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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited September 2014 in Porsche

image2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S

It's the battle Chevy has wanted since the C7 Corvette began development. We face off the 2014 Corvette Stingray and 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Read the full story here


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Comments

  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    Why is the Corvette engine "fundamentally a truck engine?" Because it has pushrods? That term conjurs up visions of heavy, course, inefficient engines, none of which this engine is. The 'Vette engine may share architecture and components with GM's truck engines, but it itself is NOT a 'truck engine'.
  • mmmm4mmmm4 Member Posts: 8
    It cost's half as much. It's like saying a GTI is not as good as an M3 only if the GTI can beat it on the track. The corvette is an amazing accomplishment. You can only exploit these things on the track anyway. In that sense, you just paid for all the fuel and tires you want, which will even make you better than the porsche driver.
  • xterrobrandoxterrobrando Member Posts: 9
    Impressive showing for the Stingray. This test should've been against a 7 speed MT Carrera S. But I know Stuttgart isn't going to let that happen. The Stingray would've also proven superior in acceleration times in that head-to-head. In this case, I have a feeling that the acceleration times, despite the 911's incredible PDK and rear weight bias, would've been closer had the temperature not been 12 degrees hotter for the 'ray (91 degrees). Calling the LT1 "essentially a truck engine" shows a lack of journalistic integrity here - are you now somehow suggesting that the engine is crude? It's no more an engine related to truck duties than a 20" alloy rim option on a Silverado is related to a Stingray's Z51 performance package.

    Most impressive is the Stingray's superiority in on-track traction, braking, handling, and steering, this despite a noticeably taller ride height, smaller tires, slower tranny, and body roll. When the Z06 (7?) is released with a stance more similar to the 911 CS (and hopefully a short-throw MT or a DCT), this will be no comparison at all...
    As for the 911 being a car with a superior interior and intangibles (suspect journalism again) - it'd better be! The car is $144,000! That's crazy money.
  • psayrepsayre Member Posts: 1
    I've always, ALWAYS despised American cars...horrible, uncivilized, tossed together crap. But this Vette , with it's glowing reviews from many different publications, might just be the car that changes that.

    Of COURSE the 911 is the Better Car overall...at a Base Price damned near twice what GM asks for a Corvette...it HAS to be. I've been in Porsche's..and it is the little things that make the difference...I really believe Porsche Spends as much engineering the feel and functionality of a window button as most MFG's Spend on something like a Suspension. If you've never been in a Porsche...try it, you'll understand why these things are so damned much money.

    That Said...Porsche has gotten STUPID with the pricing. They've always been more than a typical car...usually $10-20K more than a comparable Vette over the years...but they are slowly pricing themselves out of the Enthusiast Market; even a Cayman S equipped with only Sporting essentials is over $70,000. Porsche seems to be heading towards the Poseur Pricing the Italians seem to covet, and thats not very Porsche like.
  • tempesting_tempesting_ Member Posts: 17
    This reminds me of a Top gear episode, R8 vs Corvette.
    Jeremy Clarkson "You'd me mad to buy a Corvette over an R8 but that's why you should"
  • geipelizzygeipelizzy Member Posts: 4
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  • speed12silspeed12sil Member Posts: 23
    That new car smell in any car? Chemical gas from all that plastic. I don't know how you can say this as a strike against GM when it's the same for every other car.
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    This is pretty much the same story generation after generation. The Corvette offers similar performance for significantly less money; but if you want the measure of luxury and the last tenth of the touchy-feely stuff that makes driving enjoyable, the 911 is still the way to go. This time, however, the gap is a lot smaller than it has been for a long time. How about splitting the difference and getting a Cayman?
  • vettelt193vettelt193 Member Posts: 1
    Here's another comment regarding the "truck engine". If memory is correct the small block chevy was developed for the Corvette and Bel Air. It was offered on the truck because they developed it for the car line, not the other way around.
  • ttssttss Member Posts: 2
    I have a quite a few problems with this review. Since the 80s, it's been popular to lambast the Corvette for its inferior interior and seats. Finally, the C7 gets it right and gives you a quality interior for the money and great seats. Ask Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire who drove an F-Type just before testing the C7 and said the C7 interior is in the same class and he actually prefers it. Having said all that, you are comparing a preproduction C7 to a production 911! You're complaining about tire and road noise. How about you get a production C7, compare again, and THEN you can complain about the tire and road noise, the quality of the interior, and the chemical smell, if any or all of those still bother you?

