I'm not a Corvette guy AT ALL... and I still hate the rear end of this C7 but the reviews seem to be living up to the hype and the C7 (esp. with Z51 package) looks to be one hell of a road car at a relatively bargain price.

I've not driven the C7... obviously, but for my money I'd probably still chose the 981S. Why? I love the way it looks, feels, sounds and drives and sports cars should have an emotional appeal (IMO). And while I think that I would probably be faster around damned near any track, course, or road in the world in the Vette, I'm honest enough with myself to know that even the "lowly" Cayman S is more car than I am driver and the balance, quality of the interior, feel of the switches, and balance of the mid-engined layout would likely win me over.

But damn... no way in heck I could blame anyone for choosing the Chevy. Especially, if they love the way it looks.

 

I'm resurrecting the thread since I'm getting closer to actually ordering a car, and because there are now some Stingrays loose in the wild.

Has anyone actually driven both a 2014 Z51 and a 981 Cayman S yet? Any verdict on the new 'Vette seats - have the bottom bolstering gotten any better, or are they still really flat?

 

New to the forum - but I've driven both. After having done that, I bought a clean low mileage '10 987 sport. It's my opinion that my opinion (or anyone else's) isn't going to help you much when it comes to deciding. You're going to have to go drive each because all of this is about as subjective as it comes. The entire interior on the 'Vette is a huge step forward (seats included)....but IMO they could take a huge step forward and still be quite a way behind. For my taste/desires - the Porsche interior is still notably superior. And I can't point to any particular thing -- it just feels more 'together' than the 'Vette interior. What can I tell you -- my German heritage I suppose.

In terms of the kind of performance that shows up on a piece of paper I don't think there's any comparison. The 'Vette is damned capable. It weighs a couple hundred pounds more -- but with all the HP and especially torque (down low) - it just flat scoots. If the way car 'feels' while driving/cornering is more important to you - the 987/981 won that battle for me. But if actually being quicker/faster, especially for a price discount, is more important - the 'Vette wins.

I suspect the biggest difference will show up in the way these cars look/feel after 2, 3, 4 years. There is no Santa Claus. You can't offer what the Corvette (seemingly) offers at its relative price point without there being compromises somewhere. I'm going to guess that it's not going to be as satisfying in year 4 as the 981 would. Perhaps I've ridden in too many C5's and C6's that were 4-6 years old that were......well, very tired.

Ultimately when I described it to someone else, I used this analogy -- admittedly exaggerated to make the point. Cayman = scalpel. Vette = cleaver. What kind of cutting do you need to do?

Having said all that -- go drive them. Only YOUR opinion matters in this situation. I can easily see people making the choice either way.

 

Don't just compare the C7 with the 981S. Visit a couple of dealerships with a good selection of preowned inventory and test-drive a 5-7 year old Corvette against a Porsche of similar age and mileage.

That will tell you a lot about what you're buying.

 

I finally decided.....neither. I ended up buying a 997.1 C2S - Yellow/Black. My son thinks it is uber-cool!

 

I saw a C-7 , red with black trim. Wow! It's a good looking car. I have a 2013 Boxster S, I have driven the 2014 Cayman S, I think the cayman is the best Porsche for the money. But, having said that I really love the look of the new vette. I feel sorry for people who bought a 2012, 2013 vette. Autotrader has brand new vette grand sports for as low as $48,000. Either car would be a great car, although I'm still partial to the Porsche. The new vette is really a much improved car, it's a real bargin at its price point.