“The abstinence wall.” Had to rewind to make sure I heard that right, I love it.

It's a shame this couldn't be a triple header test with the Emira but I appreciate you linking the review in the description 👍

I always find the Boxster/Cayman to look odd in pictures/film, but when you see them in person they just feel exactly the right size with near perfect proportions. It's the goldilocks sports car.

I like the new formats and how The Smoking Tire is evolving. It seems like the double team car reviewing is becoming more preferred thanks to Throttle House, Everyday Driver, and that's exaxtly how Savagegeese adapted.

A friend told me the C8 front and rear look like they are from two different cars, and now I can't unsee it.

Great work fellas. I’m noticing the extra effort. Loving the new format! Can’t wait for the Z06 vs GT3 comparison

One thing I like is when analyzing the design of the car, you walk around and highlight good points and bad points. Probably a good shot to film talking through your conclusions should you be so inclined. This video style absolutely rules and it’s so impressive. I’m very happy with the vid.

I went though this dilemma 2 months ago. Against all my Porsche loving friends, I went with a Corvette Z51 Convertible.

I have a C8 and I love it , but I'm obsessed with the GTS 4.0 . ( and the Spyder , GT4 ) If the Porsche market wasn't so insane right now , I might make the switch . Thanks Matt and Zack , TST is the BEST channel !

I am german and had a C6 Z06 EU Model in black for 10years 2009 to 2019 and 160.000km in the middle of germany. The cost per kilometer / mile for the corvette was less 30% compared to a 997 GTS in parts and gasoline. No doubt I would choose the corvette in 2023. Before I forged to mention it: The Z06 was very fast and very much fun.

Something about this one felt more polished. Felt like the dialogue was professionally written and reminded me of some other well-produced car review channels that probably have much bigger budgets. Good job guys!

The Cayman GTS will absolutely hold its value better, markups are still crazy

What u guys didn't mention as an option is a slightly used Cayman, loaded ( which seem to be always available) vs a new C8. I'd still pick the Cayman, simply because I prefer the manual. Even long geared.

Cayman GTS has $10-15k ADM, and C8 going under $5k MSRP. And there are almost no 718 GTS or GT4

I'm glad you made a point to talk about MRC, as it really is a game changer. Having had it on my previous SS 1LE and an Audi TTRS, they are the only sports cars I have had that I felt didn't need to do any modifications or upgrades on. Porsche and BMW really need to get rid of their proprietary in house suspension (which are both really old tech. now and slow acting for MRC like so many MFG. have now. Also, glad you touched on the suspension geometry as well. You did leave out the biggest issue though on the Cayman, which is that it not only uses struts up front, but in the rear as well, and it is more noticeable in the rear when it comes to lateral stability. Even basic regular cars at least use a multi-link in the rear.

Matt-Cayman doesn't have torque, but it doesn't matter Matt-me and Tom stroked our cars-love the torque!

This is like Savagegeese’s latest vid, but the price bracket below Z06/gt3. Awesome video

I've never driven a Vette of any vintage, but I have driven my uncles Cayman GTS 4.0..and I've got to say this: if the Stingray even comes close to the same experience on a twisty road..it's a very very good car.

The Cayman is the true sports car. Excellent steering, light weight, manual transmission option, flat NA engine with super low COG and immediate response. It's the perfect combination of things for a tossable fun car. One of those cars you hop in and everything feels right from the seating position down to the placement of the window switches. The choice is easy if you're a purist

A few facts were left out. Fuel consumption. Fuel capacity. Cost to maintain. Cost of replacement parts. Size of dealer network for service. Warranty coverage for track use. Length of drivetrain warranty. The Corvette is superior in each of these areas. Yes, the Porsche might be the better car. But, as Zora Duntov said, "space shuttle nice, but who can afford"

I love this head to head with Zack!! Im so glad he is allowed to poke fun.

