Looking at the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 and the 2014 Nissan GT-R side-by-side is an interesting comparison. Aside from being performance cars (can we call them supercars?), they are essentially two different answers to the same equation. And Edmunds has provided the internet with a proper tale of the tape.
The GT-R, alias “Godzilla,” features a dual-clutch automatic transmission, AWD, and 545 horsepower emitting from a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6. It seats four people, has an arguably cheap, yet functional interior, and weighs just under two tons (3,829lbs). On top of all of this, it costs $97,820 as tested. A bargain, considering it can accelerate from 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, just behind the seven-figure Bugatti Veyron.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray is a much different story. It’s comes standard with a seven-speed manual transmission, is solely RWD, and pushes 460hp from its naturally-breathing 6.2-liter V8. It seats two people, has a much nicer interior, and weighs a more lithe 3,444lbs. The power to weight is good enough for the C7 to accelerate from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. Though compared to the GT-R, the Corvette’s price point is a mind-bender. As tested, the 2014 Stingray totals at $68,000. Mind you, this is not the top-of-the-line ‘Vette for the C7 generation.
Yes, the Nissan is faster, but is it $30,000 faster than the American icon? That’s subjective. Yet overall, Edmunds found that the C7 was a better driving experience over the GT-R, and had less intrusive electronic aids. So while the Nissan GT-R may be a quarter-mile king, we’ll still take the Chevy for all things involving a road course. Oh, and the exhaust note(s).
Comments
I’ve had a lot to drink tonight, however a ricer cannot compete with a Corvette
The GTR isn’t exactly a 2001 Civic with tinted windows and a Walmart brand CAI.
Perhaps you have had a lot to drink.
Learn what ricer means. I’m all for the vette, but your comment makes you look retarded.
You said it all this is not the top of the line Vette and once the one similar in price arrives it may be doing 2.8 second 0-60.
I would not even worry about this compare yet. We have only seen the tip of the ice berg and a lot is to come.
Same thing applies here just as other products like the NSX was declared better than a Ferrari when it was intro’ and there are Bikes from japan that our perform a Harley. The real issue is while it may out perform it is still not a Ferrari or a Harley. The Vette has something most Asian cars do not have. It has great heritage and is a Icon. This is something their engineers can not design and reproduce. The fact that they also did such a good job also reinforces the Icon status and tell all they are still relevant and able to challenge them.
If you note other than cars like the 240 and 280Z there are few Asian cars that have any long term image and icon status.
There is only one of value and that is the Toyota 2000GT but how many are there left?
I think so many Asian car are so focused on upgrading and advancing the car they leave out hallmarks of the car that do not relate the past to the present well. The Corvette could do better getting rid of the fiberglass body and leaf springs for coil overs but they are part of the heritage and badge of honor for the owners. GM knows this and has learned how to make both better and work in a modern era. They could have taken the easy high tech way out but they keep in mind what people want and expect.
They have had to dispense of a few things like pop up head lamps due to weight and the ability to keep the projection lights aimed properly but even Ferrari and others have had to give them up for the same reasons.
Lets just enjoy the Vette as it will out sell the GT4 many times over and will be better remembered 30 years from now than the GT4.
Icons are made with heritage and you can’t design that. I will not be supried if the GT4 is gone or replaced in 10 years or less. Even some neat cars like the RX7 and MR2 did not live long. The Miata is the only one with lasting power but is forgettable for heritage.
“I think so many Asian car are so focused on upgrading and advancing the car they leave out hallmarks of the car that do not relate the past to the present well.”
So instead of continually upgrading over time and making a car better and better with each model year, cars like the habitually changeless Lincoln Towncar should be held up as an example of a superior product because it never set a new standard in its class?
“The Corvette could do better getting rid of the fiberglass body and leaf springs for coil overs but they are part of the heritage and badge of honor for the owners.”
What if GM opted for carbon fibre over fibreglass? Carbon fibre is lighter and is more structurally resilient than fibreglass. But if GM was to go with the lighter, more performance oriented carbon fibre, the Corvette could run the risk of being seen as “cutting edge” and could upset owner?
Isn’t the C7 trying to lure in new, younger buyers; people outside the car’s existing demographic? How can that be done by “selling the past?” that they can’t relate to? It won’t get them to look at the Corvette.
Seriously, fanatical obsession with “heritage” and the past can only harm the Corvette.
Yes how many years did Corvettes have flaws in the fiberglass and most had to be repaired at the dealer before delivery. Many collectors today try to recreate the flaws to collect Bloomington Gold. They could have taken the easy way out years ago and used sheet metal but they did not.
Calaway had replaced he leafs with coil overs for a much better car compared to the stock based car springs. But GM chose to stay with the system they have as many feel it is part of the car and what makes it a Vette.
