers from C7 Z06 before it is even available is beyond hilarious.
Since the MSRP of the Charger Hellcat is less than $61k, it makes it cheaper than the Corvette optioned with anything more than 1LT trim and well below any Stingray being offered for sale by +General Motors.
With 0-60 at 3.7 sec, the Charger is faster than the fastest of the base Stingrays, auto Z51, with the big difference of having the ability to deliver its number at any time of the year due to being shod with all season tires, unlike the Stingray that still lacks the ability to be driven during winter (apparently +Tadge Juechter still refuses to disclose performance figures for all season tire configuration).
With ET of 11 seconds flat, again on all season tires, maybe the upcoming Z06 can equal this time, assuming Tadge will disclose the number. Of course, the 2015 Z06 will be costing at least $30k more and will be 2-door short but these are just small details, LOL.
The bottom line, Corvette stopped being the high performance bargain in USA, and this happened in the first year of its production, not to mention both the Charger and Challenger tail lights look considerably better than those the newest Corvette have.
The best bet for Stingray owners with drag strip aspirations, after making sure that the ambient temperature is above 40 degree, at least, make sure no Challenger or Charger Hellcats are in the next lane, there is nothing more embarrassing than being beat by a car that is heavier and with not just the driver but his entire family watching the beating taking place FROM THE PASSENGER SEATS.
Two solutions for GM and Tadge: either make the Stingray tail lights and entire better looking to prevent Hellcat drivers from thinking they are coming against just another Camaro porker while giving them reason to look at Stingray rear end or... do some actual performance oriented engineering to make the Corvette a genuine high performance car. Since this would have to involve making the newest Corvette lighter, the rear end revision seems like a more viable option.
To see a 4-door family car stealing the limelight and buyers from C7 Z06 before it is even available is beyond hilarious.
Corvette C7 replacement torque tube assemblies remain on national backorder while torque tube failures continue to grow
There is actually no surprise here, back order is the order of the day for +General Motors all around (as already demonstrated with ignition switch shortages for all GM cars affected by safety recall).
As the sales of Stingray increase, so does the number of torque tube failures and without replacement assemblies on hand, the owners of these cars can and will experience rather lengthy down times. Since the problem with the defective torque tube design is real, as explained here, seems like the time has come for +General Motors to acknowledge the problem and stock up on the torque tubes since they will be in high demand, just like the belt tensioners are, at least until someone realizes there is a problem and comes up with a meaningful solution.
The one thing about torque tubes, they cannot be easily serviced by just anyone, including dealership technicians. The torque tube servicing consists of pressing shot bearings out and pressing the new bearings into the torque-not an easy job at all, unless someone has suitable equipment to do so.
Now, considering the competence of Chevrolet dealerships and the fact that they have a knack for obliterating the engines during simple torque tube removal process, Stingray owners can rest assured that given an opportunity, these dealerships would botch the tube servicing as well.
As the sales of Stingray increase, so does the number of torque tube failures and without replacement assemblies on hand, the owners of these cars can and will experience rather lengthy down times. Since the problem with the defective torque tube design is real, as explained here, seems like the time has come for +General Motors to acknowledge the problem and stock up on the torque tubes since they will be in high demand, just like the belt tensioners are, at least until someone realizes there is a problem and comes up with a meaningful solution.
The one thing about torque tubes, they cannot be easily serviced by just anyone, including dealership technicians. The torque tube servicing consists of pressing shot bearings out and pressing the new bearings into the torque-not an easy job at all, unless someone has suitable equipment to do so.
Now, considering the competence of Chevrolet dealerships and the fact that they have a knack for obliterating the engines during simple torque tube removal process, Stingray owners can rest assured that given an opportunity, these dealerships would botch the tube servicing as well.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
The science behind Corvette C7 Stingray and upcoming 2015 Corvette C7 Z06 torque tube failures
As the massive and very premature Corvette Stingray torque tube failures continue, the same unavoidable fate waits for the upcoming 2015 Corvette C7 Z06. Why? Because apparently neither +Tadge Juechter or anyone on his fine Corvette engineering team or in the entire +General Motors has absolutely no knowledge of physics, especially the aspect involving thermodynamics and material science.
