FAUEE

If you're going to talk about performance for the dollar, the late model C4s offer great bang for the buck. A 300hp LT1 is still a fast car around a track, and can be had considerably cheaper than a C5. Will you outrun a C5? No. But you might just outdrive one, and have a great time doing it.

I was at a similar point with my C6GS. I upgraded from a C6Z51 to my GS because it would track better, and then realized I didn't really want to risk something happening to my C6 due to cost. So I bought my C4, and it was cheap enough that if something went terribly wrong, I wouldn't be out a ton of money and I could part the car out to recover some of the money into it. I can honestly say y C4 with the Z51 suspension parts is more fun than my C6GS is on the track. It's nowhere near as fast, but it's a ton of fun and it's much more communicative. The C6 (and to some degree the C5) fix problems for you, and have such high performance envelopes that they let you get away with stupid things. The C4 does as well to an extent, but it will teach you a lot as well because its limits are lower.

So what it comes down to is what do you care more about, fast times or fun and great learning times. If you want to run fast, buy a GT-R and let the car drive you around the track. If you want to learn, buy something that you can crash and be OK with and have a ball.

FAUEE

My GS ran at Road Atlanta in the summer without any heat issues at all. We ran 20 minute sessions and I wasn't going easy on it - I would hit 145 or so on the back stretch well before the hill slopes down and let off due to running up on other cars. All the fluids stayed in pretty normal ranges, though admittedly the gearbox fluid was getting hot - not dangerously so, but it was probably 75% of the way "your fluid is too hot" on the HUD.

Oh yeah, and it has the paddle shifting auto. So a stick car might not even have that issue.

Rexracer77

This is why I am on the forum now, I got a 94 LT1 with ZF6, for all the reasons you listed above.

troyguitar

I'm surprised to hear a c4 would be more communicative than a c6, isn't the whole car less stiff and more nose heavy?

I have never been in any vette besides the C5 and C6.

bags142

The C4 is not what I was looking for as a replacement. Unless it had a cage..lol

Heck, I found a few rustangs that I wanna look at

But, I am just looking unless I find something that really strikes me.

tytek

A prepped C4 is an alternative. They can be had built up for well under $10k. However, what swayed me away, and into a C5, is that C4s are rather hard to sell; many race cars sit on the forum for months, if not longer. A C5 has a larger potential audience. And trust me, it will matter when you eventually try to sell it.

Nowanker

If the cost of consumables is the only factor, the only car cheap enough to make a difference would be a Miata. Brake pads/tires/fuel... in context of the fixed expenses of entry/motel/travel, an M3 isn't going to be that much different than the vette. Coming from an American car perspective, the cost of any repair parts will blow your mind. (currently race an M3 and own a BMW shop...)
I'm tired of towing a trailer, looking forward to Buttonwillow later this month in my C5!

SoDiezl350

This thread is interesting but I think a lot of ppl just don't give the C5 the credit it deserves here. For pure HPDE fun at a track nothing comes close. It's a challenging yet forgiving car that doesn't get boring and doesn't break the bank.

All I ever hear from my S2k buddies is how difficult it is to drive fast. Telepathic steering but very twitchy oversteer. While quick, the car still feels gutless and is ultimately a momentum car like a miata. (Not that there's anything wrong with that but to me personally it's less fun).

The Miata guys turn fast laps but are just dying out on the straight aways. Yes it's a fun car but hearing them complain suggest to me they could definitely be having more fun!

M3s are great cars but horribly expensive to repair and not nearly robust enough. My best friend spun his rod bearing at our last track even in his E46 M3. Car had 70k miles and was running 300 TW street tires. Maybe the E36's are more reliable, but those cars are OLD and will inherently have more problems.

It seems the EVO guys have a good balance of reliability and performance, but being AWD is imo another compromise that I simply wouldn't want to accept.

Porsches are great but $$$. If you want a caged track car out of the box get buy a 996 GT3 for 50k. It will appreciate so at least you can factor that into the total costs.

My point here is that all the aforementioned popular track cars have big compromises that simply can't be ignored. Are Corvettes my favorite cars? No, but a C5 was a no brainer as a track car. The fun to dollar ratio blows all the others out of the water. If you don't mod the valvetrain, don't run anything softer than an NT01, and be mindful of oil temps/pressures, these cars are almost bulletproof!

Did I mention what a luxury it is to be able to haul all my tools in the back of my coupe? Try hauling 2 jacks, a full tool kit, rotors, pads, helmet, fluids, lawn chairs, etc... in a miata or s2k.

I did around 8 track events in 2012/2013 and my 17" NT05s are only half worn as are my brake pads... Figure those cost around $1000 total, which means it costs around $500/year for consumables. (Exluding fuel which will cost more but that's simply unavoidable)

sean.b

I've been debating this, myself. The top of my list would be an Exocet, but that sounds as though it wouldnt work for you.

If I could do it all over again, I'd have an Exocet + daily beater. I read that some others here didnt want to daily a boring car, but I'm well past the point in my life that I find it necessary to be "ready to go" 24/7 when driving. I'll drive a Prius at this point in my life and not feel my manhood is threatened.

Miata parts, miata tires, miata brakes = cheap as hell

Lighter than a miata = even less wear

And if you've never seen one devour a track, they're absolutely absurdly fast.

John Holmes

I have no problem with this working for you but I would rather have my manhood flattened with a Gallagher size mallet than reach the point in life where I utter such a statement.

troyguitar

It's not about street racing somehow making you a man, it's about enjoying getting into the car to go to work in the morning. Life is better when you hear the V8 start up every day.

I never go more than 5 mph over the speed limit in my Z06, which means I practically have to drive with my hazards on when going through construction zones because I actually obey the reduced speed limits... I get passed by everyone all the time because I'm not willing to risk getting tickets, but I'd rather do that in a Z06 than a Prius.

Nowanker

The M3 vs. C5 debate rages on here as well as the M3 board! I own both...
(IMO)If you want a nice daily that you can take to the track and be quick in, it's hard to beat an E46 M3. You can fit 4 ppl, luggage, etc. And you can show up at a business meeting looking respectable.
But if you want a race car that you can drive to/from the track, pick the Corvette! The cost of BMW maintenance and mods is stupid in comparison.
The M3 is a better 'car', but the Corvette is a better plaything. The M3's for sale... I already have a car for transpo.

Zenak

heres the thing. The BMW you mention is way cheaper. Cheaper brake pads, rotors, tires, maintenance. But its the WHY. Why? Because its slower. I personally like the top speeds and the acceleration. I like when I'm in lets say an HPDE I can push my C5 to the limit and still keep in there with a fully track prepped GT3 Porsche cup car and hold my own. You will never do that with the bmw of which you speak. HP is expensive. Speed is expensive. You can get a spec ford and have less HP, but a LOT less weight for a track only car and the HP/WT ratio makes them competitve coming out of the corners.. but once again you get killed at straight aways. So if you do go to another Car then spec racing is where its at, since you all have the same slower car and then you compete against apples to apples. Lower HP means a lower cost to build, run and maintain the car. HIgh speeds mean bigger tires, bigger contact patches and more consumables. And the parts are more when they break down and upgrade.

So what will it be? less $ or higher top speed. Think it thru.

sean.b

if you're that insecure over what you're driving, i dont know a gallagher hammer is all that necessary..



just saying, i enjoy a badass track build, and a comfortable ball cooling creature comfort mobile these days.