Vette Z51 VS Porsche 911 or 911s...who win?
 

Hi guys. I know that this may not be a fair race due to the HP and size of engine.....but my friends are having an argument and would like anyone to tell us about any real experience (track, race, etc).

We would like to know who would win.

Corvette Z51 vs 997 Porsche 911 in 0-60 and in a quarter
Corvette Z51 vs 997 Porsche 911S in the same race.

I know car and drive has the 911s spec out at 4.3 and 12.8 recently vs the Aston Martin......but does anyone have any real world experience instead of the "magazine numbers?"

Magazine numbers are derived from real world tests.

And like any "real world" numbers owners will post you have no way of knowing the circumstances they were achieved under so there could be no direct correlation in a "head to head" match up of the two cars you have in mind on any give day in America.

A faster car can loose to a slower car any day of the week if the circumstances are right. Not sure what that proves other than one driver is better than the other or got lucky. As a starting point have you looked at the data the manufactures provide?

Tom

"Z-51" has nothing to do with straight line performance, so actually you want to know the facts about C6 vs Porsche....

The March 2005 Road & Track compared the Corvette (Z51) against a number of other sports cars including the 911 Carrera S. The article had the 911 with a little better performance 0-60 in 3.9 and the 1/4 in 12.3. Speed through the slalom was 71.7. The Corvette was rated at 0-60 in 4.5 and 12.8 in the 1/4 and 70.2 in the slalom. However, given the price of the 911 was more than $90K, they rated the Vet best overall sports car.

Actually it does as the Z51 option includes lower gears in 1st thru 3rd. I'm just guessing...you didn't get the Z-51 option?

.. Ouch! harsh

I found one of the "first" car mag tests of a "Z51 equipped C6" from the Sept 2004 Car and Driver which may help in your quest for info.

To cut to the chase here's a quote "With the system off, the Vette galloped to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 113 mph."

Here's the entire article - http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

There has been many other road tests since.

Tom

The Porsche web site lists their models as follows:
911 Carrerra 0 to 60 = 4.8 top speed = 177 mph
911 Carrera S 0 to 60 = 4.6 top speed = 182 mph
911 turbo 0 to 60 = 3.7 top speed = 193 mph
GT3 0 to 60 = 4.1 top speed = 193 mph

The May 2006 edition of Road & Track lists the 911 Carrera S Coupe 0 to 60 at 3.9 seconds and the 1/4 mile at 12.3 seconds...this is a huge difference from what Porsche lists on their web site.

There are so many variables sometimes you just don't know....in the 1/4 mile the C6 Z51 is rated a scant 1/10 of 1 second faster than the non-Z51 optioned C6 (something like that) but the last time I looked....in the actual 1/4 times posted by forum members for stock C6's the second fastest 1/4 mile time of all of them came from a F55 optioned non-Z51 C6.

NOT TRUE!!!! There are gearing changes, tire changes, trans gearing changes if MX6 etc,etc,etc......Only about 1 tenth in a quarter but still there!!!!:ack:...this assumimg it's 06-07

ACTUALLY it doesn't matter in an automatic if you have the performance axle, which most do. So a non-Z51 with a performance axle has the same acceleration as a Z51.

My posting has NOTHING to do for/against the Z51 package, just stating the facts. Why do you assume that I don't have a Z51 package, is this in some way talking bad about the Z51 package and hurting your feelings? Sorry about that, the Z51 package makes those that have it FAR superior to our non-Z51 friends, heck I won't even talk to them at Vette meets :rofl:

That R&T road test of the Carrera S caused quite a bit of controversy, as I remember, because it is 0.5sec faster in the quarter mile than most Carrera S's can achieve. R&T even dyno'd the car, then said it was about what they would expect, but never printed the results. It would probably take 355 RWHP, not crank hp, to achieve numbers like that.

Anyway, more typical numbers for a Carrera S are about equal to the C6 at 12.8/110-112, with more axle hop than most owners would tolerate. While the weight distribution on a 911 would seem to make it a drag strip king, the suspension lets you down. I suspect most owners that cared about their cars would be challenged to break out of the 13's with a 911.

