From Road and Track.
Classic Warfare
America's best - the sixth-generation Corvette - takes on Germany's sports-car stalwart - the new 911.
Cars come and cars go. We wish some never came, and there are a whole bunch we lament ever left. But two cars that just won't go away - and we're thrilled about this - are the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911. These two old dogs have been around long enough to be sporting serious grey on their muzzles. But because of constant refinement without drastic changes, both cars enjoy incredibly loyal followings, not to mention world-class performance. For 2005, both models are considered "all-new", yet both sport styling cues from past models. Have the designers spent too much time recalling the good old days and not enough on the road ahead? Don't count on it.
Chevrolette Corvette
By Shaun Bailey
Let's point out the obvious. We are comparing a $54,000 Corvette with an $89,000 Porsche. That's a whopper of price difference. The mere fact that the Corvette is even considered competition is praise.
For 2005 each car is completely new, yet clearly linked to its successful predecessor. Porsche figured the 911 out years ago and instead of redesigning the car, they just continue to refine it. Corvettes have now reached that point - this being the first 'Vette that can, at a glance, be confused with the model (C5) it replaces. Nobody is complaining. Chevrolet got it right with the C5 styling and this new sixth generation is a beautiful evolution.
Every part of the Corvette, from its fibreglass body to its hydroformed steel frame rails, has been improved. The pushrod 5.7-litre V-8 LS1 small block is replaced with the 6.0-litre LS2, with the bore increased by 2.6 mm. Engine performance is bumped up to an even 400 bhp and 400 lbft of torque. This increase of 50 horsepower and 25 lbft is due in large part to technology gleaned from the head design of the LS6 engine that powered the C5 Z06. The LS2, like the LS1, pulls hard and smoothly at any rpm, yet thanks to a muted exhaust is never as loud as the LS6. Chevrolet claims the new Corvette with the Z51 Performance Suspension is a tad slower than the Z06 on the track. From our runs at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park, it appears true and we eagerly await the C6 Z06, which is sure to be ferocious.
The Porsche posts 0-60 mph times a tenth quicker than the Corvette, and holds that tenth through the quarter mile as well. Thanks to the Carerra's rear weight bias, it gets a great launch, but that's really the only reason it's quicker. Out on the street, the LS2 definitely has a leg up on the flat-6 power wise. In an impromtu roll-on in 3rd gear, the Corvette easily gapped the 911.
In the Corvette, transitioning from street touring to corner-carving at the track comes down to how far (and fast) you press the gas pedal. The 'Vette's limits are high, but it is fairly easy to control. When you get there, it lets you know by slowly kicking the tail out on corner exits. With more than a foot less wheelbase and a pendulum-like weight distribution, the 911 requires early braking and quick use of its sharp steering to stay on the track. We all agreed the 911 shows more of its race-car roots, even thogh lap times were about equal.
The one major discrepancy between the Porsche and the Corvette is the ease with which the 911's transmission can be shifted. The Porsche gearbox is exquisite with a light effort and smooth engagement. Tremec's 6-speed in the 'Vette feels heavy and slow, although shorter throws are a noticeable improvement over the C5's.
The Corvette has three suspension choices: stock, F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control and Z51. Having specified the most agressive Z51 suspension for our test, we expected a rough ride. It's not harsh at all; in fact it feels smoother than the 911 with the adjustable dampers set to soft. Part of that might have to do with the Corvette's 105.7 in. wheelbase. Our Southern California freeways have a washboard-like surface that causes chassis vibration above 60 mph and a long wheelbase helps to reduce that. On high-speed sweepers, the 911's light front end tends to bob over undulations. At a good clip on a bumpy road, a driver will feel somewhat disconnected. In contrast, the Corvette soaks up bumps with confidence.
We punctured a rear tyre on the Corvette after testing, but thanks to run-flat Goodyears that come as standard, we were able to drive the car to our local Allen Tire for a quick fix. (The Porsche comes with a fix-a-tyre kit stowed up front.) Run-flat tyres have improved immensely in the past three years as evidenced by the Corvette's superior skidpan performance.