    Aside from the interior, no one ever questioned the performance of the Corvette. It's handling was good and steering feel was OK, at best, but there were other players out there who bested it in those areas, especially the 911. For generations, the 911 always, somehow, handled better and had superior feedback. Corvette wasn't the only victim, though. Now, with the C7, they have finally built a machine that not just goes fast in the straight, but it's handling and steering feel is as good or better than the 911! That's huge. If MT was running this test (and it will appear in their magazine this month or next) or if MT was judging on which one is a better driver's car, they would pick the C7. To me, that's all that matters. You have to toss road noise and your interior criticisms aside, until a production C7 is ready. But as far as I'm concerned, the C7 is the better driver's car.
  • ttssttss Member Posts: 2
    The other criticism I failed to mention is the C7 is more of a competitor with the Cayman/Boxster, not the 911. You have tested it against other more expensive cars, true. But the question is does the interior and fit and finish measure up to a 60K-70K car and how does it perform as a driver's car, measuring attributes such as steering feedback, brake feedback, thickness of steering wheel, handling, balance, bodyroll, oversteer/understeer, cornering, entry/exit, ride, seating, and outward visibility.
  • xterrobrandoxterrobrando Member Posts: 9
    in reference to the Stingray's vents: Edmonds: "They might be functional, but when measured by the yardstick of the equally effective 911, they're also gratuitous."

    This statement is laughable. I agree that in some color schemes the 'ray would look more refined and upscale if the vents/slats were body color. Consider the facts that render this quote baseless:

    The stingray has less thermally efficient steel brake rotors compared to the 911'a extremely exotic brakes, and yet it outperforms the 911 in braking thanks in part to the vents and ducting. The Stingray's transaxle and differential, which succeed in achieving superior power transfer after exiting an apex, benefit from the vent designs as well. If you, as a journalist, have the empirical data to prove that those design elements on the 'vette have no statistically significant impact on the systems for which they were designed, then I'll concede that they are "gratuitous". I doubt very highly that you can produce that data. Additionally, the reduced front end lift, documented aerodynamic advantages (a lower drag coefficient on the 'ray), the mpg advantage despite greater engine power, and the racing record of the similarly equipped C6.R racecar, point to functional excellence in the details you suddenly criticize.
  • crossofironcrossofiron Member Posts: 3
    Oh come on now. Did you guys sit down at the desk to find a way to justify the crazy high price. What dummy on your staff thinks that if Chevy doubled the price could they make the interior "laser" sharp. Both are great cars and I admire everything about the newer 911s EXCEPT the price. I rate your review a utter FAIL! Jamokes one and all. I see how you clowns dress, and I bet you will NOT be purchasing a $150,000 911, but I bet you may be able to actually OWN a C7.
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    @TTSS: Are they testing with a pre-production Vette? I don't think so. it's a production car, just not the one that will be entering the long-term fleet.
  • rivernilerivernile Member Posts: 2
    Porsche is the most profitable car company (yes, I know it is owned by VW and it not its own company anymore). I may not be an economist, but if my understanding is correct, Profit = Selling Price - Production Cost. This simple math goes to show that the production cost of Porsche is not as much as they make out to be.
  • rverarvera Member Posts: 1
    This outcome doesn't surprise me. The 911 has evolved much more progressively and faster than the Darwinian pace of the Corvette. Nonetheless, this new 'Vette is a huge leap forward for the General as they seem to have finally nailed everything, interior included. Now although the 911 is the go-to competitor for Corvette—that and Viper—what I would really like is a shootout between the Chevrolet and the Porsche that people are genuinely going to cross shop with, the Cayman S. Despite what you motor journalists may think, price does matter—a lot—and with the 911 Carrera S being $5k more expensive than double the Corvette's MSRP is ALMOST irrelevant. Why not BR-Z vs. Corvette, or Miata vs. 911? Silly, right? Although not as extreme, it's almost as silly as shootout.
  • desmoliciousdesmolicious Member Posts: 671
    "motivated by what is basically a truck engine"...

