drivejumpfly

I am starting to plan my next car purchase, and would like to hear from the guys that have been or are currently R35 owners. Right now the selling point for the GTR is four seats, but I am still liking the reliability of the transmission (and especially cost) and cost of modifications that I have with my C5. I am leaning toward a supercharged Z06 or a ZR1 if I go with a Corvette. Power level will eventually be around 700 whp. Any important things you have learned by owning the two?


Running list of pros, cons, and toss ups:

GTR Pros:
Engine was built for forced induction
Easy to upgrade turbos but internal work must also be performed
4 seats
Resale value
Good daily driver
Better interior

GTR Cons:
Bell housing issue
ETS problems
Transmission fluid cost
Transmission fluid replacement frequency
Transmission rebuild cost is the highest
Oil, brakes, rotors, mods are all more expensive than usual
Known issues with 2009 - 2011 transmissions (2013 and up are the ideal models to purchase)
High modification costs
OEM parts not as readily available or reasonably priced
Slower from a roll

GTR Toss Ups (can be good or bad)
Less driver skill required

C6 Z06 Pros
Lowest initial cost - leaves more money for modifications
LS7 may pull harder toward redline
Sufficient OEM and aftermarket parts available at reasonable prices
Faster from a roll

C6 Z06 Cons
2013 model is almost 6 years old
Engine was not designed for force induction from the factory
The ZR1 will be worth ZR1 money and a built Z06 may not resell as well
Daily drivability may be slightly lacking

C6 Z06 Toss Ups
Well sorted out Z06 can beat a GTR on road courses

C6 ZR1 Pros
Engine was built for forced induction
Lowest cost to modify to 700 whp
Sufficient OEM and aftermarket parts available at reasonable prices
Good daily driver
Fastest from a roll

C6 ZR1 Cons
2010 model is almost 9 years old
2013 model is almost 6 years old

C6 ZR1 Toss Ups

68birdls1

thetastelingers

I had a DBA R35 GTR a couple of cars ago.
I absolutely LOVED the car. It put in work for sure.

What I did not like were the maintenance items that shouldn't have been an issue.
The Bell housing in my car was pretty loud and it is a KNOWN issue with GTRs, so I purchased one ($1400) and replaced it myself.
A little while after that, I had ETS problems. (ETS is the clutch pack that sends power to the front diff) I had to drop the tranny, remove the ETS and send it to Shep to get rebuilt. ($1400+oil and filters= almost $2000) That cost is me doing all the labor. Imagine if you had to take it to a shop and get them to do the work.
After that, I listed the car to sell. That's a lot of money I could have put towards mods! LOL

It takes a good bit of money to own a GTR even after initial purchase. (Oil, brakes, rotors, mods are all more expensive than usual) If you are fine with that, go for it.


They are very awesome cars and do everything well. Not just a one trick pony.





ALL that being said, I STILL plan on having another one someday. There's just something about them that is right. I live on a mountain, so the twisty roads were very fun in the car and it inspired confidence. I miss going up the mountain short shifting the car and listening to the engine.

Hope this has helped and good luck with your decision

AHP

I went through a similar debate and ended up with the ZR1 over an R35 for a few reasons. Ultimately the bottom line for me was --after owning what I thought would be a fast and fun automatic car (CTS-V2)-- I need to bang gears to stay interested/entertained. I bore very quickly with an automatic. I would give that some heavy thought if it's even a mild concern. If that's not a deal breaker then maintenance, consumables and modification costs are another factor. They're an order of magnitude higher cost vs. say a ZR1, especially if you're not doing the work yourself. And if you are doing your own work, the R35 is much more of a PITA to turn wrenches on, IMO. Further anecdotally, I've had several acquaintances that years ago sold their big HP Supras to get into an R35, only to sell the R35 and go back to a Supra (or other manual trans platform). The gimmickry tends to wear off and you get bored/uninspired, and the cost of modifications to reinvigorate is $$$. That all said, the R35 remains on my to-own list, but for now I need to have 3 pedals in my life for it to be fun.