Not only does the Corvette perform on a par with the Porsche, it takes the cake when it comes to well-thought-out interior. The centre-mounted display touch screen is one of the best around. The dual-zone climate control is also straightforward. All systems are simple to manipulate with a minimal number of buttons. This lack of clutter leaves the dash and centre stack clean and elegant, as compared to the Star Trek look of the 911's panel. Without such a touch screen, the Carrera is forced to have numerous buttons, some of whose functions are not easy to decipher at a glance.
An improved head-up display is optional on the Corvette and offers multiple modes and display settings. The instrument cluster is similar to the previous generation's, with a few more buttons to tweak the extra features and configurations. The most important button is traction control, which is easily accessible on the transmission tunnel. It has three modes. Press once to disable traction control. Press again for a competition mode. Press and hold if you want to turn off traction control and yaw control completely and get a little crazy.
The coupe is actually a targa, and the top can be removed easily by one person and stored in its rack under the rear hatch. At speeds above 70 mph, with the top off, buffeting becomes extreme and having the windows up only makes it worse. Top-down cruising is fine around town, but not on the freeway.
What we have here is an American muscle car that's become so refined it outclasses its European competition at a fraction of the cost. Whether cruising the boulevard, pounding out some miles on the Interstate or lapping Porsches on the track, the new 'Vette can do it. If you liked the C5, you'll love the C6.
Porsche 911 Carrera S
By Mike Monticello
"Listen guys," senior editor Kim Wolfkill exclaimed after pulling off his helmet, "You really need to pay attention to every little input you make with this car. It's incredibly sensitive." We're guessing Kim wasn't referring to the new 911 Carrera S's overly fastidious feelings. Nope. He had just discovered, after his first stint around Buttonwillow, that for all the talk of how Porsche has "dumbed down" the 911's handling, above 7/10ths this new 997 version is still very much a driver's car.
And make no mistake, this is a new 911. It follows the same recipe for success that Porsche has lived by since the 911's inception: relentless refinement. Admittedly, it's hard to tell a 997 from a 996 at a quick glance, unless you catch the new oval headlights that recall the 993. The keen eye will also note the new 911 sports more muscular fenders and more pronounced wheel arches and lower sills, while the side of the car is more sculpted than before. New double-arm sideview mirrors also help distinguish a 997 from a 996, as does the cutline that angles from the rear wheel well up to the taillights, as opposed to the horizontal line that ended below the lights on the old car.
Just about every facet of the 911's interior has been redesigned, including a wider spaced guage cluster and a new centre console that looks great but has too many small buttons. The new, lighter-weight seats offer excellent seat cushion lateral support but wide bodies will find the seat back too narrow. We have to mention the 13-speaker Bose Surround Sound stereo system; it's one of the best we've heard, with unbelievable clarity.
Even though it may be difficult to tell the new 911 from the old by looking at it, from the driver's seat (where we like to be) the changes are more noticeable. Porsche gave the Carrera S a 3.0 mm larger bore (bringing its horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder to 3.8 litres) versus the standard Carrera, but also added a new induction system with shorter intakes, new intake cams and modified injector angles. Power is rated at 355 bhp at 6600 rpm (the standard Carrera's 3.6 has 325 bhp) and 295 lbft ot torque at 4600. Thanks to lightweight engine components, the 3.8 engine weighs the same as the 3.6.
Of course, the Carrera S's boxer-6 still sounds vaguely like a Volkswagen Beetle at idle and low revs, but once the tachometer needle starts scrambling upward, the growl is pure 911 magic, all the way to the 7200-rpm redline.
