C8 Corvette vs. Porsche Cayman S Autocross Battle Has Somewhat Surprising Result

However, there are more ways than one in which we can enjoy all that and, thanks to the switch from front- to mid-engine brought by the eighth generation of the legendary GM model, an autocross track now makes perfect sense. Well, it's actually a few cones scattered around a truck loading area (so it's more of an autocross track in spirit) but it'll serve its purpose.

Everybody knows the advantages of having the engine moved behind the cabin and in-between the two axles: better weight distribution, improved handling, fewer aerodynamic constraints at the front, not to mention that very unquantifiable "Ferrari-look." Well, at least three out of those four should make the C8 a much better autocross took than the C7 ever was.

Is that enough to challenge the Porsche Cayman S, the tiny German sports car that's renowned for its unparalleled handling and seems to have been designed for this type of thing? Well, this short video may not provide a definite answer to that question, but it sure is a start.

The 718 Cayman S comes to this fight with a huge handicap: it has half the number of cylinders of the C8 and even less than half of its engine displacement. Yup, this latest generation of the Cayman S loses the 3.4-liter flat-six and replaces it with a 2.5-liter flat-four. Granted, the engine shrinkage doesn't bring any power loss; quite the contrary, actually, as the 718 S puts out 345 hp (350 PS), which is 24 hp more than the previous generation.

Compare that to the C8's 495 hp (502 PS) and, more importantly on a technical course like this, its 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque (just 310 lb-ft/420 Nm for the 718 Cayman S), and that legendary Porsche handling had better be really good, or the German stands very little chance of coming out on top. Well, before jumping to any conclusions, check out the outcome in the clip below.