For anyone in doubt, there is that stunt pulled by the master crook John Hennessey, breaking the 200 mph barrier in a new Corvette Stingray, requiring a long section of highway (closed off for this purpose, in Texas) and over 700 hp.
So far, any attempts to outrun the previous ZR1 have been a big failure, in fact, the newest flagship cannot even come close to the last Corvette C6 Z06 (one that manages to retain all of its exhaust valves during the run) but... cannot blame anyone for trying...
So can the latest flagship finally record a decent top speed? Give it to the Nazis to come up with a solution, one that not necessarily requires opening the hood to increase the top speed of the flagship failure.
What is the one modification needed to accomplish this monumental task, without opening the hood and even include a "proof" from PDR recording?
Well, that single modification is called an aftermarket tuner, like this Diablo Trinity unit.
How is it possible to increase the top speed of the latest flagship using that aftermarket programmer? By unleashing extra horsepower? No.. not at all... the trick is actually much simpler..
Here is that Diablo Trinity programmer and its features:
Active Fuel Management Disable
Now, that speedo calibration is a very nifty feature, a great help when different than stock rolling diameter is involved. How does this work? Install larger diameter tires and wheels and they will will produce fewer revolutions to cover the same distance but... use smaller diameter and they will spin faster, due to the smaller effective rolling diameter.
How about that gear ratio? Well, it will function exactly the same way...
But... what happens when these parameters are changed, without making the actual changes to the gear ratios or wheels and tires? These numbers will be off and the speedometer will be showing either higher or lower than actual values.
How is this possible? How can PDR that uses GPS display values that are off? Very simple actually, in spite of the PDR employing GPS to display car's positioning related activities (like track configuration), the speedometer receives its data from the accelerometer operated through the OBD system.
So how meaningful are videos like the one shown below? Not meaningful at all, as a matter of fact, EVEN if the car was not modified in any way. In this case, it is actually not even possible for the speed to be legitimate due to the choice of the body style, the convertible. If the hatchback Z06 has issues with aerodynamics, these problems grow exponentially with the convertible body style, due to the presence of the fabric top and rear deck replacing the hatchback rear glass...
To illustrate this point, the previous generation of Corvette using LS7 engine included C6 Z06 and 427 Convertible. While Z06 (non Z07) could achieve top speed of 198 mph, the 427 Convertible could not pass 187 mph due to the problems associated with the convertible body style configuration.
At that time, GM indicated problems with integrity of the convertible top above that speed but obviously none of this would matter to true Corvette enthusiasts.
Certainly, the internet bullshit runs very strong, especially in the Corvette circles but really, a little bit of reality check may be quite helpful.
As much as the nazis should be congratulated for their autobahn stunt, a choice of more suitable body style to propagate a more plausible myth is strongly recommended for the next attempt, LOL...
A disclaimer: this blog shall officially cease to exist as soon as a verifiable proof (using GPS based device) of Corvette Z06 convertible exceeding 190 mph is published anywhere. Until then, let the bullshit continue, it is certainly very entertaining.
Best mod on a Corvette is ripping out the LT engines and dropping in a Coyote or Terminator engine.
ReplyDeleteYou would still be stuck with an awful car, heavy and plagued with multiple fit and finish and electrical and mechanical issues, not to mention shitty aerodynamics. Avoiding this disaster would be a better way.
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