But can it hang with a Corvette that boasts 400 bhp and 400 lbft of torque? It helps that the 911 weighs 70 lb. less than the 'Vette, but more important in its 4.4-second run to 60 mph (0.1 sec. quicker than the 'Vette) is the superior initial traction it gets on launch. The power of the Corvette is more telling in the quarter mile, though, because despite the fact that the 911 again eclipses it in time (12.8 sec. for the 911 vs. 12.9), the Corvette is ripping along at 112.3 mph while the Porsche manages 110.2. In real-world driving - meaning roll-on acceleration - the Corvette is faster.
Porsche gave the 911 a new 6-speed manual gearbox that has both 15-percent shorter shift throws yet also reduced shift effort. The new gearbox is an absolute breeze to use and is so natural that you don't even have to think about the process of shifting on the track, whereas the Corvette's slow , high-effort shifter takes more concentration.
Unlike the Corvette, which is significantly shorter than last year's car yet with a longer wheelbase, not much has changed regarding the 911's dimensions, other than 0.8 in. more front track, 0.6 in. more rear track, a 1.1 in. longer body and 1.5 in. more overall width. The Carrera S leaves quite a large Michelin Pilot Sport footprint, with 235/35ZR-19s up front and 295/30ZR-19s at the rear, compared with the Corvette's 285/35ZR-19 rears. Adding to the Carrera S's roadholding abilities is Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). The system can be switched between two damper settings - normal or sport - via a button on the centre console, though even in normal mode the system will activate a firmer damper control map if it senses a change in driving style.
The difference between the two settings is quite dramatic, with the softer setting certainly not cushy, but far more forgiving than the sport mode, which is best for track duty and when really hammering on a twisty road. The system certainly showed its mettle in our handling tests, where the 911 slithered its way through the slalom at an average 2.6 mph faster than the 'Vette, though it lost out in overall grip - 0.94g versus the 'Vette's 0.95g. The 187 ft. the Carrera S required to stop from 80 mph - a new R&T record - bests the Ferrari Enzo and Lotus Elise, achieved with gorgeous 13.0 in. cross-drilled and vented rotors (front and rear), clamped by 4-piston monobloc callipers.
While the straight-up numbers show that these two cars are close in performance, their personalities are miles apart. With lots of grip front and rear, the Corvette is the easier car to get in and drive fast immediately. The only place it will really bite you is exiting a high speed corner with too much throttle (all that power!). The 911, on the other hand, doesn't take kindly to abrupt transitions - especially panic drop-throttle - and needs power on to stabilize the rear through high speed turns. But when driven properly, the 911 can do magical things and the driver is so much more a part of the experience than in the Corvette, which gives far less feeedback. In the 911, every driver input is met by a direct response.
The brake pedal is utterly firm, the steering hides nothing, and each throttle blip rockets the tachometer needle upward.
And though the Corvette is only 0.3 in. longer and 1.4 in. wider, it feels a lot bigger than the nimble 911 on back roads.
The 911 Carrera S is almost $35,000 more (as tested) than the Corvette; that's why it didn't win this test, although it should be noted that the 911 did win both the performance and subjective categories. Yes the engine still sounds funny at low revs and the interior isn't perfect ... but it delivers one of the purest driving experiences in the world. In other words, it's still a 911. And we love it as much as ever.
On Track:
Two very different ways of going fast (Kim Wolfkill)
Swoopy new sheet metal and revamped interiors may look good on the street, but they don't mean diddly at the race track. Out there qualities like power, handling, balance and grip separate the performers from the pretenders. Our two protagonists, the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 Carerra S, are certainly no strangers to the track, having logged hundreds of testing laps during their respective chassis development programs.
For our testing, we take them to Southern California's Buttonwillow Raceway Park, where the 'Vette and 911 waste little time getting down to business. Each feels strong right out of the gate, but how these vastly dissimilar machines achieve their speed couldn't be more different.
In the front-engine/rear-drive Corvette, making the transition from street to track is really just a matter of driving faster.
