911 vs ZO6

OK yall here is a world class battle, the 2007 911 turbo is a masterpiece of proformance it ties the world record for fastest 0-60 3.2 seconds (with the triptronic tranny) it flies through the 1/4 mile in an insane 11.4 seconds over a half second faster than the more powerful lighter ZO6!!! If there was any doubt that an advanced AWD system was well worth the weight there is not anymore. On the other side there is American muscle at its best. 500hp out of a pushrod engine!!! Despite being rather low tech the vette pulls off impressive proformance numbers 3.7 seconds 0-60 1.05g on the skidpad, and 12 seconds flat in the 1/4! All for less than 80k, that is easly record setting in that price range. What is your pick?

The Z06 is a great track car and THE best bang for your buck in terms of pure performance, but in my mind it is only half of a sports car. I want a car that is good on both the track and the street, and so far, nothing that I've read has had anything good to say about the interior and ride quality of the Z06. "Hit a bump in the middle of a corner, and you can become a passenger." -C&D I have immense respect for this car, but it isn't the end all be all of sports cars. You really do get what you pay for.

The 997 Turbo isn't actually as good on the track as Z06 (at least in dry conditions). This is probably due to the fact that it wieghs significantly more. So as a performance car, the Vette' is better, by a little. Out on the road, the reason for the price difference between the two becomes obvious. The Porsche 911 has one of the best interiors of any sports car on the market, and it is as easy to drive as a VW. The interior of the Porsche is to the Corvette what a Monet is to my 3rd grade art.

Conclusion - The 997 Turbo is one of the most usable sports car on the market, making it much more practical then the Corvette for day to day use. On the track, the Corvette has an edge. The Porsche is simply the better all around car, making it my pick.

I don't know I would love to see them race each other on a track. The 911s have a great track record I am not sure the vette would win.

In the C&D comparison between the 997 Turbo, Z06, and F430 the Z06 lapped Papenburg in 1:15.85, the Porsche lapped in 1:17.55, a fairly substantial difference. The Vette also pulled more on the 300-foot skidpad (1.01g v. 0.97g) and breaked better from 70-0 (146ft v. 151ft). This is all pretty understandable when you look at the hp per pound ratio (6.3 v. 7.3).

but you have to also remember that the turbo isn't the track biased car.
i'd like to see what lap times the GT3 (and RS) can pull.

Exactly, GT3 vs Z06 is a much fairer comparison.

Well if I had the money, and having Porsche in my name here, Id take the 911 Turbo. Its probably the best all arounder in any catagory (apart from the M5). But then again, the Z06 is quite a bargain for the performance. Its a great car, but the 911 wins by a few hairs here.

On the other side there is American muscle at its best. 500hp out of a pushrod engine!!!

On a side note, why would you think 500hp is amazing in spite of being a pushrod engine? In professional drag racing they get 8000hp out of a pushrod engine. In the case of V-shaped engines, there's actually a strong case for pushrods. They weigh far less, and allow the engine to be more compact because you don't have to beef up the design of the heads in order to support the camshafts.

Exactly, GT3 vs Z06 is a much fairer comparison.
GT3 every day of the week.

Also, I have heard it quoted that the Z06 can run an 11.5 quartermile, not just a 12 flat, which isn't surprising or outrageous to me.

I'd rather drive a 911 on a day to day basis, but I can't imagine that any of the 911's (GT3, turbo, or otherwise) could get around a typical road course quicker than the Z06. All of you Top Gear fans saw the Z06 beat the Ferrari F430, Pagani Zonda and so forth on the test track. The Z06 is an absolute monster on the track, but I understand it'll beat you to death on the street. I love Porsche and the 911, but I'd have to see a 911 beat a Z06 for myself in order to believe it could happen. The Z06 is just a much better track car, period.

better or just more powerful?

I'd rather drive a 911 on a day to day basis, but I can't imagine that any of the 911's (GT3, turbo, or otherwise) could get around a typical road course quicker than the Z06. All of you Top Gear fans saw the Z06 beat the Ferrari F430, Pagani Zonda and so forth on the test track. The Z06 is an absolute monster on the track, but I understand it'll beat you to death on the street. I love Porsche and the 911, but I'd have to see a 911 beat a Z06 for myself in order to believe it could happen. The Z06 is just a much better track car, period.


I think a GT3 would beat a Z06 around the track, the last one was faster than the 911 Turbo, this one should be no different, it'd give the Porsche the lightness it needs to take the Z06.

better or just more powerful?

When it comes to the track I would say better, not just more powerful. Day to day I don't think it would be much contest.

