“Shocking” C8 Corvette vs Boxster GTS 4.0 Battle Actually No Shock at All

Though the weather outside is chilly, C8 Corvette convertible and Porsche 718 Boxster heat up the road and track for the gold.

Do you know what one of the best parts of the C8 Corvette is? That isn’t the placement of the 6.2-liter LT2 V8? It’s that, for the first time ever, the convertible has a retractable hard top. No longer do ‘Vette fans need to worry about thieves tearing up fabric to get at belongings (or the car itself). Nor do they need to fret about the weather, whether it’s rainy and hot, or snowy and cold. We’ll even go as far as to say, once supply issues are finally sorted, the convertible C8 might sell as well as the targa coupe.

Of course, the competition is always waiting to get the jump on the new C8 Corvette convertible. One of them is the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. Yuri Tereshyn and Jakub Wrobel of The Straight Pipes reviewed both in their native Toronto a few months ago, yet just released their review a few days ago. Good thing they were dressed for the occasion.

“At first glance, they’re not exactly comparable,” said Wrobel. “But at second glance, they’re very close. They’re both mid-engine. They’re both sports cars. They’re both convertibles.”

However, the C8 Corvette boasts 99 horses and 153 lb-ft of torque more than the Porsche. The ‘Vette’s eight-speed dual-clutch is a match for the PDK. Meanwhile, Wrobel loves the looks of the Corvette, while Tereshyn notes the 718 doesn’t stand out so much. They also praise the Corvette’s convertible styling, which looks good no matter where the top is. Let’s see how these two do where it counts, though: the quarter-mile.

“Top’s gotta go up, and then we can do launch control,” said Tereshyn.

Alas, this is the one spot where the C8 Corvette convertible falls short. While Tereshyn can raise his Porsche’s top in around four seconds, Wrobel has to wait several more before launching. With the tops back down, however, the Corvette beats the 718 by several car lengths on the first race, 12.14 seconds to 12.46 seconds, respectively.

The second run was a closer affair, though the C8 Corvette wins again in 12.08 seconds over the Porsche’s 12.11 seconds. Following a driver change, the 718 took the next race, as the Corvette’s Race 2 driving mode wasn’t optimal for the chilly Canadian conditions. The 718 also wins the following race. However, the roll from 37 mph sees Tereshyn and the ‘Vette finally beat Wrobel to the finish.

“Driving these briefly on the track, the Corvette definitely wants to understeer more,” said Wrobel. “The Porsche just feels way more predictable, understeers less, feels way more planted. I feel like it could put down a very similar lap time, if not faster. It would take a lot more to put down a very fast lap time in the Corvette. But with a competent driver, I feel like the Corvette would still be faster.”

On the highway, the C8 Corvette rides more comfortably than the 718, thanks to the magnetic ride suspension. Of course, the OEM wheels aren’t too popular with the hosts (and more than a few C8 owners). Yet, the ‘Vette wins on cargo capacity, even if the rear can only hold one golf bag due to the folding hard top. The cup holders and Android Auto are a plus, too, especially since the 718 won’t have the latter until the new generation arrives.

“Getting into this Corvette, you just felt like you were in something special,” said Tereshyn. “It’s very cool, especially in this color. Every time I looked at it, I was, like, ‘Wow! I’m excited!’ Every time I look at the Porsche, I’m just, like, ‘I know I’m going to be comfortable, and I know what I’m getting.’”

In the end, both chose the C8 Corvette as their favorite of the duo. Score one more for America!

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