ukrbmw

Yep, that's what I do to Vettes at their events. Car is nothing without a driver, regardless of make and model.

drivinhard

I've never driven one, but I've ridden in one at VIR with a good driver. And joked (and still do) that it had better steering feel than the C5Z, and I was in the passenger seat

I'd buy a GT3 in a heartbeat, but if I did, I'd be sleeping in it down by the river.

Awesome car.

ukrbmw

LOL - Mark, please don't - you'll be 2-3 seconds a lap faster than me and i'll feel stupid.

Seriously though, they are completely different cars. I tset drove one at VIR and that did me in.

To the OP, feel free to pm me with any questions. Needless to say there will be a bias on a Vette forum and I'm not trying to start a fight.

drivinhard

I posses neither the $$ or the talent to do either

I didn't realize yours was a 996. 2 flat, it's mostly stock to? wow

ukrbmw

Mark - stock power - yes, suspension - far from it. With P cars power is hard to find unlike Vettes where every 1,000-2,000 gets you 20-30 more hp. Suspension is where it's at.

Brent Dalton

I love the C5Z and the C6Z, but the GT3 or GT3 RS are real driver's cars. I call it my "reach" car. I could prob. afford to buy one, but I couldn't afford to own one(I'd be sleeping down by the river with Mark and Matt Foley). It's the only thing I've ridden/driven in on the track that feels as fun as my RX-7. If you haven't already, check out rennlist. I have a good friend that I track with at VIR. He's mentioned something about steam tubes having issues on them and the brakes going into "ice" mode on occasion with the earlier 997 GT3's. He has not had any issue with his so far.

The C6Z's are a ton of fun on track as well. I had the opportunity to go around Road Atlanta in an STO prepped C6Z and that was a TON of fun as well. No comparison in regards to horsepower.

Dollar for dollar, I'll take a C6Z all day long. You can get a good used C6Z for $40k-ish now, or a really nice one for $50k-ish. You are looking at $80k range for the GT3 best case scenario.

vms4evr

[QUOTE=ukrbmw;1578033591]Wow, all the comments from folks who have likely never driven a GT3.

I know have 996 GT3, which is the best bang for the buck in P-car world right now. 55k will get you a car completely setup for the track.
/QUOTE]

$55K ? The OP is looking for 2008 or newer. There is no way he is getting one for that price. What year, model, options, miles, condition GT3 do you get for $55k, seriously? I'd venture to guess it's 10 years old.

ukrbmw

[QUOTE=vms4evr;1578034296]Vms - no need to get up in harms about this. 07-08 cars are not very popular with enthusiasts and the better car is a 996. Hose cam be had for mid - 50s. 997.2 cars, which are 2010-on are fantastic but pretty pricey.

There is an 05 GT3, track ready with less than 20k on it on rennlist for 55k. Also an 07 GT3RS, also track ready for 85k. I don't know what either seller is willing to accept but that's pretty much current market.

My car is an 04 with less than 30k on clock. I'm very happy with it's performance.

Again, 997.1 cars are not worth the extra money. Since they don't have warranty at this point you might as well get your best bang for the buck which is 996 car. Or 997.2 but than you're getting in to serious money.

froggy47

Thanks for the posts, these more specific items are what interest me.

Steam tubes???

I would like 08 & newer, definate on the c6z (early rocker issues & etc.)

I like buying used with still a little warranty left just in case I miss some $$$ item when I inspect the car.

Let's not drift the thread into pizz contest.

vms4evr

ukrbmw,

Not upset at all. I actually like the GT3 and would really like a GT2. When I looked at GT3s I expected to pay upwards of $75K minimum for one. I'm glad you're providing feedback on owning one. Keep it coming.

Oh your comment on the C5 Z06 is your personal experience. I have had 2 C5 Z06s now and never had drive train issues with them at all. It's about the most reliable car I've had and I flog it. I've run both on AX, track, and daily driver. This last one is now going to be track only pretty soon cause I'm too lazy to keep on swapping parts around for street and track duty.

I'm ignorant of these 996.X and 997.X variations. Please go on.

I've either run Chin events of PCA events and have run with them plenty. I enjoy seeing the Porsches out there and have warmed up to them. I just figured they were too far out of my budget. I have barely $30K into a C5 Z06 and don't have much problems keeping with most of them.

ukrbmw

Glad to hear it. I'm sure my C5Z experience was a bit unusual and by no means use it as a guideline. I love racing and still search for C5Z race cars.

