Torn between a 'Vette Z06 and an M4

[dreamsongs]

I've been getting ready to buy an M4 for the spring but also looking at what else I can buy in that 70-90k range and what other competition is out there.

And now after reading many reviews including the one below I'm seriously considering the Z06. I know it's a 2 seater but all I care about is performance and speed and this thing is a beast !!

It's tough for me to decide on an M4 even tough I really like it when I know that for 8-10k more I can have this kind of exotic level performance.

Thoughts ???


2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 review: Driving the fastest 'Vette ever

If you ever race at Road Atlanta, pack your big boy undies. As you exit the final chicane, bouncing over the blind right-hand crest with your foot firmly planted to the floor – chugging every single one of the 650 horses on tap like Jim Morrison emptying a bar of all its vodka – you arrive at the track’s notorious 12th turn. Just a small lift is all it takes, keeping the minimum speed pegged at 110 mph. The wall is feet from the edge of the track, taunting you to lift further. You see tire marks revealing the perils of wrongdoings – a vast trail of destruction. But in this car, you needn’t fret. As Harry Hogge famously said in Days of Thunder, “you can hold it.”

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has widely been presumed — before a single soul outside of the company has even driven it — to be one of the best machines GM has ever built. I refused to get sucked into these presumptions, but I must admit, on paper – 650 hp, 650 lb-ft of torque; 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds and winglets that appear fresh off the C7.R Le Mans car — it does sound bloody amazing.

After spending a day in the Z06 at Road Atlanta followed by another on the Georgian country roads, I finally have my definitive answer: Yes, the Z06, which will go on sale for around $79,000 ($89,000 with the Stage 3 aero kit), is an absolute masterpiece. It’s the best Corvette I’ve ever driven, and yet it’s not without issues.

The dry-sump, 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 motor is sublime. Power is up 37 percent from the outgoing Z06, and the supercharger assembly is mounted within the valley between the cylinder heads, ensuring it keeps the car’s weight distribution as low as possible. That supercharger spins to 20,000 rpm – 25 percent faster than in the Corvette ZR1, thanks to smaller rotors. This also helps the torque ramp up more effectively at low revs.

Two gearboxes can transfer that torque to the rear wheels; a glorious 7-speed manual with rev-matching or a new 8-speed automatic. That auto is eight pounds lighter than the outgoing 6-speed, five percent more fuel efficient and, according to GM, eight-hundredths of a second faster than Porsche’s dual-clutch from the 911.

On occasions, the automatic is indeed fantastic, shifting with an evocative snap that appears quicker than you can blink. However, by adding just a few degrees of steering lock, that snap disappears; Chevy engineers were concerned about it breaking the rear tires loose during cornering. The problem is that unless you are driving precisely in a straight line (which is less often than you might think on a racetrack) the gearbox feels sluggish and without emotion — that inconsistency between changes is its greatest downfall. Still, it’s comfortably the best automatic gearbox GM has ever made, but the manual remains the transmission of choice.

As I explode down the back straight at Road Atlanta, the speedometer rises quickly – 120, 130, 140, 150 mph. I turn right over a crest, heading downhill into a hard braking zone, now clocking 155 mph. I’m in 5th gear surpassing 5,000 rpm. I hit the optional carbon-ceramic brakes with all my might. The car doesn’t squirm. It doesn’t produce any noticeable pitch, or roll. It’s simply glued to the road.

“Balls,” I think. Could've braked later.

Even in base trim, the Z06 can lap a track unlike anything in its price range. But as you creep up to the Stage 2 downforce level, then to the maximum Stage 3 configuration with the Z07 package (which also includes larger carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors that save 23 lbs. of unsprung mass and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires) the car transforms both in looks and in performance.

It becomes a race car. It feels analog like a race car, it’s loud like a race car and the downforce level in Stage 3 is roughly 500 lbs. greater at top speed. In fact, the Z06 produces more downforce than any car GM has ever tested – and that includes all of its competition: “We’ve tested everything you can imagine,” said chief engineer Tadge Juechter. “The Z06 outperforms them all.”

On track, you don’t question that statement. It’s incredibly competent. It makes the brilliant C7 Corvette Stingray feel like an appropriate first car for a teenage boy. It’s Ferrari fast, McLaren fast. It’d kill a Lamborghini without even batting an eyelid.

It’s also accessible. You can reach 90 percent of the car’s capability in just a handful of laps. It won’t bite you. It won’t turn all Jackie Chan on your ass if you drive like an idiot. It behaves impeccably.

