Spoken like a true "Drug Dealer"

 

Ive had the good fortune to play with a lot of interesting cars and actually get to drive them. I have driven my c5 vert stock, and modified and gotten to hop out of it and directly into the following for comparisons (this is on the 3mi road course at Buttonwillow in CA, mostly seat of the pants comparisons). I do some motorcycle roadracing, so Ill compare that too.

Aston Martin Vanquish S - great looking, good straight away power - no where near the fun of a stock vette, much less a modified one. The Vanquish S wallows in corners, and has extremely poor brake feel. The vette spanks it in handling.

Ferrari 575 M - again, heavy and poor braking. Better then the vanquish but no where near as fun as the vette.

Lotus Elise - nothing touches the Elise in cornering, great feedback to the driver - gutless as can be in straightaways.

Ferrari Enzo - Absolutely no car I have ever driven (look at this list) comes close to the performance of the Enzo. This is the most hyper gokart you could ever drive. Cornering is amazing, breaks could stop a semi loaded with 30 enzo's, almost out brakes my race prepped R6! Acceleration as good or better then my R6. With the open back straight away at buttonwillow (average entrance from Nascar corner at about 105+ in nearly all vehicles) the Enzo can reach 185 at the end of the straight away (about 3800 ft) - 185 was done by Johaness van Overbeek (you see him at Sebring driving for Flying Lizard Porsche team) - my best was 175 in the Enzo. In the vette unmodified 135-140, with intake, LG Pro long tubes, xpipe, Borlas, and a custom tune (364 rwhp) I was able to hit about 145-150.

Porsche Carrera GT - almost as good as the Enzo - less jittery/hyper feeling, better sounding. 165-170 into the break marker. Great brakes, better then even my 14", 6 piston Wilwoods.

Ferrari 360 Spyder - handling feels equivalent to stock vette, little stronger top end - braking equivalent to the stock vette. 135-140 into the brake marker.

Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale - slightly better braking then my Wilwoods, still better power over 100mph then even the modifications I have on the vette. 155-160mph into the brake markers. This car is one of my favorites - lots of fun to drive, and not as scary fast as the Enzo - the Enzo is actually work to drive.

Note, my R6 will come out of Nascar corner and I top out at 148mph about 3/5 of the way down the straightaway - all other vehicles need the whole straight to get to max speed. I actually passed the Elise in Nascar corner, and ran down the Stradale on the bike.

Ferrari 430 Coupe - refinement on the 360 Stradale - should be interesting to see if they make a 430 Challenge and how it will perform.

Porsche Twin Turbo - For the cost, disappointed in the handling, and the turbos come on hard but not untractably so. It was fun to drivem but didnt wow me. 135-140s into the brake marker, brakes felt about equivalent to the Wilwood setup, better then the stock vert. Handling was about equivalent to a z06, better then a vert, not as good as my t1 suspension with the elite engineering race plate.

Porsche GT2 Track toy - Another really fun car, need to be prepared for the turbos as this one can get you out of shape. I ran some great laps in this car - 160s into the brake marker, with the carbon brakes some excellent breaking (better then the Stradales).

Lamborgini Gallardo (original model) - lots of fun. V10 has great power, sounds awesome, feels a bit heavy in the handling, and slow in the breaking. The vette can handle as well, the Wilwoods break as well, but I didnt have the HP to quite compare to the seat of the pants feel of the V10. 145-155 into the brake marker.

Lamborghini Gallardo (new model) - great improvements - more so seen in the handling and breaking then in the power. Very confidence inspiring.

Lamborghini Murcielago - very heavy and big feeling - but man what acceleration. The roar of that V12 behind your head - wow! 155-165 into the brake marker.

Note on the lambo's, the seats are made for little Italian butts! For those of us at near 6'2" and 220lbs, not the most comfortable fit.

Its not 0-60, or quarter mile. In the end, price per performance nothing compares to a vette. Once I go FI, I will be able to keep up with near all but the Enzo, Carrera GT, and the GT2's and GT3's. Hope that gives some impressions for you.

-d

 

It all depends on what you enjoy doing. Drag racing seems to be more popular, but I do prefer the all around performance of a sports car!!

I've been on the roadcourse many times with my car, and never get tired of standing on the go pedal down the straights, asking everything of the brembos, and then relying on a heavily modded suspension to get you through the turns!!

The full track version at Buttonwillow is a blast!!!

JB

 

I'm with JB. Let's go around corners so I can exercise my DRM coilovers

 

I'd love to get into the actual track scene, but for now, I'm more into the day to day driving, which is when you pull up next to the Ferrari 430 and tear him a new one, or do the same to a turbo 911 on the highway. That's the biggest reason why I've done what I've done w/my car

 

I have long said we should do both, drag and road race!!!!! Kinda like the one lap. Of course this would eliminate some guys who put all their peas in one pod.

Somwhere that has a strip and road course close to each other.(ATL) Somewhere centralized so people can make it.(ahem Atlanta ) maybe a eastside shootout and a westside shootout.

Or maybe divide the competition in sections where there are certain cars on the road course and others on the drag strip.

Not only will we see whose fastest but we will see which one has the most endurance on the road course before taking a dump.

I have got my trailer ready!!!!

 

The only problem with that is that the real fast road course cars would do poorly on the drag strip and visa versa.
(thats why I have two Vettes)

 

I agree. But I only have one Vette - so it's road course for me

 

There are various ways to do it.

1 Best drag enhancer TT or S/C

2 Best and most durable on a road course TT, S/C

3 Best of both worlds. What is better for us who like to road course and drag with the same car.


We can do any of all three, it doesnt just have to be about drag racing, but it can be. I have no interest in that because I wouldnt be doing anything but creating business for tranny and rear end vendors. Unless of course it was a street tire competition like mentioned before.