This is a truly shameful situation, a single reason sufficient to dismiss Juechter from his chief engineer duties and there are so many other reasons already.
What is happening with the newest Corvette is a very sad testimony to the condition of our high school and college education. How could someone with absolutely no knowledge of physics earn an engineering degree? Did Tadge and the rest of his team earn their degrees from Manila and Tijuana universities?
There is only one saving grace that keeps Corvette C7 sales going, the equivalent if not greater ignorance of the newest Corvette buyers. Generally speaking, intelligent, educated and science savvy buyers are a very seldom exception among the Corvette owning crowd. Even now, when more and more of them line up at their local dealership service lines, rubbing elbows with big crowds invited there by Recall Mary, they absolutely have no clue why they are there, complaining about noises coming from their torque tubes, after accumulating few thousand or even just few hundred miles on their precious new acquisitions.
Have the buyer had any knowledge of physics, thermodynamics and material science, they would never even consider buying the newest Corvette but since they did, they deserve exactly what is happening to them. Certainly, one cannot claim being educated by reading GM sales brochures and listening to their sales persons or +Tadge Juechter alone. If they do, this is exactly what happens...
First of all, the mode of failure: carrier bearings failing due to lack of lubrication and thus, the rattle.
Torque tube carrier bearings are a wear item, without any doubt but their lifespan should fall within 100-150 or even more THOUSANDS of miles, not 2 or 3 thousand miles or even less.
What is the cause of lack of lubrication? A very simple answer here: bearings are subjected to extended periods of high temperatures, with the torque tube acting as a frying pan (this should be simplified enough for even a Corvette buyer to understand?)
Where is the heat coming from? Of course it comes from the engine and most of all, exhaust system.
Someone ignorant may point out that two previous generations of Corvette had exactly the same layout and experienced no premature carrier bearings at all. Exactly the same set up? Well, not exactly.
There are two major difference between past torque tube set ups and the newest one.
1. The center tunnel plate is now located below the exhaust instead of being sandwiched between the torque tube and exhaust. Yes, the plate is perforated and there are heat shield measures but dealing with the effect instead of avoiding the cause is never ever as effective (Tadge does not understand this part at all).
2. The torque tube housing is now made of STEEL instead of ALUMINUM. A measure taken to (again) deal with the EFFECTS of AFM induced drivetrain vibration.
When combined, these two reasons create a very firm assurance that all of the seventh generation torque tubes will not only failed but will continue to fail periodically.
What is exactly the real problem? The answer lies in PHYSICS, and specifically in FOURIER's LAW.
Here is the scientific explanation and exact cause of carrier bearings failure:
Fourier's law states that the rate of conductive heat transfer is proportional to the transfer coefficient and the temperature gradient of the material(s):
q = k * ∇T
Aluminum has a much higher conduction coefficient (k) value than steel, therefor the amount of heat transferred from the exhaust and engine will be greater given the same ∇T.
BUT....
Aluminum also has a much greater specific heat (Cv) than steel does. The first law of thermodynamics states;
ΔQ = Mass * Cv * Δ T
This means that for the same amount of heat transferred (Q) from the exhaust, the aluminum will have a lower temperature. This means that while the car is shut off and exhaust is cooling, the aluminum block will have a larger ∇T than the steel, thereby having a higher rate of heat transfer as you can see from Fourier's law.
This is a truly shameful situation, a single reason sufficient to dismiss Juechter from his chief engineer duties and there are so many other reasons already.
What is happening with the newest Corvette is a very sad testimony to the condition of our high school and college education. How could someone with absolutely no knowledge of physics earn an engineering degree? Did Tadge and the rest of his team earn their degrees from Manila and Tijuana universities?