My bet is your assumption is CORRECT!!!!! (By the way you beat me to the "punch"....:cheers:

Having owned two Porsches, and a Z51 Corvette, with a good driver, I believe the Corvette wins the track performance tests, most of the time.

The big advantage the Corvette has over any Porsche is the cost of maintenance over the life of the cars. Porsches are unbelieveably expensive to own and maintain.
I even do a lot of my own basic maintenance ---(brakes/suspension/exhaust/ clutch-gearbox-FI adjustments/engine basic items-belts,valve adjustments/etc.) and Porsche parts are just breathtaking as far as cost. If you have to take your car to the dealer or an independent shop for this basic maintenance, be prepared to absorb huge $$$ expenses to maintain your Porsche.

God help you if you have to replace any of the major systems like ABS, exhaust systems, fuel management pieces, even brakes. The expense is just absolutely stunning. Deep pockets required for Porsche ownership!

Porsches are great cars with the quality of materials used, the fit/finish(the paint jobs on the 911 based cars may be the best in the world), the overall driver feel (weight+precision of the steering, powerful braking, perfectly matched to the engine gearbox, overall engine responsiveness) is just a little bit better than the Corvette.

But the Corvette is hands - down the much better car to own, if you live on a budget

Z-51 has shorter gearing in the M-6 and is indeed faster than the non-Z. .2 tenths to 60 and in the 1/4, plus higher topend in 5th. CandD ran a test between the Z-51 and 911S. The Vette won in all speed contests. Plus there's that $40k difference in price...:thumbs:

Race
 

I would easily win as I would have $40,000 to bribe the judge...

Not harsh enough.

Do you think buyers spend the extra money only for the "cool" rotors? Although the rotors are so "cool" the magnetic ride guys cried until they got them too. Looks like they didn't know about the brake squeal you get with that rotor/pad package.

Now really, who's feelings appear hurt? Just because you didn't know about the Z51 package at the time you purchased your Vette and are kicking yourself because you didn't get this great valued performance option, you are pissed... at me? Do think so; look at yourself, maybe.

ACTUALLY it doesn't matter in an automatic if you have the performance axle, which most do. So a non-Z51 with a performance axle has the same acceleration as a Z51. My posting has NOTHING to do for/against the Z51 package, just stating the facts. Why do you assume that I don't have a Z51 package, is this in some way talking bad about the Z51 package and hurting your feelings? Sorry about that, the Z51 package makes those that have it FAR superior to our non-Z51 friends, heck I won't even talk to them at Vette meets

You can say that! Not to mention you can buy those oh so impressive shiny Z51 fender emblems for your Z51 OPTIONED "King of the Road", but they are not available and strictly verboten for the low class F-55 and FE1 C6's!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

The big advantage the Corvette has over any Porsche is the cost of maintenance over the life of the cars. Porsches are unbelieveably expensive to own and maintain. If you have to take your car to the dealer or an independent shop for this basic maintenance, be prepared to absorb huge $$$ expenses to maintain your Porsche.

I am not so sure about that. I had three 911's including 2 Turbo's and while its true parts are expensive, I had very low maintenance costs as it was extremely rare (for me) to have a mechanical breakdown. So one has to factor in overall amount of breakdowns...and MY guess is the Porsche overall has fewer breakdowns over the Corvette. I know I had LOTS of breakdowns on every GM car I have owned (Buick, Old, Chevy, Pontiac).

Do you think buyers spend the extra money only for the "cool" rotors? Although the rotors are so "cool" the magnetic ride guys cried until they got them too. Looks like they didn't know about the brake squeal you get with that rotor/pad package.

Not to mention cracked rotors. You know, the C6-R has solid rotors just like my FE1 and I thought those rotors look cool too! :) I didnt get Z51 for a couple reasons. Aside from the rotor/squeal problems, the tires wear quick and those springs are awful stiff on bad roads. You can have best of FE1 and Z51 for the A6 (gearing is the same) by getting FE1, adding Z51 sways and maybe some Bilsteins or Konis. Ditto for any coolers if you are really into racing.