Just came across this and thought I would share...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/30/...ars/index.html

 

WOW. interesting.

 

Interesting. I love comparison articles because they really expose the various design compromises and goals of the different car makers and do much better at highlighting advantages and shortcomings of each.

In general, I agree with the articles overall conclusion. The Porsche is the best car to live with on a day to day basis. That said, it is important to realize that the 'vette, and the Viper, were aimed at slightly different goals. Also don't forget price. All Porsches seem to be a bit faster than their HP ratings would indicate, but even so they cost a good deal more than a Viper or a ZO6 with even more speed. For that you do get a noticeable increase in "build quality" and a type of near-perfection in design (placement of controls, intitive operation of all the elements, major and minor) that is very satisfying. But you pay for that . . a lot. And in spite of what Porschephiles say, I don't think any Porsche is particularly pretty - not uglly, maybe, but not gorgeous.

 

To be honest I'm not so convinced the build quality is all there. 2 of my previous 3 cars were Porkers - an 01 996 C2 and then an 03 996TT. I owned both from new and enjoyed them tremendously - but I never felt that the interior finish and overall build was that superior. The door close on my Turbo sounded incredibly "tinny". The C2 had a number of irritating dash rattles that took numerous interventions to fix. The Turbo did go like hell of course. But I'm really enjoying something "different" and a 1/3 of the price in an 07 C6.

 

My Porsche is next to perfect in: design, fit, finish, and interior quality. I have some sort of upgraded interior, part of the $18K in options the car had, although it does not have the $9,000 all leather optional interior I saw on a 997 C4S recently (that was to die for, I put a post about somewhere on this forum).

My Porsche now has 13.7K miles on it, and nothing, nothing is less than perfect on it. That is not many miles, true, but it is more than on the 'vette (13.5 miles) during which time I have had to replace: the turn signal stalk, the lower steering wheel fascia, the clasp on the console door, an alternator, and a door handle. On the other hand, the Porsche doesn't have an attitude, which is one reason why I love the vette.

 

Interesting, for sure, but when I read that I still think the Vette is the King Of The Road for the buck involved. But, yeh, a Turbo 911 is also one heck of a car, no doubt....