I understand the Z06 is a very capable car. They dominate the fields in every SCCA class they are in, and are by far and away the most popular car in the SCCA, despite the high price tag. For the track, they are currently the car of choice. However, the problem is, it's a GM. The build quality is terrible IMO, especially coming from a BMW. The interior is terribly ugly and I have a feeling the car will be a rattle-trap withina few years of hard use.

 

Nice one w/ E46 M3 bumper....pretty neat

 

Claudius: Corvette really heavy? Try a Z06 curb weight of ~3100 pounds... Isn't the Evo VII around 3090? I definitely agree with you that it's not an inclement weather car, but the Z06 turns very well IMHO, YMMV. No comment about the build quality, though they seem to be sticking together in a respectable manner, especially considering GM quality in the past. The interior is a heinous fabrication, the car would look better with bare sheet metal rather than The General's mid-eighties plastic fandango. Oh, and the amount of shifter travel between gates is HUGE - feels like you're rowing the damn thing a good foot or so.

GTR: Have you tracked your M3 yet? I only got started last year, but it's a horrible, horrible addiction. Though I'm salivating at the prospect of getting an evo, don't even think about letting your M3 go without taking it to a HPDE school! I have to warn again, it's a terrible addiction. Terrible.

With regards to the Z06 comment you made earlier, I got to run my M3 in the wet at NHIS last year (yikes! could have used AWD that day...). It dried in the afternoon, we had a total blast, and then my instructor said "You want to get a ride in my Z06?" Holy cow... exiting from the chicane onto the nascar straight, I was so used to my I-6 trying it's best to gasp for air at ~6000rpm as I rolled on the throttle from the apex, but my instructor calmly put the pedal down a full gear lower than me, and it felt like I got drop-kicked right into the next turn-in. The amount of grip from those gigantic tires is really quite staggering... I've definitely got a newfound respect for the Z06. (His was the earlier 385HP version, though the addition of a few choice goodies resulted in a 405+hp dyno)

Lan Evo: are you thinking of getting an E36? I love my M3, but the Lancer Evo was always on my wishlist ahead of the M3. (waay before we knew it was coming to the states )

cheers folks,

scott

 

I agree with Scott. The Z06 has tremendous grip and lots of power. Like i said, build quality is still an issue tho.

 

Believe me, I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity! Since I've never been in an Evo, I can't compare it to the Vette or M3.

Also, I agree an instructor in a familiar car has an advantage. I remeber my first instructor wowing me with a mid-80s 5-series. Slow as dirt, but he pushed it so hard in the corners I thought we were going for an agricultural excursion on nearly every one!

 

Thanks for the offer! Maybe I will take you up one day. But, from what I know about Monaco, I wouldn't even be able to afford a daily meal!

 

Hey, I'd LOVE to get a track ride in an evo. I'm not on this board to say "The Corvette is better" or "The Corvette is worse," though I have no qualms about saying "I like the Corvette a lot." I'm on this board because I WANT AN EVO

RE: tracking corvettes. Claudius, have you been in a Z06 on the track? I've never been in an Evo on the track, guess it's not really productive for folks like us to try and make imaginary comparisons or any kind of assumptions about each other's track experiences. . I intend to get a ride in an Evo, as I've mentioned it was actually on my wishlist ahead of the E36 M3, I used to just walk around and drool at Evos all the time when I lived in Tokyo... I'd love to see how your machine moves, and I'd love to get test rides in 4 different generations of Evo, but it doesn't look like I'll get that chance in the states. But yeah - I'll be more than happy with 'just' a VII as long as it's somewhat close (or can be modified) to JPN-spec. I'd also be happy with a Z06 or an E46 M3, but that's just my own personal opinion, "Vive La Différence," or however that phrase is spelled

BTW, do you have a list of your evo mods somewhere?

cheers,

scott

 

Scott, you have a good point about taking my M3 before letting it go around January. This way i can compare the two cars and judge for myself.

I got back from the auto show and saw the evo VII for the first time. I never realize how think the intercooler was compared to the subaru's.

 

GTR, you'll love it and probably get more addicted than a tarted-up import tuner sniffing nitrous straight from the bottle .

Heck, it's not even about making a comparison to the Evo, it's just finding out what the car can do. Before I ever got onto a road course, I used to tell all my friends "The M3 needs more power!!" On my first track day, one of my buddies hooked me up with a kick-*** instructor who also has an E36 M3. He took me for one of the best roller-coaster rides I've had, though being in the passenger seat and cresting the hill at Limerock ~25 times in one session made me just a little queasy . It also made me realize that 1) I'm a crappy, crappy driver, 2) I couldn't handle the car's 240hp nearly well as I thought I could, and 3)The car can absolutely kick *** in the right hands. Definitely one of the best days I've ever had.

What CCA chapter are you in? What tracks ya got up there?

(Oh yeah, after a year of tracking and autocrossing, I'm back to thinking "the M3 needs more power." Man, if that US Evo is as strong as we're hoping... )

 

merci.

mmmm.... öhlins... I can't believe we have to wait a whole year for the evo in the states!

scott