What made you choose a Blackwing and what else did you consider?

[Berserker]

Miata.net forums are amazing.

Updated my post.

And your profile pic shows you have an amazing garage. Purest sports car on the planet and possibly the best sports sedan on the planet.

 

[Ergoc5]

Yeah enthusiasts appreciate all performance/sports cars and typically don't limit themselves to one brand (I know there are die hard loyalists but they are missing out IMO).

 

[jumpmanjay]

Yeah, GM's marketing has historically been pretty clueless about why people drive Porsches.

Several years ago, one automotive blog posted about a conversation they had with the GM press department. The GM person was telling the blogger that the C6 or C7 Corvette was better than the Porsche 911. The blog guy was like, "Hold up. When was the last time you drove a Porsche?" There was silence on the other end of the line. The GM person finally admitted they had never driven a Porsche.

I myself have hundreds of miles of seat time in a C6 Corvette and a 987 Cayman. The Porsche was absolutely in another league.



As the former owner of a WRX STI and two Evos (VIII and X), I've been surprised at the number of other former/current STI and Evo owners here. Also seem to be a lot of BMW guys here, and I think I've seen a Miata or two lurking on the backgrounds of some pictures.

GM finally built a couple of no excuses world class performance cars. And people who appreciate that are coming from all over. Rennlist, NASIOC, wherever the BMW guys hang out (Bimmerfest?). Probably some Grassroots Motorsports guys on here as well. (Do the Miata guys have a forum, or are they just too busy enjoying their cars? EDIT: looks like Miata.net)

I had one of the first WRX STis in the country (2004MY). I was still on nasioc well after I moved on from Subarus lol.

 

[Ergoc5]

I started off with a 1990 Mazda MX6 GT (stage 4 HKS total sleeper), then an FD RX7, Audi A6 2.7T manual (custom tuned stage 3, another sleeper), 12 CTS-V, 2002 C5 Z06 ECS supercharged, 2013 C6 Z06 (still regret selling), 2003 Audi RS6, MK7 Golf R manual, 997.2 turbo S and BW. Still on all the Audi forums, vwvortex, ctsvowners, Corvette forum and Rennlist.

 

[M2Cto4BW]

Downsizing from 2 (BMW M2C + Elantra Sport) to 1, due to moving to a place with only 1 dedicated parking spot. Live in the city I rarely drive as is and was using the Hyundai for pretty much all of it.
If I could get a good price for the M2C I'd sell it and the Elantra and get a new allrounder. If I couldn't, I'd sell the Elantra and get new suspension for the BMW. $66K for a year old car I spent ~$62.5K was a good price.

The 'all-rounder' choice was between the 4BW, Elantra N, and a distant 3rd option the Audi RS3.
1st dealer to sell at MSRP gets my business: Cadillac Reno got my business

 

[Hawt Wing]

Downsizing from 2 (BMW M2C + Elantra Sport) to 1, due to moving to a place with only 1 dedicated parking spot. Live in the city I rarely drive as is and was using the Hyundai for pretty much all of it.
If I could get a good price for the M2C I'd sell it and the Elantra and get a new allrounder. If I couldn't, I'd sell the Elantra and get new suspension for the BMW. $66K for a year old car I spent ~$62.5K was a good price.

The 'all-rounder' choice was between the 4BW, Elantra N, and a distant 3rd option the Audi RS3.
1st dealer to sell at MSRP gets my business: Cadillac Reno got my business

Coming from an M2 as well.. I love that car but mine isn’t a manual. My blackwing will be. Glad to see there are others with similar ideas of what a next logical step would be especially when considering the necessity for a good “all-rounder”.

 

[Dubbed.theB]

Had a '19 Camaro SS 1LE and loved it. I wanted that again, but in a 4 door, so... logical to jump to this.
Otherwise I was checking out a Macan, RS5, E class AMG, or M3.

