I looked at a Camaro ZL1 1LE today - talk me off the ledge
07-22-2018, 04:17 PM
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
I looked at a Camaro ZL1 1LE today - talk me off the ledge
I have an itch I guess. That car looked and sounded really sexy to me. What am I even thinking?
Someone set me straight and tell me not to trade my Cayman for a Camaro, even if it would include a check to put in my investment account.
Someone set me straight and tell me not to trade my Cayman for a Camaro, even if it would include a check to put in my investment account.
07-22-2018, 04:23 PM
#2
Drifting
The reason I'd say not to do it is purely financial -- dealers never like to give full value for a trade, of course, but they ESPECIALLY hate to write a check for a trade and end up worse off cash-flow wise than they started the day. So you can about bet that you'll get a worse trade on a $70,000 Camaro than you will on a $130,000 Porsche, where you're the one writing the check at the end of the deal.
As far as the car, what-evs. If you like it, buy it. If you decide you don't like it after awhile, I'm sure somebody will sell you another GT4. You could even upgrade to Carmine next time!
As far as the car, what-evs. If you like it, buy it. If you decide you don't like it after awhile, I'm sure somebody will sell you another GT4. You could even upgrade to Carmine next time!
07-22-2018, 04:25 PM
#3
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I would say buy what you like. Both cars are very capable but they are complete opposite approaches. One is brute force combined with huge tires and the other is lithe and balanced. The Porsche build quality is considerably better.
Did you drive the Camaro to see if it drove as good as it sounded?
Hopefully the investment account will do really well to offset the depreciation of the Camaro.
Did you drive the Camaro to see if it drove as good as it sounded?
Hopefully the investment account will do really well to offset the depreciation of the Camaro.
07-22-2018, 04:50 PM
#4
Pro
Thread Starter
to offset that I'd expect a Chevrolet to be considerably less costly to maintain and repair. I could be wrong though, I'm purely going off speculation.
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07-22-2018, 07:18 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Listed weight is 3883lbs to 4113lbs depending on spec!!!!! It's huge (about a foot and half longer than the GT4), heavy with a front biased weight distribution, and has just about the worst visibility I've ever experienced. It's kinda like driving a submarine. Interior driving position and ergonomics didn't work for me, GT350 was much better in this regard but still feel like I'm sitting way too high. Don't get me wrong, I love where American muscle cars are these days and I do like the suspension and chassis control in the Camaro but I would consider them compliments vs substitutes for the GT4 because the driving experience is so different irrespective of performance numbers or track times.
07-22-2018, 07:20 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
It is very tempting. Amazing track performance, beyond that of the GT4. Agree with above comments regarding depreciation and reliability. You have to be prepared to take a big depreciation hit if buying a ZL1 new and then selling it a year or two later. And, unfortunately, I’ve seen far too many GM products sidelined at the track with issues (overheating, broken accessory belts, etc.)—that is, when the Z06s aren’t running circles around me. 😂
07-22-2018, 07:45 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
It is very tempting. Amazing track performance, beyond that of the GT4. Agree with above comments regarding depreciation and reliability. You have to be prepared to take a big depreciation hit if buying a ZL1 new and then selling it a year or two later. And, unfortunately, I’ve seen far too many GM products sidelined at the track with issues (overheating, broken accessory belts, etc.)—that is, when the Z06s aren’t running circles around me. 😂
All the GM and Ford products I've seen sidelined at the track were put there by their owners, usually preceded by a spin (or 2) before their final resting place....😎
07-22-2018, 08:49 PM
#11
Keep the gt4 and add the 1LE as a used car in a year or two. I think they are two very different cars that would be nice to own together. Selling a gt4 to get a 1LE seems like a major downgrade other than lap times.
07-22-2018, 09:14 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
A friend, previous GT4 owner, was turning 1:36s at Mid-Ohio in a stock ZL1 1LE. The track layout included the kink into the keyhole. That's quick.
07-22-2018, 10:51 PM
#14
I would buy a C7 Grand Sport or Z06 over the Camaro... the Camaro is a MASSIVE car (dimension wise) and the inside is very dated in design. I don't love either characteristic. There is no debating the performance... but there is more to car ownership for me than lap times. If you want a very powerful and very fast car, get a Z06 and not the Camaro.
07-23-2018, 04:52 AM
#15
Rennlist Member
Learn from my mistakes, I tried both the ZL1 1LE and ZL1 and sold both as quickly as I could. Some details here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...l#post14647528
I had so many suspension and electronics issues that drove me nuts! Not to mention the ZL1 1LE is completely unusable as a street car, the ride literally gave me headaches after an 18 mile commute to work... and I have driven many other stiffly sprung street and race cars with no problem.
if I had a time machine I would go back and keep my beloved GT4 in a second!
https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...l#post14647528
I had so many suspension and electronics issues that drove me nuts! Not to mention the ZL1 1LE is completely unusable as a street car, the ride literally gave me headaches after an 18 mile commute to work... and I have driven many other stiffly sprung street and race cars with no problem.
if I had a time machine I would go back and keep my beloved GT4 in a second!