Vengeance Racing C7 ZR1 Research & Development Progress Update
 

We wanted to take some time to update everyone on the progress we have made with our 2019 C7 ZR1 performance upgrades. We realize we are a bit behind where we would like to be, mostly due to our scheduling backlog. That said, as with any new platform we prefer to take a methodical approach to the modification process so that we can see what each component adds to our combination. We feel this is crucial in the development of our performance packages and ensures our clients are getting the biggest improvement for their investment.


Our first step was to see what the factory calibration has left on the table. With HP Tuner offering the ability to read/write to the new ZR1 ECU it was time to get to work. Our C7 ZR1 baselined 629RWHP /652RWTQ at 13psi and with no modifications other than adjusting the calibration we were able to produce 660RWHP/655RWTQ. Our results were also much more repeatable vs the factory calibration dropping power with each consecutive run.
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After initial baselines and ECU calibration it was time to start bolting on some aftermarket performance upgrades. For our “Stage I” Package we focused on increasing air flow by installing:


*GM Performance Cold Air Intake

*GripTec 3.1” Diameter supercharger pulley/Hub

*Kong Performance CNC Port Program on our LT5 supercharger


These three modifications with a proper ECU calibration yielded a gain of 42RWHP/29RWTQ over our stock with ECU calibration results. Boost increased to 17psi from 13psi stock for a new final 702RWHP/684RWTQ

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Next we installed a set of Kooks stainless 2” Long tube headers with their 3” X pipe mated to the factory axle back. The new sound is absolutely amazing!!! We only picked up 5RWHP with the header system, but boost dropped from 17psi to 14psi due to having less of a restriction in air flow. So while the gain itself is not overly impressive, the fact we are making more power with THREE POUNDS LESS BOOST shows the Kooks system is doing its job quite well.

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Next up was a Nick Williams 112mm Throttle body. With the current cold air and lack of aggressive blower RPM we were not expecting huge gains at this point, but know that this will be a key component in making big power as we move deeper into the modification process. To our surprise the Nick Williams throttle body picked up an additional 10RWHP over stock pushing our numbers to 717RWHP. Unfortunately we do not have a torque reading on this graph doe to our dyno acting up
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Knowing we are barely spinning the LT5 supercharger we moved to a 2.9” supercharger pulley. This resulted in an increase of 4 psi for a total of 18psi peak and 65RWHP putting our final #s at 782RWHP (RPM pick up issues again so no torque, we apologize)



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Here is a graph overlaying stock Vs final #s with an overall gain of 153RWHP over stock with MINIMAL bolt ons!!!




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After final dyno testing it was time to hit Road Atlanta to collect some real world data on our current upgrades before going any further. Making horsepower is easy, but making usable horsepower that still allows this vehicle to be used as intended can be more difficult and we want to make sure we can still run multiple sessions in the heat of the summer without any adverse effects from our modifications. We ran four twenty minute sessions and data logged each one. The first two sessions we had our 3.1” supercharger pulley in place and the final two sessions we switched over to our 2.9” pulley. The car performed flawlessly during each session with all temperatures staying close to the data we had from testing in stock form. IAT3 (Manifold temp) was within 5* between the two blower pulleys as well. What we did see was a 9mph improvement on the back straight hitting 170mph in traffic and a driver that now had to use throttle control vs going wide open every change he could get!!!!





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Now that we feel comfortable with the performance of these modifications we are going to drive the supercharger quite a bit faster with the addition of a larger lower balancer/ring combination while installing a DSX low side fuel system/larger fuel injectors and E 85 sensor as well as a 5” cold air system to replace our near OEM GM Performance cold air. We plan to hit Road Atlanta once again with these modifications before going into the engine for internal upgrades such as our VVT/DOD delete cam kit and CNC ported cylinder heads. After this we will begin to focus our attention on additional cooling upgrades/modifications to further enhance your on track experience.

We will keep everyone updated as we continue to make progress. If you have any questions or are interested in modifying your C7 ZR1 based on our real world results please do not hesitate to contact us at Sales@VengeanceRacing.net