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

The 911 has standard head airbag curtains which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and front passenger's upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. Head airbags cost extra in the Corvette.

The 911 offers all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Corvette doesn’t offer all wheel drive.

The 911 offers an optional backup radar to help warn drivers about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind their vehicle. This collision warning system uses radar to detect obstacles behind the rear bumper. The Corvette doesn’t offer a rear collision sensor.

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

The 911 comes with a full 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24 hour roadside assistance. The Corvette’s 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty expires 1 year and 14,000 miles sooner.

The 911’s corrosion warranty is 4 years and unlimited miles longer than the Corvette’s (10/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the 911 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Corvette.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 911 second among premium sporty cars in their 2007 Initial Quality Study. The Corvette isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2005 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche first in initial quality. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 15th.

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

As tested in Motor Trend the 911 Turbo automatic is faster than the Chevrolet Corvette Z06:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The Corvette doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

For better stopping power the 911 Turbo/GT3’s optional brake rotors are larger than those on the Corvette Z06:

The 911’s standard brakes have 14% more swept area (the area covered by the brake pads) than the Corvette Z51’s (535 vs. 471 square inches), so the 911 has more braking power available.

The 911 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Corvette doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The 911 has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Corvette doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The 911 stops much shorter than the Corvette:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 911 offers optional 19 inch wheels. The Corvette’s largest wheels are only 18 inches in the front and 19 inches in the rear.

The front and rear suspension of the 911 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Corvette, which uses transverse leafs springs. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The 911 GT3 handles at 1.05 G’s, while the Corvette Z06 pulls only .99 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 911 GT3 goes through Road & Track’s slalom 6.2 MPH faster than the Corvette Coupe (73.2 vs. 67 MPH).

For better maneuverability, the 911’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Corvette’s (36 feet vs. 39 feet).

As tested by AutoWeek, the interior of the 911 Turbo Coupe is quieter than the Corvette Z06 Coupe:

The 911 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the Corvette can only carry 2.

The 911 has 11.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corvette (64 vs. 52.1).

The 911 Cabriolet has a much larger trunk (front and rear combined) than the Corvette Convertible with its top down (9.9 vs. 5.1 cubic feet).

The 911’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Corvette’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left down on the 911 the driver can raise them all using the key in the outside lock cylinder; on a hot day the driver can lower the windows. The driver of the Corvette can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The 911’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Corvette’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the 911 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Corvette doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 911 offers an optional rear wiper. The Corvette doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The 911 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Corvette doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The 911’s standard separate stalk mounted cruise control is close at hand. The Corvette’s standard cruise control is on an over-crowded turn signal stalk.