As for Z06 vs ZR1 with a 700WHP goal. You can easily get 700+ WHP out of a bolt-on ZR1 with essentially zero sacrifice in drivability, street manners, reliability, etc.. That is comically easy to achieve and there are no compromises/downsides, which really drew me to the car vs. a heavily modified Z06. Now a 700WHP Z06 is going to be a pretty rowdy setup, which could absolutely be an upside depending on what you're looking for...! The cost to acquire a nice Z06 and mod reliably to 700WHP vs. the cost of a ZR1 and a few bolt-ons is likely not that far off; however, the ZR1 will be worth ZR1 money and a built Z06......

lamboworld

I really like my Z06. NA is just awesome and it is not too difficult to get to 600whp and still have relatively good drivability.

However, I think that a FI car (ZR1, GTR, M3 etc...) are better street driven cars because of the immediate boost that you get in low rpm situations. If I had to do it over again I would probably buy a ZR1 because I just don't take my Z06 to the track enough and I don't street race. Right now, I really enjoy driving my 335d because of the 600wtq that it gives me at 2500rpm and it is just comfortable to drive. My Z06 is much faster but it is just raw, lightweight and feels most comfortable at the track.

drivejumpfly

I really appreciate the feedback. Glad to hear some discussions about maintenance costs. I thought about that as well but did not have actual amounts.

One thing I forgot to mention is I want this next purchase to put a smile on my face like when I rode liter bikes in the canyons. I had absolutely no place to be but everywhere to go so I would just hop on the bike and ride until the sun set. Which of these will be better suited for aimless wandering?

Dave Schotz

If you get the DBA models (2012 and up) and honestly 2013 or 2014 minimum... the maintenance fees are significantly less. Transmission is now 36K miles.

If you need 4 seats, it's a very fast and fun car. That will run mid 10's with a tune and a mid pipe... and be super reliable.

If you want to run 9's... it's easy to 'upgrade the turbos'... but you have to also update the rods and pistons... they are 'soft' from the factory.

Not sure about your budget, but a Turbo S Porsche is also a great option... and while 'cost of entry' is a bit more... the internals are bullet proof if you plan on modding for more than 700HP.

Best Regards,
Dave

drivejumpfly

I was talking with a transmission builder and he said the same thing about the 2012+ transmissions.

I need to stay under $60K so a C7 Z06 will be an option by the time I buy anything.

I have heard that the maintenance/cost to modify the Porsche is more than the GTR. Is that true?

Dave Schotz

yip

I almost bought a 60K GTR last year for the wife as her daily but I have a friend with a shop that works on them regularly and he talked me out of it. He walked me through the issues and costs to maintain so I walked away. On another note I own a 08 supercharged Z. I bought the car for $35k a couple years back, put 10k into a custom SC setup and it's been making 650whp for the last 15k miles with zero issues. I put another 10k into other upgrades so I'm 55k into at this point which would buy you a bottom of the barrel ZR1. Tough call but there is something about how the LS7 pulls hard to it's 7k redline thats kept me hooked. Over 700whp I'd go ZR1 though hence why I haven't done any other power adders since the SC.

drivejumpfly

I will keep a running list of everyone's input in the original post of this thread. Here is the start of it:

Running list of pros, cons, and toss ups:

GTR Pros:
Engine was built for forced induction
Easy to upgrade turbos but internal work must also be performed
4 seats
Resale value
Good daily driver

GTR Cons:
Bell housing issue
ETS problems
Transmission fluid cost
Transmission fluid replacement frequency
Transmission rebuild cost is the highest
Oil, brakes, rotors, mods are all more expensive than usual
Known issues with 2009 - 2011 transmissions (2013 and up are the ideal models to purchase)
OEM parts not as readily available or reasonably priced

GTR Toss Ups (can be good or bad)
Less driver skill required

C6 Z06 Pros
Lowest initial cost - more money for modifications
LS7 may pull harder toward redline
Sufficient OEM and aftermarket parts available at reasonable prices

C6 Z06 Cons
2013 model is almost 6 years old
Engine was not designed for force induction from the factory
The ZR1 will be worth ZR1 money and a built Z06 may not resell as well
Daily drivability may be slightly lacking

C6 Z06 Toss Ups


C6 ZR1 Pros
Engine was built for forced induction
Lowest cost to modify to 700 whp
Sufficient OEM and aftermarket parts available at reasonable prices
Good daily driver

C6 ZR1 Cons
2010 model is almost 9 years old
2013 model is almost 6 years old

C6 ZR1 Toss Ups

skidz88

The GT-R is the most overrated car of the decade. Yes, it's ultra fast to 60mph but nothing special after that. It has massive grip levels but still lots of understeer and a feeling of heaviness(it's over 4k lbs). Cost to mod is also outrageous, you're going to pay JDM tax wherever you go. Also, it's ugly. Maintenance is actually pretty reasonable and not even hard to do on your own. Even later years can suffer transmission issues, or have noisy bearings. The interior is hands down better than any Corvette, and the seats are great.