I might not be a lot of help to the OP in this case. I personally think that 07-08 models are too expensive for a track car (based on performance). And if you want warranty you end up with 2010 (they didnt make one in 2009). 2010 will run around 100k, give or take. Awesome car but pricey to be a track car. I personally wouldn't have the ***** to run it 100% at that price.

ukrbmw

By the way - for the money the best track car is still a C5Z, but the GT3 is just a different experience. Once you drive one it's easy to understand. Otherwise, it's hard to see the premium when you're looking at just lap times.

fleadh

I own 2 GT3 cup cars (996 WC and 997) and a 997 Turbo street car (which I've taken out on track to screw around with). I used to have a C6Z as a primary track car. It was totally street legal, I just never drove it unless i was going to the track. I have a ZR1 now, so I'm not religious in any way when it comes to brands. I'm a fan of great cars no matter where they come from. :-)

The C6Z is hands down the best street/track car you can get for $40-50k. I'd go so far as to say it's the best street/track car you can get for under $100k rite now.

If your primary goal is lap times, go for the C6Z. I had basic bolt-ons (coilovers, swaybars, ccw's, RA1's, headers, mufflers, stoptech BBK) on my C6Z and it was the easiest to drive street/track car I've ever driven (properly setup by Brandon Kraus at Roger Kraus Racing in Nor Cal) and easily the fastest.

Have fun and good luck.. you can't really go wrong with either choice!

-mike

GT Racing Tires

Otherwise known as PLEASE SAVE ME!

Rednels

A new Viper ACR will walk either of these cars(C6Z or GT3) on the track in stock form.

If you want a car that you dont need to modify to be fast, buy an ACR put some Hoosiers on it and go kick some ***. No need to fix oiling issues and no need to add aero. Its the best choice out of the box.

froggy47

Just spent about 30 minutes on Rennlist & just to find out how bulletproof the GT3 is & so far it's not so much.

Coolant hose failures

Center lock recall (applies to cars newer than what I am looking at, but still)

Engine oil leaks

Makes me feel like every marque has it's issues.

Notch

996 and 997 GT3 wheelbase = 92.7"

C6Z wheelbase = 105.7"

AU N EGL

C5s are far easier to work on then new P cars or C6s too.

Now if your were talking a GT3 RS or RSR race prep, I would take one of those in a heart beat. But at several $100K

gintama

I looked at GT3's before settling on a C6Z. Since I am a PCA member and regularly run PCA events, I can tell you both pros and cons.

Pros:
1. Great handling
2. Car is truly set up to race from the factory with variable geometry
3. No need to upgrade to BBK
4. No need to upgrade radiator
5. No worries about wheel bearings
6. Tires are easier to find (thinner than C6Z)
7. Motor that is race-proven over the years
8. You can run for hours with no worries about brakes, oil temps or water temps
9. You can take the motor in and out easily in one day by just jacking up the rear
10. You can club race a GT3 in a well defined and structured national series

Cons:
1. Initial cost since you have a race-ready, no mods needed car
2. All the weight on the rear can get nasty at the limit and you need to remember to never lift in a corner
3. Poorly designed coolant system prone to failures
4. The two cars I looked at had leaking rear main seals. Not supposed to be a problem on these engines, but if you have it, you might be looking for major repair
5. The center lock wheels are VERY expensive and require a BIG torque wrench
6. Insurance costs can be $2,500 for 6 events on an $80,000 car, even with a PCA discount

I chose the C6Z based on the fun to $$$ ratio in stock trim. Initial purchase price is better, but add on brakes, radiator, valve questions, suspension and you probably will end up about the same. Out of the box, the GT3 will be ready to track.

Z06trackman

If you are seriously thinking about a GT3, do it! It's one of the finest track cars around. (its also the most common serious car seen at 'The Ring) Hang around the track at a PCA event and you can get a realistic assessment on the cost of care and feeding. Regarding autocross, they are more competitive in SCCA SS than the Corvette. Some think they are the car to have; I wonder if the Elise is the one.

If, after a few years of fun with a very different experience, you want to come back to Corvettes, we will let you back in.