My whole point is GM could have taken the easy way out and kept some of the key things that make a Corvette a Corvette but they did not and chose to do the extra work to make what they had better to keep the hallmarks that the car is known for. Trying to please two types of customers are a challenge and they have been doing it.
As for Carbon they may get there some day but at a cost so I would not expect the Glass body to go away soon in the base car I do expect the ZR1 replacement to have a Carbon body this time around. Note It is Sheet Molded Compound not real fiberglass anyways but don’t tell anyone. LOL! My point is they could have easily used sheet metal and saved weight and cost in many of the models. You do understand the Corvette in the late 70’s has more steel structure than in an entire Chevette? The Fiberglass could have been easily done away with but customer demand for a non steel body are there as wrap your ass in fiberglass is a saying many of them live by, Yes they could live with carbon but if they went steel god help us.
The C7 is walking a fine line. This started with the C6 and the removal of the pop up headlamps. Spend some time with the traditional owners and you will learn there are some sacred cows in the Corvette. GM is slowly addressing them but still working to keep the sacred cows to a point. The tail lights for example are changed we have 4 of them but many are not happy with the shape. In time they will get over it. But note they were not changed at the same time as the head lamps were made not pop ups. GM working s evolutionary path here.
C7 could have advanced the design much more if they trashed the Corvette shape but they know better and will advance it in a evolutionally way too.
The key to this car was to address the issues of bad interior and increase power with no MPG penalty and keep the price close to what it has been, But also advance the electronics and design to appeal to more than the traditional people. Also they fixed the driving feel at the edge. No more edgy feel on at the limits anymore.
This is not an easy task to bring change to the Corvette. As with every new Corvette when it first appears the traditional people are split 50% love it 50% hate it and 6 months later 80 % percent love it and in the end the bitching stops around the time the lap times are reported and stories like the C7 gets that call it weapons grade.
Porsche has the same issue with the 911. You know the engineers would love to change the car more but they are boxed in to a shape and have to keep with it. There are many who complain that it is no longer air cooled even thought the Air Cooled engine could no longer meet emissions. Every long term sports car has its expectations that can be a blessing or a curse.
The Corvette will continue to evolve and offer amazing performance for the price. This car gained more ground than any other and I am glad they did what they did. While they need to keep as many traditional people happy you will never satisfy them all. Hell I have a neighbor that sleeked out a C5 with low miles as he refused to buy a C6 without the pop up lights. Yes that is petty but that is how many of the owners are and they are the ones that keep coming back so you can not abandon them.
I have driven ever C body style and some of the special models including a Calaway. I love them all and can not wait to get my hands on a C7.
But again reread the post here on the C7 when we first saw it and on Vette web sites and read how some of the owners are. Some are hung up on many petty things but all the same they are things Chevy has to address to keep them happy while at the same time trying to advance the car. It is a challenge but I think they did a good job of it on the C7. We are only a few months away from 80% accepting the car so all will be right for most.
Note the 50% analogy was given to me by a die hard GM employee and brand manager. He was right as I have seen it happen time and time again.
I would love to see a base Vette offered with the TTV6 in it for the younger tuner crowd. I do not want to get rid of the V8 but I would love to see a cheaper model where guys can play with the turbos that they already are doing on other cars. I think that would open a new market. But I got blasted by the traditional crowd that were not so open minded.
That is the challenge to the Vette team and it is one of the toughest jobs in the industry. No one wants to be the guy who failed the Corvette. Tadge has done a good job and has not been afraid to push things a little. I just hope he keeps going the path.
I just with the comparison would wait till the higher priced model comes to crush the similar priced GT4. The base car does fine but I want to see the GT4 crushed with no response and no excuse.
Leaf springs actually have packaging advantages to coil-overs, whether that’s GM’s motive for sticking with them or not, this is a fact. As for the younger tuner crowds only appreciating boosted engines, that’s a stereotype, as I speak for myself and many others with more taste than what a bolt-on turbo can satisfy.
Yes, like the 911, the Corvette has a cult and that cult has always been the hardest group of customers to please. But cars are not crocodiles, and they have to evolve with the times, even if the tastes of their old demographic does not, for there is a new wave of buyers to appeal to. For those that ache for their classics, they will always be there. But to deny the Corvette because it has electric steering, or angled tail lamps, seems to be really missing the bigger picture.
A twin turbo v6 in a corvette that would be great for those high mountain passes in coloardo. Make it so.
Hell no.
See the last two comments and you can see how passionate this car is and what peoples expectations are.
The proof is all round us on many web sites. Take the time to read and learn what people really think.
