Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2008 Chevrolet CORVETTE VS 2008 Porsche 911 Near Scottsdale, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Corvette are height adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Porsche 911 Cabriolet doesn’t offer height adjustable seat belts.

The Chevrolet Corvette has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The 911 doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

The Corvette has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The 911 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies.

Both the Corvette and the 911 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available front and rear side-impact airbags and head airbags.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Corvette 1 year and 50,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the 911. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 911 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 22 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Corvette’s warranty.

The Corvette has more powerful engines than the 911:

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Corvette is faster than the Porsche 911 (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Road & Track the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo (manual transmissions tested):

In a Car and Driver race course test, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe was clocked 1.7 seconds faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe Carrera 4 (75.85 sec. vs. 77.55 sec.) at an average lap speed 1.6 MPH faster (75.9 MPH vs. 74.3 MPH).

The Corvette has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 911 RWD’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 16.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Corvette’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 911:

The Corvette stops much shorter than the 911:

For better traction, the Corvette has larger standard tires than the 911 (F:245/40R18 & R:285/35R19 vs. F:235/40R18 & R:265/40R18). The Corvette Z06 Coupe’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 911 (F:275/35R18 & R:325/30R19 vs. F:235/35R19 & R:305/30R19).

The Corvette’s standard 285/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) which provides a stiffer sidewall than the 911’s standard 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Corvette has standard 19 inch rear wheels. Smaller 18 inch wheels are standard on the 911.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the Corvette can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 911 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Corvette has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The 911 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Corvette’s wheelbase is 13.2 inches longer than on the 911 (105.7 inches vs. 92.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Corvette is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the 911.

The Corvette’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.9% to 50.1%) than the 911’s (39.1% to 60.9%). This gives the Corvette more stable handling and braking.

The Corvette Z06 Coupe handles at 1.05 G’s, while the 911 Coupe Carrera 4 pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Corvette Convertible handles at .95 G’s, while the 911 Cabriolet pulls only .92 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Corvette Z06 Coupe goes through Road & Track’s slalom 4.7 MPH faster than the 911 Turbo Coupe Carrera 4 (71.2 vs. 66.5 MPH).

As tested by Road & Track while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Corvette Z06 Coupe is quieter than the 911 GT3 (76 vs. 78 dB).

The Corvette Coupe has .3 inches more front hip room and 3.7 inches more front shoulder room than the 911 Coupe.

The Corvette Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 911 Coupe (22.4 vs. 11.7 cubic feet).

The Corvette’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 911 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Corvette offers an optional heads-up display which projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts onto the windshield, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 911 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Corvette has standard extendable sun visors. The 911 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Corvette’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The 911 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

With optional voice command, the Corvette offers the driver hands free control of the navigation computer by simply speaking. The 911 doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Insurance will cost less for the Corvette owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Corvette will cost $966 to $3876 less than the 911 over a five year period.

The Corvette will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that the Corvette will retain 56.11% to 60.66% of its original price after five years, while the 911 only retains 49.12% to 56.31%.