Corvette Forum Members Getting Persuaded by Porsches?
You, 80 grand, and the choice of a brand new Corvette, Porsche Boxster, or Cayman. Could you be swayed?
It’s practically a law of nature at this point: Corvette guys don’t like Porsche guys. Conversely, Porsche guys have no time for Corvette fans. For decades, it was the 911 versus the Corvette, until the 911 blasted off into the stratosphere price-wise (sticker for a base 2017 model — which no Porsche dealership will sell you without markup: $91,100). Today, it’s more of a Corvette versus 718 Boxster, or Cayman debate. The 911 may be as capable as ever, but there are plenty of Corvettes that can still slay them for a lot less money. From a budget standpoint, however, we’ll have to deal with the cheaper 718 cars today.
Don’t get us wrong; these are all capable cars. And we think you can guess which side we’re on. But for this latest Corvette versus Porsche skirmish, it was sparked by forum member 1SG_RET asking a fairly innocuous question:
“Just curious to get opinions.
I’ve been a Corvette guy for many years, and never questioned the ‘bang for the buck’ the Corvette provides. However seems like in any head-to-head or three-way comparison, Porsche seems to always garner top honors.
Are they really that good?”
Well, seven pages of lively back and forth later, we’re starting to come to a consensus: Porsches may be good, but we’ll take Corvettes all day, every day.
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At first, the responses were relatively flip. Member drmustang responded: “A C7 will mop the floor with a Cayman, get real.” As for the perceived ‘Porsche bias’ in most European auto outlets (Top Gear among them), rcooper says: “P cars will win most of the time in the biased comparison tests. As it is made on their side of the pond there is a bit of ‘it’s ours’, where the C7 is the foreign invader. Can’y [sic] have any American trash beat the Euro’s pride and joys. ”
But the debate really seemed to be settled by forum member nmvettec7. “I own both cars that are being discussed. A 2015 Corvette C7, and a 2014 Porsche Cayman 981,” he began. After detailing a number of fit-and-finish issues he’s had with his Stingray (squeaks and rattles, missing washers, panel fitment issues), and talking about the superior build quality of his Cayman, he came to his conclusion:
“Both are fun to drive. The smoothness of the Cayman 981 re-designed body is very smooth, while the design of the C7 has that Italian look.
Both cars turn heads.
In the end, I paid $66,000 for the Porsche 981 and paid have $58,000 into my C7.
If I had to choose between the 2 cars, just buying one brand, I would take the C7 over the Porsche even though I have mentioned a few negatives of the C7.
Keep in mind these perspectives are from a real owner of both cars.
Both are beautiful and both real sports cars.”
Well said, nmvettec7. We couldn’t agree more.
Of course Porsche builds fantastic sports cars. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be constantly getting compared to Corvettes, right?
>>If you want to weigh in on the matter, be sure to speak up on the forums!