As speeds and cornering forces increase, it loses little of the composure exhibted on the street. It remains balanced and largely unaffected by the extra workload of road-course duty. Compared with the C5, the sixth generation has a more willing attitude, reacting with less delay between driver input and chassis response. There isn't as much pitch or roll (despite an increase in both front and rear suspension travel over the C5), making it easier to load the chassis at the beginning of a turn, then accelerate through it.
Driven hard, the Corvette is comfortable sliding either end, responding well to throttle modulation to adjust the cars' cornering attitude. Backing out of the gas gives the nose some bite, while rolling back onto it predictably rotates the rear under power. That said - despite the 'Vette's improved chassis dynamics - 400 bhp and 400 lbft of torque still require a patient right foot. Feeding the power in smoothly and progressively through the apex helps keep the rear planted while allowing a touch of corner-exit drift at full throttle.
Hit the track in the Carerra S and the street/track transition isn't quite as seamless as with the Corvette. It takes a couple of laps to get comfortable with the Porsche's shorter wheelbase and rear weight bias. Like all modern 911s, the Carerra S is at once very forgiving, but also pitch sensitive at speed, calling for a driving style that carefully manages how weight transfers among the chassis' four corners. It responds best when braking, steering and throttle inputs flow one into the next, maintaining a stable platform and allowing the chassis to work at its optimum.
Compared with the current 996, the 997 is slightly more accommodating on track, while at the same time responding more quickly to driver inputs. The front tyres still push approaching the limit, but backing out of the gas now produces a more immediate response. Rotating the car is a breeze, as is accelerating through the apex with ever-increasing doses of throttle. The S enjoys markedly better mid range punch than the current car, pulling with greater conviction from 3500 rpm to the redline. Combine this with the gearbox's quicker, more positive shifts and the Carrera S's acceleration begins to approach GT3 territory.
Put a stopwatch on this pair and the Corvette pips the Porsche by barely more than half a second over the course of a 2-minute-plus lap. This puts them very close in overall performance, yet they way they turned their respective lap times differs considerably.
The 'Vette is all about torque, its 6.0 litre LS2 engine pulling effortlessly from just about anywhere on the tach. This both helps and hurts, the added power translating to faster acceleration down the straights, but also increasing the burden on the rear tyres exiting corners. With its trademark rear engine layout, the Porsche lays the power down more effectively in most slow- to medium-speed turns, helping make up for some of its horsepower deficit to the big V-8.
Braking performance is pretty close between the two, with the Porsche enjoying a slight edge in overall stopping power.
In the twisty stuff, both cars carry about the same corner speed, but at different points in the turn.
The C6 uses its tyres more evenly through the beginning and middle parts of the turn, before transitioning to a slight tail-out attitude in the final third. The 911 gives up a measure of front grip to the 'Vette approaching the middle of the turn, but responds more positively to rotation, allowing the driver to roll back on power earlier, settle the rear end and accelerate out. In quick transitions the, the 'Vette feels bigger dimensionally, but not necessarily heavier or slower to react.
Its steering, however, suffers from a certain numbness, lacking the Porsche's precise feel and nearly telepathic feedback.
Two different cars with remarkably similar racetrack performance. The Corvette turns its laps with a combination of power and balance, while the Carrera S gets the job done with agility and grip. At the end of the day, the Corvette is the easier car to get in and drive hard, while the Carrera, albeit trickier at first, is the more satisfying (and challenging) to drive quickly. Fast, fun and different - just how 'Vettes and 911s have always been and, thankfully, how they still are.
