Due to personal reasons, I've been out of the car scene long enough to have lost any chance of a .2? After numerous calls and failed assistance to dealerships within few hundred radius (to include Porsche, N.A.) my best chance of a .2 is sometime, late next year of who the heck really knows w/ Porsche (as all of you already know)???

Since Chevy announced the new ZR1 and it's scheduled for spring deliveries next year, just in time for next season's track schedule (at least up here in northern U.S.), I'm not sure if I should wait and hold my breath for an unforeseen future with possible allocations or go w/ a sure thing??

I'm still extremely leery of all the heat issues experienced by previous generation Vette and well ... at the end of the day Chevy is still not "Porsche."

My main use of these cars is solely for the track. Most road and street miles only come from scrambling to local gas stations in between sessions.

My main parameter has always been a production car, straight from the factory that I can stick a license plate that is "fast AND reliable" for track use.

Obviously, it's somewhat a loaded question being raised on this forum, but through the years RL'ers are bona fide car enthusiasts first and I'd appreciate thoughts?

 

What is wrong with a GT4 for the track??

 

^Ditto.

A GT4, a GT3.1, and if a C7 then heck even a new '17 Grand Sport where you can get ~15k off msrp.... food for thought.

 

if you're going to track a car...and I mean TRACK a car.....

Go 2017 Viper ACR. Not only will it make a GT3 look a bit slow....it also has "feel" that american cars have never had before.

Everything from the carbon brakes to the manual transmission work like swiss watches. Drives like a 700bhp Miata. And does so with aero, instead of electronic gimmicks.

 

I'm actually in this position and the GT4 is cause for concern.. 3rd gear failure would be brutal for those who live towards the north and have limited windows for track season.. I have read stories where the transmission from germany can take weeks even months and if that were the case it would pretty much kill an entire season.
I waited almost 2 years for a .2 GT3 allocation and got a stiff arm.. lol

 

Some guys are reporting ADM on the GT3 are starting to come down.

Could also consider shortening the gearing on a GT4.

 

Track reliability remains to be seen, but the AMG GT-R could also be considered. Kind of a cross between the GT3 and Vette, since it's German but has front engine, RWD, big torque, etc.

 

Even ACR/ACRE's aren't bulletproof... I have heard (and witnessed once at Sebring) reliability issues with either trans and/or differential whether overheating or simply not up to repetitive track events. Front tires also wear aggressively fast... but hey, yes #becauseracecar. I don't miss my ACR... personally, I like the GT3.2 much more.

 

I'd like to comment on this very scenario because I have a fair amount of experience with Vettes. I started out with a stock 2007 (C6) ZO6 and bought it for the exact same reasons you cited...mostly track use with the occasional rip down a back road on a weekend.

The ZO6 was very capable right off the showroom floor but it quickly deteriorated as I became more comfortable in the car and drove it close to its limits. Back then, the cars came with those horrendous run-flats and the brakes (with the "brake-let" pads) were a joke. Switched to MPSC's and threw a Stoptech big brake kit on the car. Wasn't too long before the car had huge cooling issues, all of the bearings had to be replaced, I melted my engine and transmission mounts, and bent my drive shaft. Had countless other issues with the car that are just too laborious to list here.

After 10 years of tracking and over $100K in mods to get the car where I needed it to be, I finally gave up and went to a GT3 this year. I have not tracked my GT3 yet but I did rent one for a day down at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. To say I was impressed with the 991.1 GT3 that I drove is a huge understatement. The instructors down there let me absolutely "rinse" the car on track (purposeful throttle-lift oversteer at 100+ mph). I had an absolute blast and the car did not skip a beat. Oil temp didn't budge, brakes felt fresh the entire time after countless laps of threshold breaking. We also did about 25 launches and it didn't phase the car.

I don't want to turn this into a Chevy-bashing post but I was shaking my head when I saw the C7 ZO6 come out and they didn't bother to properly cool the vehicle. Really burns my a$$$ that a company like LG Motorsports can solve the cooling issue of the ZO6's with a simple front radiator kit that Chevy was either too cheap or indifferent to put on the car in the first place. I'm a firm believer in naturally aspirated track vehicles only.

The new ZR1 looks like it probably has a better cooling system but I'd put big money down on that auto tranny not being up to track duty.

I took delivery of my 991.2 last month (at basically MSRP) and can't wait to explore its' limits.

Be patient, I truly believe that there will be enough .2's at MSRP fairly shortly.

Just my 2 cents...good luck with your decision!

 

^For sure.... Chevy didn't robustly address reliability/cooling for the C7 Z06 especially under track use. I tracked my ex-Z06 16x total... the good thing was GM voluntarily bought in back (buyback/lemon law) so no love lost, just a little. Meanwhile at the tracks, I witnessed stock GT3/GT4/911s continue lap after lap after lap.

I also like this new ZR1 but I'm waiting patiently on the sidelines this time around. Those high danger-level oil temps and heat soak issues are a beyotche. Fun car though.... in hindsight, water under the bridge. But as stated... be patient.

 

I like my GT4 immensely. Limits are high but doesnt feel twitchy or with bad habits. Doesn't need much out of the box other than a good alignment

Its a great all-arounder. And running costs are reasonable. May feel slow if you are a 10/10th, well experienced driver in the instructor/TT run group. I'm a newly minted advance group runner and feel like the car has plenty more to offer

That said, if an 991.2 GT3 allocation at msrp were to present itself to me, I would "trade up" for sure.

 

I agree with another poster: think about a GT R as it’s like a more sophisticated, faster and better built German version of a Z06. Since there aren’t many allocations at the moment for the car, you ‘might not’ lose too much in depreciation on the GT R should you trade/sell it when your GT3 comes in. Whereas you most definitely can guarantee major depreciation on even the ZR1.

Bish

 

Except the tire situation is abysmal. Can't even get one track day at speed without the fronts going.

 

Agree with most here that the Corvette has not ever proven to be showroom ready for regular track duty. Sad because it’s a great car.

I think the GT4, while a fabulous car is under powered and slightly underwhelming in a world where the GT3 exists. My suggestion is to either wait for ADM to drop a bit or buy a nice 991.1 GT3 or RS. While I’m sure the .2 will be a great improvement, the .1 cars are phenomenal in their own right.

 

Save some dollars and get a ZL1 1LE.
A set of Hoosiers R7 and alignment and I HIGHLY DOUBT anyone here will be able to push it anywhere near its limits!