I've had several people ask about how the Corvette and the Porsche stack up, including one private message recentlyand I thought I'd address them here.

First, Corvettes vary. That said there really isn't much difference between a C6 and a C5 so I'm going to lump all of them into one category (and yes I know HP varies from 345 to 505).

Similarly, Porsche Carreras (they haven't been called 911s since 9/11) vary, but again the 996 (through 04-05) and the 997 (since) are derivative one after the other just like the C5 and C6 were, and again, HP varies from 320 to about 455.

Finally, realize there is a substantial cost element, not quite but nearly 2:1. My vette stickered at $51k new and '07 'vettes go from somewhere around $50K +/- to around $75K for a full house ZO6, I suppose. Porsches vary even more, from a supposed base of around $70k (never seen one less than $80k on my dealer's lot through - mine stickered at $87.8) to way over $140K.

That said, my comments, comparing stock '02 ZO6 ($51k, 405 HP, 3185 lbs) to stock 04 Carrera ($87k, 320 HP, 3054 lbs):

1) Overall design: Not even close. am talking about design, not engineering. Remember Porsche Design is one of the most prestigious design studies in the world, designing everything from table lamps (I have one in my office, pretty good) to watches to other companies' cars.
The Porsche is supreme among every car I have ever considered in near perfection of design, layout, tradeoffs of one conflicting characteristic versus another, etc. Ergonomics are flawless. There are no blind spots at all. Suspension and chassis dynamics are awesome. And that Tiptronic automatic transmission -- it can read minds (at least mine). The 'vette on the other hand is well styled but the interior is not as well laid out: I fit well in the 'vette, but in the Porsche I feel like I'm in a car designed just for me. A big part of this: I think every part in the Porsche Carrera was designed for the Porsche Carrera, not for use across a whole line of cars from Cavalier to Avalanche.

2) Engineering. The 'vette is better. Yeah, I'm going to get Porschephils coming down on me hard, but people don't give GM credit for its engineering. The LS V8s are in my opinion the best passenger car engines ever designed: light weight, small packageing, durable, gobs of torque down low and lots of power up top. Pushrods have hugh advantages and GM maximizes their use, and some annoying disadvantages, which they minimize brilliantly. The chassis and suspension are world class, which considering the car's use of transverse leaf springs, is amazing.
The Porsche isn't bad, mind you. Getting between 320 and 415 HP from 3.6 to 3.8 liters, normally aspirated takes some doing (particularly given that Porsche horses seem to each just a bit bigger than GM's). Making a rear engine car handle well has been done brilliantly, including taking advantage of the rear weight bias for traction. But Porsche does it all by throwing money at the problem. A 415 HP (flywheel) 3.8 Porsche GT3 engine is a work of art and engineering but expensive as the dickens. A 430 HP LS3 in a chevy whatever is a $7000 crate engine made from commodity materials.
I'm not knocking the Porsche's engineering: its flawless, but GM really understands the age old explanation" "An engineer is a person who can build for a dollar what any damn fool can build for three dollars."

3) Build quality. Not even close. The Porsche is the best built car I have ever owned, better than Mercedes and Audis, etc. The 'vette is put together well where it counts (engine, drietrain, chassis) but the body is so-so and the interior almost seems like it was built by Fisher-Price.

4) Handling. The Porsche handles better than the 'vette, especially at speeds below 60 mph andin tight turns. It has much better transient dynamics particularly at low speeds, neverr feeling either heavy or light, or unpoised. It reacts better under combinations of hard braking and hard cornering. It power steers more easily and controllably. The 'vette has to be manhandled to be fast -- the Porsche just has to be pointed.

5) Corning ability. The vette is better, particularly on sweeping bends. It has just a bit more grip, although the differene is very very small.

6) Acceleration. Corvettes are just a bit faster at the track: base C5s were quicker to 60, to 100, etc., through the quarter than base 996s, etc. C6s are faster than 997s. The ZO6 is faster than the GT3 or the Turbo.
The 'vetteis much faster in daily driving than you would think based on car magazine tests. To see this,look at the "street start" (5-60) times: the Porsche loses a lot compared to 0-60 times where its reved and the clutch is dropped, the 'vette next to nothing. That's torque at work; you feel that every day.

7) Top speed, remarkably similar, year to year, model to model.

8) Braking. Overall, about the same.

9) Daily driving. I drove the 'vette daily (near stock, or with only headers and a Maggie SCr) to work every day for two years. It was fine. ThePorschehowever, is a jewel, the best daily driver I have ever had.

10) Features: my Carrera is near bottom of the line and my 'vette was top of the line at the time I bought it. Both have effective features that count: ABS, traction control, stability control that work well. Good AC, sound systems, power windows, etc. The vette (and vette's in general) have more gimmicks (heads up display, etc.). Porsches offer extra cost options that are endless -- if you pay -- including a 100%
all leather interior you want to eat, its so flawless, and custom this and thats like adjustable suspensions and ceramic brakes and . . . All that is piffle. It's a tie here.

11 Styling. A matter of personal taste. The Porsche is simple, pure, and I like it a lot more today than when I bought it. The 'vette looks dramatic, but then that's what I want with it.

12 Class, cachet, image, etc. The Porsche has more of whatever it is. Both attractattention and get manylooks, although I think anymore my 'vette does so because of the mods and the"if God owned a hot rod this would be its exhaust note" sound.
The Porschegets attention. Its always valet parked up front. But when I'm driving it attractsannoying young kids in tricked out Civics and Integras and Esclipses with "fart mufflers"; young professionals in 350Zs who seem to suffer terrible cases of "Porsche envy"; BMW M3 owners who want to make sure you realize why their car is superior to a Porsche, and the occasion SOB in an old Camry who simply cuts you off just to **** you off just because you are in a shiny Porsche and he's in an old beater.

13 Confidence or whatever. Everyone compares cars to Porsches. 350z owners point out they get nearly as much of everything for 1/3 the price; M3 owners point out endlessly why their based-on-a-family sedan car is really more of a sports-car; Eclipse owners have all sorts of stories of how similar their cars are, Mitsi Evo owners point out how their car is very close to being a 4-door Porsche. Porsche owners -- well, I doubt many Carrera owners longing look at an M3 and wish they had one . . .

If I had to pick just one: the Porsche. Sorry to say it, but much as I love my 'vette and GM, I cannot tolerate the notion of not having a Porsche daily driver for the rest of my life. I actuallyrevised my retirement budge

 

Very nice Lee, I agree with pretty much everything you stated. My parents have had Porsches before so I know exactly where you're coming from.

 

As usual Lee, very informative.
I was told that a Porsche tended to "push out" in the turns, due to the rear engine weight. An inbalance, if you will. How about the braking in turns,as opposed to using gearing for speed reduction, a method I use with the "Starship"? Iam able to maintain better balance using my gears/throttle, and not my brakes. Gear down goin' in, and gear up when I comeout.

 

GREAT post!
And this is my favorite part:
"when I'm driving it attractsannoying young kids in tricked out Civics and Integras and Esclipses with "fart mufflers"; young professionals in 350Zs who seem to suffer terrible cases of "Porsche envy"; BMW M3 owners who want to make sure you realize why their car is superior to a Porsche, and the occasion SOB in an old Camry who simply cuts you off just to **** you off just because you are in a shiny Porsche and he's in an old beater."

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

 

As always Lee has provided us with quality reading based on the facts. Very will written.

 

I agree, Great job Mr. Willis, Great job.

 

Fantastic thread!! They say we learn something new every day, and this thread was it for me. Thanks for posting!