996 vs. C5 Z06

"JasonStern911" (JasonStern911) 01/15/2016 at 20:26 • Filed to: None

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Someone brought up the C5 Z06, and someone in the comments brought up how it is better than the 996. and what an interesting comparison. both are fairly high production sports cars that have faced massive depreciation. having been in the market for sports cars in the past, and having driven a few, I FEEL LIKE THE INTERNET REALLY, REALLY CARES ABOUT MY OPINION. or at least wants to bash me for having it. :)

the Z06 kills the 996 in the straights. and it’s not just because of the power difference, but the LS6 just makes ridiculous amounts of torque down low. and in most daily driving, that’s where your RPM range is going to live. as fun as screaming an engine out to redline is, you don’t do that on your average commute.

the 996 beats the Z06 in handling. but it’s a skill based handling - especially in 996s without PSM. the learning curve is so much higher for the 996, but even having had one for years, I know I’m probably going to crash if I exceed the the car’s limits. while lower, the Z06 doesn’t have that, which is amazing given the power that car has. but the Z06 also feels less confident at those higher speeds. the 996 is more like “all is well! all is well!!!” until it isn’t - more similar to a Boxster. it’s interesting, and something I attribute more towards owning an FR Starion, RX8, and Miata in the past than some inherent difference between the cars. I’m no Chris Harris.

the 996 has plus points in that it’s a better daily driver due to a higher suspension (presuming stock US suspension versus ROW), it has back seats, and a useful fronk. neither have great interiors, but the 996 wins out by a decent margin. despite the 996's “unique” headlight design, the car has aged more gracefully. and while both are high production as far as sports cars go, the C5 is fairly common in the U.S. and the average person doesn’t know the trim levels. the average person is more likely to point out that their cousin has the same steering wheel in their Pontiac Grand Prix than to know the differences between an LS1 and LS6 motor.

I’m probably faster around a track in an STi than I am a 996, but there’s a certain interest and prestige in driving a Porsche Carrera that most people don’t get with respect to a “really nice Subaru Impreza.” plus the sheer volume of C5s means that, short term, they will continue to depreciate in value. but unlike the 993s, it will be a long, long time before 996s appreciate. that actually works in the favor of both cars, as it makes it understandable to drive them as opposed to fearing about ruining the perfection their manufacturers tried to instill.

when something breaks, the Z06 is so exponentially cheaper to own and maintain. the LS6 is bulletproof, whereas the M96 needs $2-3k dumped into it to make it bulletproof. I love 986s and 996s, but the first advice I have for any potential owner is, if there aren’t complete service records, take the initiative to drop $3k into preventative maintenance (IMS bearing, RMS, AOS, etc.). it’s cheaper to do everything right once and have a reliable sports car than to get financially exploited iteratively. and if you have a failure, they’re often “find a replacement motor” catastrophic. the LS6 is a truck motor with decades of evolution. if you blow the motor, you can probably resolve the issue for less than the initial preventative maintenance. so if ownership is just a short-term mid-life crisis style event where you are okay writing off any depreciation, then the Z06 wins easily.

performance mods are cheap on the LS6, whereas there is no value in any modifications to the 996 unless you’re talking about the 996TT. so, from a tuning standpoint, the Zo6 wins solidly for anyone interested in modifying their car to be their car. neither can be modified much from an aesthetics standpoint, but the 996 gets the edge as one could try to make the car look more like a GT2 or GT3 - and the Martini racing trim is something that I have always loved.

where the 996 gets a leg up over the C5 Z06 is the availability in options. the 996 starts with a base model drive by cable 3.4L variation with no traction control, and works its way up to a drive by wire 3.6L variation with PSM. you also have the options of a non-sunroof coupe, sunroof coupe, targa top, or convertible. likewise, you have all-wheel drive as an option. the car is also available in a narrow body and wide body configuration.

which car is better? it totally depends on where you are at in your life and what your goals on owning a sports car are. how did I decide? I didn’t. my main C5 Z06 experiences were back when I was younger and had my RX-8, and in hindsight, I completely regret not selling that fun but unreliable car and being able to tell you fun stories about my Z06 ownership. so if you’re young and interested in tuning, go with the Z06. if you’re older or have the financial means to properly maintain a German car, go with the right 996. if you’re neither, maybe consider other options.

when I bought my 996, I had a list of ten cars, and I spent a year looking at dozens of potential purchases and had them pre-inspected to know what I was getting myself into. the 996 won out because I found a rare car in perfect condition with 17k miles on it with full service records owned by a Porsche enthusiast that also bought his first 911 when he was exactly the same age as me that had my trusted independent Porsche mechanics after owning my Boxster tell me that it was one of the nicest cars they have seen for a PPI. plus the back seats are so valuable. yes, you can’t fit two grown ass men in your back seats. but why are you doing that? attractive girls, and, down the line, you future kid(s) fit perfectly fine.

I won’t lie. the N/A 996 is not some end-all be-all of cars. sometimes I see a good deal on a sexier 996TT and I am tempted, but why? I couldn’t trade my just under 30k 996 in for a new Scion FR-S despite the 996 being a Porsche Carrera and the FR-S being a Scion. the same goes for Z06s. don’t buy a depreciating asset on credit when you can buy a much, much nicer used car. just make sure to get a pre-purchase inspection to avoid the “I got a great deal!” - “Oh, I see why I got such a great deal” problem that comes with buying used.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > JasonStern911 01/15/2016 at 20:45

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My opinion for the Corvette vs. 911 argument is that if they’re the same price, people buy Corvettes with the racing heritage (in the US at least) and 911 for the prestige that comes with the badge.