For me the Corvette has some Ferrari vibes. I love that Chevy dealers anywhere can service it. Love Porsche and had several but like the idea of contributing to the quantum leap forward that Chevy has made with the C8. Advantage Corvette. My only criticism is the Corvette styling which to me is a bit shouty and overdone. But it is growing on me.

This was a fantastic video! I’m about to sell my 987.2 Cayman, and I don’t think anything will fill the hole it leaves until I get another newer Cayman. Nothing feels like a Porsche.

As someone who daily drive both a Cayman GTS and a Corvette Z51. If I had to pick again, I would pick the Corvette.

Well put together video. I have a Cayman GTS 4.0 manual and I love it. I see this one was filmed in the OC Santiago Canyon area where I frequently go after our Saturday morning Cars and Coffee.

Outstanding review. I struggled with these two and purchased a new 718 S last week @ $90k. Love it!

I know Matt and team have covered this before on different podcasts, but bravo for summarizing on todays upload!

Lotus Emira. Better driver's car than either. Very few people are buying these as their only car. And the Emira is better looking than the Cayman, which is a little dull.

Should have been a comparison against a base model Cayman. The GTS starting price is over $25k higher then the Vette's. AND with the PDK, or any real options added, the GTS it's over $100k too. Also Matt, come on, complaining the lower tier model Vette's interior feels cheap compared to the GTS, WHAT?? Get the highest interior trim package and compare it to that. Fully trimmed it's still way less money then the GTS. As is, this was just kind pointless comparison, the Z51 outclasses the GTS in so many ways but lost just because it's not a Porsche? You literally gave the GTS 2 points out of your 5 point subjective scoring system just "bEcaUse PoRscHe". No point for price to performance either, convenient. The Z06 at $106k vs the GTS (w/PDK) at $100k would be a better $100,000 car comparison. And that would be a one sided battle.

For a sports car that I could use all the time and keep for a long time, I would get the Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0 with a manual all day

Matt is de facto on Porsche's payroll (free lavish trips to Europe for Porsche press events, etc.), so not surprised by his bias.

Was debating between these two and went with a Z51 C8. Can't go wrong with either one though.

I laughed pretty hard at "abstinence wall" I love the idea of a corvette and the value they offer, if I had the money I'd go cayman for the size, weight, and styling

Love these videos I hope it makes sense for you guys to keep making them

Need to change the name of this channel from "The Smoking Tire" to "Bullshit-O-Thon"

Cayman just looks old at this point

Don’t let them fool you, that cayman gts 4.0 runs 0-60 in 3.4 and 11.7 at 120mph quartermile stock in pdk form. Compared to the c8’s 11.2 at 122 mph. I’d say they would be dead even from a roll race, or on a road course.

Fun review and as an owner of a 2020 c8 z51 with mrc shocks this things a beast. I always order 1LT or 1LZ interiors because the interior luxury appointments mean very little to me as I daily drive these cars. The performance advantage of the c8 is dramatic over the Porsche and even Matt who picked up a boxster spider last year dropped big bucks to tear into a brand new engine in his boxster to up the performance. Always makes me wonder. Why we continually hear performance is of little value when he dropped big bucks to hop up the motor in his brand new Porsche. Kind of a contradiction yet either way the review was fun. Both great iconic sports car brands. When my z06 eventually comes in I’m sure I’ll enjoy that daily driver even more. These rear engine sports cars are in fact great in the snow here in the NY tristate area. Remember the Larger rear trunk of the c8 holds the targa roof that comes standard in the corvette. I love top off driving so it’s a big win for me although I think for the z06 I’ll do the htc to drop the rear window during the cooler months to enjoy the engine sound as it goes through its power band. Great review by both Zack and Matt. Always fun. I look forward to your Eray review as well. 655 hp 595 tq awd while I want to know want it sounds like inside the closed cabin. In case your wondering what enthusiasts want to know. 911 hybrid versus Eray should make for another interesting comparison

If you're buying a new Vette you can probably afford a 10 year SUV to put golf clubs in. 🤦‍♂️

"the front looks OK, I think it looks like a paper airplane that was made from a previously constructed airplane." Ouch - that's a burn! 🔥🤣

What about the real price competitor to this Cayman: the Z06? I'd take a $100k ZO6 over any $100k overpriced Porsche

Cayman GTS all day. It's a subjectively better investment and it clicks all the boxes.

