Go with the C5. Faster, its 10x more reliable (its newer) and imo cooler.

The c4 would be a great starter car. It was for me. There are some areas in a c4 I liked over the c5 but I can count them on one hand.

C4s are awesome but no c5...

 

thanks! later on i will for sure.

kbb is not autotrader... plus there are some things with the rx8 are very appealing. im not gonna go into it right now but believe me they are not as bad as they sound.

well i respectfully disagree with ur statement on the rx8. actually i think the c5 and the rx8 are on par with each other as far as handleing goes.

but ya initially my mirrors will be full lol. no power = get outa my way lol






EDIT: i realize this is a corvette forum, im not going to win this arguement lol

 

10k or less = C4. Forget a C5 at that price.

You should try a few C4's out. Sounds like you got it in your head that the LTs are a bad motor - once you realise it isn't then your other questions will be moot.

Yes the C5 is a better car, but what do you want out of it? Beat the track record, or just have fun? I'd love a Z06, but I get *plenty* fun in my C4. It's still the same basic architecture - low center of gravity, rwd, 2-door, 6 speed, big tires, huge V8. The C5 still has tranverse leaf springs

Re the R8 - I'd only be interested if it has the LS swap

 

Good Luck with your purchase. You should go drive a six speed LT4 car or better still a six speed C5 and you might reconsider the Mazda.

 

In my opinion I would not worry about all of the C4 and C5 characteristics. Buy a car you fall in love with and if something goes wrong with it then you will be more than happy to open up the hood and dive down in there.

 

I am a huge Mazda fan, i've owned 3 miata's (one with an mp62 roots blower), caged out, suspension, wheels/tires etc...

I've also owned an RX7 (late 80's). I can agree that Mazda did a fantastic job on developing a vehicle than can handle, and is loads of run.

the rx8 is not for me (more than two doors and two seats, lol) but i DO KNOW that MAzda spent a trumendous amount of time designing a rigid frame with a lot of attention focused on the center tunnel. This also stands true of the s2k frame design.

the rx8's are a bit finiky cars by nature. I've had buddies blow up transmissions left and right. not to mention flooding the engine due to premature shut off (engine did not come up to temperature) etc. These rotaries (which I LOVE) have a number of flows with the design. Primarily oil and fuel consumption, sealing at the apex', etc.

I do believe it would make a good track car (I'd even pick a solid FD rx7- good examples are like $10,000-20,000ish)

I think what you might have missed is that these CF guys are being VERY frank with the limitations of the c4 platform. Once you've embraced the limits you can now try to reach tem! lol... the gear box is bullet proof, the suspension geometry (especially aftermarket upgrades) yield fantastic results and what other car (for the price) will allow you to stuff 315's-345's on ALL 4 corners? You want handling/braking? You need a good contact patch first!

 

heck, even the older 84 c4's (which are down on power) will hand a lot of cars their a$$ around corners! This is what the corvette is all about.

 

Wow... Corvette forum or not, that's just wrong. I have been on tracks with RX8s and stock C5s just as I'm sure a lot of others here have. There isn't a single aspect that I have ever seen the RX8 be better at.

Power (obviously), lateral handling, braking, ability to hold up to track abuse, you name it and the C5 is better at it. The RX8 is a capable car, but nowhere near the level of a stock C5, or even a decently built C4.

EDIT: This is a useless argument at this point. I always get sucked into these stupid topics. Enjoy your Mazda

 

this is true.

you see im exploreing the limitations of the c4, its something i dont want to get into that would evenutally just become the money pit.

btw i didnt know u could put that big of a tire on the c4, thats interesting.

ok u summed it up like how i see it.

trust me ive been a gm fanboy all my life, me getting a mazda is like one of the last things id see myself doing.

thanks 4 the support btw either way we love cars, thats wat counts

 

Supposedly there are some folks out there that have run 335s all around. I run 315s with no issues at all. There aren't many cars out there that can put that much rubber on the road.




If that's really the way you look at it, then wait a little while and do it right the first time. It actually took me about 2 years before I found the track car that I fell in love with (and that I could actually afford). Corvettes were made for the track and that is where they shine.

 

Don't iknow where you ever got the idea that you cannot get reliability out of a C4. I put 15K a year on mine and drive it every day of the week.

Are you already that good of a driver that you can take a C4 to it's limits on a road course?

The C4 is a much better looking car IMO. When I bought mine 4 years ago I could afford either a late model C4 or an early C5 after driving several of both I picked the C4 because I thought it was a "cooler" car that the "fat-***" C5

To each his own .... but you did ask

The 2nd thumbnail is after 100K miles

 

C5's are going to be the better over all car. With a 10K budget I'd look for a 94-96, save up a little more and get a 96 LT4; unless you just don't like the C4 body style. I think the C4 has a much cleaner look to it , I wish my ZR-1 had the C5 chassis.