I think a GT3 would beat a Z06 around the track, the last one was faster than the 911 Turbo, this one should be no different, it'd give the Porsche the lightness it needs to take the Z06.

Well, who owns these cars? Let's get 'em together and put it to the test! Surely, at some point this next season Top Gear will test a 997 911 turbo or GT3 so we'll get an idea based upon the Stig's time. We can say whatever we want here but we won't know until there's a fair comparison, and the TG test track (now that they test the cars in similar conditions) is about the best way to objectively compare different cars' track times. I still say no way either Porsche beats the Z06.

which goes back to my little point.

the Z06 weighs around 1430 kgs.
the 911 GT3 weighs 1200kgs.

With 500bhp, the Z06 has a power to weight of about 349bhp/ton
With 415bhp, the GT3 has a competive power to weight of around 346bhp/ton.
But don't forget that ultimately, despite the similar power to weight, the Z06 does have a 85bhp horsepower advantage, not to mention a 177lb/ft torque advantage, which is why it SHOULD beat the GT3.
The car has more power and more torque and hence should be a lot faster than the GT3 despite the GT being lighter.
The GT3 the better car despite being slower for the same reasons that the slower still Lotus Elise is the better track car.
Would a hypothetical 415bhp z06 beat the GT3?

Of course, with all of this said, it isn't to say that the Z06 is a bad car, which all too often people mistake this kind of reasoning to be meaning. It just means that in terms of engineering, design and execution, the GT3 (and other 911s in general) is the better car.
They did a fantastic job on the C6 as a whole, actually making the car smaller than the previous gen. car (how often does that happen these days?) and from what I recall, the Z06 in particular had most of its development work done on the N'ring, which shows when you look at the lap times it can produce.

I don't like the people here...that are calling the corvette not a sports car because it's been America's best sport car for 50 years. You can have a car with all the luxury in the world and it'll still suck; This we know. But anyway, here's the C6's interior:
http://www.km77.com/marcas/corvette/2005/c6convertible/med/30.jpg

What is so bad about that??? It's even got a Heads Up Display!!

This we know. But anyway, here's the C6's interior:

What is so bad about that??? It's even got a Heads Up Display!!

It looks, and feels cheap. And yes, I have been in one, and driven it.

[QUOTE=Dyno247365]I don't like the people here...that are calling the corvette not a sports car because it's been America's best sport car for 50 years. You can have a car with all the luxury in the world and it'll still suckQUOTE]

Nobody said it isn't a sports car. Hell, it's by far the best performance for the buck of any sports car. I'd have to go back and watch that Top Gear again but the only cars that were faster around the track were cars like the Carrera GT,McLaren SLR, and Ford GT. However, most would agree that the 911 is a higher quality, more upscale car that would be more desirable to own.

The Corvette interior is fairly tragic, the plastics are a really bad joke, I encountered more squeaks and rattles than a 1995 Fiat Punto in the Vette.


I'm going to go as far to say that the plastics made a Mk 1 Renault Clio seem like an Audi in comparison.

The term sports car is so vague and overused these days that it could mean just about anything to anyone. Do you really think that you get absolutely nothing out of the price difference between these two cars other then a name? I think not. It drives me nuts when Corvette fans get all defensive about the Z06. Yes, it is a great car, but it so focused on performance that it ignores everything else. It is NOT the car to end all cars that so many make it out to be.

http://www.porsche.com/filestore.aspx/normal.jpg?pool=germany&type=galleryimage&id=tu997-experience-interieur-05&lang=none&filetype=normal

http://www.chevrolet.com/i/pic/corvette/2007/photogallery/int_gallery02.jpg

Seriously, can you compare the Corvette interior to the 911 Turbo?


Regarding GT3 v. Turbo v. Z06-

1:21.9 Ford GT
1:22.3 Ferrari 360 CS
1:22.3 Porsche 911 GT3 (996)
1:22.4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1:22.9 Ferrari F430 F1

So given that the old GT3 was a tenth quicker, I'd bet on the 997 GT3 gaining a little bit more, as well as the F430 CS should that ever come out.

I'm going to go as far to say that the plastics made a Mk 1 Renault Clio seem like an Audi in comparison.

Comparing a renult to a VW dosn't cover a wide range of quality.

Prehaps a Mk1 Clio compared to an Ariel Atom, the Atom being top of the squeek free interior simply because there is no interior to squeek.


Porsche have proven that over engineering conquers all.
In the 80s, when most manufactors where trying to design cars to be cheaper and easier to build, as well as safer and easier to drive, Porsche took an out dated, unbalanced concept, one that they had already been useing for over 50 years, and simply over engineered it.
They made a read enigned sports car work by simply engineering thier own laws of physics.
In the process they learned, and I mean REALL learned how to put cars together.
Iv worked on hundreds of different cars, everything from 60s Brits, to modern Ferraris, and out of all of them, the post 1980ish Porsches have always been the best put together.

