Guard Dad

Regarding shift frequency, the LT1 has so much torque that it has an operating range from 1000-6500 rpm in almost any gear. If your are just cruising around you really don’t shift that much, it’s not a demanding car to drive. I often drive 1-3-5 for around town driving. Throttle response in in the lower gears is exceptional and in Touring mode in 7th at anything above 50 mph it just quietly loafs along while getting 25+ mpg.

Regarding the differences between the Z51 and the GS, they are significant. The GS has more cooling, bigger rotors and calipers, a different suspension tune, adjustable magnetic shocks, the NPP variable exhaust, wider wheels and tires and wider bodywork to accommodate those big wheels and tires. Taken in total the differences are significant.

Rayland

OP:


American engineering VS German engineering:

Americans have mastered the art of catering to a wide variety of tastes & scaling up to maximize volumes. They're also very good at speed-to-market & sales. Germans focus more on Quality & precision over delivering volume targets.


Notes: Five Porsches, three BMW's, two Mercedes-Benz, two Corvette's, and one 1969 convertible Mustang.


Many thanks,

Ray

TheRobSJ

The GS comes standard with MagneRide, eLSD, just like the Z06. Along with all the dry sump oiling, cooling, braking, aero, and so on of the Z06. Suspension wise, I imagine the spring rates are different because the Z06 weighs more. But other than the engine itself I think the only other mechanical difference is the extra cooling and plumbing specifically for the supercharger.

naylor99

The Z06 is a different beast altogether - I was only talking about Stingray (which can have both Z51 and MagRide) vs GS.

alamike

I have owed three Porsche cars (2 Caymans and a Carrera) and I now own a C7. The transmission in the C7 will be a step down (Auto or manual). The general fit and finish is better in P cars. The dealership experience in either one has it’s pitfalls. Chevrolet shops are bottom of the barrel, and Porsche dealer snobbery and overcharging for basic maintenance is outrageous. The torque and sound of a Corvette may sway you over.

CorvetteMike2024

Did you make a decision yet?

TheRobSJ

I would say GS is more similar to Z06 than it is to Stingray. I would also say long story short, a GS is really just a Z06 without a supercharger.

Exia

A 718 GTS 4.0 manual vs a C7 Grand Sport manual would be very similar on the street by the numbers.

I own a '19 Z06 manual and a '17 911 C4S manual.

The 911 is different from your GTS 4.0 but for me, I prefer driving the Z06 and I can honestly say I'd also prefer a C7 Grand Sport manual over the 911 as well.

I just find it more enjoyable to drive with the V8. My 911 feels smaller (because it is) and also due to the rear wheel steering but the cornering grip of those 335 tires on a GS and Z06 are incredible.

They both fundamentally drive differently but to me the biggest issue is the 7 speed manuals in both cars. The clutch feel of my 911 is a lot better, as is the tip in throttle, however I prefer the shifter pattern of the Corvette. If you drive the 911 hard (shifting fast) you get hit with rev hang and downshifts even with rev matching on (if your quick enough) will cause the 911 to lurch. The 7 speed in the Corvette has pretty bad clutch feel to me and also grabs high, the throttle tip in is also pretty bad when you want to just get rolling but the shifter is great and the downshifts with rev match on never disappoint.

Now I don't know how the GTS 4.0 6 speed is or if it has the same issues my 911 has become its NA vs turbo but all I can say go test drive a Grand Sport and see. The GTS 4.0 is a gem, I would have a tough time picking between the two.

Good luck.

RacerRik

For street use, a Z51 equipped Stingray is going to perform just the same as a GS. You cannot legally or safely reach the limits of either car on the street. You will not feel any difference in braking on the street (bigger brakes on GS are built to handle the heat of track use, not to make the car stop any quicker.) The suspension is close enough you will not be able to tell the difference. Only legitimate reasons to get a GS over a Z51 is you like the looks better or you want to track the car.

Now the Z06 is a completely different animal because of the supercharged engine.

Nuclearranger

Maybe not your exact cars but I drove a panamera GTS at one point, as well as attended an event with one at "Road America"

At the time I had a stingray Z51 that I slapped a procharger onto for 593RWHP. I would say the two cars were about equal on the track (procharger would heat soak pretty fast and might only pull high 400s in power after repeated pulls.)

That said, if your main concern is "power" or "performance", go look at some track times of a Z06/Z07, I think you'll find it embarrasses most cars listed in this thread so far, and by a wide margin. There's an unofficial 7:04 'ring time as well.

