C5 Z06 vs 996

The prices are very similar right now. So 996 or C5 Z06 for weekend, autocross, HPDE and back up DD use.

Heart says 996.

Wallet paranoia says Z06.

How much money do you have for repairs? I'd go Z06 from a reliability, cost of ownership, and ease/cost of modification.

That's a real tough one for me. I'd try and spend some time with both and just see which I fell in love with more. That's if you can afford any issues that arise with the 996.....if you can't the vette wins hands down.

Z06, easily. The Porsche is vastly harder on the wallet and somewhat harder on the eyes.

Having driven a good friends C5 Z06 on multiple occasions, it puts a smile on my face every time. Especially with a tune/exhaust. It's hard to have a bad day after goosing it in 1st/2nd away from a stop, and it's a surprisingly nice cruiser out on the interstate. He drives the heck out of it at numerous track days and auto-X's all summer long, never missed a beat.

I've been tempted by 996 because Porsche, but if I actually put my money where my mouth is I'd be in a C5 Z06.

Swapping seats vastly upgrades the interior, and you'll stop caring about bubble buttons a la Grand Am when you open it up.

I used to LOVE 911s. Till I worked at a Euro shop. Never have a met a bigger bunch of tools than the 911 owners. But, it's not all about the image for me. There are other reasons I'd pick the Z06.

It's amazing how my not-build thread tends to show up in these discussions .

BTW, the engine guru at my local Porsche independent does recommend some upgrades to the 996 engine if one wants to autocross it. Main suggestions are improved baffles and the "slightly deeper sump" mod.

Oh yeah, BoxheadTim is one of the reasons I did this.

Between his thread and the non-Z06 vs blah blah thread (who looks for a non-Z06 C5 on this board? ) I just thought it was appropriate.

The big thing the 911 has going for it is the 2+0.2 seats. Vette are just 2, although I could put the 7 year old in the trunk.

DrBoost wrote: I used to LOVE 911s..... Till I worked at a Euro shop. Never have a met a bigger bunch of tools than the 911 owners. But, it's not all about the image for me. There are other reasons I'd pick the Z06.

I own three 911s. It has nothing to do with image, they're just incredible cars. If I went by stereotypes and clicks I'd have a boring appliance instead of a garage full of cool cars.

Also, you'll get the "compensating" comments etc with either car, so might as well go with which you like better.

THe Porsche with a set of coilovers (factory basic 996 suspension is not aggressive enough IMO) will be very engaging to drive fast, steering dynamics to die for and has a well built and purposeful interior with fantastic seats if you plan to spend many hours in it. It can go all wrong under the hood like Boxhead's did... but you will not hear anyone who loves to drive bitching about them from the cockpit. Only the wallet.

The Z-06 will beat it in a race. Hands down. Unless your 996 says GT3 on the lid. It needs some way to defeat the stupid shifter and some fix that I don't recall to make the steering feel like steering but both are available. It's interior is not on par with the 996. At all. The seats do nothing for me. There have been oil starvation engine failures at the track too although I suspect that is with full racing slicks and serious corner loads and which can be dealt with a number of ways.

So, it's poise and awesome engagement with the threat of expensive repair vs pure capability and less engagement and much less expensive repair.

I really like both for different reasons but if I could only choose one as a daily driver it would be the 996 because it's a better place to sit every day. (IMO, YMMV)

If it was for pure track and toy use, then Z-06 because it's faster, reliable and I'm going to change the seats and fix the steering/shifter anyway.

I'm afraid you are going to have to go test driving ;)

For me, ergonomics are the real decider. I'm a small guy and the 996 fits me like a glove. Sitting in a C5 makes me feel like a midget, swallowed up by a car that's two sizes too large for me to be comfortable in.

I have a very good track-specific-with-a-license-plate e36 M3 that was a miserable street car, so I stated thinking about something that would be a decent track car for a racer who might be instructing. The criteria was 300hp-ish and the ability to work well without needing to be so heavily modified as to lose all street utility. No roll bars, no dedicated fixed race seats, no 6-point harnesses.

I thought a C5 Z06 was the answer until I drove one at Summit point. It's owned by a friend who's designed and built race suspension for a living, so the handling was beyond criticism. And the power is like a huge endless shove. But it just lacked the excitement and sound and feedback the e36 has, or that I've experienced in students Cayman S-es. It felt big and distant and clumsy. Granted I race a 1300#, 185hp car with lots of tire and aero so everything that's slower than stupidly fast seems pokey, but the Z06 just didn't do it for me.