I will disagree with some of what you have said. The leafsprings and the fibre-glass are not there because of heritage. I can guarantee that. The leafsprings are there in the front because they allow the engine and the tyres to fit better without being bothered by coil springs between them. A similar story exists in the rear as well. Packaging and weight are the main reasons. The fibre-glass body is not as light or expensive as carbon fibre but holds its own against steel. Another seemingly heritage item is the pushrod engine. The pushrod design allows for a lower engine height and arguably less complexity. So once again, packaging and weight are big reasons for sticking with the old formulae. Not all Asian manufacturers do as you purport. Toyota is one company that sticks to its guns. If you have an old 1989 Corolla that has a broken window switch, don’t worry. The switch from the 200x models will fit. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. And it works for them, just as well as it does for GM, et al.
That said, though too much reliance on “heritage” can cause problems. As I have said, ad nauseum, the “heritage” that has been left in the 2014 Silverado/Sierra is just way too much. And not for the life of me can I appreciate a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But it’s usually fun to see some old school in the mix somewhere.
Leafs now have an advantage because they went to the expense to make them out of compsites. For years they were heavy and would snap and break the rear housings in the C2-3 models. GM learned how to make them work to their adavantage. Also coul overs are compact and light. If there was any great advantage to the leaf over the coils more than just the Corvette would use them.
Fiberglass or molded composite material is good for complex shapes but it is a pain in trying to close panel gaps and to adjust for panel growth. GM tried it on other cars and dropped it because of the added cost weight and panel gaps. Yes it is there mostly for heritage like it or not. Nearly everyone else in class has metal or aluminum because of the extra work that is needed.
The push rod is here for one big reason the truck use it. Also the fact GM has found ways to make them work to meet MPG and power requirements. The low high is a blessing that just comes with it. If the engine was not in the trucks we may have lost it in the past. GM was about to drop it in the 80’s till the truck sales took off as well as clearer thinking on their part. They did not build a twin engine Citation Mule just for fun the Vette team was desperate at the thought of not have a V8.
Manoli Not every younger person wants a Turbo but many of them are in love with them to the point that GM could gain sales if one Is offered. With simple changes to a Map and programming you can add well over 50 HP and that appeals to this segment of the market. The fact is there are many sales left on the table and when Corvette sales had dropped to below 12K units you need to seek all you can. The new car will raise sales but they peak and decline so I feel a special model like this can help keep the sales up over the long term.
I work in the performance aftermarket and I see daily what is asked for and wanted so I know there are more than enough people who would be interested.
Chevy has an interest in younger buyers and keeping the price down but they just do not want to abandon the traditional buyer either. The C7 is just the right mix to advance the brand and still keep what they had. It is a tough segment and a tough group of people to satisfy but I think they are headed in the right direction. At leas the upgrades to the interior and other parts finally came through with the extra funding GM now has and it will help more than the extra HP.
Scott, I’ll agree that there is demand for a TT Corvette, and that there should be multiple, multiple models of the C7 — not unlike the 911, which according the website, stands at 11. It would be interesting to see how the sales numbers would react to a TT model, and how the die-hards will take it.
Chevy does have an interest in younger buyers. But young buyers (who aren’t making $60k+ a year) that want performance have little to no options for a new model. All of GM’s performance cars are expensive. There’s the Sonic RS, but for the price, you could get a Fiesta or Focus ST.
The RS is not a performance vehicle.
GM has no real small performance cars since the loss of the Cobalt SS.
GM can and I expect will add some real performance Turbo smaller cars in the near future but they are not here yet.
The 2.0 Eco in a Sonic or in a Buick plated Astra OPC would be a good start.
Real performance needs to do what the GM Performance Division motto was. To earn the badge it has to stop, go and handle great.
My HHR SS and the Cobalt SS were tuned by Johm Henessey’s group and Mark Stielow. Mark is the lead on the Z/28 to give you an idea of his abilities. If you have not spent time in a SS try to find a ride. If they can turn they old cars in to real performance cars that do not loosen your fillings and take a back road at speed with no issues imagine what they can do with a new clean sheet of paper car.
Mark used to work for my company and he is very talented. His line of road racing street legal vintage Camaros are legendary.
On the contrary, the Sonic RS doesn’t get enough credit. You won’t believe how fast this thing will take a corner until you drive it, it’s just a shame the engine didn’t get upgraded. In a lot of ways, Sonic RS is the subcompact equivalent to the Camaro 1LE.
A 2.0L turbo in the Sonic will never happen, because the engine bay wasn’t designed for a 2.0L turbo. A 1.6T on the other hand would fit, but getting the engine federalized for the U.S. market is the biggest issue.
There’s no arguing the credentials of who you mentioned, and GM has the hardware to make a hell of a compact performance car. Sadly, I don’t think we’re going to see one with the current Cruze and Sonic from the factory.
You nailed it no engine no sport coupe. I could care less if it could loop the loop handling wise but with no motor it is incomplete.
I have driven one and after driving a 290 HP HHR SS daily it was good handling but a disappointment on power.
