Minkster

I'll have to disagree, I have both an '04 M3 and an '06 C6Z, and don't feel the M3 has anything over the Z. They are a little different, but both very responsive. Tires make a lot of difference, I got rid of the GYRFs on the Z 30K miles ago.

brahmabull1126

I too came from a 06 M3( which i still have)..to a 09 ZO6..the M3 has a heavier steering feel to me than the lighter steering feel than the ZO6..acceleration is all ZO6 though..

C5 Frank

Well... to each his own.... but IMO the Vette has almost no steering FEEL compared to the my previous e46 M3. Also nice combo on your M3... looks just like mine did...

QUAKEJAKE

Black is beautiful. See





Check out the "how to care for black" threads in this forum.

QUIKAG

Obviously, I think the Z06 is an upgrade from an E90/E92 M3, but why are you guys trading in such late model M3's for Z06? I'd be interested in the reasons.

Minkster

No worries and thanks. I still like the M3 and swap between the two regularly, so the comparison is frequent.

1badtantrum

Both cars are great cars but different of course. I come from a motorcycle background and I put it to my friends this way as I get this question alot. I compare the M3 and Z06 to a 600 and 1000 motorcycle. The M3 is very nimble, light, handles very well and is very responsive and the rider/driver is a bit more connected to what the car is feeling. Others have mentioned steering differences and it is absolutely true. The M3 does provide a greater feel for the road. The Z06 is better than the C6 but still not the same as the M3. In the M3, I would accelerate hard and not really notice how fast I was going as I wasn't getting the real push back into the seat feeling do in part, to the lower torque. The Z06 is like a 1000 motorcycle (although in this case the car is not heavier). When I accelerate fast/hard in the Z06 you can't help but feel it! I think I sit 2" further back in the seat from the acceleration. You get slammed back in the seat. I haven't had the Z06 on the track (next week) so I can't speak from real track experience yet but it doesn't feel quite as tight as the M3. While a very slight wiggle of the steering wheel results in a slight and deliberate wiggle in the direction of the vehicle, it's not quite the same. It is OK and great but not as tight feeling as the M3 it's hard to explain but absolutely noticeable.
I personally think it is a performance upgrade from the M3. It is a more purpose built car. The performance numbers speak for themselves from acceleration, top speed, cornering G's...the Z06 is a more purpose built sports car. I can't drop the kids off to school in the Z on Friday's but that comes under the purpose built description.
Do I miss the M3, yes some days but not while I'm driving the Z06. I traded it to get a more purpose built sports car.
Outside of stock performance differences, here in Nascar country (NC) there are a dozen shops that work on small block chevy's. It's hard to find anyone local that is really good at working on M3 S65 (sweet!!) engines. After market parts for the BMW are more expensive, insanely so in some cases. Supercharger kits I was looking at for the M3 were 13K - 20K and since there aren't many of them, reliability of an already hard to work on motor is a bit questioned still. I talked with a couple outfits and a SC for the Z06 can be had for ~7K (I think that was installed).
So far, I am thrilled with my trade. Now my DD is a 2006 4 Runner. The M3 would have made an excellent DD but was a bit too much car for a DD (to me) and not enough car for a weekend / track car.
Hope that helps.

Stingray23

I'm looking to get my wife the E90 M3. Her 335i is due this August so I'm hoping to find a great deal on a pre-owned model. They are great cars and Ive always been a fan from the beginning.

San Diego Z06

I went from an 06 M3 to an 06 Z06 and agree with the above and would add that the overall feel of the car "felt" a tad bit better balanced on the track. Obviously though with the same driver, a stock C6 Z06 would destroy a stock e46 M3 around most any track.

I'll be curious to hear your interpretation of the two once you've driving the Vette for a while.

uae247

I have both cars and each is different

Z06 is a great car and is really fast. When driving it, you really feel like you are in a Super car. I tracked it several times, with Goodyears and Nitto Invos(which stick good but have really soft side walls, making you trust more than feel the car :-)

The M3 serves me better as a daily driver/family car. The reason I got the E90 instead of the E92, is because I wanted a 4 door to replace my previous E46 M3, which I had before having kids! So 4 doors + great handling and driving and engine is a real plus for the M3. However, my son LOVES the Corvette so much and always want me to take him to school in the Z06 :-)

I really love the ipod integration and the idrive in the M3, plus all other gizmos. The Z06 is really fun too and gets lots of looks, whereas a 4 door M3 is more subtle.

Both are great cars

satans csex

UPGRADE TO THE MAX CONGRATS ON THE BEAST AND WELCOME TO THE CLUB

QUIKAG

1badtantrum, thank you for the explanation and it makes perfect sense. Thanks again for the write-up.

Catapult09

I would think the upkeep and parts to be lower on the Z.

lee2375

Another M3/Z06 thread? A lot of the guys must think alike on here.....

I have both.......totally different cars, its hard to compare them! But its easy to tell which one is faster

JohnTheStigGalt

Ok, just to clarify, although the slang term for BMW is Bimmer (pronounced Beemer), the same is not true for Corvettes.

It's not Vetter. It's Vette. Or Z for a Z06.

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to the forum!

luvvettes7

aw shucks damn that looks awesome!

355Spider

I completely agree. My E46M3 was sublime to drive. The steering and brakes were near perfect. The Z is less communicative but it's much better after I dumped the run craps. In the end the Z is much more fun to drive though.

ALMS21

Actually you are incorrect --- a BMW motorcycle is a "beemer" and BMW car is a "bimmer" (pronounced "bimm(rhyme with tim)er"

ALMS21

Peter - is this you? fantastic looking cars man.

beden1

That's what I always thought...the BMW car is a "Bimmer". My son and his friends call them "Beemers". What do I know though, my wife and I are on our 6th BMW and our kids think we're out-of-touch on most issues.