rcallen484

I give him credit for at least recognizing and acknowledging his pro-Porsche bias. That takes true character and honesty.

Umrswimr

Indeed. Additionally, this article tries to convey the intangible differences between the two vehicles- not an easy feat.

punky

Good idea. Lets first level the playing field in a meaningfull way by comparing a $60,000 C7 with a $60,000 Porsche. How do you think those performance # comparrisons will go. Hint, very, very, badly for Porsche. I just love how the import loving car magazines compare reasonably priced Corvettes with $150,000-$200,000 imports, stupid.

rcallen484

But us Corvette guys LOVE hearing how our baby performs at their level, and sometimes even higher!!! Come on, admit it

C8forT

The real question to me is "if you had $160k to buy a sports car, would you buy the 911 or by the Corvette and keep the difference?" Me, I would by the Corvette and keep the difference. Moreover, if I had so much money that the amount left over wasn't very important in my decision process, I would probably spend more and get the Ferrari 458 or the McLaren 12C.

punky

How about the sap who bends over @ $145,000 for a 911S! Kinda like paying 50 bucks for a ham sandwich. It might be satisfying but stupidly over priced.

Guibo

You're not getting a new 458 for $160k. It's more like $280k with typical options.

And you don't hear much about Porsches spontaneously combusting around town either. Meaning they've hit a balance of "hand made" combined with tight quality control.
It's just a preference thing. Some people like to know that other humans have put together their cars with care, with a level of passion that isn't present elsewhere. That's part of the reason why people will spend 10's of thousands on a timepiece with a mechanical movement, with tiny components finished and engraved by hand. A similar piece might be thrown together by machines or workers barely able to feed themselves in China for much less, and without the attention to finishing detail, but that's not something they want.

Maybe he's talking about the totality of historical comparisons. For which there are some examples of the Corvette beating the Germans:

• C&D rated the C4 ZR1 higher than the 911 Turbo
• R&T*, C&D, and Automobile Magazine all rated the C6 higher than the 997 when both were first released
• C&D rated the C6 convertible higher than every competitor (including Germans) in one test

So claims of bias by SCM fail miserably. It's just sour grapes.
*R&T did rate the C6 highest on points, but when asked which one they enjoyed driving more or which they'd rather own, the 911 and Boxster S were clear favorites.
Note that these are all American tests. The Brits and Germans see things very differently. The Brits and Americans placed the Ford GT at the top of the import heap in head to head comparos, so you can't claim there's a bias against American products.

Brutishness can be offset by refinement, so the score is back to zero on that front.
How about:
Ability to carry 3x's as many passengers as the Corvette (yes, short people and children count as people too)
Outward vision
Higher quality interior, with customization options outside of any GM product
Better customer service
Safety and convenience items like dynamic cornering lights, headlamp washers, rear wiper, parking sensors, built-in roof rack mounts, available front end lift kit for clearing speed bumps, etc.

Now, I know you're probably going to say those things don't matter to you. But those are objectively things that the Porsche has and the Corvette doesn't. That they don't matter to you does not mean they don't matter to other people with the means and willingness to pay.

Guibo

As mentioned, you really can't compare a factory test pilot's time against a magazine editor who has only a short period to get used to a dozen cars. 5 seconds faster at Laguna Seca? The Carrera S lapped in 1:39.4. 5 seconds faster would mean the C7 laps in ~1:34.4. That's faster than the ZR1, faster than the Viper ACR on Cups, and the same time as the Z07 on Cup tires. Are you sure that's a bet you want to take?
To most buyers in the 911's segment, that is not important.

Achmed

...

v26278

The Vette tested is a pre-production car. Who knows how much of this has been addressed in production cars, time will tell

bikeriderga

Don't get me wrong!!

But the C7 performance wise, is no better than my 2003 Z06.

Yes, the interior is way better, electronics, and ride control, but is amazing that after 2 generations of Vettes, 10 years, the C5 Z06 is still in the performance equation.

Rapid Fred

But, you know, the 0.1%'ers will pay $50 for that ham sandwich and not even notice it. They might actually prefer that fine Corinthian ham.

If money is truly no object, we all know that there is no such thing as a stupid purchase (except perhaps a call girl with a social disease). Clearly, if you have more money than time to spend it, the Porsche 911 is in no way a "stupid" purchase. Just a choice...

And if they sell enough of them that their profit is maximized at the price point they set, then no way is Porsche over-pricing their vehicles. Just pricing a lot of folks out of being able to get one...

rcallen484

Is it possible to overbuild stuff? Would a solid gold toilet have any advantages?

427Z0SX

This is exactly what Viper owners said after the snake lost to the SLS Black Series.

C8forT

[QUOTE=Guibo;1584877025]You're not getting a new 458 for $160k. It's more like $280k with typical options.

I know. That is why I said "spend more"...

Guibo

Ok, fair point. Just noting that it's not only a small step between a 911 and a 458. Between the $70k Corvette and the $280k Ferrari, would you still buy the Corvette and keep the difference?

raj

Porsches have always been exemplary at doing "more with less". Case in point is the 911's superior acceleration despite a significant 60 horsepower deficit. Yes, the 911 is lighter but the C7 still has the better power-to-weight ratio on paper - only its doesn't translate to the drag strip (note the 911's higher trap speed as well). Conceding the 911 its superiority of putting power to pavement, Corvette engineers have done a remarkable job with the 3rd generation MSRC and PTM which is evident in the C7's performance edge on the race track.

WaxWeekly

I think we all know what the reviews would reflect if the reviewer had to actually pay for the cars being tested. I'm sure there's a few options they wouldn't check on their order forms.

Maybe reviews should all start with the price difference in the glove compartment. Maybe it would look more like this:

"Well on a hot day the Porsche smelled like leather and the Corvette smelled like the spare $74000 in the glove box."

99C5JA1

Although there are many factors, the acceleration advantage is largely due to the placement of the engine in the 911. This placement is not advantageous to cornering. It's simple physics. I do applaud the engineering that Porsche is able to apply to get around this problem, but nonetheless I would not trade the drivetrain layout of the C7 to get the acceleration times of the 911.

OnPoint

I actually like the fact the 7 is being compared against the 911. The Corvette and Porsches are already different machines - apples/oranges - given their architectural layouts. It would be even more disparate - apple/oranges - comparing the 7 against a Boxster.

To me, I like that they are comparing the 7 to a Porsche that has very, very similar performance. Once you bring the performance envelopes close together, you can have a nice (read closer) compare/contrast b/n the two of their other attributes, and each one does a couple things or offers a couple things the other doesn't, or does them better.

It speaks well of the 7 that it compares well to the 911.