 

My lord, what a bunch of haters. The RX8 is not for me, but saying they can't hang with a C4 (stock to stock) is just ignorant.

Ever heard of Koni Challenge and the American LeMans series? RX8 cars are consistantly on the podium with the Porsche's and Pontiacs. The lone C6 'vette gets it's butt handed to it every weekend. The race RX8 chassis is stock, but the motors are not (they use a 3 rotor).

The reason I would avoid an RX8 for a track car with a mortal budget comes down to one reason and one reason only (well aside from the fact that it's one of dem der ferrin' cars): power, or more accurately, the lack of it. They don't have it and it's not easy to get it. To add power to an RX8 you need forced induction, and your budget just got destroyed.

If you've never seen an RX8 that can hang with a C4 then you need to step out of HPDE la-la land and come out and race with a whole field of great drivers. I used to pass 911's in my Taurus SHO back in driving schools - that doesn't mean a 911 can't hang.

And if you think you need 315 tires to be fast, come take a ride with me. I run 275 square due to class restrictions. Although I do make fun of the little bicycle tires on my buddy's RX8 If he ever needs a new set of slicks I can cut one of mine into 4 Mazda sized tires!!!

 

o kinda like this?







<-- i love this smiley

 

as time goes on i may extend my budget for modifications in the forced induction area but thats not for a year or 2 after owning the car.

the rx8 isnt underrated really, just underestimated because its not super fast. im not worried about power as much because it makes up for it in other ways. and for track racing like i'll be starting id rather have something that wont kill me right away with power.

this thread was to see the potential of a c4 so that i pick a good car to build on and i must say ive learned a lot by reviewing these forums and doing some research. im still open to the idea of the c4, but im still leaning towards the rx8 for now.

 

I hope that's not directed at me, but I have a strange feeling it is... If that's the case, read back through what I wrote. I said that a stock RX8 would be behind a C5 or a WELL BUILT C4. I have watched the RX-8s in race form and there is no doubt that they can be made into something pretty awesome but, we're not talking about an ALMS budget. We're talking about $10,000 as per the OP. As for the 315 tires, again, I never said you needed them to go fast. There are a lot of cars that would kick the crap out of me with way less tire and I know that, but in low budget racing and when you are comparing the 215s of an RX8 to what you can fit on a C4 or C5 without any other modifications it makes a big difference. Granted, it also means more $ and more $ worth of parts. If it sounded like I was discounted the RX8 that was never the intention. I was just comparing the "low budget" versions of each and in that case IMHO the Corvette comes out on top. When you start throwing money at things all bets are off.

 

The LT1 is really not a bad motor. I agree there is not a lot of aftermarket support for the LT1. I have an LT1 in my 93 Trans Am and I currently have about 194,000 miles on the original motor that has NOT been rebuilt. About 20,000 miles ago I made the mistake of not checking my coolant. By the time I noticed and pulled over, the radiator was bone dry. I thought for sure I cracked the engine block and had the motor checked and nothing had happened to the motor. The only real draw back in my case is the Opti Spark. I am on the fourth unit. As an owner of an early C4 who has driven the C5, I say save the money and get a C5 who has a large afytermarket supporting the LS1, you will be happier with the performance.

 

I've inadvertantly turned this into a p!ssing contest and that wasn't my intent...It must've been that time of the month for me yesterday

red1, that was not directed to you only, but everyone in car forums everywhere that calls any car that isn't in their garage a piece of crap. We're all here because we're 'vette guys, but clearly that doesn't mean that everything else sucks. The only thing I'd rather have than my C4 is a C5Z (on track, not on the street). But I give respect to other marques, especially the ones from Munich and Stuttgart.

This isn't an apples to apples comparison, but regardless. If budget is the only factor, I'd agree that you can definately make a C4 get around a track faster than an RX8. Let's assume $8K for the car and $2K for mods, and $10k for the RX8. Equal drivers, the C4 would be a bit quicker. But if you're competing with these two cars, the C4 would be in a higher class, and most likely get it's tail end handed to it by C5's and their ilk. So...pure performance, I agree that the C4 is there. But competitiveness, you're better off with the Mazda.

Actually, typically the E36 M3's are in the same class with the RX8, that's what I'd buy They can be had for C4 money these days...

Then get more seat time, man! I've talked to you before, you know what you're doing out there in the twisties.

And RX8's typically run 245's or 255's, not far off the bigger HP cars.


I don't think anyone is saying that the LT1 is a bad motor, in many ways it was ahead of its time. The optispark is a fantastic concept, it just didn't pan out in practice, primarily due to reliability.

The point (or at least my point) is exactly as you stated: if you know you're going to modify your car for more power, the LT1 is probably not the best way to go. The ignition system is tough to work with (due to the opti and the computer) and the aftermarket is drying up.

 

'nuff said

 

On a side note... I'm ready to get out of training mode and into competition mode and I'm learning this part the hard way with the current C4. I'm trying to find it a home where it can be competitive.