For most amateur drivers, this would be the end of the story. At the limit of adhesion, they’d praise the car for taking such good care of them. Only this isn’t the limit. Because of the immense downforce produced, there’s a further 10 percent hiding, accessible only to seasoned track-goers capable of digging deeper than it would seem possible. And it’s here things begin to lose traction.

What could be described as a simplistic machine, one that feels analog and raw, actually isn’t. Lapping a circuit as fast as the Z06 requires more than just big tires, plenty of power and fancy splitters. An electronic limited slip differential comes standard, equipped with a hydraulically actuated clutch that infinitely varies between fully open and fully closed. It makes its decisions based on clever algorithms that factor in minute steering inputs, throttle movements and the vehicle’s speed and yaw. And the diff is in constant communication with the Magnetic Ride suspension (which in turn is adapting consistently to changes in the road surface). This then talks to the power steering to help improve feel, which reports back to the shocks and then back to the differential again.

It’s like a merry-go-round of data, and just thinking about it makes me dizzy. So, then, imagine the difficulty the engineers faced in ensuring all these assets blend together seamlessly, and more to the point, not detract from that analog demeanor a Corvette is famous for. When approaching the true limit of the car, I discovered that it's not quite there yet.

You can feel that, during a given corner, the balance is constantly shifting. It varies along with the diff, and in the vaguest of ways, you can sense it happening. It’s never quite the same every lap. And it’s this changing balance that adds discomfort to the driving experience. You lose that unflappable confidence you had when pedaling at 90 percent.

In all fairness, though, when I drove the Z06 it was still a work in progress. The day before my test a group of engineers running the car at the Nürburgring reported back with some revised shock settings. They were adopted for the first time that morning, just an hour before I got behind the wheel. By the time the car goes on sale next spring, I wouldn’t be surprised if this subtle issue has been resolved.

But why, you ask, would a Corvette need all this tech in the first place? Isn’t that what makes a ‘Vette special – it refuses to reform with the rest of industry; like the Dodge Viper, remaining wonderfully raw and communicative? No auto-only, or V-6 turbo compromise. It’s a proper Kentucky-built super car, powered by a V-8 – the way it should be. It's basically Chuck Norris. Only better looking.

Nowadays people demand a rounder, more complete character in a sports car. The effort spent implementing this technology, which on the track isn't yet fully in sync, pays off big time on regular country roads. It remains a track-focused machine, and yet it’s as comfortable on the streets as its baby brother, the Stingray. Eco mode ensures the steering is effortless, and cylinder deactivation turns the V-8 into a V-4. The engine note softens, the ride is compliant and the cabin contains just enough leather to feel somewhat luxurious. That clever tech allows the Z06 to be more than just a one-trick pony.

When you put it in Sport mode (Track mode's suspension settings are simply too stiff for the street), it comes alive. It’s incredibly engaging; constantly exciting. Yes, it is stupidly fast, but it feels so good. In many ways, I enjoyed myself more on the country roads than I did on the racetrack. There, it's a damn fine merry-go-round.

So what, now, is the point of the ZR1? If a new version does indeed arrive, the Z06 will be better on track, and just as livable on the street. It’ll be cheaper, too. Just imagine what it could do with a set of Harry’s specially staggered tires.

__________________________________________________ ____________

[04cobra]

z06 no question. If you do not need a back seat and only care about the power

[dreamsongs]

Originally Posted by 04cobra

z06 no question. If you do not need a back seat and only care about the power

It's not just the power, it's the power, the looks, the handling etc. We're talking exotic level performance for under 90k. I've been losing sleep over this...

[SakhirM4]

Enjoy your Z06

[dreamsongs]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Enjoy your Z06

You're gonna give up this easily... no talking me back into an M4 ?

[jc05e46m3]

Go Z06. You gave very solid reasoning on why you should. It's gonna be nasty.

[M3guy3]

C7 looks better, sounds better, has a better engine (my opinion). the Z06 is way less practical and probably more money on insurance.

[OneRib]

No brainer Z06. It will trump the M4 in any meaningful performance category.
You already stated you don't need back seats. Just make sure you like the looks of the Z06 and are ready to pay out the nose for insurance.

You will regret passing on the Z06 if you get the M4. Then you'll either take a loss to switch into the Z06 or spend money on mods chasing Z06 performance.

These cars aren't even in the same category.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

You're gonna give up this easily... no talking me back into an M4 ?

I am not going to talk anyone into anything. People will make up their own minds. Would I trade my M4 for a Z06? No. Does that mean the Z06 isn't the right car for someone else? No.

