Camaro ZL1 opinions
03-26-13, 05:00 PM
#16
Yeah i JUST saw that laptime at VIR.... ZL1 suspension has vastly improved I guess.... but Dave to respond to your comment about reliability, it's too early to tell. Only recently Chevrolet's reliability has been considered good. Toyota/Lexus has decades of reliability (besides the recalls).
03-26-13, 05:03 PM
#18
I was privileged to be along on a test drive. My dads always been about American muscle so he was thinking about trading in his SRT8 Challenger, so we took out the ZL1. I was impressed with the power but not with the interior. I love the luxury feel of my car. The Camaro's torque and sound was awesome. The car would kill my car at start and the overall top end speed. He decided to keep his Mopar
03-26-13, 05:14 PM
#21
I was privileged to be along on a test drive. My dads always been about American muscle so he was thinking about trading in his SRT8 Challenger, so we took out the ZL1. I was impressed with the power but not with the interior. I love the luxury feel of my car. The Camaro's torque and sound was awesome. The car would kill my car at start and the overall top end speed. He decided to keep his Mopar
03-26-13, 05:57 PM
#24
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My bad... If its pure stock vs stock, ZL1 will dominate on a track easy and I think the IS-F is a better daily driver. /thread
03-26-13, 07:23 PM
#25
03-27-13, 12:04 PM
#28
Lexus Test Driver
Too bad they dont have any at the dealership here to compare. Im just drawn by the power of the ZL1 and aftermarket tuning capabilities and support, so I could side with the OP. 
03-27-13, 04:43 PM
#30
I drove the base Camaro RS as a rental twice this year. I drove it for about 700 miles or there abouts. Mind you this is the V6 with 306 horsepower and automatic transmission.
The base model suspension was very good, you get used to sitting down low, but I think it's pretty fun, you are really connected with the road and the car corners pretty well.
I do like the exterior styling of the ZL1, and you get nice wheels and brake package.
The LS9 is a proven powerplant by now, either if you want to stay stock or mod it a little bit.
The only thing is the interior. The ZL1 does not seem to be far away from the base model camaro. You'll get the same plastics, the trim and gauges are a little fancier, but you'll not get an ISF like interior in that car.
At the end of day it's really about what YOU WANT. A car that's faster, louder and less luxurious on the inside, or a car with 100+ horsepower less, and a much nicer interior and 4 doors.
Here's an idea for you, go rent a base model Camaro for a week at Hertz, and take it on a trip or just drive it to work for a week. This will give you some indication of what's the car is really like.
I would also spend some time on the Camaro forums and read about what those guys have to say.
Whatever you do, don't rush the purchase so you don't end up with something you don't like.
The base model suspension was very good, you get used to sitting down low, but I think it's pretty fun, you are really connected with the road and the car corners pretty well.
I do like the exterior styling of the ZL1, and you get nice wheels and brake package.
The LS9 is a proven powerplant by now, either if you want to stay stock or mod it a little bit.
The only thing is the interior. The ZL1 does not seem to be far away from the base model camaro. You'll get the same plastics, the trim and gauges are a little fancier, but you'll not get an ISF like interior in that car.
At the end of day it's really about what YOU WANT. A car that's faster, louder and less luxurious on the inside, or a car with 100+ horsepower less, and a much nicer interior and 4 doors.
Here's an idea for you, go rent a base model Camaro for a week at Hertz, and take it on a trip or just drive it to work for a week. This will give you some indication of what's the car is really like.
I would also spend some time on the Camaro forums and read about what those guys have to say.
Whatever you do, don't rush the purchase so you don't end up with something you don't like.