If they want a 2.0 they can make it work but any better engines will wait till the next gen. This is a old car globally.
I do have good new the Turbo Upgrade GM offered on the early Eco 2.0 engines is coming back. From what I was told they are working on several kits.
I assume it will be for the ATS, Regal and Malibu? 50 HP is very easy to achieve with these as they change two maps and flash the computer. It also does not void the 100,000 mile warranty.
I have it on mine and it also gives 315 FT LBS. as well as the 290 HP. Keep in mind better transmissions can take more easily as the Solstice got 340 FT LBS.
Speaking of Heritage for heritage sake, let’s not forget the 911. A Car that from an engineering standpoint is wrong in so many ways. Porsche repeatedly tried to leave the Volkswagen Beetle based formula only to have purist and the public at large reject every Front and Mid-engined successor.
Finally they get success with the Boxter/Caymen and they’re dynamically better in every way, yet STILL the 911 is king. Sometimes Heritage and tradition just trump everything (like Harley motorcycles) – evolution and the march of time be damned.
I for one am glad that the C7 only keeps what works while redesigning and refining everything else.
People always hate you when your the best at what you do
I love GM’s approach to the super car! They don’t just throw money at the problem to go fast! The vette is faster then any car at it’s price point!
Fun fact: Australia’s Wheels Magazine (who have the world’s longest running and most respected Car of the Year award) actually pinned the Godzilla name 🙂
Cool, but I can’t help but be amused that people actually this commdnt down.
The GTR all though a very fast and respectable car has gotten a reputation associated with rice burning pretty boys. I’d rather go with the poor man’s better looking more fun to drive sports car than a rice burner any day
Wouldnt a better comparison to the GTR be a ZL1? Think about it… nearly the same horsepower, both have forced induction, both seat 4. Either way, Id take the Stingray or ZL1 over the GTR any day. The GTR can put down great numbers but its 30,000 times better than a Vette.
Both seat 4. What. two women that are pregnant.
for the first base C7 comparison V/S gt-r, the vette shines, now folks bring on the Z06 and the ZR1
When people start comparing cars that cost close to the same then this will make since, but when you are comparing cars that cost 30k-40k-50k apart I wonder really whats the point?
Why do we keep referencing the video of the exhaust of the C7 that is not an active video any longer? C’mon guys!!!
It will be fun to watch a car half the price out run the gt r
You must be the most retarded unvovled monkey to ever write in this post. Heritage? Fiberglass lmfao wtf!!!! I want mother fucking carbin fiber! Fuck cheap ass fiber glass.
I want the most bleeding edge tech in my vette, not some bullshit manual rear wheel tranny. I want awd so I can shread the stack and still have the versility to treck in the snow if I so choose to! I want a dual klutch 7 speed automatic so I can shit on the next outdated pisshead who thinks he can shift faster.
The younger generation wants, quick, fast, sex appeal, and customizability. Lick titty as I cross the finish line sucker.
I love this new vette but that rear wheel drive and shitty auto/ shitty 7speed manual are upsetting or they should have at least had the option…. -_-
Dude this is a sports car it’s supposed to be fun to drive. It’s not supposed to get very high numbers and so much tech to the point where the driver is useless. In cars like the corvette and 911, it’s all about the driver. If you want a car with the above mentioned specifications that’s fine but really this car caters to a different audience then the one you speak of.
Evans you represent everything that is wrong with our young people today. You have complete lack of respect for this board and its members. You are the bonehead that everyone here is making fun of. Please go drive your current beater off a cliff and make everyone happy.
I do not represent everything “Wrong” with what is wrong with our young people today. I’m highly educated and on my way to the top of the success charts at record breaking speed. You however represent what is MALFUNCTIONING in Central America’s economy. People who are hell-bent on keeping things traditional when traditional is a hour glass with a pin sized hole on the side. Innovation is what makes the world tic-toc and what determines our sustainability.
What I meant by my previous post is corvette’s technology integration into this vehicle was yes. However that shift box, even for a manual, is shitty and the automatic is even worse. (faster than the Manuel but shitty by all means) What is wrong with agility, speed , sex appeal, and customization. Absolutely nothing, and if i’m not mistaken.. That’s why you buy a corvette. Maybe not for customization but that’s what corvette’s whole new PR is about. They are re-branding themselves and trying to appeal to a whole new market of buyers while still appealing to their hardcore American power activist.
If that was the task, they should have included more versatility.. LIKE- A dual clutch 7 speed auto performance upgrade for the people who are true performance enthusiast.
HA!! He said 7 speed auto while referring to enthusiast…SMH
I’ve yet to meet, read a review by, or hear a professional driver of any type let alone a driving enthusiast say they PREFERRED a auto of any type to a good manual and clutch.
Is it faster? Yes, better – not even close.