Cracked windshield on the Vette, ouch. Would you say that the Cayman's steering is as good as the Evora/Emira? "I don't value race track speed" says the guy who spent how much in engine upgrades to that Boxster :)

corvette has a targa top, winner

The Corvette has made huge leaps in performance and the quality of engineering. And Porsche is...well...Porsche. But that big American V8 makes all the difference in the experience. Touché, Chevy. You're doing a great job of capturing what you learn from the racing you're doing (as it should be).

Owning either is a win as they are both great cars and the C8 is better for the money. However I would take the Caymen with a Manual.

Is it just a coincidence that SavageGeese did nearly the same comparison?

I don't get the hate for the corvette aesthetics, rear or otherwise. I think it looks absolutely great yet every car reviewer mentions how ugly it is or how the rear is ruined or whatever. Whole thing looks great to me. I'm really torn between these 2 cars, I want to get one to replace my older Cayman, but not sure which. Leaning towards a 2LT Z51 with mag & front lift, but I haven't said "no" to the GTS yet. I feel like you have to put significantly more in options into the Porsche just to get comparable features. But even my older Cayman has the better steering than the C8, and the C8 steering is pretty good. Porsche makes amazing steering systems. The road feel overall is fantastic. The mag ride & front lift though on the vette is just a game changer. I can enter my driveway at straight-up 90* with the front-lift with the vette. Can't do that in the Cayman. I disagree with Matt on the finances side. MAYBE the used value will stay up purely because it's the 4.0 and they're knifing the 6 cyl (especially; if it has the manual), but otherwise Porsche values plummet used, and short term you'll likely lose more with the Porsche, but I reckon it'll hold the value long term because of the manual + 6cyl in a world where they're both dying. But they're going to knife the vette soon, it's going to be all electric, and when that happens I reckon the C8 values will hold, so IDK.

If the prestige of a particular brand influences your buying decision for a sports car, I would argue your priorities are mixed up.

Well, if it's just a true sports car experience you want, and like me could never afford either of these two cars, save a ton of money and get a Miata! Even an older one. I LOVE both of these cars in the video, but they're not even close to my budget. Especially when you consider maintaining them once you get them. Even the tires are crazy expensive. Great video guys! Love seeing these cars out on the road.

I think overall the corvette is better. But… We’re talking about a Porsche here, it’s just a more refined car, but there is no car available today that will beat the corvette for the price.

If the Corvette looked like the Emira, it would win hands down with these two. The Porsche has no wow factor and for my first mid-engine car, it had to have that. Porsche's are for people who have already had their fill of "look at me" sports cars and want something a bit more "mature". These two have been privileged enough to have that experience. The vast majority of people who haven't bought sports cars in the normal course of their lives point, smile and/or ask me to rev my Corvette, even when a Porsche is hanging around nearby.

base zo6 is 109k before taxes and markups, cayman gts 4.0 hits 106k with a pdk and seats added before tax/markups. thats a much more interesting comparison in the realm of hypotheticals

Format is great! Love the table discussion as much as the driving. Nice work guys

Cayman all day every day over the Corvette. Don’t care if the Vette is more powerful and faster off the line.

I think the Corvette gets you more budget Ferrari vibes while the Cayman is…a Porsche. I think the Emira transcends these two with more exotic styling and, controversially, perhaps a better noise stock for stock. Least useable day to day perhaps but seems to be the most interesting to me. The Cayman is the choice though. If only the base C8 was spicier!

I’d take the Cayman in a heartbeat. Looking to buy a 981 S at some point this year.