Keep in mind, thats WITH the z06's propensity to realistically only put down 530-570 HP after it heats up. With 3-4k spent on LG's cheek coolers and some upgraded radiators, I imagine most track times listed are 'gimped'. If you've ever tracked a Z06, you'll know what I mean.

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TLDR; Even a Stingray Z51 will have as much handling as you can eat, but if you're really worried about performance the Z07 is where it's at. Bonus points for added cooling.

Bayshore Vette

For what it is worth, I tell car guys all the time that the only other car I've ever driven that HANDLES as good as my 2019 GS vert was a Porsche 914. But HP is a completely different argument and the Vette wins, by a mile.

jimmie jam

I enjoy both of them. One just costs twice as much and is twice as complicated.....

Corgidog1

Nice pair. What year is your 911?

97titan

To the OP, I was in the opposite seat a few months ago from you. I had a C6 GS vert and was ready for the next toy. I tried to get in line for a C8 Z06 but as I'm sure you may know that became an almost impossible mountain.
So with the mark ups I was hearing $120k+ I thought I would play in the Porsche lane for a while.
I tried out various versions:

• I found the manual Caymen GT4 to be way to stripped down inside and very little low end power (stop light to stop light) where I was used to it. My buddy tracks his and he tells me you can't really enjoy that car till your over 4500rpm.
• I then tried an older Turbo S with the PDK. I must say that PDK is everything they said it was compared to the Corvette paddle shifters I had in the Grand Sport. I got that care up to 1xx on a side rode test drive but even at those speed I missed the engine feel & roar of the V8. I mean my lil Grand port had headers and NPP and at over 100 it sounded like it was coming to eat your children. I didn't find the same pleasure in the Turbo S. It was better planted and carved the corners, but I missed that low end power and torque.
• In the end I went back to my roots and tried out a manual C7 Z06.....OMG the Power, the Sound, the Torque....It was like my Grand Sport on Steroids. It fit every bill and with all the newer tech and interior upgrades over my C6 it was exactly what I was looking for.

Like everyone else said, you will need to drive them to know.

jaiyenyen

I drove both the Z51 Stingray and Grand sport before buying mine. I could definately feel the difference in ride and handling. The Grand sport feels more planted and stable. The Zo6 has a beefier built engine with the supercharger and minor suspension differences in just the front end I believe and also feels different from the Stingray and Gs.

RacerRik

The cars will no doubt "feel" different but as far as actual performance on the street, the GS vs Z51 will be equal and far above the ability of the average driver. The Z06 will obviously be much quicker so that is a tangible difference for street performance. Cornering, braking and handling in general of all three versions will be essentially the same for street use. Since the "feel" will be different, that comes down to a preference of what feels better to the driver.
I have driven all three of those versions along with my slightly modified Stingray in autocross events. They all are very capable even at the limit. I found the Z06 to be a big handful for autox. I know there is "no such thing as too much power", but I would say the Z06 was close to too much power for autox conditions since you are typically in 1st and 2nd gear only. The Z06 I drove, which was stock, would easily light up the tires any where and any time on the autox course. Full throttle was not even an option out there, so that made it less fun having to baby it around the course the whole time.

KM1959

These were some of my cars last year. I've street-driven and tracked all of them, only the GT3 remains. I still have a C7 base convertible though... because Corvettes have their purpose and Porsche doesn't fill it. The Porsche and Z06/Z07 M7 are so far apart performance-wise I couldn't keep the Corvette. The engine over-powered the chassis on the track (especially short ones) and also on the street where it never felt safe unless you drive it like your aunt's Buick. The GT3 managed its 500-ish HP so that it doesn't come on like it wants to kill you. The Z06 always feels that way. Sure it could be fun but in very limited places but its tires had to be hot. The Camaro SS 1LE was incredible on the track - way better balanced than the Z06. If you get anything from this it's that Porsche and Corvette are two different animals being so different that I have both for different applications. If you want the best of both our '20 911S was our choice for the best of street and performance.

Skid Row Joe

Corvette builds a very good sports car. I've owned two new Corvettes. Very satisfied with both of them. Mercedes-Benz and Lexus make luxury two seaters. Not much in common with Corvettes at all. IMHO.

Nuclearranger

Z06/Z07 is a fast car, and absolutely no joke. I don't think you're giving the suspension/chassis enough credit though. One look at lap times for various tracks would tell you that it's extremely capable.

...that said, yes you want your tires warm haha

Elk

I find my C7 Z06/Z07 extremely capable and fast, but it is work to drive it fast; it is not an easy car to drive at its limits. It does want to kill you.