Yeah, I agree. The world has enough "us vs. them" celebrations of differences.

It's okay for Corvette and Porsche manufacturers to profile their customer base, right? Would be nice to see how the two compare.

Meanwhile, I just judge the looks of the Corvette (kinda boyish rocket-car-fantasy looking) and the reputation of GM (cheap cars for the masses).

 

Some would argue that PAG has embarked on a marketing/business plan to 'provide a Porsche for every customer'. Does the term 'badge buying' come to mind?
PAG hasn't made 'a few' of anything in the past few years....some would argue they have overproduced just about every model, including the CGT.
Boxsters made in Finland, Cayenne/Touareg common unibody, VAG to produce the body for the Panamera.
PAG's largest customer base will likely never drive on the Autobahn.

 

I've run track days regularly with a group of Vette owners. Many of them run Z06's and dedicated track cars. I've driven and ridden along for many hot laps in Vette's and can tell you, there is no better performance bang for the buck than a Z06 Vette other than a high performance motorcycle or shifter kart.

That being said, I have no interest whatsoever in owning one. The Porsche offers amazing performance and a level of daily drivability and sophistication that the Vette doesn't deliver. If you include practicality, fit, finish and prestige in the scoring, I believe the Porsche prevails. If you are just interested in performance and value, Vette wins hands down and nobody in the Chevy camp is shy about trumpeting that. Sure, a GT3 should run with a Z06 (we'll soon see) and a Turbo may as well but, dollar for dollar, it's no contest, Vette wins.

I'm happy circumstances allow me to own a 997S with all the performance options. If money were an object, I'd consider a nice 993 Turbo rather than a new Z06.

MC

 

Good observations. Porsche is not beyond criticism.

But when comparing Carrera to Corvette I have significantly more confidence in Porsche than in GM.

 

One other thing... My 98 Cab has over 5,000 track miles out of 34k on the odometer and has never experience a failure or oil leak. I can recall several Vette's blowing up (bottom end failure, valve train) and one that caught fire. I believe Porsche's historically hold up to extended abuse and wide open throttle better than the Vette engines, especially the C6. "Over-engineering" has its benefits.

MC

 

not to mention 0-60 in 3.8 sec...that is TT territory...but it is still not a Porsche.

 

Well, as an owner of both cars, a 99 Carrera 4 and a 02 Z06, I can tell you both cars have their biased and stereotypes. Like some of you had said, both cars are completely different.

Now...for some of you to say GM cars (how many cars does GM make????) are "sh&t"...is completely stupid and ignorant. I have met some Z06 owners that, while might not be the classiest people, are down to earth, nice, extremely helpful. I have also met some Z06/Corvette owners that are simply asshats. However, the same goes for 911 Porsche owners. About 2 weeks ago, I was driving on my STi and happened to pull over right beside a 911...beautiful car and noticed he had a REALLY, really low front tire. I told him "I think your front tire needs some air" in a very nice, polite way. He responds "it's a low profile tire DUDE, you have own one to know it"....

What do you respond to that? I just smiled and wished him a nice day.

Cliffnotes: Both cars are completely different. Power to money ration, nothing beats the Z06. But I enjoy opening the garage and seeing the 911 there in the corner...just waiting to come out and play

 

That situation calls for a dirty look and a cookie/burrito/egg mcmuffin launched at the Porsche driver's window. I don't discriminate; a rude person is a rude person, no matter what he's driving.

At the track Corvette guys have been mostly helpful and courteous with me, mostly because I think I extend them helpfulness and courtesy as well. That some of them get worked up because my upside-down bathtub with the engine on the wrong end and street tires is faster than their loud, high-displacement, camera-equipped, fiberglass pods on Hoosiers is their problem.

 

My pal has a Cadillac SUV and has grown to hate the f-ing thing. Why? because it's a POS. We have "fun" finding the crappy materials and designs all intended to CUT COSTS. It's like GM knows what their typical/loyal (dumb) buyer will not notice, but the more astute person used to BMW or Porsche quality WILL notice.

For example, look at the glove box for the cadillac suv. They are merely crummy plastic FLAPS covering an inaccessible hole in the dash, not tilt-out drawers. You have to be an idiott to accept GM's "solution" for the glove box design as "luxury and quality." Take the "chrome" trim around the windows: it is plastic which scratches JUST BY TOUCHING IT!!!

I checked out a Corvette in terms of quality of the interior components. I was impressed at how nice it looked at first glance but how cheap it felt over a few minutes of closer inspection! Everything SEEMED okay, but the more discerning you got, the more time you spent with it, the more you notice how frickin' crappy it is.

Look again and compare. Like Rabbit fur and Sable compare!

Do the same thing for the rest of the car. Compare the gears in the trannys and crankshafts in the engine with the expertise of an engineer/machinist. Check the monocoque with similarly qualified experts, my bet is you'll see disingenious corner-cutting in every component of the GM car.

 

I'm stunned by how many fools line-up to buy that piece of crap Eschalade. They put a big engine in it (smart), paint it black, put fake chrome on it-wheels and trim, come up with a snazzy rock song as a slogan and the dang thing sells. In my neighbor hood there were probably a dozen of them a year ago. Now, there are two. Nobody likes that thing after they've had it awhile. I got better service on my mom's old camry than they give on those Cadicraps. Lemmings...

 

LOL!

To be fair, there's alot of guys who have a spell of blind optimism about GM's new line up and are suseptible to being dazzled by the clever ad campaign.

Then there's the "lemmings" you mentioned who can't comprehend that GM knows exactly what their pitiful level of awareness is and cuts corners exactly to remain off their radar screen.

Just my two cents.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N6jCNyFn9M&search=Vs