restefania

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum and currently own a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. I'm considering selling it and getting a later year C7, either a Grand Sport or a Z06. I have never owned a Corvette but have always wanted one. I've had many sports cars, mostly German, but want an America V8 now. I am also considering a Lexus IS500 with the V8. I'm concerned that the Corvette may not measure up to the performance I am used to, having owned several Porsches, both Caymans and 911's. I would like to know if anyone has owned both Porsche and Corvette and can tell me how they compare both. I appreciate any feedback you all may have.

CorvetteMike2024

Best way is to test drive a Corvette and see if it measures up to your expections.

9sec

owned a 4 digit 996 tt. the c7 is decades ahead of that car. having said that a cayman its is no slouch based on how you drive e it. the g/s will be on par but the z06 will be huge power ahead on can be had with ccb and mag ride. this will be a point track car and daily if you want. the choice of manual air auto will be up to you

restefania

Yes, I plan to but having owned many cars, I know you really can't explore the capabilities of a sports car on a dealer test drive. Unfortunately, I have purchased cars in the past that I test drove but then they did not live up to my expectations after owning them for awhile. That's just how it goes, I guess.

Avanti

I consider your Porsche ownership irrelevant (i'll not go into the "why's" here). Find whatever C7 you are interested in and drive it. However, I'm a staunch supporter of the manual tranny cars. All the best!

Vetteman Jack

I agree. Only you can decide if a Corvette is going to meet or exceed the performance level you experienced with your P-cars.

rfh928

The only Porsche I've had was a 928 5-speed...it was an 80 and compared with my 78 Corvette, it was more refined, although the gearbox was downright awful & sloppy. I've since had a 98 Vette and now 2019...can't compare vs a modern Porsche, but you'll find the parts prices are a fraction of what they are for Porsches. I enjoyed owning the 928 for the 5 years I had it, but would never go back to one now.

9sec

the 718 gts 4.0 is a formidable car. interior is amazing mid engine handling is far above what most cars are the only real downside for me is pure hp the cost to get to were a z06 starts at is astronomical. aside from that I would be hard pressed to move away from that pcar

TheRobSJ

I’m an ex Porsche technician. So I’ve driven damn near everything P-car. The 982 GTS 4.0 is probably the only Porsche I’d realistically ever own. Great car.

So anyways. Going to a C7 from that? Grand Sport or better. Don’t bother with the Stingray. It will just feel too “soft” compared to that Porsche. If you go with a Z06, of course you’re going to have a lot more acceleration, but you will find it’s a lot harder to put the power down compared to that Porsche. So it can be a lot more wild if you want.

Spend some time with cars that have the GT seats and the Competition seats if you can find both. They’re very similar, but there’s enough difference that you want to be sure. Because they’re nowhere near as comfortable and adaptable as most Porsche seats, especially if you have the 18 ways.

restefania

Thank you! Very helpful. Yes, I would not bother with a Stingray. I would want a GS and a manual for sure. I have had PDK cars and this GTS is a manual and I love it! I think the Z06 will be too much power that I don't need. I'm not a race car driver or anything and I don't track my cars. I actually think the 400 hp of the GTS 4.0 works really well. The Corvette will be a little heavier but has some more power. Everything I'm reading says the GS will likely compare quite well to the P car. Thanks again!

Guard Dad

No meaningful Porsche experience, having said that I’ve had a 2011 GS Targa and currently drive a 2019 GS Targa, M7, 2LT, PDR/Nav, non ZO7. This is far and away the edgiest car I’ve owned. Even with the standard suspension and brakes it’s apparent that the car is oriented to those seeking a track day feel in an everyday driver. The car has a robust chassis with excellent adjustability and personalization via on screen menus. The GS has lots of torque and overall balance and like all C7’s it requires a careful launch to put its power down from a standing start. The lighter nose of the GS compared to the ZO6 gives it a bit of an edge when hunting for apexes but if you live for long straights and late night high speed runs on quiet roads the ZO6 is hard to beat.

TheRobSJ

The GTS is a very approachable well balanced car. It’s not so hard edged like the GT4 that you’d cringe at the thought of a long trip with it, yet still plenty capable on a spirited drive. While I’m sure the GT4RS will be an absolute hoot to drive in anger with 500hp, I know it is even harder edged and more track focused than the GT4.

Many consider the GTS to be the “sweet spot” in all the different Porsche models. Which it very much is with the 718. Even better when the GTS got the 4.0. Now it has a detuned GT4 engine instead of what was essentially a Cayman S just a little spruced up.

And many consider the Grand Sport the sweet spot of the C7s. You get the brakes and suspension of the Z06, but with the more manageable power of the Stingray.

Lots of different looks out there with the GS. Hood stripes, fender hash marks, and so on. Going to be a fun process picking which combination of those looks best to you!

vbb

I have owned 4 Porsches (a 997 C2, a 997 Turbo, a 987 Boxster and a 981 Cayman), and also owned two Lexus V8s (the ISF and the RCF). So if you're a Porsche guy looking at a C7 Vette and an IS500, I think I have the experience you're looking for.

