[12SilverBulletSS]

This weekend I made it out to Dubai for a local Camaro club event and the local Abu Dhabi dealer brought a 2018 A10 ZL1.

I get a lot of attention because I have the only 6th Gen 1LE and the only Garnet Red Camaro in the whole country. The guy was super interested in my car because they have been trying to get Garnet Red cars in the UAE since the 6th Gens were released. Heck, if I had a garnet red ZL1 I could sell it and make money on it easy.

Well he asked me if I wanted to take his ZL1 for a spin so I did. Mainly because I had thought about a ZL1 and GS vette before purchasing my car. Hard to beat the 1LE's performance-per-dollar in this price range.

I have to say, it makes "stupid grin face" just about every time you launch it or get on it. The LT4 really motivates this chassis with authority! The A10 is an amazing unit. I really appreciated it down shifting automatically when entering a corner and the up-shifts are lighting fast. The car is a hoot for sure.

I would not be ashamed to say the ZL1 would make a better daily driver than my 1LE. The auto is nice in traffic, it does not take lots of practice to launch, and it is f!@#ing fast. It also has the creature comforts that my car lacks.

What I will say is that the ZL1 made me feel disconnected from the road compared to my 1LE. Mode for mode, drive for drive, the ZL1 didn't communicate what it was doing as well as my car and it felt heavier. I think it might have been a little concern for the amount of power the car has which will easily overwhelm the tires, but it also didn't have the same steering feel and it felt different in a corner. Hard to explain since I am not a regular track guy, but it was a fun and visceral experience I wont forget.

Ultimately, my 1LE is more of a drivers car. It is confident, well balanced, and communicates to the driver better. When I drove my Camaro home, I had no regrets on the purchase.

However, if I could take two things from the ZL1 it would be a memory drivers seat and the A10 transmission. It takes forever to find that "just right" spot after my wife moves my seat. I also think 10 gears in the A10 with its shift logic would work better on a track in a non-supercharged car. The tall gears in our manual makes the motor really work sometimes. I feel like I want the next gear but the next braking zone is too close. Driving that car in manual mode was very satisfying and I am a hard core manual guy.

Lastly, the dealer guy invited me over to the dealership for a "more thorough" test drive of the ZL1 and the new 2018 Grand Sport Vette they have. I will definitely be heading over there since that dealership is only about 10 minutes from where I live!

[Mountain]

Interesting. Thanks for that! I feel the same about the M6 gear/rear axle gearing.

[12SilverBulletSS]

Yeah, I wish it was like my 83 Z28. I swapped in an LT1 (previous gen) and T56. That car is pretty well sorted, has engine mods, and has 4:10 gears out back. That is a much more enjoyable experience rowing the gears and it still gets 24mpg or better!

[Roostie]

I'm interested in both cars and I won't have a chance to drive them on the track before I buy. Thanks for your thoughtful review, SilverBullet! Very helpful.

[12SilverBulletSS]

Keep in mind the ZL1 will obviously be faster around the track. That is my one complaint about the 1LE, it starts to run out of steam above 5k rpm and gets ate up by the boosted vehicles on the straights. That is where the LT4 shines with a manual. It does not care about the tall gears and wide ratio spread.

It ain’t no slouch, but it it ain’t a ZR1, ZL1, or CTSV. All of those cars pull away from me.

All things considered, the car is simply amazing to drive on the track though. I wouldn’t trade it for the ZL1. But I will do a head/cam/exhaust swap once I get it back stateside to give me more giddyup on the top end of the revs. I don’t want the weight of FI and would rather sacrifice a little drive ability.

I have three other cars, a 2002 Trans Am WS6 ram air convertible, 1983 Z28 that don’t have a factory drivetrain part of other then the axle housing, and a 1968 Chevelle SS 396.

[Bosse'sBoss]

Excellent review!!

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by 12SilverBulletSS

Keep in mind the ZL1 will obviously be faster around the track. That is my one complaint about the 1LE, it starts to run out of steam above 5k rpm and gets ate up by the boosted vehicles on the straights. That is where the LT4 shines with a manual. It does not care about the tall gears and wide ratio spread.

Interesting you say that, as it's my critique of the slower boosted vehicles, they usually give up north of 5K because the turbos are tuned for lower-end power (torque) and response, which usually requires a smaller more responsive turbo that runs out of air up high.

Of course many of the boosted european vehicles are putting out their hp/tq numbers to the wheels AND flatter across the range from 1500-2000rpm, so they can still end up with more area under the torque curve and faster.

[zx9rmal]

Originally Posted by 12SilverBulletSS

That is my one complaint about the 1LE, it starts to run out of steam above 5k rpm

Interesting comment. I feel mine pulling harder above 5K. I'm pretty sure the stock dyno graphs show this as well.

[12SilverBulletSS]

James, I would think that typically that is the case, but the cars out here are rarely stock. There were several highly modified lancers on the track and all the supercharged (ZR1, CTSV) and turbo’d (ATSV) GM cars pulled on the straights. There were a few GTR’s that were ridiculous out of a corner. There was an M4 that I could never catch in the straights too. I had some good runs at the cayenne Porsches and was either even or pulling on those (GT4 and an S).

The 1LE was clearly quicker in the corners and I could brake later (or at least I chose to) than most of those cars. We were on the full F1 circuit so that track favors fast cars. I think when for the north or south course, that advantage will slip towards me.

Now if I have a ZL1, well, that kinda levels the playing field haha.

[12SilverBulletSS]

Don’t get me wrong, the car has lots of power, but at speed it dies off above 5k. It was quite noticeable above 120 in fourth.

For comparison, my crappy old 83 Z28 is still pulling hard past 120 in fourth. Maybe it is a power to weight ratio.

[Chris V]

Originally Posted by 12SilverBulletSS

Don’t get me wrong, the car has lots of power, but at speed it dies off above 5k. It was quite noticeable above 120 in fourth.

For comparison, my crappy old 83 Z28 is still pulling hard past 120 in fourth. Maybe it is a power to weight ratio.

I think a lot of that is attributable to aero.

[Bad Anvil Garage]

I think a supercharger would make my 1LE just about perfect but it's my DD and I need to keep the warranty going as long as possible.

[12SilverBulletSS]

I would love to modify my car, but for non-Emirates modifying cars is a big no-go. They get away with everything here. I can’t even put an aftermarket intake on my car or it will fail the registration inspection every year.

I don’t think I would want a supercharger because I am afraid I would upset the balance despite the cheap, reliable, and easy to install power.

Now a head and cam package...sexy sounds for a sexy car. Well at least when I get his back to the states ina few years.

[Eldi Z]

Originally Posted by 12SilverBulletSS

I would love to modify my car, but for non-Emirates modifying cars is a big no-go. They get away with everything here. I can’t even put an aftermarket intake on my car or it will fail the registration inspection every year.
.

What is the difference between Aliens and Locals when going to the annual inspection? Why can locals get away with mods?