C7 Z06 With Magnetic Ride Calibration Bests Viper ACR At VIR

Just two weeks ago, we brought you news that the Corvette ZR1 had just smashed the lap record for a production vehicle at VIR, throwing down a blistering 2:37.25 pass. It bested the Ford GT in stunning fashion and set the supercar scene on notice. But something arguably just as cool flew under the radar during it all. Before the ZR1 made its historic pass, a C7 Z06 with a new magnetic ride calibration took to the same course and laid down a 2:39.77!

You read that right. A C7 Z06 with the standard magnetic ride suspension, and nothing else aside from the recalibration, put in a lap time just 2.5 seconds slower than it’s younger, more powerful brother. On top of that, it was a scant 1-second away from the Ford GT, a $500,000+ supercar. To put that in perspective, before the GT, no one had been able to crest the 2:40.00-mark, not even the venerable Viper ACR. But in one weekend, Chevrolet sent two Corvettes around the track that did it.

New performance suspension calibrations offered by Chevrolet Performance enhance ride quality and handling on C7 Corvette models equipped with Magnetic Ride Control.

Mark Reuss, executive vice president at General Motors, even hinted at what was to come with the ZR1 while in the same breath posting the aforementioned video of the Z06 crushing the course, as you can see in the screenshot below. The–we’ll call it an Easter egg–was posted over on Car and Driver before the ZR1’s lap time was released and the news flew well under the radar. That is, until now of course. It’s easy to see that the revelation would fall on deaf ears after the C7 ZR1’s historic moment, but the Z06’s accomplishment is almost crazier if you ask us.

Now, you may be wondering right now what a “magnetic ride calibration” is and where you can get one for your Corvette. Basically, it is like remapping the tune on your Corvette’s magnetorheological dampers. It essentially improves the handling of any C7 Corvette equipped with magnetic ride by simply re-flashing the controller.

We’ve already illustrated just how capable the upgrade is, and when you consider the ZR1 starts things out at $119,995, whereas the Z06 kicks things off at just $80,590, the upgrade starts to look even better. According to Chevrolet, the calibration includes new Track modes that enable faster lap times on Z06s equipped with the FE6 and FE7 suspension.

So, how much would you guess something that turns your Corvette into a supercar killer would cost? Well, you likely wouldn’t have guessed just $350. That’s right, any Chevrolet dealer can retune your car’s magnetic ride system and turn your Z06 into a track animal—well, an even bigger one.

And the best news about the whole thing is that it doesn’t affect the warranty at all. So, if you’re a track rat, or even just want to show Vipers and Ferraris a thing or two, head down to your local dealer now. Mods don’t get much better than this.

About the author

Chase Christensen

Chase Christensen hails from Salt Lake City, and grew up around high-performance GM vehicles. He took possession of his very first F-body— an ’86 Trans Am— at the age of 13 and has been wrenching ever since.
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