Porsche 911 vs. C8 Corvette

[bmac]

Nothing has a shorter life cycle than a wife's browny points!

Mine usually expire while I am still within her in hearing distance.

 

[bmac]

There's lots of arguments for one or the other but in the end, it's which one excites you more. Whether that's the aesthetics, performance or functionality, one is going to speak a little louder than the other.

I really wish that were the case.....they both speak to me in different ways.....different languages you could say.

 

[bmac]

Sell em both and get a fully restored ‘69 LS swapped convertible Corvette with upgraded suspension. Now you will get excited to drive your toy. AND you can brag to the wife how you just bought an old used Chevy instead!!!

So I bought a rotisserie restored '69 Camaro Pace Car in January 2021. Obviously not an LS powered car. I might have kept it if it had the LS.

 

[carterchapman]

First world problems, Carter, first world problems....

"Ain't" it the truth!!

 

[bmac]

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 have not had that experience with Porsche. There are 5 Porsche dealers within a 50 mile radius of my home. Years ago I felt the same way about buying American, my wife still does. She always has and always will buy American cars (or trucks). I'm going to buy another American icon, the Corvette, but I do like my BMW, Mercedes and Porsches. Now I would NOT buy a Russian, Iranian or Chinese made car. Ok, no credit for any of those because even Russians, Iranians and Chinese wouldn't either if they had a choice.

 

[Blueone]

please let me know the dealer that he was able to accomplish that at. I'm not averse to buying out of state.

https://www.baumannautoportclinton.com/

Now his family owns a good chunk of port Clinton ….. so might have had something to do with it….. but worth a try

 

[bmac]

My wife always said the Vette was for people who couldn't afford the Porsche...

What does she say about people that have both?

 

[bmac]

You said yourself you barely drive the 911. That's the universe telling you what to do. Now if you will have buyers remorse for not getting the Z06, you'll end up in the exact same position. I say sell them both, and get something you will actually enjoy. Now if it were me in a money to burn situation, I'd be looking for a low-miles 2019 C7 ZR1.

Well, Bob, I barely drive the Porsche because I really don't want to park it anywhere, I wouldn't drive a ZO6 much either, but I would drive a base C8 wherever and whenever I wanted. Also, the base C8 is faster (except top speed) and stickier than the ZR1 gets better gas mileage, doesn't have the complexity of a supercharger and I prefer the body shape of a C8, so no ZR1 for me.

 

[Tim Fila]

What does she say about people that have both?

They have done well!

 

[sbw1]

Not my first Porsche and yes, it is a VERY refined car. I don't drive it anywhere for hours at a time. Nothing has broken yet, but I know what repairs look like for German engines (marine and auto). Not pretty if required. ANd like my MAN's, the Porsche maintenance schedule is obscene. Can't wait for year three for a complete fluid change (Engine oil, transmission fluid and coolant). Owning the 911 hasn't really changed the way I see the C8....two fairly different approaches to a sports car.

I’m not seeing the maintenance costs you describe. Oil changes are 10,000 miles or once a year. Tune ups about every three years. Brake fluid at three years unless you track the car. Otherwise the cars are inspected yearly when oil is changed. None of this is particularly costly to do. Tires last about three years or 25,000 miles, run about $2,000 and are a little pricey, but those are wear items.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Yes, once you order one deliveries are 10-12 weeks. It's actually getting to the order date that takes time. Unlikely your friend walked into the dealer in March and was able to just order one. If he did.... good for him and please let me know the dealer that he was able to accomplish that at. I'm not averse to buying out of state.

I can't speak about Corvette order lead times, but this spring I went lookin for a small pickup and ended up ordering a Jeep Gladiator at the end of March that arrived at the dealership just after the fourth of July. This was par for the course for Ford and GM/Chevy whose models I considered.

The last time I spoke with my Porsche sales guy that new deliveries are being quoted as "some time towards the end of 2023". This was in the context of his pitch to get me into a Taycan. Although I'm not sure what he wanted more, to get me out of the present P car so he could sell it to someone else, or to sell me a player to be named later.

 

[Henry Boyd]

I’m not seeing the maintenance costs you describe. Oil changes are 10,000 miles or once a year. Tune ups about every three years. Brake fluid at three years unless you track the car. Otherwise the cars are inspected yearly when oil is changed. None of this is particularly costly to do. Tires last about three years or 25,000 miles, run about $2,000 and are a little pricey, but those are wear items.

Same here, my service costs on the Panny are no more than the cost of an oil service for one of the Volvo D6s. I'm four years down the road with it and have not yet had anything other than normal wear and tear stuff. I'm currently due for tires but will probably wait until next spring for that as the car will be going into winter hibernation soon.

 

[sbw1]

I can't speak about Corvette order lead times, but this spring I went lookin for a small pickup and ended up ordering a Jeep Gladiator at the end of March that arrived at the dealership just after the fourth of July. This was par for the course for Ford and GM/Chevy whose models I considered.

The last time I spoke with my Porsche sales guy that new deliveries are being quoted as "some time towards the end of 2023". This was in the context of his pitch to get me into a Taycan. Although I'm not sure what he wanted more, to get me out of the present P car so he could sell it to someone else, or to sell me a player to be named later.

Just spoke with my Porsche sales guy today concerning my 2023 Boxter GTS. He said they have not had any sports car allocations for weeks. He does expect that to change starting in 2023, and continues to promise that I will have my new car in 2023.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Just spoke with my Porsche sales guy today concerning my 2023 Boxter GTS. He said they have not had any sports car allocations for weeks. He does expect that to change starting in 2023, and continues to promise that I will have my new car in 2023.

