QUICK SHIFTS: C8 vs Porsche Cayman, Spending $80K, MB Revealed, C8.R in iRacing, Autoblog Review, and More!

Welcome to another fun-filled edition of Quick Shifts! Quick Shifts is a content feature here at CorvetteBlogger featuring links to Corvette and automotive-related stories of interest. The content that we have hand-selected for you this week includes a comparison of the 2020 Corvette vs the Porsche Cayman G4, the Ford F-350 Tremor costs about the same as an upper-level C8 Corvette, and the reveals of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Jeep Cherokee Grand Wagoneer concept are covered. The C8.R Corvettes are finally making their way to iRacing and the 2020 Corvette Stingray is reviewed by Autoblog. Finally, an old comparison of the 1962 Corvette vs the 1982 Collector Edition rounds out today’s selections.

FIRST GEAR:

Last week, we previewed Car and Driver’s comparison test that pits the 2020 Corvette Stingray Z51 against the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 in, what they call, a battle of mid-engine masterpieces. Seeing a Cayman in the corner of this fight that has traditionally been occupied by the 911 is a little strange but as the beginning of the article states, “The truth is that the Corvette’s closest competitor from Porsche’s lineup hasn’t been the 911 for some time. The German brand made its rear-engine flagship just a bit too soft right as Chevrolet got downright serious about making big perform¬ance gains by relocating the Corvette’s V-8. The mid-engine 718 series of two-seaters have taken the throne at Porsche as the de facto sports-car line while the 911 has realized the 928’s goal of being the ultimate sports tourer.” Great start, then! We won’t spoil the results here but we will say that we are proud of the way the newest Corvette handled itself against a $20,000 more expensive car from Porsche’s vaunted GT department! Also, regarding the GT4, we think that the strange lever protruding from the center console might make an interesting addition to a future Corvette variant! Read the whole thing for yourself on Caranddriver.com!

SECOND GEAR:

The Cayman GT4 wasn’t the only vehicle that got a piece of the mid-engine Corvette at C&D this week. Ezra Dyer posted an interesting take on one of our favorite games, “Would You Rather” this week. It put the Plastic Fantastic nose to the bottom of the bumper with an unlikely, but much more cost-appropriate, opponent; the F-350 Tremor. So, loyal readers, it might be a no-brainer of a question around here but, which will it be for $80,000; Zeus Bronze Z51 or 35-inch tire’d Tremor?

THIRD GEAR:

It was a big week for luxury car reveals, starting off with a new version of the benchmark, Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Read about the three-pointed star’s juggernaut of technology on Automobilemag.com. Also, be sure to watch MB’s official release trailer for the gesture activated sunroof! Finally, if you are fascinated by personal limos, head back to Car and Driver’s site where they got behind the wheel of each generation of S-Class, dating all the way back to the year after our beloved Corvette debuted!

FOURTH GEAR:

Continuing an impressive run of meaningful reveals from everyone in Detroit, except for GM, Jeep pulled the cover off of its, nearly production-ready, Grand Wagoneer Concept this week. The best thing about the reveal of the $100k big-Jeep (except for the backlit badge lettering) was the fun content that it inspired across the automotive corners of the internet! There were Easter egg highlights, drives of the 1963 original, comparisons to the Range Rover and Land Cruiser from 1990, history lessons of the variants spawned by the old, “SJ” model, and all of the ways that designers payed homage to the SJ in the concept’s design. In the end, while it is neat to see a storied nameplate return, it is difficult to imagine where the production Grand Wagoneer will find customers. Who wants to spend six figures on something that looks just like a bulked-up version of their aunt’s Grand Cherokee when the new Escalade is about to hit showrooms and the current Navigator has been earning rave reviews? Both of those domestic rivals offer more prestigious badges and inspired powertrains at similar prices, but there is also the cross-showroom competitor to worry about. As long as you are going to look like your aunt, you might as well have 707 HP!

FIFTH GEAR:

Virtual racing fans will soon be able to carry the Corvette Racing banner in iRacing as it has been confirmed that the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R will be coming to the iRacing online simulation when the 2020 Season 4 Build is released later this month. Corvette Racing shared this teaser on Twitter with the comment, “The #Corvette #C8R owns the track. And soon, it’s coming to PWN the world of @iRacing.” The attached video clip shows Corvette Racing driver Jordan Taylor on his sim racing rig while we are offered a quick look at the in-game action:

SIX GEAR:

Autoblog has recently tested the 2020 Corvette Stingray and gave the car a Five Star Review following their week-long love affair with it. Autoblog’s Zac Palmer says the car hits all the four major points of “Raw performance, sophistication, luxury, price.” In addition to the written review featuring a fantastic photo gallery of the Accelerate Yellow Z51 Coupe, a “must watch” video review is also available.

REVERSE:

This edition of QS will end right where it began, with Car and Driver. One of their archival focus pieces this week comes from our friend, Don Sherman, circa 1982. The review takes a, then new, final year C3 and searches for the “essence of the Corvette legend” by driving it on street and track with an example 20-years its senior. The black and white photos that accompany this excellent write-up really highlight the beauty of both ‘Vettes (which I expected from the ’62, but was caught totally off-guard by on the C3, which ended production six years before I was born and has never interested me much). So, get your desktop ready for a new background and if you are lucky enough to own either of these specific vintages of America’s sports car, be sure to enjoy them on this long weekend!

Previous Quick Shifts:
C8 Corvette Z06 Rumors, Ram Hellcat Pickup, Blackwing Steering Wheel, a Flyin’ Miata, and More!
Sam Schmidt’s C8 Corvette, a New Ride for GTA Fans, DIY C8 Engine Cover Swap, Vintage Corvette Racers, and More!
C8 Corvette vs Shelby GT500, C8 Tops 911, C8 Review, Shark Week, Corvette Nomad, and More!