View Poll Results: Which would you buy for a (mostly) track/weekend-fun car?
Cayman GT4, whether or not price was a factor
32
66.67%
Corvette, ultimately because of the price difference
7
14.58%
Corvette, whether or not price was a factor
9
18.75%
Voters: 48. You may not vote on this poll
Cayman GT4 or C7 Z51 Corvette?
08-10-15, 02:46 PM
#18
I appreciate the Porsche's finesse and technology, but I'm biased as I just have not warmed up to the looks of any Porsche. That being said, the Cayman is seen as precision machine and a great track car but also a very good daily driver. If you're looking for a track car/weekend car, I'd get the Vette. More to tinker with and more fun to throw around. More of a sledge hammer. Plus the aftermarket is likely much bigger and less expensive than the Porsche.
Actually, another option would be to get the Porsche, maybe just a regular Cayman, as your daily driver and modify the crap out of your GT, That sucker can be made into a fun as hell track car or a monster dragger.
Actually, another option would be to get the Porsche, maybe just a regular Cayman, as your daily driver and modify the crap out of your GT, That sucker can be made into a fun as hell track car or a monster dragger.
08-10-15, 03:15 PM
#19
I would go with the Corvette, but they're having quite a few issues still.
I wanted to buy one for a daily driver since I'm tired of a V6 powered sedan, but there are too many stories online for me to buy one and feel comfortable with it. They have motors being replaced multiple times, transmissions going out, and overheating problems. Even Motortrend Magazine had their Z06 overheat just cruising down the highway.
Seems like too risky of a purchase to me... but most cars are compared to Lexus.
I wanted to buy one for a daily driver since I'm tired of a V6 powered sedan, but there are too many stories online for me to buy one and feel comfortable with it. They have motors being replaced multiple times, transmissions going out, and overheating problems. Even Motortrend Magazine had their Z06 overheat just cruising down the highway.
Seems like too risky of a purchase to me... but most cars are compared to Lexus.
08-10-15, 03:39 PM
#20
Super Moderator
Me too except I found the clutch placement/positioning of the Cayman GTS to be odd, unlike other manual cars like BMW and Honda, it's too far to the right and close to the brake pedal and makes it really awkward to me, I think the GT4 would be the same too ?
08-10-15, 04:13 PM
#23
Yeah, the GT4 is sold out for the current production run, but more will be made... I mentioned in the OP that I won't be buying one of these for another year or so. By that time, there is a decent chance that I can get a GT4 allocation. I'm already on a waiting list at a premier dealer, so I'm hoping for a 2016 or 2017 MY. I just hope the price hasn't been jacked up too much by that point, or I'm out.
... But of course, if I can't get one, the decision probably becomes a little easier, heh.
The GTS (and to a lesser extent, the 911 S) is great, but it's just not enough car for the price IMO. Configured how I want, it would only save me maybe $8-9K under the GT4, but the Corvette would end up with the distinct performance advantage for far less money, and most of the GT4's track-readiness is gone, too.
... But of course, if I can't get one, the decision probably becomes a little easier, heh.
The GTS (and to a lesser extent, the 911 S) is great, but it's just not enough car for the price IMO. Configured how I want, it would only save me maybe $8-9K under the GT4, but the Corvette would end up with the distinct performance advantage for far less money, and most of the GT4's track-readiness is gone, too.
Last edited by RocketGuy3; 08-10-15 at 04:22 PM.
08-10-15, 04:20 PM
#24
On the first page...
As for the Z06, that's honestly just a little too much car for me, heh. I don't think I need or can handle quite *that* much power. The performance would be 99% unusable on the street, for one, which would just taunt me every time I drove it around town. And even on the track, while the Z will be faster in a straight line (and probably ultimately faster overall), I feel like the GT4 makes the right compromises overall.
08-10-15, 04:43 PM
#25
Moderator: LFA, Clubhouse
Why do you say that? I agree that the GT4 is fairly significantly more track ready out-of-the-box, but for the price difference, one could make the Corvette just about as track ready. I'm not talking about performance, though, just the ability to withstand the punishment of a track for at least 30-45 mins at a time -- I think the main thing that is necessary is upgraded brakes, although there are one or two other relatively small things the GT4 has on it, too.
You mentioned luxury/practicality - the Cayman is as practical a lightweight sportscar as you can get. The GT4 will have a nicer interior, too. A lot of reviewers have praised the new C7 interior but that has more to do with how awful the C6 and earlier interiors were. It's still well below anything resembling luxury.
08-10-15, 05:06 PM
#26
It had nothing to do with being track-ready. It had everything to do with how much more fun the GT4 will be on the track. TBH, I'm amazed anyone has recommended the Corvette in this discussion.
You mentioned luxury/practicality - the Cayman is as practical a lightweight sportscar as you can get. The GT4 will have a nicer interior, too. A lot of reviewers have praised the new C7 interior but that has more to do with how awful the C6 and earlier interiors were. It's still well below anything resembling luxury.
You mentioned luxury/practicality - the Cayman is as practical a lightweight sportscar as you can get. The GT4 will have a nicer interior, too. A lot of reviewers have praised the new C7 interior but that has more to do with how awful the C6 and earlier interiors were. It's still well below anything resembling luxury.
Fun factor, I can't really say since I haven't tracked either, but I think it stands to reason that that could come down to personal preference. Both cars are going to handle pretty differently from each other, but both should be fairly equally capable overall. The GT4 is probably easier to drive fast, but does that necessarily mean it's more fun?
