Some studies have used interesting comparisons in order to probe the energetic stability of the 2-norbornyl cation provided by its delocalized nature. Comparing the rearrangement between the 3-methyl-2-norbornyl cation and the 2-methyl-2-norbornyl cation to that between the tertiary and secondary isopentane carbocations, one finds that the change in enthalpy is about 6 kcal/mol less for the norbornyl system. Since the major difference between these two reversible rearrangements is the amount of delocalization possible in the electronic ground state, one can attribute the stabilization of the 3-methyl-2-norbornyl cation to its non-classical nature. However, some experimental studies failed to observe this stabilization in solvolysis reactions.
Other studies on the stability of the 2-norbornyl cation have shown that the alkyl substitutions at carbon 1 or 2 force the system to be decidedly classical. Tertiary carbocations are much more stable than their secondary counterparts and therefore do not need to adopt delocalized bonding in order to reach the lowest possible potential energy.