2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Vs. 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Engine, Braking, & Acceleration Comparison

ROUND 1: 2006 Corvette Z06 Vs 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S cont...

We pitted the Z06 against a mainstream S model and started out by running both cars through our full battery of performance tests at California Speedway. At the dragstrip, the 911's 62-percent rear-weight bias loads the rear tires with well over 2000 pounds, allowing the driver to dial up 3500 rpm and transmit some 1480 pounds of force to the pavement, generating a rather violent hop-hop-hop launch that propels the Porsche to 30 mph in 1.6 seconds. By contrast, with about 1550 pounds pressing on the Z06's rear end, a gingerly launch at just above idle (1500 rpm) manages to transmit just over 1200 pounds of force to the contact patches (the best ratio of traction to rear-axle weight in this test, suggesting that the Z06 wears the stickiest tires in this group). Launch with any more power, and the tires smoke all the way through first gear. This costs the Corvette a tenth in the dash to 30 mph, but by 50 mph all 505 horses are hooked up and galloping away, hitting 100 mph 2.7 seconds sooner and crossing the quarter mile at 124.0 mph--14.5 mph faster than the Carrera S. There's just no real contest in a drag race.

Braking is another story. Throw out the anchor in a 911, and enough weight shifts forward to approach an even 50/50 distribution (hence the identical front and rear rotor diameters); the heavier Carrera S stops three feet shorter from 60 mph (107 versus 110 feet). From 100 mph, the Corvette stopped in 308 feet, outbraking our S by 14 feet, but our base Carrera, equipped with the same wheels and tires as the S and smaller brakes (but showing 8000 fewer miles on the odometer) stopped two feet shorter at 306. Advantage Porsche.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Engine

Combine acceleration and braking with curves, and the results vary with the distance between the curves. Spaced at 100 feet, as in our slalom maneuver, the Z06 and 911 are virtually tied at 70.8 and 71.0 mph, respectively. The 911's 4.7-inch-narrower body and 13.2-inch-shorter wheelbase are simply easier to thread through the cones. The cars are also in a virtual dead-heat in our figure-eight test, with the Corvette running a tenth of a second quicker. The traces are quite different, though. Power has to be applied gently when exiting the skidpad curves in the Z06, after which a much higher speed can be reached on the straights. The 911 charges hard out of the turns but hits the top of its (21-percent-shorter) third gear too close to the end of the straight to warrant upshifting to fourth, costing a precious tenth or two.

2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Engine

Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca separates its curves with much longer straights and a couple hillclimbs, all of which clearly favor big Bow-Tie horsepower. Not surprisingly, our Z06 rounded this 2.2-mile circuit a good 2.7 seconds quicker than the Carrera S. Uh huh, this Corvette has what it takes to shut out Germany's finest on one of the trickiest tracks in the U.S. That's not to say it was the easiest to drive. "I've got one word for this car: 'Respect,'" says our chief shoe, Neil Chirico. "You really have to be patient with the throttle. There are places you can hammer it, but most of the time you have to just squeeze." And that was running with the stability control in its "competition mode."