    Why not mention then that the 911 is motivated by what WAS basically a Beetle engine? Originally it was an air cooled boxer configuration. Like the Beetle that it was based from.

    Moving along.. the Stingray smells like chemicals on a hot day because it's bodywork is not made of metal like the 911, but from some sort of composite. I know they used to be made from fiberglass, not sure if that is still the case.
  • xterrobrandoxterrobrando Member Posts: 9
    @bankerdanny - it was a pre-production vehicle. Edmonds said so themselves in the article...
  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    For that price, the 911 better win. I was almost sure you were going to come up with the same conclusion as the test against the GT-R. I guess this time you do get what you pay for. In the long run, a buyer is going to pick a price point and get the car they can afford and suits their needs best. That would make me a C7 guy, well at least a used one in a few years when the kids all move out.
  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    @exterro I think Edmunds would find that the Z07 would beat all the 911's track numbers, still have an inferior interior, and take 2nd. I guarantee you that a custom shop could turn the stingray interior into a dream for a total cost way under that of th
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    @exterrobrand: it says that where? I just re-read the article 3x and didn't see any mention of the tested car being a pre-production model.
  • jeepsrtjeepsrt Member Posts: 88
    @bankerdanny

    "The Corvette, partly because it was a preproduction car and partly because it cost half as much, simply lacked the same quiet confidence."
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    Thanks jeepsrt. Even knowing what I was looking for it took me a couple minutes to find that sentence.
  • xterrobrandoxterrobrando Member Posts: 9
    noburgers: "I think Edmunds would find that the Z07 would beat all the 911's track numbers, still have an inferior interior, and take 2nd. I guarantee you that a custom shop could turn the stingray interior into a dream for a total cost way under that of the 911, if the interior was your only deal breaker. That would be a big win, AND give you a one-of-a-kind car."

