2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 vs. 2014 Porsche Cayman S Comparison Test

Forget the numbers and know this: The 2014 Porsche Cayman S is quite simply one of the best sports cars you can buy. It's a behemoth of packaging, weight and price relative to the world's great performance cars. And it's those very qualities that make it a candidate for comparison with the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The Stingray (on paper, at least) dominates the Cayman with more power, bigger tires and a reputation for comparison test domination.

Though each company's sports-car-building philosophy is wildly disparate, neither is wrong. The Cayman S is a sneaky predator: less powerful, but lithe and incredibly responsive. The C7 Corvette is a brute of a car, a snarling beast that's at its best when reined in with electronics. It's also quicker in virtually every measurable way. But does that make it better?

This test aims to find out.

Here's What the Numbers Say
The Corvette's base price of $54,795 gets you a 460-horsepower 6.2-liter V8, while the $63,800 Cayman S and its 3.4-liter flat-6 comes to play with only 325 hp. Our generously equipped test vehicles kick the as-tested prices up to $69,375 and $87,485, respectively. Despite the many extras, both are equipped with manual transmissions: six speeds in the Cayman and seven in the 'Vette. And without our Cayman's $6,730 Burmester premium audio system, more than $80 grand is a hard pill to swallow for an entry-level Porsche.

Then there's performance. The Corvette hits 60 mph in 4.3 seconds (4.1 seconds with 1-foot rollout as on a drag strip) on its way to a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds at 113.7 mph. The Cayman S requires 4.6 seconds (4.4 seconds with 1-foot rollout) to get to 60 mph and runs in 12.8 seconds at 108.8 mph at our drag strip. The Stingray scores again in the handling tests, weaving through the slalom at 73.5 mph while the Porsche trails slightly at 72.3 mph. The same goes for the skid pad, with the 'Vette circling at 1.05g to the Cayman's 1.0g.

And at the Streets of Willow road course, a track that distinctly favors handling over power, the Corvette clocked a lap time of 1:24.6, smoking the Cayman's 1:27.0. Pit them against each other at Willow's big track and the Porsche would be even further outclassed.

The question, then, is this: Do better numbers make the better car?

Numbers Are for Accountants
Driving the Stingray hard is an exercise that demands both skill and commitment. Disable the 'Vette's advanced stability control and you're left with a car that wants to powerslide: especially once its tires exceed their optimal temperature. And that, for lesser drivers, can easily mean a visit to the runoff.

In stark contrast, the Cayman S is intuitive and tidy. It's a second skin reacting as an extension of your central nervous system. There is an instant trust and understanding of what the midengine Cayman will do beyond its performance envelope, and it's an absolute joy to explore those limits.

With Sport Plus driving mode engaged, the Cayman S is a mind reader. Lift the throttle mid-bend and the tail swings ever so gently to the outside, allowing you to maintain that slip angle as long as you choose. Sport Plus also engages rev-matched downshifts that perfectly synchronize the engine speed with the next lowest gear. Slam down a gear and release the clutch — no thought required.

Rev-matching is also featured in the C7, but you have to be more deliberate about your timing. Rush it, and you're greeted by a clunk and a lurch that rebounds through the driveline.

Are These Electronics Really Helpful?
Selecting Sport mode in the Stingray triggers an ever-present second-guessing of your intentions. And it's not elegant. The throttle ignores your inputs until you unwind the wheel. Then the engine springs back to life abruptly and unexpectedly. Forget about rotating the Stingray in Sport mode, as the system ungracefully shuts down any oversteer.

Yes, switching to Track mode solves the problem by granting the driver more direct control while boldly daring him to push harder. But in the end, the reins are again tightened as Performance Traction Management begins to do the driving for you. The Cayman, on the other hand, playfully encourages you to stay balanced on the edge all day long. And it's this honesty of character that gives it a rewarding advantage, even if it's not as quick.

The Porsche is intuitive in a way that a car relying on electronics (however good they are) could never be. It's also just a better-handling car. By virtue of having its engine both between the axles and behind the driver, the Cayman rotates, responds and balances on the edge of grip better than the Stingray. Aggressive pitch and dive motions common to midengine cars are pleasingly absent in the Cayman.

Its strengths lie in its subtlety. The fact that no component of the Cayman's personality dominates the driving experience is its greatest asset. It is the very definition of balance. Power, handling and braking meet in perfect measure. And it is very, very good.

Justifying the Price
Being slower but feeling better is the automotive equivalent of "having a great personality." Those who live on emotion alone will love the Cayman. But even those folks must resolve the right- and left-brain conflict when it comes to the bottom line. It's a problem that's easily assuaged with the knowledge that the Porsche is the better-built car.

Though "attention to detail" is an overused expression, it's appropriate in this comparison where the differences can be can be seen, felt and even smelled. Everything about the Cayman's interior exudes a custom-tailored fitment. The wheel, pedals and gearshift feel as if they were molded just for you, blurring the line where the driver ends and the car begins. Buttons have a positive click and all controls are intuitively placed. Open the door and you're instantly intoxicated by the smell of luxuriant leather.

The C7 is undoubtedly the best Corvette built to date, but it's still unmistakably an off-the-rack Corvette. You don't get the feeling that it becomes part of you; rather, it's a powerful machine that (most of the time) reacts to your commands. Knobs and buttons in the 'Vette are wobbly compared to the Porsche and the cabin seems to be more flash than substance. Crack open the door and you're hit with a wall of off-gassing adhesives and chemicals.

On the road, neither car is punishing in everyday driving. Both Porsche and Chevrolet do a masterful job of quelling bumps and ruts while still maintaining the kind of suspension stiffness that sports cars require. The Cayman does have the upper hand in terms of refinement, though. Wind and road noises are quieted in the Porsche to grand touring levels, while the Corvette's tires create a hollow drone on some surfaces and an intrusive rush of white noise on others.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is fast. Terrifyingly fast at times. It dares even the best drivers to dial back the electronic nannies. And whatever your skill level, the Stingray's safety nets remove the driver from the equation in a way that also removes some small bit of the experience.

The 2014 Porsche Cayman S is the sports car distilled down to its most pure components. It mixes power and handling in such perfect proportion that driver aids are laughably unnecessary. And its higher build standard yields a sophistication the Stingray can't match. The little Porsche lacks the Corvette's bravado (it won't even do burnouts), and it struggles in any objective measure of speed relative to the Stingray.

But it doesn't matter. The Cayman S is a masterfully executed sports car that makes the numbers virtually irrelevant. It lulls its driver into a state of oneness unmatched by the Stingray. And in doing so it wins this test.

The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation.