Originally Posted by Adam_W

I know what your saying and have definitely considered that. In fact, that was my original plan and I was *this* close to signing the papers on a new Corvette after spending a couple hours at the dealership haggling.

The reason for my seeking an "intermediate" car before a higher level sports car is that
1) I'm not 100% sure I want a Corvette Z06, over a 911 or other car (even though I'm heavily leaning towards Z06) and I figure once I learn more about what I like in a car I can make a more educated decision (who knows, maybe I'll prefer a Lotus), and
2) I want to learn more than just how to drive stickshift without stalling or lurching, I can already do that. I'm interested in learning how to drive stickshift *well*, i.e. heel toe downshifting, finding the racing line around a track, and gaining some experience turning corners at the limit. Granted, there is a learning curve with every vehicle, but the guys at corvette forum recommended against me getting the Z06 as my first foray into manual transmission sports cars. If I crash an old Miata at HPDE, I won't feel so bad (if I crash a 370Z I will feel very bad) but if I crashed a shiny 2013 3LZ Black on Black Z06, I just might shoot myself if I'm not already dead, and
3) I figure I can learn car control and driving better in a car that takes 8 seconds to get to 60 MPH than a car that takes 3.5 seconds in first gear.

As I learn more about the expenses involved in tracking cars, I'm wondering if I would ever want to track a Z06 or 911.