    @noburgers - agreed on all points. However I don't think there's that much to do on the interior - other reviewers have said as much. If the 'Ray had a DCT, or if the 911 tested had a manual, Corvette would have won in every performance category.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    So the $101k Viper is not better than the$70k C7...and the $117k GT-R is not better than the $70k C7...but the $144k Carrera S is better than the $70k C7. OK, now we know the value proposition. Congratulations, Chevy.
  • bobd2013bobd2013 Member Posts: 1
    In a comparison that should involve data only, you allowed your hearts to dictate your winner in this latest comparison. That I feel is wrong. I feel that when two cars of this magnitude are put to the test, the clear winner should be the one laying down the numbers that win the challenge. You put these two, head-to-head, with the idea that Chevy spoke of it's drive to better the Porsche in performance. The Corvette has done that and in your closing statement, you clearly allowed your heart to make the decision. You knew going into the challenge , that the corvette has no back seat. You knew going in that the Vette was also half the cost of the 911. The cost alone tells me that Chevy definitely did what it intended to do and that was better the 911 in the performance arena, and did so at half the price. I am sure we can all sit and agree that the Porsche may be a quieter in the interior, may be a little more refined in its controls, and even may smell like leather in the hot sun when the car is opened. But that doesn't make it the winner by any stretch. The intention of the comparison was performance and the Porsche clearly lost. I am sure if chevy spent the additional money to address the interior sound levels and chemical smell, it still wouldn't cost but maybe 60% of what a Porsche owner has to lay out for the right to take ownership. To see American cars compete in the same performance arena as the European models and match the competition (and in this case BEAT the competition), just tells me that its a win. Now you should be correcting your write up and acknowledging the win that Chevy has earned the right to hear. If you just reread your write up in these two cars, you will clearly see that the winner should be the Corvette. You say it in the write up, but in the end just don't want to admit it. This type of opinion based conclusion makes me wonder if all comparisons done by Edmunds are fact based.
  • beliasbelias Member Posts: 316
    I've never been a fan of either the Vette or the 911, but for different reasons. The Vette, while capable, never felt like a "complete" car... its interior looked like GM gave up on doing anything remotely appealing to an adult, its ride rough, seats were an afterthought, and though it was considered "raw" by many Vette enthusiasts, I'd have to say that it utterly lacked refinement in almost every area.
    The Porsche on the other hand was always a beautiful driving car with great materials, superb handling and an incredible driver's feel. Refinement inside was superb with great materials, seating position and quality. What bugged me most is just the laziness of the overall exterior design. It seems like all Porsche does is lower, widen and flatten the design of their older models. I don't know of any other car company that just refuses to acknowledge that a bow tie and grease in the hair is just not all that in style anymore. So while it functions well, it is an extremely ugly car by today's standards. Porsche seems bent on playing it safe in every respect while charging astronomical prices for their products. But I don't see that gamble working long-term save for a niche market. They need to make large design changes to attract new buyers and they need to take some risks with exterior design.
    For almost $150K they better do something radical.
    In my book, this new Vette demolishes the 911... not because of performance and specs or testing, but because GM -- a company known for being pretty lazy and subdued in their designs -- actually took a huge risk in upping the ante on what a real sports car should be like and what it can do. Much better interior and exterior than the outgoing model while still being probably the best value in the market today. I wish they would apply this energy to all their other vehicles (it looks like it is catching on with Cadillac and vehicles like the Impala as well). Porsche could certainly learn a few things from the new Vette -- if only their pride/ego doesn't get in the way...
  • loopsdooploopsdoop Member Posts: 2
    Consider this this example of the porsche 911 costs around 80K more that the corvette, Tha base 911 costs 85 k so in essence you can buy a 911 and corvette for the price of the fully loaded 911 s, Options be damned I'd rather have both base cars for the same money. think about it you visit your friends in New jersey, bring the corvette, if you are visiting your friends in greenwich CT, you bring the 911.
  • camrydriver69camrydriver69 Member Posts: 54
    If two cars are almost equal shouldn't the one with the... I don't know... 60% lower MSRP win?! I guess what your heart desires is just way more objective. Good job.
  • anandnatrajananandnatrajan Member Posts: 1
    Porsches are expensive but well worth the money if you restrict options. I got my 2013 Boxster S for 63 k with the beautiful Guards red paint, premium package with 14-way heated power seats with memory, dual zone climate control, xenons, Bose and a few other options and that wonderful manual transmission. Build quality is exceptional. No defects, no quality issues and nothing is cheap about the interior. Driving dynamics are superb. Best car I have owned.
    I don't know about the new Corvette but it sure looks attractive. The Boxster S is beautifully balanced and I hope the Corvette is as well. Great choices for sports cars enthusiasts. Can't go wrong with either or the Cayman S.The 911 is a lot more money, 2 Boxsters worth.
  • dhsieh9dhsieh9 Member Posts: 44
    I currently own 3 German sport cars (not counting my wife's 08' Mercedes E350) : 08' Porsche 911 S, 2009 BMW M3 coupe & 2010 BMW 335i coupe. The 2010 335i is my everyday car and the other two my weekend toys. The last American car I owned was a 1985 Pontiac Firebird I bought brand new but sold after 2 years at a huge loss due to numerous defects & breakdowns that the local dealer simply can't fix.

    Given my last 28 years of despising American cars, to be honest I can't even believe myself that I actually got excited and anxious about the C7 Stingray. At half price of 911 with comparable performance, I am willing to give C7 a try. I only hope that it does not disappoint me since this is imho, GM's last HOPE to show the world that they can still make great sport cars!
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