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I looked at a Camaro ZL1 1LE today - talk me off the ledge

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Old 07-22-2018, 04:17 PM
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VLJ
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Default 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.
Old 07-22-2018, 04:23 PM
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NoGaBiker
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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!
Old 07-22-2018, 04:25 PM
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Marine Blue
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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.
Old 07-22-2018, 04:50 PM
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VLJ
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Originally Posted by Marine Blue

Hopefully the investment account will do really well to offset the depreciation of the Camaro.
this is seriously the most accurate point you could have made. They're dangling "invoice minus $3,000 rebate" at me in the dealership. Deep discounts on new cars means deeper discounts on that car when it's used. Chevrolet is essentially killing resale value when they sell the car new.

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.
Old 07-22-2018, 05:21 PM
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chillindrdude
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i've thought about the zl1 1le as well....wished there was one near me i could sit in and test drive.

just so unsure about the visibility out of the thing!
Old 07-22-2018, 06:46 PM
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24Chromium
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It’s a fat pig. Compare the curb weight to your GT4. If you track the car, you’d instantly regret it.
Old 07-22-2018, 06:49 PM
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br911
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Never driven it, but sat on it. Make sure you are comfortable with the visibility- the front hood is huge.
Old 07-22-2018, 07:18 PM
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ajw45
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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.
Old 07-22-2018, 07:20 PM
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paradocs98
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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. 😂
Old 07-22-2018, 07:45 PM
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chillindrdude
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Originally Posted by paradocs98
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....😎
Old 07-22-2018, 08:49 PM
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orangebox
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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.
Old 07-22-2018, 09:14 PM
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Alan C.
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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.
Old 07-22-2018, 09:15 PM
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Dr.Bill
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It would be OK if the engine were in the right place and it was 800 pounds lighter. . .
I'd rather have a GT350 in that price range. Still a heavy pig though.
Old 07-22-2018, 10:51 PM
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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.
Old 07-23-2018, 04:52 AM
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electron mike
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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!


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