roadrat

"The truth is that the Corvette's closest competitor from Porsche's lineup hasn't been the 911 for some time. The German brand made its rear-engine flagship just a bit too soft right as Chevrolet got downright serious about making big perform*ance gains by relocating the Corvette's V-8. The mid-engine 718 series of two-seaters has taken the throne at Porsche as the de facto sports-car line while the 911 has realized the 928's goal of being the ultimate sports tourer."

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a33825844/2020-chevy-corvette-stingray-z51-vs-2020-porsche-718-cayman-gt4/

Wolpertinger

I had a chance to drive a new 718 Cayman S around the Vancouver Island Motor Sports circuit, which is a pretty twisty track. I also had my 991.1 2012 Carrera S there, too. The 718 did feel more like a sportscar with its smaller size and only a firewall behind me. I think the 911 is more of the grand tourer, but it still has a pretty darned big sports car heart!

ducktails

Now that's a hot take worthy of an internet flame war

I haven't driven a C8 so I can't comment, I've only read secondhand reviews that found the C8 to be a bit soft and underwhelming itself.

The vast majority of C8 buyers will not be cross-shopping a track-focused Porsche GT product.If you are a corvette track guy presumably you're waiting for the Z06 and hoping it doesn't overheat after a few laps.


Is a Carrera or Carrera S no longer a 'sports car' and now a 'sports tourer'? You could have endless fun arguing about those artificial buckets.

Properly equipped IMO a 991 is fun, engaging, and more than capable of holding its own on a track or back road - so the categorization is moot.

garfunkle

This is just a ploy for ratings.

As we were driving last night on my newish DSC controlled 991.1 the connubiality partner commented that she thought it was supposed to make the car harsher. See, in the old days stiff suspension was also harsh and sports cars would rattle your teeth out. Good suspension is all about keeping the best contact patch on the road, not measured by harshness. Good suspensions today can be stiff and excellent without having to be teeth shatteringly harsh. Sure, the 911 has gotten a little bigger but so has the corvette and everything else. Nobody is saying that a 488 isn't a real sports car because it's bigger than the 430. The 911 is just a lot more dialed in now so it is truly more comfortable. A new base 911 handles better than a GT3 car of a couple generations older and it does it with more comfort. We can now have both.

If you want a GT car then check out the last Jaguar XKR's. Best GT cars ever made. Experience one of those and you'll never confuse the 911 with a GT car. I haven't driven one yet but the Lexus LC500 looks. like an excellent GT car too.

garfunkle

718 and Corvette are in the same price bracket so the narrative is manipulated to compare dollars and not spec.

TamiyaGuy

What he said. Vast majority of people based their car buying decision on what they can afford.

garfunkle

This isn't scientific but....

chuckbdc

Thread could have been: "Car and Driver Mag Seeks Eyeballs".

Carlo_Carrera

Sure, a GT3 is "soft". The 911 comes in variants suitable for all occasions, just pick your poison.

Guards_Red_991

To the OP: I disagree completely.

My opinion: The 911 has grown in every aspect while keeping true to its soul as conceived by Ferdinand. It is a sports car with comfort and space, it has always been hat way and will always be. The 911 has so much personality and presence. I just don't see the same with the Cayman/Boxster combo.

isugoo

I agree. I think because 992 hasn't released their GT line up, it appears to be 'soft' with their base/S/Turbo models but once GT line up hits the market, it'l change.
If we look at 991 models, there is 991 for everyone, base/T/S/GTS/Turbo/GT line with all sorts of top options.

barncobob

$ has alot to do with choice,,17 C2S,,,,all i can afford,,,Id love to have a turbo S but its alot of $$$...my 17S runs fast enough for me...maybe if i win the lotto..

Bemo

I'll wait to test drive the Z06 and reserve judgement until then. Certainly on paper, the package is quite the price/performance proposition....

BSO

The car media has praised Caymans for some time as the best available Porsche for price and handling, nothing new.

Porsche has been raising 911 prices, the new 992 S with common sport options is $130k+, twice the price of the base C8, so the Cayman is a performance bargain(?) in comparison.

No surprise that the Cayman compares in performance to the C8, but do they appeal to the same people?

Driven the 991.2s and 992s on the PTX track for extended periods of time, they didn't feel soft.

It would be neat if the PTX had a C8 for the attendants to drive/compare (can the C8 stay on track hour after hour, as the 911s do, without a problem, fun to find out).

As someone said, internet traffic generating content. Not the first time C&D has engaged in hyperbole. Next we'll see a story "Is the 911 Still a Sports Car?" or the "Porsche GT3 has Lost its Edge!".

BTW, several automotive journalists have made the comment that the new 992 Carrera S is so capable that they question the need to go any further up the 911 range. And some that have driven the 992 Turbo S are wondering how can you use all of its capabilities. (See recent acceleration comparisons where the Turbo runs away from way more expensive super cars in 1/4 mile).

Wonder what the 992 GT cars will reveal?

Ceepe

That's senility talking. Car and driver opinion is about as irrelevant as it gets these days. Possibly beyond YouTube homogenized opinion, which is also pretty worthless. I used to love Car and Driver. I appreciate the opinion of Henry Catchpole, and that's about it. Maybe a few mins of Harris is still tolerable, but barely.

Chevy in their wildest dreams could not produce a car that can take abuse like any 911. Let alone GT cars. When the 992 GT3 and RS arrive it will make statements like that seem even more ridiculous.