The real power, speed specs are just bonuses that come with buying whichever you get.

davedave1111 > JasonStern911 01/15/2016 at 20:46

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I don’t know why Corvette fans insist on comparing it to the 911. It never wins that comparison, except on value - and you shouldn’t expect it to, because the Porsche is a luxury car, while the Corvette is a sports-muscle-car.

Where the Corvette wins hands-down is when you compare it to other cars that cost similar amounts when new. We never hear about that, though, because the fanboys are busy trying to argue it’s better than a Porsche it was never supposed to compete with. I mean, really, it’s about the same price as an Elise. Tell us about that.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > JasonStern911 01/15/2016 at 20:53

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I find your lack of capital letters disturbing.

Wobbles the Mind > JasonStern911 01/15/2016 at 21:31

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Thank you for your insight! My heart seems to be screaming C5 Z06, 996 Turbo, NSX, or Espirt. I think all four had great stuff from 2002 to 2004 if I recall correctly. I think that’s perfect if I stick to my plan for 2019/2020. All I need to do is stay single and childless...and healthy!

Speed > JasonStern911 01/15/2016 at 22:38

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Maybe the comment in the Z06 post was mine?

I personally cross shop the Z06 and 996 because they’re in a similar used car price tier and both happen to be fantastic bargains that are also special.

I truly lust after both of them, as well as many other performace cars in the $15-20k range (E39 M5's, Terminators, E46 M3's, E55 AMG’s, S2000's, EVO’s, ect ect). Hardly any of these compete with one another, but they collectively make a group of once rather expensive performance cars that are at the bottom of their depreciation curves and tremendous values because of it.

I would happily own any of these cars and if I had it, many of these cars. Being that I could only realstically swing one at this stage, I gravitate towards the Corvette because of how friendly it is on the wallet vs the other examples. It just doesn’t have these caveats like some (cracking subframes, VANOS, IMS, ect ect). It’s a great choice because not only are they easy to buy, but are easy to keep running.

That’s where my bias comes from. It’s just such a damn good choice for maximum hoonage and minimal upkeep.

Speaking of 996's though.. I was looking up 996 exhaust videos earlier this afternoon and DAMN! If I had one.. This noise.

Speed > Wobbles the Mind 01/15/2016 at 23:48

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I battle the Esprit bug on the daily, especially after getting my heart broken while browsing air cooled 911's. You could have a NICE Esprit by the time you’ve spent $20k, or a V8 Turbo in the 30s. They’re such a bargain. I even look at the basket cases that are like $8k.

wafflesnfalafel > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 01/16/2016 at 00:09

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yeah - how about just getting a c6 z06 and pounding either the 996 or c5 z06 and looking and sounding better than either.

JasonStern911 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 02/06/2016 at 21:11

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HAD I TYPED IN ALL CAPS, WOULD MY ANALYSIS BEEN MORE COMPELLING?

JasonStern911 > Wobbles the Mind 02/06/2016 at 21:13

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the NSX was on my list, and when I looked, they were in the $25k range for well maintained, but higher mileage ones. while the 996 has been a better daily driver than an NSX has, solely from a financial standpoint, an NSX or Viper would have been a much better choice. exclusivity has driven the prices of both vehicles up.

JasonStern911 > Speed 02/06/2016 at 21:23

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“I truly lust after both of them, as well as many other performace cars in the $15-20k range (E39 M5's, Terminators, E46 M3's, E55 AMG’s, S2000's, EVO’s, ect ect). Hardly any of these compete with one another, but they collectively make a group of once rather expensive performance cars that are at the bottom of their depreciation curves and tremendous values because of it.”

this is the exact mindset most oppos should have. don’t buy depreciating assets on credit, let someone else pay for the initial depreciation, and buy the best car with respect to maintenance and build quality that you can find regardless of [insert trivial reason to dislike a car].

JasonStern911 > davedave1111 02/06/2016 at 21:27

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I disagree. the Z06 wins in certain categories, specifically the lower MSRP and the amazing motor that is the LS6. reviewers pick one car over the other based solely on what priority they give a specific trait, which was the point that I was trying to get across. they’re both great cars, and currently great values.

davedave1111 > JasonStern911 02/07/2016 at 04:27

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“the Z06 wins in certain categories, specifically the lower MSRP and the amazing motor that is the LS6"

Winning on price? That doesn’t really make sense. You compare based on price, and then it wins or loses based on how good a job it does for the money. And that’s kind of my point. Consistently compare the Corvette to higher-end cars and you end up focusing only on its weak points. Compare like with like, and it’s a great car.

Speed > JasonStern911 02/08/2016 at 14:10

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Thank you! Additionally, if an Oppo does have to take out a loan to pick one of these up (most of us would!), then down the road it’s likely you can sell them for close to what you paid or possibly more.

You could have a few of these for what any of them would have cost new.

Ninor > Speed 07/07/2018 at 18:49

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The turbo doesn't have IMS. (Apologies if you knew that, a lot don't)