[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Hey guys, as some of you know, I ordered a 2021 Camaro ZL1 back in December. I finally received it yesterday! I wanted to post a few pics and give my first impressions as owner. I'm a very detailed guy, and this is a long post, so read on (note that these impressions are subject to change as I get more time behind the wheel of the ZL1!):

My ZL1 is shadow gray metallic with the A10, the CF hood insert, Nav, and CF shift knob cover. My GT is a 2018 GT Premium with A10, PP1, MagneRide, and safe and smart. It also has some bolt ons and lighter aftermarket wheels.

From a performance standpoint, the two cars are miles apart. The handling, steering, chassis, engine torque, transmission, etc., are just on a different level in the ZL1. The GT is no slouch as spec'd., but the ZL1 is noticeably more "racecar" like than the GT. In a straight line in the sweet spot, I don't think my GT is that far behind, but the ZL1 would definitely beat my GT in a roll race and it feels more stable in turns (not that I've been able to push the ZL1 yet, but took it out last night for a spin and found a few turns). That said, I received the ZL1 with only 3 miles, so I'm being careful with break in and not exceeding 4k rpms so I haven't pushed it at all yet.

I need to drive them back to back, but I think the ride is a tad stiffer in the ZL1 than my GT, since my GT [also] has magnetic dampers it has a really good ride. It also could be the 19" vs 20" wheels - I need more back to back seat time between the two.

With that "racecar" like handling and chassis, I think come with the fact that in just a day, I've already noticed that the ZL1 is noticeably less practical than the GT. It's harder to get in and out, it has longer doors, some questionable ergonomic decisions in the interior, and is harder to see out of. I also wish the Recaro seats had adjustable lumbar support. That said, these are not really complaints, as I knew what I was getting into. Just more of an observation. An example of the ergo decisions are the angle of the door handles: they are a bit more user friendly in the Mustang being perfectly flat in the door plane. Also, my ZL1 has the speed limit indicator in the center gauge cluster which is nice - but it is TINY. I have 20/20 vision and can barely read it. Someone with poor vision won't be able to use it. They could have made it 50% larger without sacrificing anything.

Other random thoughts (brain dump!):

My GT has a Borla S type catback and the exhaust sounds better than the ZL1's stock exhaust (no surprise there).

I like the looks of the ZL1 better from the rear tires forward, but prefer the rear end styling of the GT. The front of the ZL1 is menacing, and my kids love it as well. I also really like the doors and side skirts on the ZL1.

The ZL1 transmission programming is better than the GT - from performance driving to just putting around town. The GT bangs into gears a bit more, while the ZL1 is more smooth at light throttle.

My wife and daughter says the "shadow gray metallic" actually looks like a dark denim blue. It changes depending on the light. But it only looks gray at certain angles in certain lighting and dark gray at night. There's definitely a blue undertone in the paint. I like it, and It's growing on me even still (I just looked at it in the garage and it looks awesome).

If I had to choose one to drive across the country, it would be the GT as so far, I find it more comfortable and practical than the ZL1. If I had to choose one to drive on twisty roads, for sure the ZL1.

My GT has the mid level 9 speaker "premium trim" stereo, and I replaced the terrible rear deck speakers with a set of Focal two ways when I first bought it improving it significantly. While the Bose stereo in the ZL1 has more bass, I think my stereo in the GT as it sits sounds better so far (the rear deck speakers really helped). It has clearer mids and better highs (less harsh - again - the Focal two ways made a big difference there so it's not a stock to stock comparison). It also has mid range speakers in the doors and I think creates better spatial separation than the Bose. The Bose is good enough, and I think I can tweak the factory EQ settings to get pretty decent sound - I just haven't messed with it very much yet.

I "think" my GT Premium interior feels a little more "premium" than the ZL1. I think it's because the ZL1 uses more hard plastics than the GT. They both have hard plastics, don't get me wrong, but the GT uses less IMO. Design-wise, I like the looks/styling of both interiors.

The windshield goes further back in the GT relative to the seating position, and the roof is a lot shorter front to back, meaning more light gets in making it feel more open. My daughter this morning noted how tiny the rear windows are in the ZL1 compared to the GT.

I love the exposed CF hood insert. Highly recommend for anyone getting a ZL1!

And another observation: I haven't measured, but I think the engine in the ZL1 sits a little higher and slightly more forward (maybe 1") relative to the front axles than the DOHC engine in the GT. It could be different engine design, but the exhaust headers seem to be at least 2" lower in the GT, and the top of the manifold seems to be a couple inches lower than the s/c lid as well. The Coyote is wider, though, and takes up more space left to right. All that doesn't matter that much, as even with the s/c and additional coolers, the front/rear weight distribution between the ZL1 and my GT are the same (54/46, rounded). For comparison, the '20 GT500 is 56/44 (rounded).

I like the front brake cooling ducts in the ZL1 - they are quite large and are in the lower front air grille. My 4th grader liked that he could see all the heat exchangers in the ZL1 through the open front (that is pretty cool).

Anyway, it's no mystery here that I really like my GT, and I want to be clear that I'm not dogging the ZL1 with any of the above observations. It is an amazing performance machine. Those are simply my first impressions between the two cars but may change over time! I can't wait to start taking it out on the twisty roads (tomorrow!)! Enjoy some pics: