Recently, dnewc2s posted an excellent summary of the differences between his BMW M3 and his Porsche C2S. I thought I would follow his format and attempt to do a similar comparison between the 2006 Corvette C6 I previously owned and my new Carrera S.

Warning: This is long.

Aesthetics:
The C6 Corvette came into being in 2005 and was roundly applauded as an improvement over the C5 design. Time between Corvette re-designs have shortened significantly since the C4 model ('85-'96), C5 ('97-'04) and C6 ('05-current). While the Corvette has "evolved" with the various re-designs, the changes are significant and GM ends up redesigning the whole car both visually and internally. Conversely, the original Porsche 911 DNA is still evident in the current 997 visually, plus the car's evolution seems to have been planned from the very beginning. This, if you are a Porsche fan, is almost a security blanket of sorts-no funny business and no surprises. Porsche will make changes, but the car will always be a 911. The current C6 design is, well...current, and the C7, whenever that comes along, will probably include extensive design changes to remain "fresh" and will up the performance. The Porsche 911 design is, as dnewc2s stated, "a timeless design", plus you can always count on technology to heighten the excitement factor. Winner: Porsche

Sound:
Both cars are definitely "muffled" from the factory, hence the extensive exhaust aftermarket for both cars. Neither are cheap to modify, however the Porsche products are about double to triple the cost for like items. I put on probably the loudest aftermarket exhaust system on the C6, B&B "Stingers", basically straight pipe from the cats back ($850). True muscle car sound, at the expense of heavy interior drone at city speeds up to about 60mph. It was fun for a few months, but climbing into a friend's unmodded Vette, I found myself enjoying the "quiet" of a stock system (NOTE: '07 and newer Vettes have as an option vacuum operated mufflers that open up to basically a straight-through design when accelerating, similar to the PSE). There are other less intrusive systems available, but you quickly enter the $1.5K territory. The Porsche, even in stock configuration, has a distinctive sound, which is aided by the resonance in the intake system. The stock sound of the C6 is rather unremarkable for a car with that much performance. Winner: Porsche, if for nothing else the timeless sound.

Practicality:
Both are 2 seaters ( yes, I know there are seats in the rear of the Porsche, but are you gonna spend any time traveling back there??). The C6 coupe has a large wide storage area under the rear glass, the convertible has less due to the space taken up by the folded top. The 997 will hold what you can stuff behind the driver and passenger seats plus the storage space up front. Packing for a 2 week vacation for two would be easier in the C6. Both have cup holders but I find the Porsche design a little more practical (but not very sturdy) vice the two holes in the C6 console which are down by your elbow and completely out of sight, which means you grope and hope you don't stick your fingers in your coffee. Could somebody at Porsche please design some sun visors that you don't have to be 6' 6" to get any use out of?? Winner: Tie.

Reliability:
GM conquered most of the electronic bugaboos that plagued the older C5, however I suffered with mechanical issues that I felt that should not have happened. The brakes that come with the Z51 performance option are prone to excessive dust, and they squealed from day 1. Early on, Chevy offered to cover them under warranty but the noise would quickly return, so Chevy's answer to complaints became, "all performance brakes squeal, deal with it", and stopped replacing them under warranty. I had the cable that operates the gas filler door fail, a glitch that was so rare that the mechanic had to look up how to get to the cable to replace it. The rear end ate positraction additive to the point they put double the amount called for to keep the grinding down to a minimum. I was one service call away from getting the clutch packs replaced when I sold the Vette. I had a gas cap that, even though it was screwed in tight, would trip the CEL. I had to beg the Service Manager to replace it (their cost: $22). The one bright spot was the Chevrolet dealer I used for work was top notch, compared to stories from other Vette owners getting service elsewhere. So far, the 977 has been trouble-free, but time will tell. Winner (I hope): Porsche.

Value:
The C6 is considered the best bang for the buck, however the typical depreciation is fairly steep for a car of this caliber (it is a GM product after all). Four years with mid to average mileage and you will get about 50% of the new car price at trade-in time. There are so many Vettes for sale at any one time that it is a buyer's market practically all the time. I've only been a Porsche owner for a short time, but looking at used Porsche prices leads one to believe the value hangs around much longer. Mileage (unless super excessive for the model year) seems to affect the Porsche much less. Winner: Porsche

Performance:
The C6 has 400hp/400tq for '06. Plenty of low end torque, however GM used the electronics in the form of "torque management" to limit stress on the drivetrain. You would feel the power come on in stair-stepped stages, unlike the Porsche which in comparison feels seamless and very linear. The new direct injection for '09 is a major contributer to performance and feel. Straight line and track times would probably be similar, with each car having the advantage at different stages of the race. On a side note, the gas mileage in the C6 on the open highway was phenomenal for the power the car possesses (easily 28-30 mpg at legal speeds). I think the 997 returns more enjoyment to the driver for the amount of effort expended. Winner: Porsche

Feel:
This one is easy. Corvette: Heavy. Heavy steering, heavy clutch, heavy shifting. the steering (improved in '08) was artificially weighted, making it feel the car was working harder than it really was. It also masked exactly how much input your were dialing in, so in a fast corner you ended up making mid-course corrections. 997: Light; you finesse the controls instead of having to manhandle them. Everything that GM did poorly on the C6, Porsche excels at in the 997. Winner: Porsche.

