Quote:
Originally Posted by 396ssrat
I enjoyed the handling of the 85 Iroc, that car was comfortable and for it's time it was an awesome driver. Only thing about a car that can handle like that is that most drivers cannot meet the performance of the car. Many of us grew up in an era of the automobile when drag racing was a main staple of the USA. Maybe because cars didn't really handle very well back then. We've seen an era of our youth which thrived on the Import craze and those little cars handled quite well. Problem with that was the ignorance of those driving wrecklessly throughout the streets and highways of America creating a very dangerous safety problem for unsuspecting pedestrians and motorists. It is unsafe to street race period hence the track statements. The track, whichever your poison should be the only venue a car gets the test of it's potential. It isn't that the Hellcat is all that however, it is pretty much a Challenger which many thousands found attractive due to it's retro styling as well as a nice road car which offered very nice interior appointments and comfort for those who were in the car market. The Hellcat goes true to American heritage in that it offers a hell of an amount of power which clearly placed it at the head of the performance arena. That car has been available for a longtime where Chevy and Ford had nothing to compete with. The gen 5 Camaro had nothing to bring whatsoever. That's just the way it is. Like my 1985 Iroc z, you could go around a corner but when the road went straight you were going to get your ass handed to you.
Now that Chevy has put the Camaro on a diet and given it some power I just hope they let the car wring out it's potential in all aspects. Personally, as stated several times in this and other threads I'm a diehard Chevy guy but I appreciate a Giant when I see one, regardless the monker. Want to see another eye opener, watch a Tesla lay down a 7 flat number in it's dead quiet mode. Those cars are quick as hell but I don't like the car overall. They will fall apart soon enough the way they are built. If you have a size 11 foot, it's hard to get into the back seat because of the door opening.
We'll how the ZL1 turns out real numbers wise. I'm hoping it kills the Hellcat personally. I'm sure Chevy would like that as well. Maybe the ZL1 actually has some power above and beyond the rating.
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Oh I can appreciate the importance of the drag strip in the 60's and 70's and today. It's sort of in my blood. I guess my only issue in this discussion is, and maybe i'm seeing it all wrong, but it is that for many, if the ZL1 can't beat the Hellcat by a half second down the strip, then it sucks and GM should have given it 800HP etc., and my point along with many others is that the ZL1 isn't JUST ABOUT the strip, at least for 5th and 6th Gen it hasn't been, and why not appreciate that as much as one appreciates what the Hellcat can do at the strip.
With regards to handling and not being able to push it safely unless you are on a track; I think that for those who can tell the difference, they don't need to push the car to the extreme to utilize and enjoy and feel the difference when they are driving it on public roads, and for them the car with the better handling may be the car for them.