Overall, I would never choose a GT-R over my Z06. It can win to 60mph all it wants, I don't drag race anyway. On the circuit a well sorted Z06 with a good driver will be faster, but a GT-R is ultimately easier to drive and safer at the limits.

Both a GT-R or a Corvette can make lots of power. There are GT-Rs out there that are faster than Corvettes, and vice versa of course. It comes down to how deep your pockets are. My Z06 feels special to me, but none of the GT-Rs I've ever driven felt like anything more than just machines.

drivejumpfly

skidz88 - Are you speaking as a previous owner of a GTR or is this just general information you have? I ask because being a frequent owner/driver of one versus an occasional driver of one can impact the decision I am making.

thetastelingers

If you haven't, go over to GTRLife and ask the same question. Lots of the guys over there have come from Vettes or went back to vettes at one point or another. That may help your decision as well.

VelocityC6z

freddyvette

Your story resonates with me so much. No one who I know that owns one uses the back seats. I was going to buy a GTR before I bought my Z06. The GTR can be driven confidently by a 19 year old college girl up to almost any freeway speed. The Z06 should require a driver qualification course before you're handed the keys. The Z06 is just so much more capable on a road course it's not even funny. However, it takes skill to show off the car's capabilities. A set of coilovers on the C6Z makes it an awesome track toy. My level of confidence after 4 laps with coilovers and stiff sway bars was night and day versus a sketchy stock suspension setup. You have to remember, the C6 was developed as the XLR platform and later turned into a C6. Therefore it had cadillac suspension not worthy of a performance car.

freddyvette

Hey OP, I have a large friend group of car guys.

I'll throw these tidbits:

Everyone who thinks Z06's are slow has seen videos on youtube with bad drivers. A stock C6 ZR1/Z06 destroys a 2014 GTR in a roll race. GTR destroys both Z06 and ZR1 in a dig race. None of my friends believed the Z06 was bone stock until I replaced my motor at 50k miles (DAILY) and took pictures to prove it.

None of my friends that own modded GTRs can daily drive them due to the E85 requirements
All of them have more than 100k into their cars with mods
A ZR1 with 700rwhp won't hold traction worth a damn on street tires

Consider NONE of these cars will have a warranty

Stock for stock, out of the 3 Zr1 is king no question.
Mod buck for Mod buck, Zr1 wins
Would you really want to beat on a 55k$ Zr1 on a daily basis though?
The carbon ceramic brakes are expensive with no real benefit on the street beside looking cool.
You can get a Z06 for 35k$ and put a procharger on it and make 700 rwhp all day long.

My 600 RWHP C6 Z06 will put approximately 2 to 3 bus lengths on a 700 RWHP 2012 GTR from 40 to 170 mph.

yip

This is my experience also. It takes a GTR with over 800whp+ to stay ahead of me from a roll and 900+ to walk me above 120mph.

From a dig I won't even try on street tires though since I get no traction until top of 3rd gear.

drivejumpfly

Thanks for all of the feedback. The four seat want stems from the fact that I plan on having a kid so space for the kid means I would be able to go out with the car without having to wait for his mom to get home her schedule to be open.

Performance wise I do like the numbers and of the Vette, but in the end what I am realizing is I will have to decide on the trade off of four seats versus cheap performance.

When all is said and done, my racing will most likely be limited to drag racing once in awhile, and I would like to attend a half mile event, but I mainly just want to have it out on the street for driving around the mountains.

What interesting is I have gone to a couple of half mile events and I never see any fast Vettes at them. Tons of GTRs though running 180+. It could be the locations of the events that I have attended.

Too bad I cannot afford both.

camirocz

C6 Z06 is the best car bang for the buck.Most fun to drive mostly due to light weight and very fast from a roll even in stock form.Will cost you a lot less than ZR1 or GTR.