BMW M3

Based on our previous tests of the Z06, we knew what to expect from Chevy's hottest fire-breather. Ditto the potential results from the Boxster S. The wild card in this test clearly was the M3. Sure, the newest iteration of the most potent 3 Series has received a huge horsepower increase (333 versus the previous model's 240), but with only an inline-six to produce it, would it have the low-end torque necessary to pull hard off this course's quartet of slow corners? Or would its superb chassis, big tires, and 8000-rpm redline actually put it ahead of the 385-hp Vette? The Boxster S came to play with only 250 ponies, but don't underestimate its superbly balanced road-course potential and 2855-lb curb weight. There's more to this test than just raw speed, and the Porsche's lightweight mid-engine design may prove a distinct advantage.

But before road-course testing can begin, we need to lay down our standard regimen of acceleration, braking, skidpad, and slalom tests. These are accomplished first simply because ten-tenths driving on the road course eats up a car's tires (and possibly brakes) in short order.

AccelerationFirst up was the Porsche. Clearly not designed to be a tire-smoking drag racer, the Boxster S suffered from severe axle hop off the line at any launch rpm higher than about 3000. After trying every starting speed from 2500 to 5000 rpm, the best performance ultimately was achieved with a 4500-rpm launch and feathering of the throttle to allow just a hint of wheelspin. The resultant 0-60-mph time of 5.39 sec (and quarter mile of 13.93 sec/100.40 mph) was the quickest we've recorded in a Boxster S to date. Combining perfect gearing with the delicious high-rpm pull (and sound!) of its 3.2L flat-six, the Boxster S delivers a full-bodied rush of performance every time you leg the throttle. Although it isn't the quickest here, the S is a huge improvement over the standard Boxster, finally delivering the level of acceleration this excellent chassis deserves.

The M3 was the next to run and required an entirely different style of starting-line technique. Like its big-brother M5, this hot Bimmer turns the best times with no wheelspin whatsoever, leaving the line at 1300 rpm and moving to full throttle in a linear manner as the speed builds in first gear. The reason: This inline-six feels more like a healthy V-8, replete with big bags of torque that morph the 18-in. Michelins into uselessly smoking hoops if you're not careful. Shift just as the tach needle breathes halfway into the yellow zone, and you'll avoid the rev limiter that lives a hair's breadth above 8000 rpm. Nail the shifts perfectly (not tough to do with this sweet six-speed box), and you'll rip to 60 mph in 4.65 sec and on through the quarter mile in 13.18 sec/106.92 mph. Pull, sound, finesse-the M3 has it all. That BMW's engineers could coax 333 hp out of a normally aspirated 3.2L engine (in a $45,000 car!) should make them eligible for some sort of Nobel Prize.

Driving the Z06 in the quarter mile is like being transported back to 1969. Suddenly, you're behind the wheel of a 427 big-block, with squealing rubber, a hell-spawn engine roar, face-flattening g-forces, and body-rocking torque trying to twist the frame in half at each shift. This car doesn't know from finesse. It's the ultimate Corvette. A man's car for the man who knows how to use it. Any poseurs will quickly be weeded out of the Z06 owner registry, with soiled undergarments and eyes as big as saucers.