The Corvette on the other hand, regardless of how fast it is, is built to a price, and that means compromises.

Regarding GT3 v. Turbo v. Z06-

1:21.9 Ford GT
1:22.3 Ferrari 360 CS
1:22.3 Porsche 911 GT3 (996)
1:22.4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1:22.9 Ferrari F430 F1

So given that the old GT3 was a tenth quicker, I'd bet on the 997 GT3 gaining a little bit more, as well as the F430 CS should that ever come out.

Actually, it was the RS model on the Top Gear board, but I think the only difference between the RS and regular GT3 beside from the looks was a little weight. For the 997 model, they have the same power but the RS is about 45lbs lighter. I concede my earlier position, I think the GT3 is right there with the Z06 on a track. I'm a little surprised that the Challenge Stradale beat the F430, though.

Actually, it was the RS model on the Top Gear board, but I think the only difference between the RS and regular GT3 beside from the looks was a little weight. For the 997 model, they have the same power but the RS is about 45lbs lighter. I concede my earlier position, I think the GT3 is right there with the Z06 on a track. I'm a little surprised that the Challenge Stradale beat the F430, though.

The 360 CS was about 350lbs lighter and had a much stiffer suspension. Much more of a street legal race car then a really fast road car.

The 360 CS was about 350lbs lighter and had a much stiffer suspension. Much more of a street legal race car then a really fast road car.


Hence why it and the GT3 are a fair comparison to the Z06.

The Corvette interior is fairly tragic, the plastics are a really bad joke, I encountered more squeaks and rattles than a 1995 Fiat Punto in the Vette.
Is this a C6 Vette you're taking about?
I thought the rattles & squeaks ended with the C4.
Apparently, the frame rails used in the later generations eliminated 21 joins and welds that were notoriously noisy on the C4.

http://www.km77.com/marcas/corvette/2005/c6convertible/med/30.jpg
I'd say that this interior is dam sight better then the ones of previous generations, and although it looks cheaper then the Porsche interior, it doesn’t seem THAT much cheaper. Certainly not enough to justify the higher price tag of the Porsche. (of course, I understand that there is more to a Porsche then just a fancy interior. Its higher price tag likely reflects higher levels of quality in some other areas as well)
The real problem is I have never driven or even sat in a C6, and because I live in Australia, I am unlikely to get the chance.

I suppose what I am saying is that from this photo, the C6's interior seems very inviting, and I am surprised to hear people bash it. Is it somehow different in person?

You'd be surprised at the difference between the PR Photo and the cars interior in real life.

From there it looks nice enough, but sit in and note that the leather feels like that awful stuff Honda used in Accords/Civics in the mid-90's, the plastics are hard, especially around the Center console, not disimilar to what Kia and Hyundai like to use, the dashboard reminds me of a council wheelie-bin and the C6 that I got to drive had an irritating few vibrations/rattles, that I pinpointed to a lid not closing properly somewhere.

It's an imporvement, especially aesthetically, but it's still a very long way back from Porsche.

You'd be surprised at the difference between the PR Photo and the cars interior in real life.

From there it looks nice enough, but sit in and note that the leather feels like that awful stuff Honda used in Accords/Civics in the mid-90's, the plastics are hard, especially around the Center console, not disimilar to what Kia and Hyundai like to use, the dashboard reminds me of a council wheelie-bin and the C6 that I got to drive had an irritating few vibrations/rattles, that I pinpointed to a lid not closing properly somewhere.

It's an imporvement, especially aesthetically, but it's still a very long way back from Porsche.
100% spot on. Especially the awful leather...

I have to say though - the only Ferrari I've ever driven, a 360 Modena, had a pretty flimsy interior. On the other hand, all Porsche's I've driven or sat in were extremely well screwed together. Porsche interiors may not be as flamboyant as other supercars but they're very high quality.

All very valid points and I do not refute them.
Unfortunately I have never been in a C6 Corvette and I certainly cannot appraise the quality of leather from a pic.

Still if Chevrolet decided to make Corvette interior's to the standard of Porsche, wouldn’t this cause concerns regarding its impact on the price tag?

Also I wonder if the use of these nasty plastics can be justified as a weight reducing measure.

the fact remains the vette is half the price of the gt3

the fact remains the vette is half the price of the gt3


The fact remains there's a good reason why it is.

There are arguable reasons why they are priced so differently.