 

[LF4472]

I wanted an upgrade from my daily driver 2011 Altima 3.5SR. I initially looked at a Maxima but the color choices were limited. Next was Infinti G50, but they haven't been updated in a while so aren't competitive. I looked at the next price group and found the CT4-V, CT5-V, Acura TLX Type S appealing. Beyond that were BMW, Mercedes, etc which were more than I wanted to spend. The Cadillacs were well-reviewed and I also own a C7 Z06, so those looked to be good picks. I initially tried to get a CT5-V since it was a little bigger than the Altima, but after waiting for an order to be accepted, found a CT4-V Blackwing optioned as I liked and in stock.

 

[raptor5244]

I had a 2021 ZL1 with the A10. Awesome car but I missed the manual transmission and I know this may sound crazy but I found it difficult to fully enjoy the car on the street since it is so damn fast. The 4BW is no slouch and has a more realistic power level for the roads I have to drive on. The BW4 gearing ratios are also more fun than the super tall gearing in the ZL1 and 5BW. 60mph in 1st, 83mph in 2nd, 113mph in 3rd really requires a Track if you like to wind out the gears.

I am also getting a bit older so I am appreciating the comfortable ride, better visibility, driving position and practicality of the 4BW over the Camaro. It is a better all around car that checks the most boxes for me right now.

 

[Ergoc5]

I had a 2021 ZL1 with the A10. Awesome car but I missed the manual transmission and I know this may sound crazy but I found it difficult to fully enjoy the car on the street since it is so damn fast. The 4BW is no slouch and has a more realistic power level for the roads I have to drive on. The BW4 gearing ratios are also more fun than the super tall gearing in the ZL1 and 5BW. 60mph in 1st, 83mph in 2nd, 113mph in 3rd really requires a Track if you like to wind out the gears.

I am also getting a bit older so I am appreciating the comfortable ride, better visibility, driving position and practicality of the 4BW over the Camaro. It is a better all around car that checks the most boxes for me right now.

With the 5 BW manual though don't need to wind out the gears...beauty of low end torque..can still have fun on the streets

 

[Tall Steve]

I had a 2021 ZL1 with the A10. Awesome car but I missed the manual transmission and I know this may sound crazy but I found it difficult to fully enjoy the car on the street since it is so damn fast. The 4BW is no slouch and has a more realistic power level for the roads I have to drive on. The BW4 gearing ratios are also more fun than the super tall gearing in the ZL1 and 5BW. 60mph in 1st, 83mph in 2nd, 113mph in 3rd really requires a Track if you like to wind out the gears.

I am also getting a bit older so I am appreciating the comfortable ride, better visibility, driving position and practicality of the 4BW over the Camaro. It is a better all around car that checks the most boxes for me right now.

Well said!

 

[rubberduck]

With the 5 BW manual though don't need to wind out the gears...beauty of low end torque..can still have fun on the streets

Works for me. I haven’t noticed any downside to driving around town, shift at 3K to 3.5K. It’s a great MT/clutch combo for city driving. Guess some people just have a twitchy foot. There’s more than one way to drive, and no need to shift at the redline every time. For them I say, keep trying, with age comes better decision making (usually).

 

[raptor5244]

With the 5 BW manual though don't need to wind out the gears...beauty of low end torque..can still have fun on the streets

I hear you. It is really a preference thing. With the tall gearing you are really just short shifting all the time and enjoying the low end grunt. If you like that then it is great and it make great noises while doing it. IMO, the LT4 is better matched to the A10 transmission. It just extracts so much more performance out of the LT4 with its tightly spaced gears and lightning fast shifts always keeping it in boost. Definitely not as engaging though.

 

[raptor5244]

Works for me. I haven’t noticed any downside to driving around town, shift at 3K to 3.5K. It’s a great MT/clutch combo for city driving. Guess some people just have a twitchy foot. There’s more than one way to drive, and no need to shift at the redline every time. For them I say, keep trying, with age comes better decision making (usually).

If you enjoy it, that is all that matters. The M6 gearing is awesome on a road course. I felt like I was constantly restrained in my ZL1 and hitting go directly to jail speeds without even trying. I mean it is a performance car and meant to be driven.
Jason Cammisa does a nice job explaining the differences 4BW and 5BW on the street. I also love how much more nimble the 4BW feels vs. my ZL1 and they weigh about the same. The steering is also much lighter. I agree with Jason in the video though, if they could have the squeezed the LT1 V8 in the BW4 that would have been even better. I am happy with the power of the LF4 Twin Turbo V6 but the LT1 V8 from the Camaro/Corvette would sound even better and not need the turbos.

