1LE owners who Love Porsche
 

Growing up like most young people i dreamt of Italian cars like the lamborghini and ferrari. It wasnt until i started owning cars, and then cars with actual peformance like the SS 1LE, that i grew to appreciate a refined car geared for the driver enthusiast. I pretty much bought the closest thing i could get to a manual gearboxed porsche gt4 and that is the SS 1LE. But i will admit i still watch a hell of a lot of youtube videos of the Porsche GT3, GT4, GT3RS, GT2RS, Turbo, and on and on. I test drove a little cayman s before driving the 1LE and even that was an experience. In either case, I hope to be financially positioned one day to be able to own one. I'm 31 and cant do that now, but...

In either case, id like to hear if there are others out there who can relate

There are at least a few guys on here that have SS or ZL1 1LEs as well as GT3s, I'm sure they share the same love for Porsche as you!

Ive always liked Porsche and take plenty of pics of them at local shows and gatherings but don't see myself ever spending the coin on one. Not what I would personally say its mod friendly (money and lots of it) as compared to domestic cars. Regardless seeing a Porsche GT3 RS run a sub 7min at the Ring with 500hp, well...not much else to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=65jW-FVAd2o

My dream car is the GT3 RS.

Having said that, performance wise the SS 1LE is pretty amazing, especially considering its price point. It keeps up with the GT350R and the BMW M4 GTS.

The ZL1 1LE is right up there with the Porsche GT3 and GT3 RS.

The things you gain moving from either 1LE versions of the Camaro to the Porsche GT cars are mostly the intangbles and non performance stuff (with exception of the PDK, which I would kill for).

The things you gain are higher technologies, better materials, components that are way over built for their application, the Porsche name and prestige. Things that do not show on paper or performance stats, the feeling of driving a car that you put on like a superhero suit. Stuff like that is where the extra money you spend goes for a Porsche

GM has come a VERY long way with a solid car in the 1LE's and its the first Camaro I would have ever considered buying and it is the first Camaro that I did buy, but there are still touches of GM in it and that is ok with its price point.

I'm a big cayman gt4 fan myself.

Well stated. GT3 RS my dream car as well. In an ultra perfect world....
AM Vulcan:thumb:

1LE; American made, world class performance with parts/service readily available. All at an amazing price point. Well within reach of the hard working man/woman.

Owning a car that attains this level of performance has always been on my bucket list. Always financially out of reach for me until Chevy built the ZLE. Thank you Chevrolet, Al and his team.

Now I'm living the dream.

very good write up, thanks for your response!!




truth be told, if i had the money id probably do the same, theres just so much bargain in the camaro zl1 1le, hell its cheaper than the new grandsport even. Ive been looking at them just for fun on autotrader and my gosh they are selling in the mid 60s in some places.

fun fact: did you know the zl1 1le ran a 7:13, the same as a c7 z06 but couldnt get it formally verified for some reason or another. let me see if i can post the link (see below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz6NrnAQMdA

I own 17 1LE and 2016 GT3 RS.
I have tracked both but prefer 1LE all day long.
Now some of that has to do with potential loss of dollars and track mods, Hoosier R7 aggressive alignment etc. on the 1LE makes it a weapon!

You are young, stay focused on your goals! That would be my number

Man that thing is a beauty. I too like Porsche with color. Fave is the lava orange. I requested access to that link it didnt let me play it.

I’m a longtime Porsche guy myself. I currently have a 2005 Cayenne S and my brother and I share a 964 C2 as well. I was 27 when I bought my old 2003 Boxster S for $21.5k with 38k miles in 2009.

It was the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. I put ~55k miles on it and it was my only car until 2012. I had 3 sets of wheels for it: winter, summer, and track. I sold it in 2017 for $14k with 92k miles after buying my SS 1LE. Best decision I’ve ever made.

My dad had a GT4, then drove my car on track and at the tail of the dragon... he sold his GT4 and now has a ZL1 1LE.

Porsche was the ONLY game for years in producing cars that could leave the factory, go to the track and require ZERO mods, and do so over and over again with only routine maintenance. GM clearly learned from the best, and is now producing some of the best drivers cars in the world. I voted with my $$.

Also, at Indy a Motor Speedway last weekend... I had the opportunity to drive a 991 GT3 RS for a session, and I rode in a 991.2 GT2 RS for a session... I passed both of those same cars in the instructor group on track in my SS 1LE.

GT3 RS is my favorite car at any price. My dad almost traded his 991.1 GTS for a flipped 991.1 RS but didn't pull the trigger. ADM..

I agree with everyone else, GM is kicking major ass and is pretty much the only/best alternative to Porsche for a factory ready track car out of the box. Porsche driving feel is still a notch above, and of course the looks, refinement, and customizability are amazing.

I tracked my SS 1LE back to back with the GTS at Sonoma, both stock (except the latter on Cup 2). I was about 1.5-2 seconds faster in the GTS. To me, the tire was the biggest factor, but it was also easier to drive. The 911 really puts the power down and the ceramic brakes are superior (but not a totally different world). The throttle response in the 911 is also more immediate and also more linear so easier to manage.

The biggest benefit of the 911 was that it was actually just a bit more fun to drive. It felt lighter and lower. It feels wider but more composed on back roads than the SS 1LE. I think part of it is the dynamic transmission and engine mounts and probably lower unsprung weight.

In the end... man the 1LE kicks serious ass at any price point. I'm totally satisfied with my purchase. The one regret I have about driving my 1LE and the Porsche is that they are simply too fast to enjoy on the street, especially narrow and rutted back roads. You have to track these cars to see what they (and you) can do. That's why I want an ND Miata as my realistic second car ;)