I mean I'm leaning towards the GT4 a bit myself, but I just don't think it's nearly as clearcut as you're saying.
Last edited by RocketGuy3; 08-10-15 at 05:10 PM.
08-10-15, 05:41 PM
#27
Yes, but I don't see that as a legitimate reason. It's not like we're talking about a 9 second drag car with no traction control. You can break plenty of laws with any of the above-mentioned cars, so it's a matter of self-control regardless of which car you choose.
The Z06 is a low 11 second car that has a bunch of electronics that will help you while driving on the road, it's not going to be an overbearing monster. Even around the track it's going to be better in every regard, not just in terms of overall top speed. (If you remember the video with the person chasing the Porsche in a Z06 and being a complete idiot, he still didn't manage to get the car to lose control even when he would turn in and give throttle at the poorest of times.)
I personally think you would enjoy the Z06 more than the Stingray or the GT4. Combine that with the desire for the car that will give it a higher resell value, you have a winner. If not, I'd say that the Stingray gives you much better bang-for-your-buck. It will be at least as fast, if not faster, than the GT4 on a track and replacement parts, like rotor blanks and pads, will be cheaper.
The Z06 is a low 11 second car that has a bunch of electronics that will help you while driving on the road, it's not going to be an overbearing monster. Even around the track it's going to be better in every regard, not just in terms of overall top speed. (If you remember the video with the person chasing the Porsche in a Z06 and being a complete idiot, he still didn't manage to get the car to lose control even when he would turn in and give throttle at the poorest of times.)
I personally think you would enjoy the Z06 more than the Stingray or the GT4. Combine that with the desire for the car that will give it a higher resell value, you have a winner. If not, I'd say that the Stingray gives you much better bang-for-your-buck. It will be at least as fast, if not faster, than the GT4 on a track and replacement parts, like rotor blanks and pads, will be cheaper.
The GT4 will be easier to drive than the Z06, especially with all the nannies off. To some people, that might actually make it a more boring car, but I think it's closer to what I'm looking for. I wouldn't at all mind if the GT4 had a bit more power (I might add some aftermarket), but I don't need THAT much. Plus the GT4 has a lot of components that I will probably never have to touch to both be safe and not have to worry about overheating at the track, even if I do add another 10-20% more power. With the Z06, though, if you drive that car to its full potential on some tracks, you'll at least have to be more careful at/near its limits. I'm also not as confident that the chassis would really be up to task for more than a few laps.
And yeah, it's still easier to drive the GT4 at least *somewhat* close to its limits on the street than the Z06. You have to reign in both cars, of course, but with the Z06, if I drop it into 3rd on the freeway, I have to shift back up to 6th/7th within about half a second, for example, or I'm at 200 mph before I know it.
Last edited by RocketGuy3; 08-10-15 at 05:47 PM.
08-10-15, 06:54 PM
#30
I'd rather avoid a used high end sports car for now because of the maintenance nightmares... Plus, some people are badge-wh0res, but me? I'm a new-wh0re. 
One of my biggest character flaws.
All good points, a couple of which I forgot about in the OP. In fact, the Corvette performance data recorder is a major selling point, IMO, for a track car. I generally prefer an in-car view, but nonetheless, a built-in dashcam is badass. And it has a built-in setup for reading and recording all telemetry data to boot. I remember I had been asking for years why no car manufacturer offered anything like that, and when GM finally did it with the Corvette, I thought it was a match made in heaven.
I actually had my heart set on the Corvette for a long time even before that... until someone totaled my Lexus, and I got the Mustang, which made me feel like a Corvette might be too similar. Then the GT4 was announced...
/lifestory
Anyways, you're right that there's a compelling case for the Corvette. Damnit why does this have to be so hard... #FirstWorldProblems. Hopefully some test drives will make this easier.
One of my biggest character flaws.In that case I think you're better off with the C7 Stingray and here's why:
1. Cheaper entry cost
2. Cheaper parts
3. Cheaper to modify
4. Possibly cheaper insurance
5. Will be equal, or will outperform, the GT4 on a track
6. Stingray has valet mode in the event that you want to ever take it out.
7. The record feature on the track is interesting if you want to watch your lines
8. The cubbyhole behind the nav in the C7.
Either way you cannot go wrong, the C7 is just cheaper while providing a very similar experience with a better aftermarket and parts selection. The LT-series will become as abundant in aftermarket stuff as the LS-series was.
1. Cheaper entry cost
2. Cheaper parts
3. Cheaper to modify
4. Possibly cheaper insurance
5. Will be equal, or will outperform, the GT4 on a track
6. Stingray has valet mode in the event that you want to ever take it out.
7. The record feature on the track is interesting if you want to watch your lines
8. The cubbyhole behind the nav in the C7.
Either way you cannot go wrong, the C7 is just cheaper while providing a very similar experience with a better aftermarket and parts selection. The LT-series will become as abundant in aftermarket stuff as the LS-series was.
I actually had my heart set on the Corvette for a long time even before that... until someone totaled my Lexus, and I got the Mustang, which made me feel like a Corvette might be too similar. Then the GT4 was announced...
/lifestory
Anyways, you're right that there's a compelling case for the Corvette. Damnit why does this have to be so hard... #FirstWorldProblems. Hopefully some test drives will make this easier.