Quality:
Although the C6 has a well designed interior, the materials are rental fleet quality. The C6 seats are rightly lampooned in every written review for every model of C6 from the base model to the ZR1; Zero lateral grip and GM must get the leather from starving cows in India. Fit and finish is slightly above average for a GM product, but not on par with, say, Cadillac. Paint quality is considered average; "thin" being used as a description by many owners. The stock Goodyear runflats are universally hated. I replaced mine at 18K miles with a set of Firestone runflats, primarily for the low cost, and throughly enjoyed them for the rest of the time I had the car. It is probably unfair to compare a GM product, even though it is the Corvette, with a Porsche 997, but it is what it is. Winner: Porsche

Perception:
Everyone liked the Corvette. Everyone ogles and drools over the 997. I think the general perception with the Corvette is you are one step away from doing something crazy and sideways with a lot of tire smoke (which you could). The 977 is perceived as something special, and the owner would never put a wheel wrong, fail to stop for the little old ladies in the crosswalk, and is above challenging the Camaro in the next lane to a street race. The Corvette says you are getting there as fast as you can, the Porsche says you've already arrived and got the best parking spot. Winner: Porsche

Conclusion:
I am going to paraphrase dnewc2s here. The 911 was also my dream car for quite a while and the Corvette C6 was somewhat of a transition towards that goal. Would I like to have the C6 now? Maybe as my daily driver, if I could have afforded to keep them both. Both are fun cars in their own right, and GM has made improvements in the latest C6 models. As dnewc2s stated in his comparison, I love the Porsche and for the feel of it alone, it can't be beat (true dat). I too just wanted to give a somewhat objective opinion based on my experience.

 

I had to C6's both junk. First one was a buyback (06) 2nd (07) had a computer gremlin. Even worse is Kerbeck is a bunch of Asshats that don't know what they're doing.

You can't compare the 2. I'd never buy a GM product again. Worst clutches in the business and I hate going all the way over to the right for reverse! SO STUPID!

Also, run flats on a sports car? BAD IDEA. Chevy only put them on there because the average owner is about 67yrs old. lol

 

That was a fun read. Thanks for mentioning it in the other thread.

 

I've driven a 2009 Corvette convertible for the past 2+ years and made the plunge on a new 2011 C2S Cab yesterday, picking up Wednesday. Like you, I've dreamed of a 911 for a while and the Vette was somewhat of a transition car. Funny that your comparison popped up on the forum one day after I made the plunge.

 

Great write up. I really enjoyed reading it, as my dad was always a Corvette guy, which is probably where my love of sports cars came from, and I have become a Porsche guy.

This really struck me as . I was driving my 911 Saturday night, and had the visor flipped down. I loved how it was in just the right spot to block the sun at the right times, but not block my view of the road. The funny part: I am 6'6"!

 

I have owned a number of high-performance cars, including a C6 Corvette. I didn't have any problems with my Vette when I owned it.

I agree that:

The Bose stereo in the C6 sucked, as does the one in my 997.2 Cab.

The C6 interior looks cheap.

The C6 seats lack lateral support, but are comfortable for long drives.

The shifting is notchy, but no more so than the Porsches I have owned.

The brakes are good, but there is too much forward pitch of the body when under heavy braking.

The C6 sacrifices ride for handling, but still is very capable.

The C6 motor is fantastic - it sounds great, has endless torque, is smooth...just like the Porsche motor.

My C6 cost approximate 1/3 what my Porsche cost. When you look at the quality of the P-car interior, brakes, paint, etc...it is clearly a superior product, at a price.

If you can afford it, I would, and did, buy a Porsche - that said, I completely understand why folks love the Corvette.

 

Nice right up.
I've owned three Corvette's, 05 Coupe, 08 Coupe, and a 09 ZO6.
What funny is the one I liked the best was the 05. It had the LS2 6.0 liter with about 400hp. The 08 was upgraded to the LS3 6.2 liter with 435hp, and athe Z has the LS7 with 505hp.
The 05 was the first year for the C6 and I felt the most comfortable in it, just the right amout of power for the car. When I got the 08 the car felt like it just didn't handle as good as the 05. So I moved up to the ZO6 to get the better handling and it did but at a expense of ride comfort and tire noise.
I test drove a ZR1 thinking that would be the best with the touring and sport mode, but driving it felt know better then the ZO6, just a little faster.
So I decided to check out the Porsche myself, I've only had it for a few weeks but it feels right to me. I like how it has total road feel with complete control. The vettes I felt like I could and would kick the *** out just in a quick turn in a intersection.
The quality is of course much better, but the car cost quite a bit more so it should be.
Anyway congrats on your new car, look forward to compairing notes as we rack up some miles on our new 911's.

 

great review thanks for sharing. I'm considering both cars for my next purchase so this helps a lot.

 

I just sold my 06 Vette convert and bought a 04 C4s. It gets here on sun . I love vetted ive had two , but I had a chance to jump to a Porsche and I did. I have a feeling I'm not going to regret it. I'll post an update next week after I get alittle drive time in .

 

Great write-up and a fun read. Thank you.