From the November 2016 issue
Note that all acceleration data used in this story lacks the standard weather correction, rollout adjustment, and two-direction averaging we normally apply to zero-to-60-mph and quarter-mile times. Accordingly, these numbers can?t be compared with other C/D tests of the LT1-powered Corvette.
We like wooding it. And since you?re reading this magazine, we bet you do, too. But despite the appeal of such heavy-hammer techniques, they?re rarely the fast way off the line. When it comes to launching a modern sports car, carefully metered restraint is the hot ticket.
But what really goes on in those split seconds when the car begins moving" What?s happening at the tires when you finally commit fully to the throttle and release the clutch" How much wheelspin is the perfect amount" And what?s the difference between a human-actuated launch and one handled by launch control" We took Chevy?s Corvette Grand Sport to the track to find these answers and more. Some are spelled out in the ultrahigh resolution recorded by our Racelogic VBOX data logger [see below], which, in addition to acceleration, tracked 13 channels of data directly from the Corvette?s ECUs.
Consider This
We?ve shown before that a determined driver with enough practice can beat a well-calibrated launch-control system, but it?s getting harder. And it won?t happen the first time a rookie drops the clutch. As recently as five years ago that might have been the case, but toda...