Porsche 911 vs. C8 Corvette

[Little Ducky]

Twisties.

 

[ttmott]

Brian, what's your thing with the car? Mornings in bathrobe and cup of coffee looking at it in the garage? Weekend driving and evening outings to a nice restaurant or theatre? Sunday drive with your fav caretaker? Track events? Or all??
My caretaker has a C7 Grand Sport; when she got that car we both went to the Ron Fellows Corvette driving school and really learned the capabilities of the car. I'm convinced regardless of what others here say we mortal folks can't drive the car to it's limits. Nor can we drive the 911 to it's limits. So let's just put that aside and say either one will more than satisfy our occasional track day thrill -
The 911 is much more refined both in fit and finish as well as it's roadworthiness; heck, consider how long it's been in production. The Corvette is comparatively rough and not close to the fit and finish; but, look at the difference in base price. If you desire to be noticed then the Corvette has that appeal but that is waning as there are getting to be quite a few on the roads. From a value retainage aspect the 911 will end up being better beyond these weird times; consider the production numbers going forward.
I will say as a qualified edit, the female persuasion in an evening outfit would rather get in and out of the Porsche than a controlled crash into or needing a hand out of the Vette.

 

[Wanderer 290]

Maybe go Bugatti or McLaren and be the leader ? Or at least be a competitor for the lead…

 

[Skybolt]

I think the Porsche vs Vette discussion is getting close to the Ford vs Chevy one. Strong supporters on both sides with little chance of changing one sides mind.

There is no comparison between the two. Just the build quality alone, let alone the handling. That said, I love Vet's and Porsches equally. Have owned both.

 

[fwebster]

I'm getting the same runaround from my Chevy dealer about my C8 order - I'm about to switch dealers...

Carter,

A friend of mine in Panama City Beach is on his 3rd new Corvette. He had to teach the dealer in Ft. Payne AL to work with him and had 2 new Corvettes on order before they realized what he was doing. He and his wife are very successful realtors and he ordered the first 2 cars in different names. I drove the first one and he was talking to the dealer about ordering a Z-06 but decided to pass on the more expensive model because of the performance and shifting speed of the regular model with the automatic transmission. The standard model is a real head turner. The takeaway here is that the Ft. Payne AL Chevrolet store is very progressive for a small town car store.

My realtor friend has taken delivery of his 3rd new Corvette and sold the first 2 at a huge premium over MSRP.

 

[carterchapman]

Thanks Frank. Hope you and Fran are doing well!

it is a beautiful car!

 

[Nick 55]

Maybe go Bugatti or McLaren and be the leader ? Or at least be a competitor for the lead…

Bugatti while an amazing piece of work, it is not a GT car in the sense that it can be flung around on the track. It’s so far out of the realm of “normal cars” though. Not to mention eye watering routine maintenance. It’s an extremely complex car with such limited service centers, if you aren’t in LA, Miami, or New York, you are going to truck it to one of those for maintenance. I wouldn’t send one to Chicago, Dallas, or anywhere else in the country. I’ve been around those cars for years and I’ve seen some repair bills, let’s say private jet money….. I would assume $100k a year for routine maintenance whether you drive it or not….. Still an amazingly engineered car. Incredibly good looking, and the female persuasion won’t have a “controlled crash” into it either. McLaren, they are an “affordable” exotic, and you’d be surprised how many independent shops can actually service them. But, the lower models, I don’t find them to have the bang for the buck the cars we’re discussing here have when it comes to rarity and performance.

 

[copb8tx]

I knew Bugatti were crazy expensive and assumed crazy expensive to maintain but had no idea that it'd cost $100K a year to keep one running. That is crazy money. Are you pulling the engine for an oil change?

As to not hijack the thread I may like to reach out to you on private message to hear your experience with the Mclarens.

 

[Henry Boyd]

A Vette is THE car to have. Porsches are hard to get parts for and you have a limited number of mechanics to work on them.

My buddy was a Porshe fan until he had a minor accident and they totalled the car because of parts availability.

Besides, do you want to support the USA or other countries that hate us....

I’ve owned Porsches on and off for most of my 55 year driving career, and even in the seventies with cars that qualified as rescues, I never had a problem finding parts or service people.

As for your last comment, better stop buying cars and trucks from Ford or GM, because the bulk of their content is from overseas. I didn’t mention Mopar as they are actually Italian these days…

 

[sbw1]

I’ve owned Porsches on and off for most of my 55 year driving career, and even in the seventies with cars that qualified as rescues, I never had a problem finding parts or service people.

A huge percentage of all of the Porsches built are still on the road today. I believe it is in the vicinity of 70%. The company still manufactures parts for cars it built going back to the 1950s. Parts are absolutely not an issue and there are a number of body and engine shops that do nothing but cater to vintage P cars.
Another myth concerns driving records. Porsche drivers as a group enjoy access to relatively low cost insurance because they have fewer accidents and speeding ticks as a group than owners of other brands.

 

[Great lakes pirate]

As for your last comment, better stop buying cars and trucks from Ford or GM, because the bulk of their content is from overseas. I didn’t mention Mopar as they are actually Italian these days…

Not so fast Henry Boyd.

