In this latest C7 video from Chevrolet we get a bit more info on all the high-tech gadgetry on the newest Stingray that could very well make it the best handling Corvette of all time. That’s a very bold statement, but we think the C7 has the goods to back it up. In the video, Tadge Juechter, Executive Chief Engineer, and Alex McDonald, Performance Integration Engineer, let us ride along during an electronics “calibration day” at the GM proving grounds.
[1]As enthusiasts, we tend to equate "electronic control systems" to "nannies" that won't let us have all the fun we want on the track...
In the video, both Juechter and McDonald insist that the extensive electronic integration in the C7 doesn’t create numbness, disengagement, or limits on the driving experience. Instead they let you drive the car exactly how you want to. All the systems in the car are integrated and will be set by one dial – there’s no need to mess with each system individually. Like the C6s, the C7 will have five PTM driving modes. They are…
- Weather – better grip in wet conditions
- Eco – maximum gas mileage
- Touring Mode – everyday driving
- Sport Mode – windy canyon roads
- Track – self explanatory
Each driving mode has its own distinct characteristics it gives all the systems of the car. Juechter says, “Everything changes – the feel of the steering, the sound of the exhaust, the way the transmission shifts, the ride quality – all that stuff changes instantaneously. It’s like it’s a different car.”
The Chevrolet Engineering team says that the electronic systems on the C7 are meant to make the driver feel even more connected with the car.
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Wait a second – back up. An electronic LSD?
Yep that’s right. “The differential in a car is more of a handling device than it is a tractive effort device,” says McDonald. “It’s not about getting you going, it’s about making the car turn the way you want it to.” Juechter goes on to say, “This is a differential that can control the amount of torque that is transferred from one side of the car to the other side of the car.” The differential is constantly taking data samples, and analyzing what it needs to be doing hundreds of times a second, and the driver never knows it’s happening.
Personally, we can’t wait to try all these new goodies out for ourselves. How about you?
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