Great Automotive Rivalries: 911 vs. Corvette

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Great Automotive Rivalries: 911 vs. Corvette

Corvettes and 911s have been going up against each other for decades, but the rivalry really is more for bragging rights rather than trying to win one side over to the other.

Really, you Corvette owners out there, would you trade your ’Vette for any Porsche? And vice versa.

Still, the automotive world has turned the two cars into serious competitors over the years. CarBuzz.com recently took a trip down Memory Lane and reflected on the long-running battle.

For the first 20 years or so, the Corvette held a big edge over the 911 (which was introduced here in 1963) thanks to the tremendous horsepower advantage of the Chevy. For instance, in 1969, you could buy a 427 Corvette with 430-hp … or you could settle for the puny 128-hp of the 911.

However, the 1970s were not kind to Corvettes, which had to battle the fallout from the energy crisis and make changes that saw horsepower drop to just 165 in 1975. Porsche, meanwhile, had a few tricks up its sleeve with the 930, the first turbo version of the 911, which pulled ahead of the Corvette with 256-hp in 1976, a number that had climbed to 300-hp by 1978. The 930 also was 500 pounds lighter than the ’Vette – but considerably more expensive.

The ZR-1 of the C4 generation helped restore the luster to the Corvette, and it’s been a constant battle of one-upmanship ever since, what with the constant improvements to the C5 and C6.

The Corvette has always relied on brute strength and value for the dollar, while the 911 has focused on sophistication and handling. With the highly anticipated seventh-generation Corvette due out this fall, will this be the year the Chevy pulls ahead for good?

Actually, there will probably never be a clear-cut winner, at least in the eyes of drivers each loyal to their models.

As Carbuzz.com concludes, “with both cars clearly exhibiting such different strengths, this is a rivalry which clearly has a lot more years in it.”


Source:
CarBuzz.com

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