C8 Corvette vs Porsche 718 Cayman GTS!

The “special” 718 Cayman GTS has its hands full with the much cheaper and faster C8 Corvette in this comparison.

Since the day the C8 Corvette debuted, it’s been compared to pretty much any fast car you can think of. That includes the Shelby GT500, a number of exotics including the Ferrari 458, the venerable Porsche 911, and the more affordable Porsche 718 Cayman. That latter comparison makes sense given these two cars’ mid-engine layouts and somewhat similar price tags, which is why MotorTrend recently decided to pit the GTS 4.0 version of Porsche’s entry-level sports car against the C8 Corvette in an interesting comparison test.

The results are rather fascinating, too. On paper, these two cars are somewhat similar yet totally different, with varying approaches to performance. MT considers the 718 Cayman GTS to represent the “sweet spot” of Porsche’s lineup, and a superior car to even the 992 911 Carrera. Its naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six produces 394 horsepower (just shy of the GT4’s 414 ponies) and either 309 pound-feet of torque when backed up by Porsche’s six-speed manual or 317 with the dual-clutch PDK gearbox.

Of course, the C8 Corvette trumps those numbers thanks to its 6.2-liter LT2 V8 that pumps out 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the optional Z51 package, which sends power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. And in the twisties, the C8 impresses with its smooth power delivery and lack of drama. “The steering is great,” said senior features editor Jonny Lieberman. “Super communicative, no understeer, no complaints from me. The rear end manages traction so well. Such a massive improvement over the C7.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the Cayman behaves rather differently once the roads begin to curve. “In a shocking role reversal, the big, meaty Corvette makes the ever-confident Cayman feel relatively nervous and on edge in comparison,” MT notes. Regardless, it’s still impressive. “The Cayman flows through snaked tarmac like hot honey on Teflon; if the Corvette is an Olympic gymnast, the Cayman is the figure skater.”

Straight-line performance is quite similar, despite these two cars’ very different approaches to getting there. The Cayman GTS with the PDK does 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and completes the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds, while the Corvette edged it out with times of 3.1 seconds and 11.4 clicks. respectively. But the Cayman weighs 432 pounds less, which makes up the difference with a slightly slower figure eight time of 23.6 seconds versus 23.4, beating the ‘Vette with a 1.03 g skidpad result versus 1.01 and braking from 60 mph one foot shorter at 98 feet.

The last thing to consider here is cost, and the bargain C8 Corvette has the edge with a sticker price of $80,420 versus the Cayman’s $94,200 MSRP, though these numbers can and will vary greatly. As for which one is better, well, that depends. “In a contest of which car feels better to drive, it’s the Porsche every time,” MT concludes. “The Corvette’s ability to crush a mountain pass and then fade effortlessly into the background on the drive home is peerless; it’s a heady blend of point-to-point mundanity and real-deal supercar status, but the Porsche never, ever feels anything less than special.”

But if performance and price are more important to you than feeling “special,” the Corvette will save you considerable dough, beat the Porsche in almost every measurable regard, and in our humble opinion, look better while doing it, too.

Photos: Chevrolet, Porsche

‎