Both are naturally aspirated, both have their engine located within their wheelbase and behind their cabin making mid-engines, and both are priced quite close to each other. These two high-performance sports cars can truly be considered one another’s rival and competitor.
Almost anyone who at some point in their life, developed any liking towards cars, is aware of the Chevrolet Corvette’s performance heritage and how it rarely ever failed to put a huge smile on the driver’s face. Although the concept of mid-engine Corvettes is not new to Chevrolet, this is their very first time going through with the idea.
Now, this might not sound like something too critical, but the effort it takes for the engineers to successfully design and build a high-performance and reliable Stingray with such a drastic change in the blueprint is a lot, let alone going against one of Porsche’s best production sports cars; the same Porsche that has been making high-quality mid-engine and rear-engine lines of cars for almost seven decades.
With all that said, Chevrolet did an amazing job building the eighth-generation Corvette and it does not disappoint, but nor does the 718 Cayman.
The Powerplant; V8 vs Flat-Six
Under its trunk, the C8 Corvette has a mighty 6.2L LT2 V8 engine which puts out 470 lb-ft of torque and 495 horsepower (490 without the Z51 performance package priced at $5000 that comes with brakes and suspension upgrades, electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and other minor upgrades), making it the fastest accelerating production corvette ever with a 0-60 of just under three seconds while it has the Z51 package equipped.
This LT2 engine was designed to be sitting lower in the car with the goal of achieving better handling on the road and the track. The engine also makes use of a standard dry-sump system to heighten the performance. Furthermore, the Continuously Variable Valve Timing enhances the numbers the C8 Corvette is putting down even more.
When it comes to the Porsche, they offer a diverse line of engines in their Cayman. It starts from a 300hp 2.0L turbocharged flat-four and the S badge that comes with a 350hp turbocharged 2.5L flat-four. In flat-six territory, Porsche offers both the 394hp GTS 4.0 and the 414hp GT4 RS. Both are naturally aspirated and have a displacement of 4.0 liters. However, for this comparison, we are looking at the six-cylinder variants only since they are the C8's closest competitors.
While the horsepower, the engine displacement, and the cylinder count are all lower in the 718 Cayman than the Corvette, it does not necessarily mean that the Porsche would not perform as well as the C8 since countless factors go into how great a sports car truly is.
The Clash Of Mid-Engine Beasts
Chevrolet did not make the eighth generation of Corvettes mid-engine without a good reason. There are a lot of performance improvements that the Corvette now gained because of the engine placement. Such as improved handling and responsiveness, better engine cooling capabilities, and better rear weight distribution; meaning that it allows the Corvette to be able to direct more power to the rear wheels when necessary. It also helped the Chevrolet engineers to design a more aerodynamic body for the Stingray, resulting in refined efficiency and performance.
Although considering that Porsche has already had those cards in its hands for decades, giving it enough time to entirely master every small design-related detail, it is expected for the Cayman to have better handling and for it to outperform the Corvette on the track in many ways.
Details like Porsche’s wheelbase being 9.4 inches shorter and its body being 5.2 inches narrower than the C8, make it feel smaller and hence, quicker. This effect is highlighted by the Cayman having 427 pounds less curb weight than the 3638-pound Stingray.
The Looks And The Design
We are all aware of the fact that the saying “The beauty is in the eye of the beholder” rings true even for how vehicles look.
The Cayman stays loyal to Porsche’s traditional design consisting of smooth lines and a low body frame. The cars that Porsche manufactures usually look as fast as they actually are. And this one is almost as intimidating as the member of the alligator family it is named after.
The 718's interior is simple in the most driver-focused way possible. It includes a seven-inch touch screen, satellite radio, and two USB ports among other things, and it comes with a lot of options for you to customize it including the color of your seatbelts.
When it comes to both exterior and interior design, Chevrolet took a very radical approach to how they want to make their C8 Stingray look. The Cayman looks beautiful and few would dare to deny that, but the Corvette’s design is a bold statement. It is a major change done right.
The exterior looks like a very well-designed supercar, and frankly, so does the interior. It is safe to say that you would have a very good time just looking at a C8 Corvette and even a better time sitting in it. Chevrolet offers you a tremendous driving experience and uses the high-quality design to make every bit of money you spend towards it, worth it.
The Final Judgement
The C8 Chevrolet Corvette has more power and puts out better numbers using its ruthless American V8, while the Porsche 718 Cayman makes up for it in handling and an undeniably amazing driving experience. But the Cayman does not come close to the Stingray’s acceleration and speed.
Considering that the price tag on the Corvette is almost $30,000 less than its German competitor, one could claim that it is worth its price more than the Cayman is. Although some might rather have the Porsche experience despite it starting at more than $100,000.
Keep in mind that this is the first generation of Corvettes having their engine in the middle of the car, meaning that Chevrolet has the potential to improve the Stingray to even compete with the more infamous supercars of Porsche.