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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!pesnta!hplabs!oblio!jeff
From: jeff@oblio.UUCP (Jeff Buchanan)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: '84 vs '85 Corvette handling
Message-ID: <299@oblio.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Apr-85 17:29:19 EST
Article-I.D.: oblio.299
Posted: Mon Apr 22 17:29:19 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Apr-85 07:38:51 EST
Organization: Counterpoint Computers
Lines: 38


About a year ago, I made the comment in net.auto that because of the 
suspension degradation Chevrolet had done to the '85 Corvette, (i.e. softer
springs front and rear) the cornering would be worse than the '84
Corvette.  The really outragous thing is that Chevy not only weakened
the base suspension, they also weakened the Z-51 suspension!  If they
had only softened up the base suspension and left the Z-51 alone,
then everyone could have been happy.  The "creature comfort" people
could have their soft ride and the performance people could have had the
original good suspension, BUT NO!  Chevy decided to force everyone to
get soft suspension.  I said that we would just have to wait to see the
skidpad numbers in the car mags.  I know that at least one such test
was done in Car & Driver, Dec. 1984 issue and the '85 Vette did .84 g's.
Problem is, I don't if the Vette tested had the Z-51 suspension.  If
anyone in net.auto land knows which suspension was tested, please let me
know.  Also, does anyone know of any other skidpad tests done on the '85
Vette?  
       The few tests I know of all seem to indicate that the cornering
power of the '85 did suffer, for example the figure of .84 g's would place
it below the cornering force of the only '84 vette I saw tested with
base suspension (.86 g's).  In other words, if the C&D test was with Z-51
suspension, then BASE '84 suspension is superior to '85 Z-51 suspension.
Also, Chevy just stripped themselves of the title of BEST HANDLING
PRODUCTION CAR IN THE WORLD.  In 1984 the Corvette out-handled the
Lambrogini Countach to obtain the title (re: Road & Track, Lambrogini
did .86 g's vs .89 for the '84 Vette in an unbiased test by the same
magazine).  The '85 Vette with Z-51 suspension did only .91 g's
on the GM test track compared to .92 g's for the '85 Lambrogini.  This
was in a test conducted by Chevy, which explains why the numbers are
higher than what the unbiased car mags reported.  Chevy advertized
.95 g's for the '84 Vette with Z-51 suspension, .91 for the '85
with Z-51 suspension.
       As an additional point of reference, the .84 g's would put the
'85 Vette handling down on a level close to a '84 Z-28 Camaro, a car it was
far superior to in handling in 1984.
       If anyone has any addtional information on this subject,
I'd appreciate any comments.
                                 Jeff