I love the back and forth… Head to head style of this video! Great work guys!

Corvette C8= hot wheels body kitted car. Everyone and their mom has one of these at a stop light . Cayman = exotic , classy and can take corners with no effort. It’s not all about 0-60, it’s about exclusivity too

Yeah, the Vette is just a bit much. Looks like its wants to be a baby hypercar. For that reason i couldn't daily it. But its undoubtedly a beastly car. Im more than pleased with my Cayman. Fits my needs perfectly. Oh, and it has a manual :p

Matt starting the segment with, "I love the Porsche...." and just stopping the sentence there would have been accurate enough.

Remember when a new 911 was under 100k 5 years ago :(

Despite having two Porsches in my garage I find this merely a so-so comparison. Price wise, a proper comparison would have been at least a 3LT Corvette vs the Cayman GTS 4.0. I am currently shopping for a low mileage GTS 4.0, but I have noticed how feature rich a 3LT Corvette is.

The blending of facts, jokes, and shots is really good. Love the work gents

I love the back and forth format of this! More of these please!!!

I have the Boxster GTS 4.0 with manual coming in a month and I've always preferred the styling, feel and pedigree of Porsche. The Lotus(s) and Corvettes definitely have nice stats as well but I've never really got into the recent designs of the vette. Any of these are great driving choices though, just all depends on what gets your blood going and what is available to you. Thanks as always for the entertaining and informative videos.

double wishbone allows for more compliance while properly controlling the camber during body roll from cornering. remember: the point of suspension is to keep wheels on the ground over bumps, so compliance (softer) is better. McPherson has limited travel before camber (and grip) goes wonky, so you HAVE to stiffen it to allow for high cornering forces, but this only works on smooth surfaces; bumps now upset the stiff suspension.

"have our comfortable cake, but also eat road courses too" - the lyrical waxing's of the zack klappings

Great new format. keep it coming! I wish the vette would do a mild refresh and take the f14 out of it a bit.

It would be interesting to compare the cost of maintenance between the two.

The biggest thing going against the Corvette (that can be argued a strength in ways) is that the C8 is the first generation mid engine Corvette. People like Matt look at consistency of platform, but Chevy was smart enough to know when to flip the script in the name of the future of the Corvette instead of holding on to tradition for tradition's sake. The fact that Porsche won't allow the top of the line Cayman to outdo the upper 911 even though mid engine layout trumps rear engine is testament to holding on to tradition for tradition's sake. The other thing going against the base model Stingray is that the Z06/07 exists and is on another level in almost every way. That leaves the C8 Stingray looking less performance driven because the Z06 shows what the Corvette can be.

Im a porsche guy who has a GT2RSMR and a manual 991.2 GT3 and between these two, i would pick the Vette any day. Now if it was a GT4 vs the Z51 then that could sway it to the GT4 in case it was a manual.

i have a base 718 cayman and it’s my daily. definitely so comfortable and feels so much bigger inside for as small and sporty as it is. looks amazing too….as for the vette i originally liked it when it was announced, but now i feel like the front end has knock off super car vibes and seems kind of basic imo

Today on SmokingTIre Matt and Zack peer directly into my brain with today's comparison. STOKED for this one. 10 years ago if you seriously told me a Corvette could run with a Porsche I wouldve pointed at the Cobalt steering wheel and laughed at you....now? Woooo baby.

How could you get a beetle when you can have a roaring arrow?

Matt Farragut bought the wrong car. The Corvette is better in every single way and it’s cheaper. That Corvette spits in the face of German sports cars and I love it.

I would definitely go with the Cayman GTS if I had to pick one.

Thanks for a very good review on these two cars. I have one "heretical" comment to make about this comparison. In the US, whether you like it or not, at some point you are going to have to make drives of some length on interstate highways. This means that cabin noise IS a factor in a quality of life comparison for a sports car. I know from experience that Porsche products permit a ton of road noise into the cabin and long distance drives at highway speeds are less enjoyable as a result. I don't know whether the Corvette has a similar "feature" or not and I would have liked to hear about that.

