BMW M3

Tire-roasting torque and monstrous horsepower make the Corvette Z06 super quick, but its racetrack-bred chassis keeps it manageable. With the traction control in Competitive Driving mode, your grandma could road race this car, and win! We still find the fastest lap times with its traction control shut off completely, but this is one system that allows very spirited driving without stepping in too often as the "fun police." On our road course, the Z06 was brutal, exhilarating, loud, and friendly, all at the same time. Here (and the dragstrip, of course), it feels the most at home, being actually quite easy to place on the track (despite its wide stance), able to quickly and deftly transition from straight-line acceleration to heavy braking in a corner (without upsetting its balance), and having the fortitude to run hard lap after lap without any noticeable deterioration of its performance. The new Goodyear Eagle F1 SCs hold up well against overheating and are more effective overall than the regular Corvette's run-flat tires, which have to carry ultra-stiff (and heavy) construction. The Z06 swallowed up everything this track had to throw at it and begged for more. If you want a street-legal race car that also has crankin' air conditioning, a great stereo, and comfy leather seats, this is it. Its best lap time was 59.50 seconds!

The mighty M3 feels a lot like a scaled-down M5 on this track: More push than we like in the slow corners, but downright perfect in faster situations. Tail-out drifts are easy and big fun, but don't equal a fast e.t. This car's only problem is its tires: They become greasy and loose after one fast lap, hampering repeatability. Otherwise, it's flawless. The strong pull of the engine never diminishes, even when you're in sixth gear on some desolate stretch and on your way to the frustrating 155-mph speed limiter. (The Vette and Boxster S don't believe in stinkin' limiters!) With a best lap time of 1:00.50, the M3's overall balance obviously does a lot to make up for its deficit in acceleration to the Corvette. And here's the main distinction between the two: The M3 is a sports car, not in the purest definition as is the two-seat convertible Boxster, but in the fact it's light to the touch and precise in feel (despite weighing 300 lb more than the Vette and 560 more than the Porsche!), with no one part of its personality overwhelming any other. By contrast, the Z06 is really more of a raucous musclecar in demeanor, but one that handles and stops unbelievably well. It's ironic that the M3 can do all that it does so extremely well and still be a four-place machine with a useable back seat and a real trunk.

No recount is needed to determine the winner of our racetrack competition. The Corvette Z06 won the acceleration, braking, 0-100-0, skidpad, and road-course tests hands down, and tied with the M3 for first place in the slalom test. Five outright wins, one tie for the win. That, friends, says it all.-CVT

On The RoadIn spite of the impressive track performances this speed trio is capable of, any one of them will serve as comfortable, all-weather, daily transport if required, so there's no need to justify the purchase as a weekend toy only.