OP I am like you, never owned a vette, and back a month ago could order anything I wanted. I am using the car as my DD and wanted the nicest ride possible. I've owned many M series BMW's and have the "Track" experience out of my system. I opted for the "base" car and could not be happier. I just drove it 1200 miles home and was planning to stop at a hotel overnight. The ride and feel was so nice I went straight on thru. The z51 is nice but the base car should not be considered "less" if you are looking for DD. I replaced the wheels and tires to z51 size, so I got the look I wanted:
