Motor Trend: ZR1 vs 911 Turbo

[LostInMoscow]

How do you get a gig like this? I want to be an automotive journalist!

[BigDan]

Do your best at reviewing your current ride and post it on youtube and if its good enough you should be able to find work.

[a_Username]

Originally Posted by HeHasReturned

The problem with your logic is that you think everybody buys a car just for the performance factor...In which case they fail because they should just buy an old civic for 5k, do 20k in mods, and run circles around everything. And price has never played a role in these comparisons before, like I said, look at all the examples I've given, so why does it suddenly play a role now when the big boy is winning?

I don't think everyone buys their cars strictly off of what its performance is, however it is obviously a main concern for people in this particular market. The fact is that the ZR1 is the better value if you prefer the better performer, for less. Price always plays a role, but it's more interesting how you run in here and defend the lesser performer. Is it because it isn't German? Is it because the ZR1 is American?

[Stew]

I love the 911 TUrbo, it is an amazing car, but the ZR1 just had the edge here. THe fact the 911 broke down is worrying too. Given if I had the money I would not buy either one. I would honestly try to find me a used Ford GT, just because I love the look and overall vibe of that car

[Russo]

funny how we will compare a CTS-V against a XF-R or M5... a Camaro against a Premium 11 GT, GT500, or srt8 Challenger... a z06 against a Viper... using price as leverage when traditional performance numbers don't work... i guess we have a natural under-dog mentality when we dislike the better opponent... i like the zr1, but being associated with the vette crowd, would push me back over to the 911 (a GT3 even)...

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by HeHasReturned

The problem with your logic is that you think everybody buys a car just for the performance factor...In which case they fail because they should just buy an old civic for 5k, do 20k in mods, and run circles around everything. And price has never played a role in these comparisons before, like I said, look at all the examples I've given, so why does it suddenly play a role now when the big boy is winning?

I don't understand how you are thinking that the main point of the comparison here is price. The as tested prices are $28k apart. Thats a pretty big gap if you ask me.

Scanning Porsche's website ... if they wanted to do a dollar-for-dollar comparision, they would probably have gone with a 911 Carrera GTS. It starts within about 5% of the MSRP of the ZR1. Wouldn't that have been the logical choice to do a price based comparison between a ZR1 and a 911?

[HeHasReturned]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

I don't understand how you are thinking that the main point of the comparison here is price. The as tested prices are $28k apart. Thats a pretty big gap if you ask me.

Scanning Porsche's website ... if they wanted to do a dollar-for-dollar comparision, they would probably have gone with a 911 Carrera GTS. It starts within about 5% of the MSRP of the ZR1. Wouldn't that have been the logical choice to do a price based comparison between a ZR1 and a 911?

I'm saying it shouldn't be based on price...My question is why a 500hp awd Porsche is being compared to the 600+hp rwd Vette, when Porsche has a 600+hp rwd car...Wouldn't a logical choice have been to compare those two? The Turbo has never been compared to the zr1 before, so why is Motor Trend suddenly doing it now once Porsche has made the better car?

[HeHasReturned]

Originally Posted by a_Username

I don't think everyone buys their cars strictly off of what its performance is, however it is obviously a main concern for people in this particular market. The fact is that the ZR1 is the better value if you prefer the better performer, for less. Price always plays a role, but it's more interesting how you run in here and defend the lesser performer. Is it because it isn't German? Is it because the ZR1 is American?

I don't see what this has to do with German vs. American, all it has to do with is that Motor Trend suddenly flip-flopped on the competition. They compared it to the top-of-the-line Porsche before, why don't they do it now? That's all I'm saying

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by HeHasReturned

I'm saying it shouldn't be based on price...My question is why a 500hp awd Porsche is being compared to the 600+hp rwd Vette, when Porsche has a 600+hp rwd car...Wouldn't a logical choice have been to compare those two? The Turbo has never been compared to the zr1 before, so why is Motor Trend suddenly doing it now once Porsche has made the better car?

I'm saying its not based on price since there is another 911 that costs almost the same amount as a ZR1. If they wanted to go on pricing, they would have used it instead of the turbo.

Why did they pick the 911 Turbo? Probably because they expected it to do better than it did. My guess is they tried to get two very different cars to post similar results around the track. The finesse and handling of the 911 vs the brute force of the ZR1. Problem is, there is more to the ZR1 than just brute force.

As for why not the GT2 RS? Probably because HP is about the only thing those cars have in common. The GT2 RS would likely win every performance category since its nearly a street legal race car. So you're left with a pretty boring story: the more expensive car is faster. Wow, who would have guess that one!

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

I don't understand how you are thinking that the main point of the comparison here is price. The as tested prices are $28k apart. Thats a pretty big gap if you ask me.

Scanning Porsche's website ... if they wanted to do a dollar-for-dollar comparision, they would probably have gone with a 911 Carrera GTS. It starts within about 5% of the MSRP of the ZR1. Wouldn't that have been the logical choice to do a price based comparison between a ZR1 and a 911?

HeHasReturned is nothing but a contrarian. After seeing his posts in several threads it's clear he is here to be argumentative and nothing more. Perhaps the volkswagen forums sent him to us in jest

I'm curious to know what the standing mile would have been in the 911. I would think the AWD would start to hinder performance at the high end.

[Cmicasa the Great XvX]

Originally Posted by HeHasReturned

I'm saying it shouldn't be based on price...My question is why a 500hp awd Porsche is being compared to the 600+hp rwd Vette, when Porsche has a 600+hp rwd car...Wouldn't a logical choice have been to compare those two? The Turbo has never been compared to the zr1 before, so why is Motor Trend suddenly doing it now once Porsche has made the better car?

Dude.. STOP.... That race has already been done.. back when the ZR1 bowed... and AMERICA won. Not GERMANY.. Not JAPAN... AMERICA.. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES....

Corvette ZR1 599 GTB Fiorano Nissan GT-R Porsche 911 GT2
$106,520 $317,595 $77,840 $192,560

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

I'm curious to know what the standing mile would have been in the 911. I would think the AWD would start to hinder performance at the high end.

Looking at the acceleration data, the Corvette was catching up by the end of the 1/4. They even said that it probably wound have won a 3/8 mile race. But for high speed runs like that, AWD does hurt, but being down 140 hp while up nearly 200 lbs probably hurts even more.

[Cmicasa the Great XvX]

and then the rematch after Porsche upgrades the Gt2... still doubling the Vette's price

and Porsche wins at first, then the ZR1 comes back and wins.

[HeHasReturned]

Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX

Dude.. STOP.... That race has already been done.. back when the ZR1 bowed... and AMERICA won. Not GERMANY.. Not JAPAN... AMERICA.. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES....

Corvette ZR1 599 GTB Fiorano Nissan GT-R Porsche 911 GT2
$106,520 $317,595 $77,840 $192,560

Lol you need to do your research