The results (normalised)
***************************** Corvette **** Carrera S
Performance
0-60mph time ---- 30 pts ----- 29.3 -------- 30.0
0-1/4 mile ------ 30 pts ----- 29.8 -------- 30.0
Slalom ---------- 30 pts ----- 28.9 -------- 30.0
Skidpad --------- 30 pts ----- 30.0 -------- 29.7
Braking, 60-0 --- 30 pts ----- 28.7 -------- 30.0
Braking, 80-0 --- 30 pts ----- 27.8 -------- 30.0
Fuel economy ---- 20 pts ----- 20.0 -------- 18.7
Subtotal ------- 200 pts ---- 194.5 ------- 198.4
Sujective ratings
Driving excitment 20 pts ----- 19.0 -------- 20.0
Engine ---------- 20 pts ----- 20.0 -------- 19.0
Gearbox --------- 20 pts ----- 15.0 -------- 20.0
Steering -------- 20 pts ----- 18.9 -------- 20.0
Brakes ---------- 20 pts ----- 19.0 -------- 20.0
Ride ------------ 20 pts ----- 19.0 -------- 20.0
Handling -------- 20 pts ----- 20.0 -------- 20.0
Exterior styling 15 pts ----- 15.0 -------- 15.0
Interior styling 15 pts ----- 12.8 -------- 15.0
Seats ----------- 10 pts ----- 9.5 -------- 10.0
Ergonomics ------ 10 pts ----- 10.0 -------- 7.5
Luggage space --- 10 pts ----- 10.0 -------- 8.5
Subtotal ------- 200 pts ---- 188.2 ------- 195.0
Total points --- 400 pts ---- 382.7 ------- 393.4
Price
Price as tested 200 pts ---- 200.0 ------- 180.3
Ratio based upon most expensive
Grand total --- 600 pts ---- 582.7 ------- 573.7
Corvette wins (since it is cheaper).
**************** Corvette *** Carrera S
General Data
#
Curb weight --- 3300 lb ----- 3230 lb
Test weight --- 3480 lb ----- 3360 lb
Weight dist --- 52/48 ------- 40/60 f/r
Wheelbase ----- 105.7 in ---- 92.5 in
Track f/r ----- 62.1/60.7 --- 58.5/59.7
Length -------- 174.6 in ---- 174.3 in
Width --------- 72.6 in ----- 71.2 in
Height -------- 49.1 in ----- 51.6 in
Acceleration
#
0-20 mph ----- 1.2 ------- 1.0
0-40 mph ----- 2.6 ------- 2.2
0-60 mph ----- 4.5 ------- 4.4
0-80 mph ----- 7.2 ------- 7.2
0-100 mph ----- 10.1 ------- 10.7
1/4 mile ------ 12.9 (112.3) --- 12.8 (110.2mph)
Braking
#
From 60 mph ------ 114 ft ------ 109 ft
From 80 mph ------ 202 ft ------ 187 ft
Control ---------- excellent --- excellent
Brake feel ------- very good --- very good
Overall rating --- excellent --- excellent
Handling
#
Lateral accel. 200 ft skidpan --- 0.95g ---------------- 0.94g
Balance ------------------------- moderate understeer -- moderate understeer
Speed 700ft slalom -------------- 67.0 mph ------------- 69.6 mph
Balance ------------------------- mild understeer ------ mild understeer
Fuel economy
#
Our driving ------ 16.6 mpg ----- 15.7 mpg
EPA city/highway - est 19/28 ---- 18/26
Cruise range ----- 282 miles ---- 250 miles
Fuel capacity ---- 18.0 gal ----- 16.9 gal (US)
Interior noise
#
Idle in neutral -- 64 dBA ------- 58 dBA
Max., 1st gear --- 83 dBA ------- 85 dBA
70 mph ----------- 77 dBA ------- 82 dBA
Drivetrain
#
Transmission ----- 6 speed manual ---- 6 speed manual
Gear ratio, overall ratio, (rpm) mph
1st --------------- 2.97/10.16/(6500) 50 ---------- 3.91/13.45/(7200) 41
2nd --------------- 2.07/ 7.08/(6500 72 ---------- 2.32/ 7.98/(7200) 69
3rd --------------- 1.43/ 4.89/(6500 104 ---------- 1.61/ 5.54/(7200) 100
4th --------------- 1.00/ 3.42/(6500 149 ---------- 1.28/ 4.40/(7200) 125
5th --------------- 0.71/ 2.43/(5600 186 ---------- 1.08/ 3.72/(7200) 148
