Help me pick a car for autox and DE

So it might be time to thin the herd a little. Spending a little too much time working on cars instead of driving. That means time to thin the herd........I think I'd like to thin the herd and in turn get something a little more capable for autox and the occasional DE. To that end I've done some thinking and come up with the following list:

• New Camaro SS/1LE. Seems like it did alright in this year's SCCA Nats.

• 2012 Boxster R. Also seems to be quite capable, and a decent used one will be slightly at/above cost of the Camaro. Cost of ownership/parts/upgrades is a concern.

• C5 Z06. Might also consider a C6 Z06.

• Lotus Elise. Always wanted one, but am a little skeptical of the ownership experience with regard to cost of ownership/availability of parts.

• Viper GTS. Always wanted one........heard that they'll kill ya

Any thoughts/comments on the above? Anything I'm missing? Outside of dedicated wheels/tires for autox and track (I loves me some R-comps!), what else is needed to make any of the above competitive in SP? Or is there another class I'm missing? I'd want the car to remain essentially stock, maybe a few bolt-on upgrades.

To make room for the new arrival I'd be selling off the Fiero and the Puma, keeping the TVR. The Fiero would be sold as a roller because the motor is too nice for it and would to into the TVR (it's a V8). The Puma would be a firesale for the right person -- lots of new parts, just painted, just has to be reassembled. Come to think of it, would also be selling my 2001 S10 Blazer and trailer, too!

Thanks hivemind!

C6Z. Done. No mess. No fuss. Just fast out of the box and reliable.

They all work, pick the one that makes you smile most. For what it's worth, a good friend was in the passenger seat of a Viper where the driver never went home. I do think those cars earned their reputation.

Run A-Street in the C6Z, get some shocks and some Hankook RS-3s, that's all Daddio did to win nationals.

+1 for C6 Z06. Consumables are expensive due to the amount consumed, but parts are fairly cheap and easy to find.

C6 Z06

Although there doesn't seem to be many options for keeping the stock sized tires.

Another vote for the C6 ZO6 or a GranSport if you want the open air experience

I'd have to go Viper. I did a track day with one, and it was nothing like what you expect. I mean, I'm still alive and everything. Seriously, it was well behaved, almost Miata-like in fact, and did everything you could ask of it. The hp was not intrusive, even when you planted the throttle. Its just a big, giant teddy bear...one that produces a lot of heat from the side vents...but still a teddy bear.

Afterwards, I got in my Miata to go home, and the similarities were glaring. Nice turn in, balanced chassis, forgiving, and a good shifter...ok, I lied about the shifter part, but everything else was true. Plus, the Viper simply looks better and you won't be like everyone else with a Corvette or Porsche!

Of course I could be mean and say they try to kill you because a lot of people I interacted with at the track day probably should have spent a day or two at a school first.

Another vote for the C6Z. The Porsche need only stainless brake lines, good pads and tires and it is really good. I had a Boxster S, loved it but the parts prices will give you sticker shock. Everything for one of them is an arm and a leg.

IMHO the build quality of the Viper does not compare well to the other two.

I vote either of the Z06, but am biased towards the C5 because I don't care much for the C6 front end.

How about a LS1 powered Miata?

Thanks for all the replies.............!!! It is much appreciated...

Surprised for all the C6Z love.....and I have to side with clutchsmoke -- I'm not really a fan of the C6 front end.

And Mr_Clutch42 -- not looking for an engine swap car at the moment. My Fiero has a V8 swap, the TVR will have one, and if I keep the Xtreme S10 Blazer, it will have a transplant as well. New add to the stable has to be mostly stock. If I do any mods they will be limited to external engine stuff and mild suspension mods. I am really shooting for keeping this one mostly stock so I can focus on my driving.

No other suggestions outside of my list>??

C6 Z06.

And I love the Puma! How about some more details on that thing?

I needed a legit Miata to throw into the debate. Test drive all of them and tell us which one you like the best. I will throw in two more wildcard options: an E46 M3 and a 964 911.

I've owned a C5 Z06 and driven many many other sports cars. I was perfectly content leaving the Z06 stock aside from a short shifter and sticky tires.

It's that good in terms of performance stock.

Woody -- so far the Puma has stalled since I got it back from paint. It is sitting in the back of the garage waiting for something to happen -- either for me to get off my dead a$$ and put it together or sell it. If I don't set aside a solid week of time to get things together then it really needs to go to someone who will put it together and enjoy it. It is about 80% complete I would say -- would need the swing axle box exchanged out for IRS, new tires, interior, wiring harness and that is about it...have everything else.

So, to jack orphancar's thread a little... In the interest of thinning the herd, if you had to add in the requirement of a back seat large enough for an 8 year old, that kills Miata, Corvette, Boxster, Elise, and Viper.

What are our options if we need a back seat? The Camaro stays on the list. M3 and 911 were mentioned. M5? C63 AMG? Quattroporte? What gives the autox/DE (my focus is more on DE) experience comparable to a Z06 but with a back seat?

I'm guessing a budget of $30-40K?

E46 M3?

Turn-key LS Miata from Flyin Miata?

Vintage race car (often still street legal)?

In reply to Lugnut: E46 M3. Or Mustang/Camaro. I like the idea of Porches, but I don't think I could stomach owning one.

Don't go for a C5 just for the looks, the C6 is a much better car, it has big handling improvements over the C5. There's an even bigger improvement going from the C6 to C7 but you'll have to give the middle-aged Corvette collector crowd a new shiny before you can afford one

Thanks Ian........I really didn't give much thought to doing a turnkey FM-LS car. So far, wasted 1 hour on website, probably going to wast, er, invest more time...........

And yeah -- you're about spot on with the budget, maybe $10k additional if I could justify it.

In reply to orphancars:

E92 M3 has proven competitive in FS, is a great car with a backseat. That said, C6 Z06. My girlfriend has an aversion to vettes, otherwise I probably would be in one.

In reply to D_Eclipse9916:

For me a backseat is a don't care.......and while the M3 is a more than competent chassis, the whole package doesn't quite do it for me. Now a Vorshlag modified E36 with a LS motor does work for me, their package is track only. I'm looking for something with a license plate :)

.......and thanks to all of you enablers, I believe the C5Z is off the table and the C6Z is now definitely ON the table

There is an already-built LS3 Miata for sale on Flyin' Miata's site, but it's asking around $45k I think (lots of goodies on it, though).