There is only one saving grace that keeps Corvette C7 sales going, the equivalent if not greater ignorance of the newest Corvette buyers. Generally speaking, intelligent, educated and science savvy buyers are a very seldom exception among the Corvette owning crowd. Even now, when more and more of them line up at their local dealership service lines, rubbing elbows with big crowds invited there by Recall Mary, they absolutely have no clue why they are there, complaining about noises coming from their torque tubes, after accumulating few thousand or even just few hundred miles on their precious new acquisitions.
Have the buyer had any knowledge of physics, thermodynamics and material science, they would never even consider buying the newest Corvette but since they did, they deserve exactly what is happening to them. Certainly, one cannot claim being educated by reading GM sales brochures and listening to their sales persons or +Tadge Juechter alone. If they do, this is exactly what happens...
First of all, the mode of failure: carrier bearings failing due to lack of lubrication and thus, the rattle.
Torque tube carrier bearings are a wear item, without any doubt but their lifespan should fall within 100-150 or even more THOUSANDS of miles, not 2 or 3 thousand miles or even less.
What is the cause of lack of lubrication? A very simple answer here: bearings are subjected to extended periods of high temperatures, with the torque tube acting as a frying pan (this should be simplified enough for even a Corvette buyer to understand?)
Where is the heat coming from? Of course it comes from the engine and most of all, exhaust system.
Someone ignorant may point out that two previous generations of Corvette had exactly the same layout and experienced no premature carrier bearings at all. Exactly the same set up? Well, not exactly.
There are two major difference between past torque tube set ups and the newest one.
1. The center tunnel plate is now located below the exhaust instead of being sandwiched between the torque tube and exhaust. Yes, the plate is perforated and there are heat shield measures but dealing with the effect instead of avoiding the cause is never ever as effective (Tadge does not understand this part at all).
2. The torque tube housing is now made of STEEL instead of ALUMINUM. A measure taken to (again) deal with the EFFECTS of AFM induced drivetrain vibration.
When combined, these two reasons create a very firm assurance that all of the seventh generation torque tubes will not only failed but will continue to fail periodically.
What is exactly the real problem? The answer lies in PHYSICS, and specifically in FOURIER's LAW.
Here is the scientific explanation and exact cause of carrier bearings failure:
Fourier's law states that the rate of conductive heat transfer is proportional to the transfer coefficient and the temperature gradient of the material(s):
q = k * ∇T
Aluminum has a much higher conduction coefficient (k) value than steel, therefor the amount of heat transferred from the exhaust and engine will be greater given the same ∇T.
BUT....
Aluminum also has a much greater specific heat (Cv) than steel does. The first law of thermodynamics states;
This means that for the same amount of heat transferred (Q) from the exhaust, the aluminum will have a lower temperature. This means that while the car is shut off and exhaust is cooling, the aluminum block will have a larger ∇T than the steel, thereby having a higher rate of heat transfer as you can see from Fourier's law.
To put it simply once again, the aluminum torque tube housing will never get as hot as its steel counterpart and it will cool off considerably faster as well.
Now, the question is, why doesn't Tadge or any other GM engineer understand this part?
How does this affect the upcoming Corvette C7 Z06? After all, Tadge and GM marketing advertise this car as one with "carbon fiber driveshaft, thus unaffected by the Stingray heat and cooked carrier bearing issues?
As usual, Juechter speaks half truth only. Technically speaking he is correct, the actual driveshaft INSIDE of the tube is made of carbon fiber to reduce the rotational inertia BUT...
THE HOUSING IS STILL THE SAME STEEL AS BEFORE. Since the carrier bearings are mounted in the same steel housing, they will cook as much as they do on base car.
As usual, with Corvette buyers, nothing beats learning the hard way or more specifically, not learning at all since once kool aid drinking GM sheep, always the same sheep.