 

[xeerohour]

As the former owner of a WRX STI and two Evos (VIII and X), I've been surprised at the number of other former/current STI and Evo owners here. Also seem to be a lot of BMW guys here, and I think I've seen a Miata or two lurking on the backgrounds of some pictures.

Former WRX owner (traded it on an RS3, which according to the guy who sold it to me was actually pretty common). Now my garage is a Miata and a Blackwing, with the wife driving a Q5. So I'd say you nailed your target audience.

Honestly, at this point, I can't think of a better setup for me personally. The Miata is great for either convertible cruising or just hooning it around town. The blackwing has two car seats in back and picks up the kids every day, but is the "serious" car for when I need to get groceries or take a longer drive - or when I want to take someone for a drive and wow them.

Yeah, there's a part of me that lusts after a 911, or a manual Supra, or even an Aston Martin Vantage with the stick. But all of those fall somewhere in between the Blackwing and the Miata in terms of usability or "slow car fast" fun. It may be a while before I buy a car again.

 

[raptor5244]

Former WRX owner (traded it on an RS3, which according to the guy who sold it to me was actually pretty common). Now my garage is a Miata and a Blackwing, with the wife driving a Q5. So I'd say you nailed your target audience.

Honestly, at this point, I can't think of a better setup for me personally. The Miata is great for either convertible cruising or just hooning it around town. The blackwing has two car seats in back and picks up the kids every day, but is the "serious" car for when I need to get groceries or take a longer drive - or when I want to take someone for a drive and wow them.

Yeah, there's a part of me that lusts after a 911, or a manual Supra, or even an Aston Martin Vantage with the stick. But all of those fall somewhere in between the Blackwing and the Miata in terms of usability or "slow car fast" fun. It may be a while before I buy a car again.

I had a Miata ND2 soft top. Great car, probably the most fun around town. They are getting a little pricey though in RF trim. A Miata is now over $40k for an RF Club with BBS/Brembo/Recaro package. New base Z is $40k MSRP.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

I had a Miata ND2 soft top. Great car, probably the most fun around town. They are getting a little pricey though in RF trim. A Miata is now over $40k for an RF Club with BBS/Brembo/Recaro package. New base Z is $40k MSRP.

I'm starting to think we Blackwing folks fit some kind of profile - my first car was an NB Miata followed by a Bug-eye WRX

 

[Dubbed.theB]

Never owned a Miata myself, but did consider one a few times. Could never find one in good condition or the right price.
I did own a bugeye WRX and an Evo VIII before.

 

[xeerohour]

I had a Miata ND2 soft top. Great car, probably the most fun around town. They are getting a little pricey though in RF trim. A Miata is now over $40k for an RF Club with BBS/Brembo/Recaro package. New base Z is $40k MSRP.

I have an nd1 soft top with the BBS/Brembo package. It's perfect for my use - five years old, got about 15k miles on it (I've only owned it since February, but I spent a while tracking down a used one with low miles and the brembo/bbs package). I slap a booster seat in the passenger side and hoon around town with one of my sons.

I wouldn't pay 40k for a Miata. If that was my only option, I'd pay 30k for a new GR86. The new Z definitely appeals at 40k, no argument there. But you're losing the convertible, the brakes, and the LSD in exchange for more power. Really depends on your use case.

I'm a pretty budget conscious buyer, despite my bad habit of moving on from cars every couple years. Whatever it takes to justify it to myself, I guess!

 

[Neveready]

I wanted a newer (safer) car that had a medium sized back seat, at least a 2008+ with a V8 in Manual trans. If the BW didn't come to fruition, the alternative was in this order:

With a manual transmission:
CTS-V2 , either wagon or sedan
Chevy SS
E90 M3
Ct4V BW
F80 M3
G20 M3

No manual transmission:
Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye WB
Lexus GS-F

Honorable mention:
RS3
IS500
CTS-V3
M6 grand coupe in manual transmission
Dodge Charger Scat Pack WB