My guy has been a little more pessimistic in his forecasts this summer. He’s been scrambling because he lost a few cars when the Felicity Ace sank. While the lost commissions certainly sting, given he has mostly repeat customers, I think his angst has been more the result of trying to make the losses up to his customers and keeping their future business.

He and I have been talking solely about ordering a Taycan, so that may also be why my horizon is farther out. Although I would think any GTS allocation would probably be just as big a unicorn.

 

[sbw1]

My guy has been a little more pessimistic in his forecasts this summer. He’s been scrambling because he lost a few cars when the Felicity Ace sank. While the lost commissions certainly sting, given he has mostly repeat customers, I think his angst has been more the result of trying to make the losses up to his customers and keeping their future business.

He and I have been talking solely about ordering a Taycan, so that may also be why my horizon is farther out. Although I would think any GTS allocation would probably be just as big a unicorn.

I don't know if there is any correlation between Porsche and Audi availability but suddenly we seem to be awash in in brand new Audis at our local dealer. It is like the log jam has been broken.

 

[bmac]

Following up on sbw1 and Henry Boyd's comments on maintenance costs. I was at Southampton Porsche last week to pick up the second key for my car and have the programming completed. While bs'ing with the service manager he told me to be prepared for my year 3 service. He indicated it entailed the annual oil change plus cabin and engine air filters, tune up, transmission and clutch oil changes and engine coolant change. He said it would be north of $5000. I didn't give it much thought until the comments here on maintenance costs, so, I pulled out the maintenance manual for my 911. Most of the services he suggested are not due till much further out in the life of the car. As a matter of fact, the coolant schedule only calls for a level and quality check every two years. Clutch fluid doesn't get changed till year 6 and transmission fluid not till year 12 (I'll never hit the mileage points on the maintenance schedule so Ill always be time driven). I'm guessing a lot of Porsche owners (and especially in the Hamptons) just do what's recommended. I think their labor rate was $235 or $265 and hour. Lesson learned, thankfully it didn't cost me anything.

 

[sbw1]

Porsche service can become very pricey when owners do not follow the schedules in the owner manual. Boats…same thing.

 

[copb8tx]

Following up on sbw1 and Henry Boyd's comments on maintenance costs. I was at Southampton Porsche last week to pick up the second key for my car and have the programming completed. While bs'ing with the service manager he told me to be prepared for my year 3 service. He indicated it entailed the annual oil change plus cabin and engine air filters, tune up, transmission and clutch oil changes and engine coolant change. He said it would be north of $5000. I didn't give it much thought until the comments here on maintenance costs, so, I pulled out the maintenance manual for my 911. Most of the services he suggested are not due till much further out in the life of the car. As a matter of fact, the coolant schedule only calls for a level and quality check every two years. Clutch fluid doesn't get changed till year 6 and transmission fluid not till year 12 (I'll never hit the mileage points on the maintenance schedule so Ill always be time driven). I'm guessing a lot of Porsche owners (and especially in the Hamptons) just do what's recommended. I think their labor rate was $235 or $265 and hour. Lesson learned, thankfully it didn't cost me anything.

That's a disgusting business practice. Not only did your guy suggest unneeded maintenance but the $5,000 bill for those services is absurd! I'd be looking for my service elsewhere.

My dealership has always been 100% straight-shooters. I'd give my mechanic my wallet and he'd still only do what was necessary and right.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Following up on sbw1 and Henry Boyd's comments on maintenance costs. I was at Southampton Porsche last week to pick up the second key for my car and have the programming completed. While bs'ing with the service manager he told me to be prepared for my year 3 service. He indicated it entailed the annual oil change plus cabin and engine air filters, tune up, transmission and clutch oil changes and engine coolant change. He said it would be north of $5000. I didn't give it much thought until the comments here on maintenance costs, so, I pulled out the maintenance manual for my 911. Most of the services he suggested are not due till much further out in the life of the car. As a matter of fact, the coolant schedule only calls for a level and quality check every two years. Clutch fluid doesn't get changed till year 6 and transmission fluid not till year 12 (I'll never hit the mileage points on the maintenance schedule so Ill always be time driven). I'm guessing a lot of Porsche owners (and especially in the Hamptons) just do what's recommended. I think their labor rate was $235 or $265 and hour. Lesson learned, thankfully it didn't cost me anything.

Our first (and last) Mercedes dealer pulled the same trick with us on its first service. We bought the car at mid summer and it hit its first real oil service in the late fall. The bill was something like $750.00 (it was 82 so that was a lot then for oil & filters). It turns out besides the engine oil, they did the transmission, antifreeze, and replaced belts, hoses & clamps, and wiper blades on a car that was about six months old. When I queried the bill and why they were replacing basically new parts, the service manager told me they liked to do that because they customers did not like winter surprises. In the end he ate the cost of parts and fluids unrelated to the actual scheduled service and I paid the labor. After that they followed the Merc schedule.

Our dealer whom I’ve used since 93 is good about recommending extra stuff that should be done for cars that spend more time sitting in garages, but in advance of the work being done. And they’ve never tried to pad the work order with early stuff unannounced.

 

[Märt Keskküla]

Prior boating I did have few good years with 911. I was not getting the car for show-off, mostly used it trackdays and my main cost was linked to tires Shortest stint was 2 days for Cup2R tires and normal wear was 4-5 sets per summer. As car had a factory warraty, I only paid for normal service and it was not that much compared to trackday tickets, tires and burned petrol. Pics for proof as well Nurnburng ring in rain and youtube clip from SPA and Hockenheims trackdays