"Overall, General Motors (GM)’s products racked up the highest domestic content score with 70.6 percent of the components making up its vehicles assembled in the U.S. - up from 70 percent last year and 58.2 percent across all models (those made in any country). Ford's domestic content increased from 70 percent to 67.6 percent for its U.S.-produced vehicles compared to 55 percent across its entire lineup. At FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), the percentage remained virtually unchanged with 64.1 percent interior content for U.S.-assembled vehicles and 55 percent for all other products."

https://www.auto123.com/en/news/veh...General Motors (GM),those made in any country).

 

[Nick 55]

I knew Bugatti were crazy expensive and assumed crazy expensive to maintain but had no idea that it'd cost $100K a year to keep one running. That is crazy money. Are you pulling the engine for an oil change?

As to not hijack the thread I may like to reach out to you on private message to hear your experience with the Mclarens.

I’ve seen repair invoices for early Veyrons, catching up on maintenance and repairs of leaks on 15 year old cars, I’ve seen upwards of a single visit at $800k because hydraulic spoiler rams or coolers(there’s something like 18 radiators/coolers on one) were leaking. Here’s a Robb Report article, hopefully not just for clicks, but it seems realistic based off what I have seen.

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/bugatti-chiron-pur-sport-service-maintenance-costs-1234637963/

 

[Jus Cruisin]

The rotors were roughly $2,000 a piece for my lowly Corvette back in 2016. They provide protectors you put on them when pulling off wheels.

 

[DWABoat]

Agreed. The right C2 or C3 is a better investment long term and a more visceral driving experience than either.

I like the C8...lots of bang for the buck but the last true Corvette was built in '82.

The 82 was a sweet year for the Vette. Here’s mine:

 

[Soulshine]

Collector's Edition. I like those but hear funky things about the Cross Fire Intake.

Very nice indeed.

This was my last, an '80:

 

[GypsmJim]

I’ve owned Porsches on and off for most of my 55 year driving career, and even in the seventies with cars that qualified as rescues, I never had a problem finding parts or service people.

As for your last comment, better stop buying cars and trucks from Ford or GM, because the bulk of their content is from overseas. I didn’t mention Mopar as they are actually Italian these days…

If I buy a foreign car (and wholly crap even a riceburner), then shame on me. If GM and Ford gets their parts overseas (forfeiting American jobs), then shame on them.

Regardless, as long as the profits go to Detroit I can live with it.

This is not a Ford vs. Chevy debate, it's much more important that that.

 

[brewster16]

Timely discussion for me as I JUST traded in my 997 C4S cabriolet for a gorgeous ‘23 torch red C8 convertible. Ciocca Chevrolet in Atlantic City was the dealer. I waited 11 months for my turn to order the car at MSRP. 2 months to deliver. Why did I do it? Because as soon as I laid eyes on this car my heart started thumping faster!

 

[Johnny Dimez]

First world problem and not related to boating, but this site has some pretty insightful members so here goes.....I put a deposit on a new C8 Corvette Convertible in November 2020. AT that time, they told me it would be six months before actually specing the new car and likely 9 months before it was delivered. By the end of the six months their answer had changed to "we have no idea if or when you will see this car" The deposit remained. In the meantime, I took delivery of a new 2021 911 Cabriolet in August 2021. I love the car but don't drive it much. It's got 1600 miles on it and 300 of those were the day I brought it home from the dealer in Maryland. The Chevy dealer called me last week and told me I am next on their list and they should get an allocation within the next few weeks. I asked if I could order a ZO6, they said no, they may never see a ZO6 and even if they do the owner of the dealership wants it. I could, however, order a 70th Anniversary Edition, but I'm not sure I'm interested in that. Anyway, my deal on the C8 is at MSRP and I can not assign it to another buyer. I guess I have three options. Buy the C8 and keep the 911; buy the C8 and sell or trade the 911; or, get my deposit back and keep the 911. Having both the 911 and the C8 will require to put an $8,000 lift on one side of my garage (there's a Z/28 on the another side). So what does this esteemed group think?

As soon as they told me no, I’d find a new dealer, even if I had to drive or fly my plane hundreds of miles and have it shipped home. Get the Corvette you want, it’s your money don’t waste it on a model lower than you want. The higher-end corvettes are in the supercar category now so why not get the Stingray Convertible 3LT in the “Amplify Orange Tincoat.” If that were my thing I’d keep both, why not? $8k lift is a small obstacle to overcome. And let’s be real…Porsche isn’t turning many heads these days; it’s the Corvette, Lambo, McClaren and the Teslas. Can’t remember the last time I saw a Porsche.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Timely discussion for me as I JUST traded in my 997 C4S cabriolet for a gorgeous ‘23 torch red C8 convertible. Ciocca Chevrolet in Atlantic City was the dealer. I waited 11 months for my turn to order the car at MSRP. 2 months to deliver. Why did I do it? Because as soon as I laid eyes on this car my heart started thumping faster!View attachment 135717

Is that the old Kerbeck? Or are there 2 Atlantic City Chevy dealers. I flew up to Kerbeck to buy C6 convertible.

 

[Henry Boyd]

If I buy a foreign car (and wholly crap even a riceburner), then shame on me. If GM and Ford gets their parts overseas (forfeiting American jobs), then shame on them.

Regardless, as long as the profits go to Detroit I can live with it.

This is not a Ford vs. Chevy debate, it's much more important that that.

Interesting outlook. You do know profits go to stockholders right? One can own GM stock as easily as Volkswagen, and soon Porsche, regardless of country. That with the amount of overseas content, sources, and production (BMWs built in the US, for example) makes the notion of an “American” or, “German” car kind of nebulous.