So I'm redoing the street interior in the M3 back to perfect and tidying up the exterior. I'd need to do this anyway to about double its value if I sell it to get a Cayman S, and as a "nice" car that doesn't have to be competitive at NASA TTs and can be driven regularly it may well be plenty fast enough.

So - try them both. Z06 has lots of motor and plenty of tire and is big, cheap hammer. The 996 is much more pure and tactile and will appeal to the fan of vehicle dynamics over HP/TQ/skidpad #s.

The LS6 motor doesn't suffer the catastrophic engine failures from high G oil starvation nearly as much as the LS1, 2 and 3 motors. It drains the oil back down to the sump through much larger ports in the heads. This is one reason to go for the Z06. The much smaller trunk, poorer aerodynamics and looks are reasons I couldn't go for a Z06 over a Z51 with great lines, aero, and huge trunk.

To be clear, I wasnt saying anything about you 911 owners here. It was just a shock to see all thise tools. But the customer base at the shop was NOT GRM at all.
The Cayman is beautiful, but the prices for mods mentioned in the GRM article made me wince.

nderwater wrote: Sitting in a C5 makes me feel like a midget

I'm glad to hear this, as it's something I've wondered. I've not spent any time in either of these cars, but I feel this same way about Fieros and F-bodies, so it's no surprise. Damn shame though.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm afraid you are going to have to go test driving ;)

Oh no! The humanity!!!!!!!

I'm not really impressed with the interior quality of the 996. Lots of cheap plastic that rattles and doesn't hold up well, unless the car got the full leather package. I've also found the seats to be very uncomfortable. The seats seem to have been made for very skinny, slightly built people, I literally can't fit into the seat backs and end up perching on top of the bolsters. I'm not fat and I'm not built like a weight lifter, but the bolsters are just way too narrow.

So in either car I'd be wanting to do a seat swap...

I'm a huge fan of the LS motors, I've had one in my 951 for the last 5 years. Great performance, cheap parts that add lots of HP, easy to work on, cheap parts.

If it's a trackish car, the C5 Z06 without question. For a streetish car the 996 can be a little easier to live with as it has back seats, etc.

Depends on what you want to do. Daily Driver with good gas mileage and cheap insurance, Z06 and 911 hit that pretty well. Need back seats, 911.

That said, "giggle" factor of the z06 is off the charts. That shove of the V8 is just..hilarious. The 911 will make you smile inside. Hate to use the hammer vs scalpel but again that's what we are talking about.

The z06 is also a set of shocks, sway bar, and the "top tier" street tire away from winnning SCCA Nationals in SS. The 911 is buried in most classes. I daily drive my z06 and love it, even coming from euro cars. You will laugh at the terrible interior, the creaking chassis, and the smell of fiberglass; that laugh turns into a 10 year-old giggle when you hit the go-pedal and go around that first turn. At 3000ishlbs, anywhere from 265s to 335 size tires, the grip is monstrous. I got mine 4 months ago, and still love it. Plus the 28mpg on the highway when the SSP wing isnt on.

Vette

No doubt

I vote vette. The Porsche doesn't have a heads up display.

Do it right and get the Turbo 996, 415 hp, AWD, 3300lb this car is simply fantastic. Turbo engines are very strong (GT1) and do not have IMS.

I am not just saying it, I did it.

petegossett wrote:

nderwater wrote: Sitting in a C5 makes me feel like a midget

I'm glad to hear this, as it's something I've wondered. I've not spent any time in either of these cars, but I feel this same way about Fieros and F-bodies, so it's no surprise. Damn shame though.

I'm 5'7" and I don't have that feeling at all. I also love the seats.

ZW - Hence the need for a test drive ;)
Pete - Yes, I get the same feeling in F-bodies too

In reply to aussiesmg:

The only issue with bringing the Turbo into is it's price. My basis for this VS was because the two fierce competitors, through depreciation, have become with in a few thousand of each other in the used market. Consistently both cars are in the upper teens lower twentys range.

Turbos add $10k from my research, and although worth it, are at another level in the used market. Hovering just about 30k. That is Z06 plus a Boxster money, or new Miata money.

If I was comparing the same year Ferrari or other upper brands, I think the Turbo would the be the bargain champ. But in this comparison, it is too expensive.