As I said, enjoy your Z06

[dreamsongs]

Originally Posted by OneRib

No brainer Z06. It will trump the M4 in any meaningful performance category.
You already stated you don't need back seats. Just make sure you like the looks of the Z06 and are ready to pay out the nose for insurance.

You will regret passing on the Z06 if you get the M4. Then you'll either take a loss to switch into the Z06 or spend money on mods chasing Z06 performance.

These cars aren't even in the same category.

Shit, I haven't even began to think about insurance. Now I'm wondering how much more for the Z06 vs the M4. How much difference can there really be ?

I'm surprised most of you guys would get the Z06 over the M4 in a Bimmer forum ? Am I in the right place...

[Falafel Combo]

Z06! If it had 4 doors I would have one by now!


EDIT: Naaah ... would still get an M3, personally.

[Mik3ymomo]

It's also a different price category. If you buy a Z06 with the proper Z07 package etc the price ends up north of $100k.
These cars are going to have some dealer mark up for a while.

I think a good deal on one would be at MSRP. Chevy dealers love to price gouge the Halo car.

I like the Z06 but I think the standard C7 is the closer comparison to the M3/M4. Price and performance alone.

[myzmak]

If the Corvette speaks to you, get it man. ....it doesn't speak to me, but the beauty of not living in Soviet Russia is that we have more than one option in what we want and we can each get a car that best appeals to our needs and tastes.

Regardless of whether I love the car, it is objectively a beast and (by all accounts) will be a helluva performer. If it grabs you, I don't think you'd regret it.

[dreamsongs]

Originally Posted by myzmak

If the Corvette speaks to you, get it man. ....it doesn't speak to me, but the beauty of not living in Soviet Russia is that we have more than one option in what we want and we can each get a car that best appeals to our needs and tastes.

Regardless of whether I love the car, it is objectively a beast and (by all accounts) will be a helluva performer. If it grabs you, I don't think you'd regret it.

I've had 6 BMW's and 2 M3's so the change would be pretty dramatic for me. It's a very tough decision...

[OneRib]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

Shit, I haven't even began to think about insurance. Now I'm wondering how much more for the Z06 vs the M4. How much difference can there really be ?

I'm surprised most of you guys would get the Z06 over the M4 in a Bimmer forum ? Am I in the right place...

You sort of telegraphed your priorities. Any reasonable forum member loves cars first, brand second. It's obvious from what you value most the Z06 is the choice. No one here wants to talk you into a bad decision, which the M4 definitely would be.

Most of the time when I see people get blasted here, its when they make very subjective or false claims.

If you had said something like the Z06 is going to crush the M4 and that's proof BMW has lost it. That's why I'm canceling my M4 order to get the Z06, the best car ever.

This will get you blasted.

Now get some sleep and order the Z06.

[dreamsongs]

This thing is damn sexy.....http://www.chevycorvette.com/2015-corvette-z06

C&D Review - http://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/corvette-z06

[DandyKing]

No brainer. Vette wins.

[SunnyD]

You need to decide what kind of car you want. Do you want a good performing daily driver? Then get the M3/M4. Do you want an all out performance-oriented car that's not practical at all? Then get the z06.

[Vossen wheels]

Tough choice. Both are pretty pretty amazing! I would go for an M3/M4 but that power delivery from the Z06 is pretty insane.

[tallshortguy]

Originally Posted by OneRib

You sort of telegraphed you priorities. Any reasonable forum member loves cars first, brand second. It's obvious from what you value most the Z06 is the choice. No one here wants to talk you into a bad decision, which the M4 definitely would be.

Most of the time when I see people get blasted here, its when they make very subjective or false claims.

If you had said something like the Z06 is going to crush the M4 and that's proof BMW has lost it. That's why I'm canceling my M4 order to get the Z06, the best car ever.

This will get you blasted.

Now get some sleep and order the Z06.

Yeah no reasonable person is going to recommend over the Z06 if "speed and performance" are your most important priorities. Z06 will be faster than ferraris, lambos, and top spec 911s on the track.

[M_PATHY]

Forget both, I would go for the new Viper.

[dondula]

The Z06 is a fantastic performing car...

BUT, for me personally, I do not care for American styling cues so much, not really my taste anymore...

I prefer GTR over the z06. More impressive numbers and more bang for your buck.

I was actually debating on a gtr or my M4.. could have had either, but in the end, I decided the M4 because it was more fun to drive for me, regardless of it being slower than the GTR.

It sounds like the vette speaks to you. if it does, then pull the trigger.