And the answer is it depends on what you want!

After owning all those cars (and many others) I finally stopped the carousel of cars and sat down to think about what I REALLY valued in my sports car. It came down to the following for me:
1. Sound - nothing beats the growl of a V8 to me, except maybe a flat 6 at 8000rpms, but the GT3 was out of my range.
2. Manual transmission - for me, this is an important part of the driving experience. I know autos and PDKs and DCTs are faster. I don't care one bit. Electric cars are faster still, and they're boring. The lack of manual was a huge knock against the Lexuses (Lexi?)
3. Lines - a sports car has to look sexy. Again, a knock against the Lexus, because the RCF wasn't exactly pretty and the ISF was a sleeper on purpose. I also didn't love the lines of the Boxster, though the Cayman and 911s were pretty
4. Exclusivity - this the the biggest knock against the C7 for me... There are a lot of them on the road. I liked not seeing a different version of my car on the road every day.
5. Reliability/Maintenance - the Porsches were very expensive to maintain. After one engine-out service on my 911 Turbo, it kinda soured me.

My perfect sports car would be a manual transmission LC500 coupe, which doesn't exist...or a manual GT3, which is now $200k and going up. The C7 is the best attainable sports car for me, and is so much fun to drive and own. All in all, driving my C7 is the most fun of all the vehicles I've had. The sounds and feels and handling all just work. If only there weren't so many of them...but that's ok.

I say give America's sportscar a chance! They're still making Porsches if you want to go back.

Jerrys-1LT

I have two friends who own many different versions of Porsche 911s and Boxters. Recently they came to visit and we took a drive up and down a pretty much vacant mountain road. I was following a 911 and noticed that he was tapping the brakes on nearly every corner. A friend who was my passenger (and who owns both 911s and Boxters) in my 19 Stingray commented that I was not braking for the corners. I told him that it was probably because with the Vette in 3rd (M7) and keeping the revs at 3-4k, the torque was enough braking when feathering the throttle. I further added that my experience at the Spring Mountain school taught me that feathering the throttle would bring the nose in on the Vette giving it a perfect entry into a corner.

That said, after our drive, the 911's owner asked it I wanted to drive it. I jumped at the opportunity since the only Porsche I had ever driven was a 928. Here are my comments after the drive. I said that I would not say one was better or worse, just that they are different. Here is what I felt differentiated the two cars.

The first thing I noticed about the 911 (manual tranny) is that you don't even think about shifting at anything under 4k. The engine seems flat (no pun intended) until you get the revs up and then it comes alive. As we drove I told the owner that if I were to use the throttle on the Vette in the same way we would be burning rubber from the low end torque of the V8. So throttle response is the first thing to learn to manage.

The second thing, at 80mph I felt that the 911 was very light at the front and couldn't imagine how I would have the confidence to exceed 160mph (as the owner told me he had done). It just felt like it would start to lift and take off. The Vette, by comparison feels much heavier in front and instills confidence when entering a corner whereas you have to develop that with a Porsche. Don't get me wrong, the Porsche will definitely corner much more capably than an average driver can ever ask of it. You won't have that engine braking in the Porsche be a factor in slowing down the car as much as with the Vette.

In summary, I could see myself owning both a Vette and a 911 and enjoying both a great deal. But one thing doesn't compare - the sound of that V8 is definitely superior. 😃

Just my .02 cents.

restefania

Thank you! Very helpful. Yes, you definitely have to rev my Porsche to get the most out of it. Not so much in the newer turbo charged cars but mine is NA. Also, the gears on my car are quite long so when I really want to rev it out, I end up going into dangerous, big ticket speeds. The Vette has a lot more torque and the redline is quite a bit lower so more switching gears and as you said, using the throttle or lack thereof to slow the car down rather than braking. I really need to go drive a GS and see for myself. Thanks again!

naylor99

Correct me if I'm wrong, but; a C7 Stingray and C7 Grand Sport have the same drivetrains. A Z51 equipped Stingray has essentially the same suspension as the GS. The GS has a wider rear end. To me, the most siginificant difference from a mechanical point of view is that the GS has larger brakes, better brake cooling, and wider tires.

Corgidog1

Curious as to the year 911 you drove as the 2017 and up models all have turbos which kick in at much lower revs than the NA engines prior to 2017 and are a much different driving experience.

ersatz928

A torquey V8 coupled with a manual transmission is something you may never go back from.......

Jerrys-1LT

I'm not sure the of the year, but believe it was a 2010 Carrera. I'm not a Porschephile so I don't know the ins and outs of the 99X models. My passenger who has several including a turbo S offered the opinion that while the turbo has a slightly better rev range (PDK tranny), he gets more pleasure out of driving his non-turbos with manuals.

I don't think the op was that interested in comparing turbos to NA Vettes because that leads to an entirely different discussion of 650hp beasts! 😃

vader86

I'd say the GTS 4 would be pretty comparable to a GS, if you needed more power then a Z06. A coworker of mine just bought himself a Cayman S.