Luxury car by Chevrolet

Beating the Chevy Corvette at its own game is a difficult thing—it’s been doing it, and doing it well, for more than 50 years. But Mercedes-AMG’s new GT sports car might just have what it takes.

The AMG GT and GT S were built to take on the benchmark of the sports car segment, after all: the Porsche 911, itself a car the Corvette has been compared to many times. So how do these two front-engined rivals to the rear-engined 911 compare to each other? Surprisingly well, actually.

While the Chevy brand may not inspire as much lust in the heart of the average enthusiast as the AMG moniker, the Corvette holds a special place in the pantheon of bang-for-the-buck sports cars. That’s not to say the Corvette isn’t a serious machine—even in base Stingray form, it’s a massively capable, fun-to-drive sports car. In Z06 guise, the Corvette is nearly unstoppable.

Likewise, the AMG GT and GT S are remarkable for their ability to deliver both quick lap times and driver satisfaction, although the value proposition is somewhat less obvious: the first to reach the market, the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S, starts at $129, 900. Compared to the 2015 Corvette Stingray’s starting price of $55, 000, that’s a rather high point of entry. In fact, even the 650-horsepower Corvette Z06 starts at just $79, 000, making it a truly remarkable value for the level of performance offered.

How do the Corvette and AMG GT lines stack up on paper? In base form, the Stingray puts out 455 horsepower, runs to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and runs to something north of 180 mph—though Chevy hasn’t confirmed an official top speed. The GT, on the other hand, packs 456 horsepower, hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, and tops out at 189 mph. Very close, on paper, then. The Corvette makes its power and performance with a normally aspirated, pushrod 6.2-liter V-8 engine, while the AMG GT does the job with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8.

Both are also front-engine coupes with fair, if not abundant, space for luggage and daily necessities. Both are surprisingly comfortable on the road, particularly when equipped with their optional adaptive damping suspensions. Both are impressive on the track. Neither is the top tier of their kind, however.