2017 Corvette Grand Sport v. Porsche 911 Carrera S
The return of the Grand Sport badge to the Corvette line up is one worth celebrating. The C6 G/S was a dedicated Z06 clone, sans LS7, with uprated suspension, fatter rubber and sharper styling. The C7 Grand Sport returns, maintaining the same philosophy of it’s forebear: packing the same 460 horsepower LT1 V8 engine as the Stingray, the C7 G/S utilizes the wider bodywork of the Z06, including the aero package, similar suspension tuning and the same massive wheels and tires as the Z-car. Bring about $65,000 to your local Chevrolet dealer and it’s yours, if you’re light on the options list. Price as test: $92,000.
What offers similar performance to the Grand Sport? Well, a few cars, but the price differential tends to separate things rather quickly. The Alfa Romeo 4C is about $60,000 and offers a raw sports car feeling – but despite it’s extreme lightweight, it’s 240 horsepower engine ultimately will leave it wondering where the Corvette’s tail lights went. The GT350 Mustang could perhaps close both the performance and pricing gaps, but GM v. Ford is old hat. What about Germany?
Representing the German corner is the new 991.2 generation Porsche 911 Carrera S: now with two turbochargers as standard equipment – but don’t call it the Porsche Turbo. It’s 3.0L twin-turbocharged flat-six engine produces 420 horsepower and a very flat torque plateau leading to a claimed 368 lb-ft of torque. Both figures are light in comparison to the ‘Vette, but so is curb weight, with a 100 pound weight advantage. The Carrera S starts at $104,000, but as is the way with Porsche, that price easily balloons to $140,000.
Let the battle begin.
via Motor Trend