I mean it’s simple… one feels and handles like a proper sports car and the other feels and drives like a relaxed GT car

The Corvette's retractable hardtop convertible/removable top abilities should carry more weight than a mere mention at the end of the video.

The Vette has some rather questionable design choices, like the chunky taillights and the choice to stick the rear plate up high instead of in the bumper, but it also has great supercar proportions that give it real presence in person. The Cayman has no such missteps (although the upturned rear quarter windows always looked cheesy to me, and I wish instead they were rounded like the 911 and pretty much every other Porsche). But it is dated and dull. It's more Corolla than Concord. Even a new one looks too close to the used car special collecting dust at the edge of the Toyota lot, even when you pay $100K for it, which is enough points against it that I'd rather be seen in the Corvette. Seriously, look at just the door and mid-section of the Cayman/Boxter, other than the scoop, there's not much going on. The interior is a similar story. The Corvette has the squared off wheel, and the polarizing wall of switches--but it has great infotainment and modern shapes. The Porsche is clean, but when you look at areas like those center vents, they look like they were pulled out of a minivan or Mercedes from 15 years ago. I might ultimately choose the Lotus Emira V6 over either one, as it is the best looking, the most rare, better sounding than even the 4.0L GTS, and light. I'd trust the Vette to be more trouble-free though. In the end, I'd probably wind up with the Vette. At least you won't be waiting 12+ months like the Lotus.

These are my two favorite cars. I just received my C8 about two months ago and absolutely love it. I just can't imagine the Cayman being better for what you get from the C8 as far as price, but maybe performance.

I believe majority of car enthusiasts would pick the cayman but some people buy a car like this to be flashy and to a normy that c8 looks like it’s worth a lot more then the cayman, don’t get me wrong cayman is a work of art but I can see people mistaking the cayman for a somewhat regular car but the c8 looks like a super car

I mean the biggest factor to me is the Cayman comes with a manual, and the Corvette doesn't.

C8 currently at sticker. 100k loaded. Caymen 110k with 30k premium. 140k. As of this week. 😉

Let's be honest, if someone's budget is 100k they're going to stretch it to 110k and get a Z06.

For us working guys with a mortgage and kids… wait a few years and buy a used Corvette. Let the depreciation work for you.

"abstinence wall" Iconic.

It really does come down to what you're looking for, to me and my uses the corvette is the better option. Its not as classic looking but it just looks more exciting than the porsche to me. I do prioritize performance as well because i regularly drive track events and the corvette is better suited to that. Both cars are great it just depends what you're looking for.

Where do I find a GTS 4.0 for under $100k??

New format kept me glued throughout the whole video. Great work fellas.

Buyers compare on price. Corvette starts at $64.5k. Base Cayman starts at $68.3k. That’s the comparison. Easy Corvette win.

Remember when $100k bought you a new 911? 💀

From America..."cue the British power metal" iron maiden style lol

Great video guys. Love this format, and 'abstinence wall' cracked me up :D

To the viewers, for the price, do you think the cayman gt4 is more comparable to the ZO6? Both start out at around 100k. In comparing the stingray to the gts, the stingray kills it....objectively speaking

There is NO WAY, I'd get a Cayman over a C8. I love the idea of the Cayman, but not at the price they sell for.

New windshield cracked already? I have been wondering about that with the new corvette. Was it a flex crack? I have been looking at the new c8 windshield. Thinking that’s the weak point in the chassis design. Did a rock hit that? Or did you guys realize it was broken after driving hard? As a window guy. I’m very curious. The window structure doesn’t look thick enough. I could be completely crazy! But it looks like the a pillars are to small to withstand twisting. I have already replaced several c8 windshields.

"I even like the buttons on the abstinence wall" HAHA that was funny and unexpected 14:00

the Cayman isn’t available either and its much expensive. Its way over $20k difference