sly

I believe the 997 will be available before the end of August and the C6 should be available shortly thereafter. The base 997 is around $69K and the C6 around $44K. It'll be interesting to see how these cars compare from a performance perspective. I was really impressed with the performance of the C5 but its interior was a little on the cheap side and the rear was kind of hard on my eyes.

Unfortunately I never had the opportunity of seeing the " vastly improved" interior of the C6 at the auto shows. If it's half as good as they say, it will certainly be on my short list.

frayed

One of my associates has a new Z06 that I've played with; I've driven the C5 and Z06 on street, and have been in both on track. They are brutally fast in every venue, and I'm sure the C6 and its Z06 version will be even better. But they are not particularly precise or involving. They feel big and the steering is numb at the limit. Build quality is even more suspect than porsches.

It sounds elitist, but the difference b/t a Pcar and a car like the Z06 is akin to Kobe beef filet mignon and a Big Mac. Both will fill you up, and some people cannot tell the difference (heck, some will actually *prefer* a big mac). For those who can tell the difference, place value the difference, and who have the means, the Pcar will be there waiting.

It seems that since you are quoting prices, you are primarily interested in bang for the buck. If indeed you are looking for value, don't bother even considering a Porsche. Oh hell, don't bother with even a BMW, Lotus, Audi, etc, or even the widely considered bargain basement Sti's and Evos. Buy the Chevy. It beats all comers in the bang for buck category w/o question.

Given the current prices of Z06s, I've toyed with picking one up just to beat on at the track. But at the end of the day, they don't light my fire.

IMHO, a Porsche is:

1. One part a "positional good."
2. One part performance.
3. One part mystic.
4. One part driving experience (grins/mile).

mrpc12

Interesting comments, frayed. I tend to agree....I went from a 2002 Turbo Tiptronic to a 2004 Z06 and then to a 40th Anniversary 911 within the space of about 7 months.

Riad

I also agree... as much as people love to compare both cars (i've driven both) they really don't "feel" the same. The Porsche feels more like a precision instrument and the vette more like a train without rails.

RexracerX

Why?? I'm clawing my way up the P-car ladder to one day own a Turbo . Why move to a 40th Ann or ..... a Vett (they have got to do something with that a$$ in the air look)???

I could understand if you still owned the TT but your sig says previous - nice list by the way. I have owned or lusted after each and every one of those cars.

mrpc12

I would have figured out a way to have kept the Turbo if it was a 6 speed but I needed some cash at the time to buy a house (I had another house that was up for sale but not sold yet) so I traded down to the Vette. The car was very fast and loud which I liked but I never really felt comfortable driving it. The active handling system was way too intrusive and the rear end felt twitchy to me on cornering. So, I traded the Vette and a Volvo XC90 for the 40th Anniversary 911. I couldn't afford a Turbo and the 40th package is pretty much equal to the performance of my Tip Turbo.

1999Porsche911

I have fun with 2 Z06's around here. My SC 996 beats them on cornering (unless they put a few dead body for weight in the trunk) and from a dead stop, the vet has me for the first 60 feet and then spends the rest of the time admiring the back end of my car. The only reason I am beat off the line is that I NEVER break the wheels.

You are right with the price though. For the money, the vet would be fun, but I can't imagine going from a Porsche to a vett.

frayed

Damn dude. You are well traveled.

solsavr

After spending most of performance driving time in Vettes, and for the last few years in Z06's, I will tell you that the Z is one scary fast beast and will generally blow the doors off of most cars, and any 996 in a straight line (non-SC...i guess?).

But I can also tell you first hand since switching to my C4S, that I will NEVER go back! The Porsche is SO MUCH more refined, and has much more class. The C6 is not an evolution, just a bit more C5. The C6 Z06 is not scheduled till 2006, and if you are smart you would wait till 2007 for the 1st year bugs to be worked out before even considering (but it is rumored to have 500hp)....but once again, my personal experience is that the Porsche is more "all-around-car", and my C4Sseems to be the all-weather super car that I have been looking for for a long time, and I plan to keep it for a awhile, and drive it every day (in between my company car).

For the first time in a long while I actually am looking forward to rain!

1999Porsche911

The biggest thing I miss with the 996 versus a Vett or any other high horsepower small block, is the feel of the engine and drivetrain. With the V8's you feel and hear the power, but the Porsche just hums along without you even knowing the speed you are reaching until you look at the guages. I love driving my buddy's Z06 and it "feels" like it has more power than my 996 when in reality it is an illusion.

Don't get me wrong...the Z06 is a fast car, but I sure wouldn't want to do any road racing at high speeds with it without weighting down the back end with a few hundred pounds. Maybe Chevy will smarten up and move the engine to mid range in the future. That by itself would add tremendously to its handling.

frayed

Have you ever driven (or ridden in) a Z06 on the track? In a properly aligned Z06, it is as rock solid as gilbrator. The rear end moves a little, but you soon learn to trust it. A monkey can turn a fast lap in the car. They are every bit a match for a TT on a road course, weigh significantly less, and have a wider track.

However, at the end of some lapping, I'm left with the thought "so what?" At the end of the day, since we aren't out there road racing but just getting some hot laps in, it's all about fun. By comparison, my M3 is far more fun than the Chevy, and I reckon my Pcar will be even more engaging on track.

mrpc12

Yes. And now just about broke! I'm keeping the 40th at least until the warranty runs out.

sly

Without question, the Porsche is by far the better status symbol. And to some buyers this is a very important part of the buying decision. Personally, I like to get the biggest bang for the buck, within reason. So, if GM has improved the build quality of the C6 and made it into the 'world car" that they claim, I certainly won't reject the car out of hand because it's not German.

frayed

Buy it.

You won't be dissappointed. I drove one again today at lunch. If it lights your fire, consider yourself lucky. I sincerely wish Vettes did it for me, as I'd have extra jack to spend on my other bad habits.

1AS

I've driven both. The Z06 isn't a match for the 996, but it is a match for the tt. On a nearby track with which I have familiarty (Gingerman), I can keep ahead of a Z06 (me on street tires, him on race rubber), but can't break away. When I switched to the Z06, I could turn the same times I could in my X50. The tt has more front end push, the ZO6 has more rear end wiggle. Both are easy to drive fast. With that as a starting point, I'm guessing the C6 will be very strong. My problems were fitting in the car (I'm 6'1" at 196) and fit much better in the Porsche, and the tacky interior. The new interior is better, and bigger (I've read). My bet is that if the new Z06 came with a prancing horse on the front, people wopuld snap it up at 100K without complaint. Ever drive a 355 Ferrari? Now that interior is tacky. AS