Now that the Porsche 911 has received a new generation, the time has come for a comparison that has become mandatory earlier this decade, namely the battle between the Neunelfer and the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
You see, while the Porsche 911 arguably enjoys the largest lineup in the industry, the 'Vette family isn't exactly limited. There's the base Stingray, the said Grand Sport, the Z06, as well as the ZR1 monster and that's without counting the various packages that make a difference.
The Grand Sport basically features the goodies that turn the Z06 into a supercar hunter, sans the 650 hp supercharged V8 - the GS shares the 460 hp engine of the base model.
Now, the Chevrolet Corvette GS (in Final Edition trim) and a 992 Porsche 911 Carrera S were recently thrown at the Hockenheim, with the GP Course being used.
The battle was held by Sport Auto, with the German magazine placing Christian Gebhardt behind the wheel of both toys.
And it's no surprise that the one with the engine in the back grabbed the win. However, stopping at this conclusion would be wrong on many levels.
For one thing, the slab of America starts at $65,900, while the Carrera S kicks off at $113,300. And if we factor in the options, it's quite reasonable to say the German tool costs double.
Then there's the fact that the Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber of the GM machine could've been replaced by even sharper tires, such as the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2.
As for the fact that the 992 is a new chassis, while the C7 Corvette will be replaced by the mid-engined C8 this summer, I won't dwell on this.
So, as much as I love the 992 Carrera S (here's a review), it's not that easy to figure out the winner here.
Nevertheless, while the Corvette Grand Sport is the perfect performance bargain and the 911 is an expensive car, if we look higher in the said ranges, things get more complicated.
For instance, the 991.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, with its 520 PS, can blitz the Nurburgring in 6:56.4. Then again, the 765 PS (755 HP) Corvette ZR1 reportedly needs 6:57 for the task (the said time is calculated by added segments together and comes from a retired test driver, with the carmaker expected to release an official statement on the matter this summer).
However, with the Rennsport Neunelfer starting at 188550 and the Corvette ZR1 setting off at $119,995, a definite conclusion doesn't exactly come easy...
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News