10 Top Porsche 911 Competitors

If someone put all of these 10 top Porsche 911 competitors on our list in one place it would look like someone’s dream garage. As long as there was an eleventh car included, the 2018 Porsche 911 itself. Competing with something developed and perfected by a company of brilliant engineers who have gained profound and broad expertise in motorsports isn't easy - check out the marque’s phenomenal success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans if further convincing is required.

Although the current 911 range encompasses the most civilized and evolved versions ever, there are still many thrills to be had. Especially once the driver learns the special rhythm through corners only this rear-engined supercar has. Alternatively, someone looking for what would be considered a competitor could also look at the following list when shopping for a thrill ride.

In the bigger picture, the hybrid-powered 2018 Acura NSX could rival the limited-edition, immensely powerful (888 hp) Porsche 918 Spyder. But that hybrid supercar cost more than $845,000, so the 573-hp NSX is a relative bargain at around $160,000. Its behavior will span from docile to daunting, and the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system helps provide uncanny grip in fast corners.

This is one of those cars where some talents feel immediately apparent in the first quarter of a mile, while deeper qualities are revealed over time and more demanding stretches. The cabin is well appointed, but it’s hard to notice when the car sprints from standstill to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and hits 191 mph.

While the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage hasn’t launched yet, the previous Vantage drove as well as it looked and it looked fabulous. The new generation should be an improvement even over that, with modern gadgets like a digital driver information display, plus a 503-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 sourced from the AMG tuning department of Mercedes-Benz.

The Vantage is Aston Martin’s least expensive offering, with more of a sports car attitude than a grand tourer (like the DB11.) The price of approximately $150,000 is so reasonable in fact, that most of the 2019 production run has already been snapped up. Any buyers who missed this particular boat can wait until the next year (or simply opt for the Porsche 911 instead.)

Before the NSX came along, the AudiR8 was probably the most benign-handling supercar in existence. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just that the suspension is so well tuned that it flatters drivers who fall into the “OK, but will never be professional” category, which (let’s be honest) is most of us. Truly capable drivers though will find even greater strengths and speed.

The 2018 Audi R8 has a 540-hp V10 or a 610-hp version (so it competes with more powerful versions of the Porsche 911,) like the all-wheel-drive Turbo that also has 540 hp. Price-wise and acceleration-wise, there’s not much difference between these rivals, although it's worth remembering Audi has been wildly successful at Le Mans as well.

The Porsche 911 comes as a coupe or a convertible (aka the cabriolet version) and so does the 2018 BMW M4. For some (like those who normally have to spend time in the passenger seat,) the Porsche is still a bit too firm. If they jump into the M4 (or M3 for that matter,) the person behind the wheel will still enjoy a rich variety of driving thrills, while those riding shotgun will relish the extra luxury.

For the money (the M4 starts at $68,695,) and the many qualities it buys (425 hp from a turbocharged inline-6 engine, leather upholstery, adaptive suspension, Harman Kardon audio system, etc.,) it might be an easier purchase decision than it's pricy Porsche competitor.

While the M4 is BMW’s sporty compact, the 2018 BMW i8 is more of a supercar like the 911. Yet, like the Acura NSX, it seems to have come from the future. This is the only performance machine with a three-cylinder gasoline engine. Admittedly, it’s turbocharged, but this 1.5-liter unit is only part of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that includes an electric motor for a total system output of 369 horsepower.

That amount of horsepower hardly sounds excessive, but the i8 deploys an ingenious lightweight construction, using an aluminum tub overlaid with a shell principally of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP.) As a result, it’s the advantageous power-to-weight ratio that helps bring the fun. The 2+2 coupe version also has cool scissor doors.

Back when American astronauts were stretching the boundaries of human exploration, the Corvette was about as much competition for a 911 as the Sputnik was to the USS Enterprise. The times have indeed been a-changing.

This current generation of the Chevrolet Corvette has handling chops to make any European suspension engineer want to up his or her game. Factor in a 455-horsepower V8 (or 650 hp in the blistering supercharged Z06 version,) propelling a lightweight body, and you have a sports car that will surely go down in history as one of mankind’s giant leaps. And for considerably less than the cost of a moon landing. While there isn't a cure for the common cold yet, who cares when there’s a Corvette to drive?

The 2018 Jaguar F-Type only has two seats as opposed to the 911’s four (two seats for adults and two for a couple of Barbie dolls - just kidding, they’ll take a short-ish adult for a short time.) But the suspension is a thing of beauty, developed on the challenging Nürburgring North Loop circuit just as many Porsches have been.

Even though both cars are fitted with electrically assisted steering (usually a surefire method for numbness,) these two companies stand out for achieving that all-important tactility enthusiasts demand. Traditionalists may still gripe, but in this modern world, we’ll take whatever we can get. It says volumes about the F-Type in general that it’s a credible alternative to the 911.

The Mercedes-Benz AMG GT is relatively new (it debuted in 2015,) so it’s taken a long time for one of the oldest car companies to face off against the 911. Some rivals have mid-mounted engines, for which there are good dynamic reasons, but this car has a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 set within a nose that evokes earlier eras yet still looks modern.

This engine is available in different states of tune, from 469 horsepower up to the R version with 577 hp. That’s comparable to the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, which “only” has 500 hp but still has rear-wheel steering (like the R,) sprints to 60 mph a couple of tenths quicker, and costs less.

Warning — we’re about to use the “i” word. The 911 is truly an icon on the road and the track, a status it fully deserves. But it’s not the only one. The Nissan GT-R has a racing bloodline of its own, a pedigree built around the Skyline cars of Japanese racing. This heritage leads to the 2018 Nissan GT-R coupe, a twin-turbo monster with a mighty 565 horsepower going to all four wheels, and with an almost foolproof traction control system enhanced by a computer-controlled suspension.

The GT-R starts at $101,685 and can power from standstill to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Which might be enough time to shout “oh my” but not to complete the sentence with “goodness.”

It might seem odd that one of the entries for 10 Porsche 911 Competitors is another Porsche, as the company has usually tried to avoid this scenario. Yet the 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS has virtually as much power as a 911 Carrera (365 horsepower versus 370 horsepower) and so it competes for the same buyer’s dollars. The GTS is a particularly special package bringing muscle, active suspension, 20-inch alloys, sport exhaust, dedicated cabin decor, and exterior additions for $80,850.

Considering a 2018 911 starts at $92,150 before options, that makes this sweet-handling coupe seriously tempting. Some might also argue that the Cayman’s engine is in the right place, behind the driver instead of in the trunk. Soft-top aficionados will like the 718 Boxster GTS.