blackcorvette06

http://www.edmunds.com/porsche/911/2...ison-test.html

rcallen484

Their bottom line:


"What Our Hearts Say?

So we're stuck. Stuck with a decision no enthusiast can fairly make. Picking the 'Vette is the obvious choice since it's supported by ample empirical data. At the end of the day, we can't deny that the home team nailed at least one of its primary targets. Making the Corvette as quick and rewarding as a 911 is a big task, and it's been fully accomplished. The Corvette, when driven hard, is as good as the 911, maybe better. There, we said it.

That it costs, in this case, less than half as much is pure gravy.

But then there's the undeniable reality that the 911 is the better car. Whether we're taking our kids to school or adding subtle countersteer to correct that big slide, we'd rather have the Porsche. It's the car that wins our hearts so it's the car that wins this test.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation. "

Axial

What I got out of that is that the Porsche is still a luxury car, that the Corvette is still a Chevrolet, and that you still get what you pay for.

In short, what we generally expected.

What I wasn't expecting is the Porsche to become the drag racer and the Corvette to become the techno-wizard. That's actually comical.

I'll take two C7s before I take the Porsche. I could do that, and still have enough left over to buy an inexpensive beater.

v26278

I like what I see in this review. The Porsche drag race win is for real, and it would have been nice for the Vette to take the edge, but all the areas where the Vette has the edge are impressive. But all the subjectives are just that: opinions. At twice the price, if the Porsche doesn't get around a track better, handle better or stop better, then it better do something better or no one would buy it.

blackcorvette06

yup well this black corvette won my heart.lol
[IMG][/IMG]

ivanjo11

No surprise for me that they picked the 911 over the C7.

But what is surprising is the comment that said that driven hard the C7 is probably better than the 911 that is high praise.

Great job by the Vette team

RocketGuy3

Yep, about what I expected... That made me make one of the largest-radius eye rolls I think I've ever made.

If that's really how they feel, whatever floats their boat, I suppose.

SCM_Crash

Seems they didn't engage the active noise canceling. I can understand the screen tap waiting thing... But I'm not sure the quality thing is justified. When I get my C7, I'm going to drive it directly over to the Porsche shop and see if they're right.

v26278

At $69K that would not be a 3LT would it? If they're going to compare interior quality and smell of a Corvette against a $140K Porsche, at least get a 3LT or mention that such an option is available. That's a BS move on Edmunds part.

SCM_Crash

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.

I get the feeling that Porsche spends so much money on Edmunds.

"The Corvette is worlds better in performance and has stepped up their game to match Porsche on the interior, but just look at the Porsche. The details on the 911's interior... Worth every penny of that extra $60K over the Corvette. That's why it wins."

The comment about the vents was gold.

RocketGuy3

Yeah, with the exception of the commentary about road noise and the ease of getting in the 911 versus getting into the Corvette (which are minor, but certainly legitimate gripes about the C7, if true), it was all complete fluff. They didn't actually *say* anything. The author just did his best to distract the reader with empty metaphors.

EDIT: Also, the Porsche's launch advantages are legit, too... between the PDK and the rear engine placement, Porsche can get some mighty fast launches out of the 911 even with modest power.

RocketGuy3

3LT with Z51, mag ride, and NPP will slide in under $66K if you don't add any other options.

Trackaholic

In all fairness, keep in mind that many of the reasons the Vette won over the Viper are the reasons the 911 won over the Vette. In the first case everyone thought Edmunds was great and obviously correct. So what has changed in this case?

I think it is probably fair to say the Vette isn't quite as good as the 911 in many ways.

Overall, even if the Vette doesn't beat the 911, the fact that it is so close is a big success in my opinion. And it offers things the 911 doesn't, like the V8 sound and a certain level of brashness.

-T

RocketGuy3

From what I saw of the Viper write-up, it was a bit different from this comparo (see my last post).

Point is it would be debatable which car is better between the C7 and the 911 even if they had the same MSRP. If they're not taking price into the consideration, then yeah, I'm ok with them picking the 911. The cars are similar enough overall that that is perfectly reasonable. The thing is that I'm pretty sure they are (and should be) doing so.

Trackaholic

Not sure how debatable it is, at least for those who review the cars in magazines. I've yet to see a Vette beat a 911 in a comparison test, so I strongly feel that something "real" is making journalists choose the 911 as the better car.

