is this really up for discussion?

 

Yes... a C5Z will destroy a M3 in every category other than "having back seats" and "less plastics in the interior".

If you want a DD only the M3 is the better choice for most people. If you want the better performer then the C5Z winds hands down.

I've heard it put, "The C5 Z06 is a track car that can make a good daily driver, while the M3 is a daily driver that can make a good track car."

 

Comfy DD that can kick the occasional ass > Cheap loud 2 seater

 

M3 is pure sex, bottom line...

 

Or you could kill all 3 birds with one stone.

OP, if you haven't driven an E39 M5, go find one. It's probably the most complete car I've ever driven.


And my personal choice:

 

You ever drive a C5 Z06 in a spirited manner? I've driven both... a good buddy of mine who races a Corvette in NASA ST2 got an e46 M3 back in '02 when he graduated college. After one ride in my C5Z he sold his M3 and bought a Z06... it was simply that much faster. He then got hooked on HPDEing and progressed to amateur racing.

 

^game set match





These two cars should never be compared though imo. I don't see how you can be looking for both of these, they're entirely different.

 

To be honest... if I had to only have one car and needed back seats it'd be a red e39 M5.

 

Blah loses credibility for putting up a car with an automatic transmission.

The Z06 is a terrible daily driver, for whatever that's worth. The Porsche may be substantially slower in a straight-line, but unless you're some chump who is scared of rear-engined cars and is likely to brake mid-curve, it is the better choice.

I never saw the appeal of the M5. You have to bang the revs so high to get the power out of it. To me, it's a confused car. Too harsh to be a comfy sedan, too heavy to be anything else.

 

There's plenty of people who can easily DD a z06, I'd love to.

What Porsche are you talking about, it's m3 vs z06.
And unless I'm mistaken the older M5s made pretty impressive torque.