6th --------------- 0.57/ 1.95/(4700) 186 ---------- 0.88/ 3.03/(7200) 182
Final drive ------- 3.42:1 ------------------------- 3.44:1
RPM @ 60 in top --- 1500 rpm ----------------------- 2300 rpm
Accommodations
#
Seating capacity ----- 2 ---------------- 2+2
Head room f/r -------- 36.5 in ---------- 38.5 in/30.5 in
Front-seat leg room -- 43.0 in ---------- 44.5 in
Rear-seat leg room --- na --------------- 18.0 in
Trunk space ---------- 13.3 cu ft ------- 4.8 cu ft
Engine
#
Type --------------- ohv 2-valve/cyl. V8 ---------- dohc 4-valve/cyl. flat 6
Displacement ------- 5967 cc ---------------------- 3824 cc
Bore x stroke ------ 101.6 x 92.0mm --------------- 99.0 x 82.8 mm
Compression ratio -- 10.9:1 ----------------------- 11.8:1
Horsepower (SAE) --- 400 bhp @ 6000 rpm ----------- 355 bhp @ 6600 rpm
Torque ------------- 400 lbft @ 4400 rpm ---------- 295 lbft @ 4600 rpm
Redline ------------ 6500 rpm --------------------- 7200 rpm
Fuel injection ----- elect. sequential port ------- elect. sequential port
rec. fuel ---------- prem unleaded, 93 pump oct --- pre unleaded, 91 pump oct
Chassis & body
#
Layout --------------- front engine, rear drive ------- rear engine, rear drive
Body/frame ----------- fibreglass composite/steel ----- unit steel/ alum. hood
Brakes --------------- 13.4 in vented & drilled f ----- 13.0 in vented & drilled f
--------------------- 13.0 in vented & drilled r ----- 13.0 in vented & drilled r
--------------------- vac. assist, ABS --------------- vac. assist, ABS
Wheels --------------- cast alloy --------------------- cast alloy
--------------------- 18x8.5 f, 19x10r --------------- 19x8J f, 19x11J r
Tyres ---------------- Goodyear Eagle F1 Super EMT ---- Michelin Pilot Sport
--------------------- P245/40ZR-18 88Y f ------------- 235/35ZR-19 87Y f
--------------------- P285/35ZR-19 90Y r ------------- 295/30ZR-19 100Y r
Steering ------------- rack & pinion, power assist ---- rack & pinion, power assist
Overall ratio -------- 16.1:1 ------------------------- est 17.1:1
Turns lock to lock --- 2.8 ---------------------------- 2.6
Suspension f --------- upper and lower A-arms --------- MacPherson strut, lower A-Arm
--------------------- transverse comp. leaf spring --- coil springs
--------------------- tube shocks -------------------- elec. adj. tube shocks
--------------------- anti roll bar ------------------ anti roll bar
Suspension r --------- upper & lower A-Arms ----------- multilink
--------------------- transverse comp. leaf spring --- coil springs
--------------------- tube shocks -------------------- elec. adj. tube shocks
--------------------- anti roll bar ------------------ anti roll bar
Corvette --- List price $43,445 Price as tested $53,815
Fitted options: 1SB pkg (inc. sport seats, head up display, dimming mirrors, heated seats, Bose audio, CD changer) $4360, Z51 performance suspension (inc. larger brakes) $1495, navigation $1400, polished wheels $1295, OnStar $695, XM radio $325, delivery charge $800.
carrera S -- List price $79,100 Price as tested $88,805
Fitted options: Navigation $2070, pwr seat pkg $1550, Bose audio $1390, 3-spoke wheel $990, sport chrono pkg $920, metallic paint $825, heated seats $480, dimming mirrors $385, coloured wheel crests $185, floormats $115, delivery charge $795.
