[VIDEO] The Corvette Stingray Takes on the Porsche Cayman GTS and a Lotus Emira

While it has become simpler and simpler to become downtrodden when thinking about the monotonous, one-size-fits-all automotive future that “our betters” have envisioned for us, there is a glowing silver lining staring us in the face in the here and now. Engineers are treating almost every new gas-powered performance car like it will be their last, and it truly feels like anything can happen! It might be taken for granted after four years of production, but when you really stop to think about it, this is incredible; we live in a time when the mythical mid-engine Corvette is a reality! In Germany, Porsche has also done what was once unthinkable by ceasing all efforts to protect the sacred 911 by hobbling its more-balanced little brother. Even a Lotus brand that has been almost exclusively serving customers heated over intellectual property in the Elise/Exige and Evora since 1996, 2000, and 2009, respectively, has managed to craft a new sendoff ICE sports car.

These three grand finales of combustion were recently given the comparison test treatment by the Everyday Driver YouTube channel. The American is very well known in these parts, but we’ll review nonetheless. The Corvette Stingray’s 6.2L LT2 V8 boasts two extra cylinders and – at least – a 2.2-liter displacement surplus vs. its European competition. These additional pistons and size grant the Stingray respective power and torque advantages of 95 and 153, at minimum! With a starting price of $65,895, it is also the most attainable of the three, making its victory a foregone conclusion, right? Probably, but there are a few nits left to pick. At 3,647 lbs., it carries the most weight in the test by a significant margin (the Lotus checks in at a non-Chapman-approved 3,520 lbs. while the Cayman does it right, tipping the scales at just 3,196 lbs.), and it is the only car here not offered with an enthusiast pedal to the left of its brake.

The featherweight 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 brings an enlarged and de-turbo’d version of the vaunted inline-six from the 911 Turbo to a mid-mounted home in a smaller chassis. In this application, it makes 394 horses at a lofty 7,000 rpm (on its way to a 7,800 (manual) or 8,000 (PDK) rpm redline). Something like this will put perspective customers back around $100,000, depending on how much self-control they can show when faced with Porsche’s notoriously lofty options.

The newcomer from the UK starts at a competitive $77k with a 2-liter turbo four-banger but balloons to more than $96,000 if you want the Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5L V6 of the First Edition, as seen in the video. Spring for the bent-six, and you unlock the option to select a manual transmission that makes the Lotus worthy of consideration in this company. Along with the optional stick shift, the Emira’s calling card is the level of communication afforded it by an old-school hydraulic-assist steering system that has the hosts calling it “the new benchmark.”

Now that you’ve been briefed, it’s time to hit play! The 40-minute video starts with the Utah-based duo behind the channel briefly introducing the British Racing Green Lotus to their audience before bringing in the more established fighters. They quickly transition to comparing racing pedigrees between the three brands before getting to the first main Corvette segment at around the 4:15 mark as a part of a larger chapter dedicated to the handling of the three contenders. When the clock is about to hit 17-mins, we switch to the performance portion of the proceedings, where the Corvette really starts to flex its muscles. It is noted that America’s Sports Car is about a full second quicker to 60 than its high-dollar challengers, but we feel compelled to point out that the Stingray is no one-trick fish, and it’s straight-line dominance only gets more dramatic as the speedo continues to climb. Triple digits arrive in just 7.2 seconds vs. 8.5 in the Porsche and an estimated 10.2 seconds in the Lotus! In the quarter, which admittedly isn’t what any of these cars are built for, the ‘Vette’s 11.2 seconds @ 122 mph obliterates the Cayman’s 12.0 and crushes the Emira’s 12.5. If you’re one of those people that only wants to see the Corvette parts of the video, it checks back in at 19:20 and 29:10. If you want to jump to the conclusion, as the majority of viewers apparently do, according to the “most replayed” section of the video, jump straight to 32 minutes and 57 seconds. We won’t spoil it from there, except to say that only one-third of the field is worth the money for your friendly neighborhood Corvette Bloggers!

Source:
Everyday Driver / YouTube

Related:
[VIDEO] Cammisa’s Ultimate Track Battle! Corvette Z06 vs Porsche GT3 RS vs BMW M4 CSL with Randy Pobst
Edmunds Picks the Top Convertibles on the Road for 2023
[VIDEO] This is the One! Top Gear Pits the C8 Corvette Z06 Against the 911 GT3 and Ferrari 458