Chevrolet has finally built a Corvette that is capable of truly competing with the world’s best sports cars with the 7th generation Corvette Stingray (and upcoming Z06 version). Jaguar, with the F-Type, have finally moved back into making a proper two-seat sports car that is also designed to take on the world. The Corvette is “shock and awe” compared to the Jaguar’s “stiff upper lip,” and provide two entirely different motoring experiences for approximately the same amount of money. Let’s compare the two in an American vs. British sports car showdown!
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
With a starting price of $51,000 the Corvette Stingray is often considered a sports car bargain.
Starting at $51,000, the Corvette is often considered a bit of a deal considering that it comes standard with 450hp and a chassis designed from their Chevrolet’s racing program. Redesigned for the 7th generation, the C7 Stingray sheds the subtleness of the previous versions for an in-your-face aggressiveness that comes from wind tunnel development and a sharp eye for design.
The C7 Corvette Stingray eschews the rounded rear tail lights for a more rectangular design.
Standard on the Stingray is a 7-speed manual transmission and a removable roof to better enjoy the sunshine. Available options include a magnetic ride control package, and a complete chassis control system with user-selectable drive modes. This helps the Corvette Stingray ride comfortably on the day-t0-day commute, but make it easy to chase down a Porsche during the weekends on a twisty back road or the race track.
The Stingray’s interior is state-of-the-art and extremely driver-centric.
Corvette purists might lament the loss of the rounded rear taillights, and the quad exhaust does take some getting used to, but overall we like the looks of the new Stingray that looks more Italian than British. If we were to build one to our own specification, we would go all out for a MSRP of $70,275.
Jaguar F-Type Coupe
The F-Type Coupe starts at $65,000.
The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is the latest in the F-Type line of vehicles, and starts at a sticker-shocking $65,000. For this amount of money, the purchaser gets a 340hp supercharged V6 engine and a standard sports exhaust. Also standard is satellite navigation and ZF’s magical 8-speed automatic transmission. It is not as engaging as a manual transmission, but it is one of the best automatics in the world. Also standard is a 380-watt Meridian sound system, which should sound better than what is in the Corvette.
The interior of the F-Type is also all-business for the driver, leaving the passenger little to do.
To build a F-Type Coupe with options similar to the Corvette, one would have to order the Jaguar F-Type S Coupe and tack on $9,100 worth of options. That includes the adaptive suspension pieces, the performance seats, the glass roof (as a substitute for a removable roof), and more. Even at this point, the Jaguar F-Type S would be down 80hp over the Corvette Stingray Z51 that we would order. However, the Jaguar would ring the cash register at a MSRP of $86,100. That is not an insignificant chunk of change!
The rear of the F-Type resembles the original E-Type Jaguar.
Which Vehicle Sounds Better?
Both the Corvette Stingray and the Jaguar F-Type are known for how good they sound. When we drove the supercharged V6 in the F-Type S, we were laughing the whole time with how good the exhaust and supercharger sound. Recently Autocar, based in the UK, did a head-to-head on which vehicle sounds better and recorded it on video for all to see. Sound is subjective, but this video is definitely worth the watch!
The Winner
The Corvette has almost always been a performance bargain. If someone buys a sports car based on facts and figures, they would end up with the Corvette almost every time. With the 7th-generation version of the Corvette, that is true even more. It is fast, it is comfortable, it is technologically advanced, and it is also very precise. We also think the new Corvette is a great looking car. It is brash, but thankfully can be ordered without all the chrome that previous Corvettes were plagued with. There is absolutely no reason to buy anything other than the Corvette.
The F-Type shares similar front-end design cues with the Corvette.
But is there?
The Jaguar F-Type is very expensive, regardless of trim level and specification. In normal everyday driving, the F-Type Coupe with 340hp would be just as fun to drive as the 450hp (or 460hp in Z51 trim) Corvette. We believe it sounds better, and is absolutely gorgeous to look at. We even prefer the looks of the F-Type over the Aston Martin Vantage. The Jaguar feels special to drive. It has a certain ja ne sais quoi that many other cars do not have. It is a vehicle that captures your heart the moment you climb behind the wheel, and makes you willing to spend whatever amount of money to purchase it.
Ultimately, we are going to call this showdown a draw. Many more people will purchase Corvettes than they will F-Types, and that will surely make the Corvette the winner in many peoples’ books. We probably would end up purchasing the Corvette ourselves, but it would be extremely hard to ignore the Jaguar F-Type that pulls very hard at our heartstrings.