Definitely!
Many egos will be crushed by the guy (that can drive) in an underpowered car. True story, during a track day, a friend who drives a Sub Legacy GT wagon on winter tires played with and then passed a guy in a Cayman. After the session, guy in the Cayman came over to chat and see what was "done" to the Sub. When he noticed the winter tires he never came back. Ego=crushed.

You can brochure race all day. Track days are not racing. There's always a faster car. Someone somewhere would be better than you in your own car. Drive a car that makes you smile. After 15 years racing/tracking/instructing that's what I learned so far.

 

First: these aren't race qual times where tenths or even sec matter. The cars would never race in the same class.

This a relative performnce envelope for cars marketed in the same class.

Second: for the m and a pp on the Ring the delta is 1.5 %...nothing
Variations of 2-3% in tests like this are statistically irrelavent and thus moot.
In straight line 0-150 a 2008 amg is faster than a manual m4. Overall considereing all variations equal with 1/2 sec or so. In the 1/4 overall the m might have 1/10 and 1 hmph edge. Cherry picking the best times for each they are equal.

Third: it runs with the 997 turbo and M3 of the SAME generation. As I pointed out for 1/2 as much you can get a c63 that will run consistently with a stock m4.
The m4 according to dynos has 10% more power, 15% more torque, weighs 10% less, has wider tires, dct, etc and is a 7 year newer design. Yet no appreciable performance difference when gauged as a STREET performance car, which is what they actually are.

Lastly: imo the c63 punches above it's weight class and the m4 below it. A stock 2008 amg is within 1 sec (1/2%) of a new M5 for 1/3 the $$$. When including simple mods (tune, row box, tires, suspension) it would be faster in this VIR test. Think about it.

I do not consider the m4 a great car, too soon to toss that word around lightly. But the c63 is much closer to greatness, but imo not great yet, but it will fade into the haze of history less than the e9x or f8x m's. A great car to me is an e30 m3, a b7 rs4, 930 turbo, butnot the m4 or the c63... Yet.

 

Then what is 10 sec between the camaro and m4
That is 6% vs 3%
Double destroyed? Lol
And as times decrease harder to reduce them
So relative to the 3% the 6% is more like a 10% improvement since it is harder to obtain
And the camaro cost less lol

 

This the z28 ran 2:50 or so
Smoking!

 

I bet if you ran the 2008 c63 on the 2015 m4 tires the difference would almost disappear
245/275 vs 235/255 on a 400 lb lighter car
Plus 7 year newer design technology
The 507 on the m4 tires may be faster

What size tires does the BS run?

 

Yeah. The Z28 is 100% world class. It's beating the GTR on some lap comparisons. It's also $75-80K, comes with carbon ceramic brakes, cloth seats, damn near slicks all the way around, no options and literally one speaker for the door chime.

The suspension on the Z28 was custom developed by the Corvette racing team. It's not offered on any other product they develop (it's not the mag ride like Corvette/Ferrari use).

 

My alma mater's camaro
http://www.historictransam.com/projects/JohnMiller.html

 

wow i had no idea, when they first came out with these new camaro's they really didnt impress me at all compared to the mustang gt and gt500 but OMG these new z28s and ZL1's .....man

 

I *have* read that VIR was repaved a year or so ago and is quite a bit faster now than it used to be. If so, then the C63 and M4 might be a little closer.

If that's the case, I'd like to see the old Viper ACR on the new track (ran 2:48 on the old pavement).

 

Yeah, just keep in mind the car is basically gutted with the 7.0L out of the old Z06. No creature comforts left. I wasn't joking, I think there is LITERALLY only one speaker in the whole car.

Extremely limited run. I think they sold out immediately, and I'm not entirely sure they're making any more past this model year.

The ZL1 is meh. Give me a Hellcat.

 

Kinda shocked at porsche turbo's relatively average laptime. That m4 tho.

 

The z28 ran a 7:37.5 at the Ring
15 sec faster than the m4
It's the real deal
Faster than cars costing 2-3 tomes as much

 

anyone who has driven one says it can never be a DD...pure race car...only for the hardcode fans with $$ to spare!

 

Got curious and dealers have them in stock around here...but I'd never buy something like that I'd rather have some level of driving comfort and style
But if you want a pure track car that thing looks tough to beat

 

Good call. Did an autotrader search and found several.


SOME OVER $90K and one over $100K!!!!

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...79661419&Log=0

 

Yes, the driver is always the most important part of the formula. There are a bunch of poor drivers in great cars. I have a friend who is one of the best autocross and track day drivers I've ever seen. But he had an infliction, he loved to race what appeared to be slow cars and beat guys in faster cars. He raced a 1966 Corvair 140 horse in F stock in Solo 2. He wouldn't beat the Camaro/Mustang guys by a tenth of a second, he'd beat them by 3 seconds on a 1 minute course! This guy was amazing, but what he really enjoyed was hearing the other guys muttering why they were beat by such a beater car.

Fast forward a few years and this same guy bought a 1985 GMC Cabelerro (El Camino). He took it to a race shop and put in a new engine and all new suspension along with very sticky tires. It actually was a pretty decent car. He was out at PIR running a track day. They were sharing the track with Ganassi's Indycar team. The Indycar team noticed this El Camino closing in on a very nice Turbo 911. So they took their driver board and started showing him the gap to the 911. Each lap he was taking 3 seconds off the 911. When he finally got to the back of the 911, the guy ducked into the pits to avoid the embarrassment. All the Ganassi team was jumping up and down cheering.

This guy finally sold all his cars as he did not like the super competitive person he'd become. Personally I loved watching him beat the faster cars.

 

Did not know that
Between that and the tires the cars are essentially even

 

Stock vs. Stock...

If road racing, I'll take the M4.

If drag racing, I'll take the C63.

The laps times and gaps presented above my not sound like much, but believe me, it is. For example, that .06sec gap or whatever thereof can be noticeably huge once the end of session checker flag is waved after a given 1hr or even a 45min session.

Stock for stock as far as road racing, the C63 is capable entity, but not ideal. Now, if you were to run the C BS,then that would be a different story.

After owning a few M and AMG cars and participating/competing in various racing events (road and drag), I’ve learned that M cars for the most part are better suited for road racing and AMG cars are better for drag racing. Neither platform fits every little driving need, but overall, the M cars generally give better road feedback and thus greater confidence. AMG cars are generally better cruisers. Both are unique and do what they are designed to do really well. I like them both for what they are.