With that said (and without having driven either car) I do wonder if at some point a car that is so good, just becomes a little boring and clinical, especially in daily driving (don't really think any car can be clinical at the track). For example, my GTI, which is a very well regarded compact, is a little boring IMO. Exhaust is somewhat plain, interior is nice and logical, but doesn't have much in the way of passion (except the plaid seats). Everything is quite good, but nothing really sticks out as fun.

My 350Z on the other hand is rarely rated as a great car (would usually lose out to an S2000, Boxster, BMW Z, etc), but it sure is fun to me. Shifter is stiff but very short, steering is heavy but has very nice feel (after some mods), ride is stiff but lively, exhaust has a nice burble. That car makes things fun even when you aren't pushing very hard.

I drove a friends Cayman and came away slightly disappointed due to the relative lack of torque, somewhat boring exhaust note, and relative perfection of the drive. Previously the Cayman had been my "dream car", but after that drive I'm not so sure anymore. Although a coworker has the new style and every time I walk by a little drool manages to excape my lips.

The Vette, even though it may be less refined than the 911, might be more fun in some ways for those very reasons. It will be interesting to see how bad the road noise really is, and how plasticky it smells and whether some of the less refined aspects actually add to the fun of driving.

I've mentioned in another thread that another co-worker of mine has the new SRT Viper, and that car is not very refined at all, but the sheer craziness of it makes you smile every time you see it or sit down in it, even if you don't start the engine. So, for me personally, the lack of refinement in some of these cars may actually be an advantage.

-T

Guibo

Porsche spends so much...is that why we've been treated to Corvette vs this vs that for the past few weeks on edmunds? Funny how accusations of bribery didn't surface here when the C7 was beating the Viper and GT-R.
1.0s on a racetrack is within the same world of performance, IMO. Hell, we've seen F1 teammates differ by more than that in qualifying and those are identical cars, with only slight differences in setup to suit each driver's preference. That's also the margin we've seen in some McLaren vs Ferrari comparos and those two are definitely occupying space within the same performance world.
Reviews I've seen so far do not suggest the C7's interior matches the Porsche's interior. This is not just mag reviews, but commentary by CF members who have experienced both. And it wasn't just that that won it for the Porsche. They genuinely seemed to enjoy driving the Porsche more. And appreciated its more understated exterior.

It says in the text that 3LT is on the car and the pictures seem to support that. 3LT vs 2LT is not likely to change the smell significantly. Materials is only a part of interior quality.

This was a very favorable review for the Corvette, and GM can hold its head high. If anything, these guys were really favorable to the Corvette's engine, totally ignoring the fact that when you reach the LT1's redline, the Carrera S is getting into its party zone.
And as far as pricing goes, there are things on this 911 that you just can't get even as an option on the Vette. Some people like a nicer interior, the ability to carry more than 1 passenger at a time, the convenience of parking sensors, 18-way adjustable seats with extendable lumbar, the safety of dynamic cornering lights, and a rear wiper is nice to have. If you can realistically afford the 911 and you want these things in the C7, you're SOL even if you're willing to pay the same price.

musclecar6

We'll all find out shortly, when the C7 gets in the hands of new owners just how good it is(as opposed to these hacks who often don't know their a-- from a hole in the ground). The reason these guys fall all over the Porsche is due to the carefully crafted mystique over the years. Enough so that fools are willing to pay TWICE as much for a car of lesser performance, equal ride and handling and maybe a slightly better interior, not to mention that bad idea rear engine that is always trying to swap ends in corners, especially with the nannies turned off. The 911 is a waay waay overpriced status symbol that is perfect for those trying to impress other like thinking pretentious types.

jdb1218

The fact you would even want to compare a $149K car to a $69K says a lot...about both cars.

redzone

Well this sucks....

The Daily Grind
Chevy moved mountains in improving the Corvette's interior, but there's still a vast gap between these cars in quality. Everything you touch in the 911 is laser-micrometer precise and right-now responsive. The differences matter. In the 911 you move and it moves with you. In the Stingray you punch the touchscreen twice and wait. You step cleanly into the 911. You descend into, over and around the Corvette. And on a hot day, the 911 smells like leather. The Corvette smells like chemicals.

redzone

As I'm sure you know,the "Streets of Willow" is a short,technical track. At Laguna Seca,VIR, or any longer track I bet the C7 is 5 or more seconds faster than the 911.

These two cars are not within the same world of performance. If that is important to a buyer.......