[camaroras]

Originally Posted by Darkczar

Thanks camaroras - you experience pretty much mirrors my experience with the BRZ, love the car and the handling, but it needs more power. And 4K for a blower for the BRZ to net 60-80 hp didn't seem worth it.

How does the visibility compare directly between the Camaro and the BRZ? Was the visibility better, same, or worse? Do they have an option for convex mirrors on the Camaro like they do in the BRZ aftermarket?

Thanks again,

Dark

BRZ visibility was better, but the camaro visibility isn't a show stopper by any means. The only time that visibility actually impacts me is parking. I dont know about convex mirrors, but Im sure they're out there. I personally adjust my mirrors such that I need to lean towards the mirror in order to see my rear fender, so that eliminates the blind spot completely from my driver position.

You should really just go test drive one and see for yourself. A camaro was never on my radar, but I happen to get a 1ss as a rental for a weekend and fell in love. Then I saw the 1LE at the dealer and fell even more in love lol.

[Fraxum]

Long story short. The Camaro for being as big as it is has terrible visibility. You can get used to it, but it is not something you will forget about. Get the sunroof unless riding in a tank is good for you. The sunroof sacrifices zero performance you could ever notice and still plenty of room for a Helmet. Of course opinions will differ.

I will say since switching to my first Camaro automatic ever the visibility bothers me less. I guess not having to think about shifting keeps my full focus on the road ahead and the cars around me.

Also as an aside the CA6 Recaros are way more comfortable than I thought was possible.

[Rayfield]

It's nice that so many permutations are available for the SS.. I have no use for a sunroof, and prefer the driver involvement of the manual..but agree about the Recaros, good stuff!

[Darkczar]

Thanks for all the replies. I will go and drive one when I have a chance. I drove the 2015 SS 1LE before I purchased the BRZ. I liked it, but didn't love it. I hear that the 2016+ SS 1LE is a night and day difference from the prior gen, so I'm gonna drive it and see what its like.

[antny]

Originally Posted by Darkczar

Thanks for all the replies. I will go and drive one when I have a chance. I drove the 2015 SS 1LE before I purchased the BRZ. I liked it, but didn't love it. I hear that the 2016+ SS 1LE is a night and day difference from the prior gen, so I'm gonna drive it and see what its like.

The 6th gen is absolutely much better than the 5th gen. Defintiely go drive one I would bet you will be pleasantly surprised. I came from the Subaru world and had 3 in the past and two of those were highly modified. Even the power I had with those cars (500 WHP) the power is still so much different in a V8 as you know.

[SDG23]

The rear window is quite small but for me, visibility isn't "bad" but it's "limited". What I mean by that is this, you can see out of it just fine but because the windows are smaller, you can't see out as much, which is why I say it's limited, but not "limiting" however. Backing up would probably be the worst but thankfully they have a back up camera.

[ecko04]

I had a Gen 5, base model v6, Camaro that I owned for about a year 2011-2012. I then bought my FRS in 2012 and kept it until 2015. After that period of ownership I owned a N55 335i. I picked up my SS in November 2017.

The FRS was by far the vehicle, that while low on power, could be driven 7/10ths or greater pretty much all the time. Taking corners in the FRS, I never once - while stock or while boosted, felt the back end would come around on me. It was just a fantastic little sporty car (i.e. see I did not call it a sports car). I feel as though it is overpriced, if buying new, and underpowered in comparison to its competition. There have been times where, if the used price keeps dropping, I may pick up one again just for the raw driving experience. The FRS is the closest to the raw experience provided by the S2000 (Its no S2000 but it’s good).

The Camaro is just a different beast. It requires more finesse to harness the power in a usable manner. The Camaro also feels a lot bigger but that’s due to the cockpit style styling. There’s more careful throttle and clutch play with the Camaro that’ll keep you in a constant state of learning and re-learning. With the Camaro, I never feel as though I “need” more power. Also, with the Camaro, I haven’t felt a desire to change a thing about it.














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[Rayfield]

Originally Posted by ecko04

It was just a fantastic little sporty car (i.e. see I did not call it a sports car).

Just curious, why wouldn't you call the FR-S/BRZ a "sports car"? It met all of my critieria for that.. (RWD, true manual available, light weight, tight handling)
My definition may be a little more "old-fashioned", back in the day, sports cars were cars like MG's, Austin-Healy's, etc, and having 400hp didn't really have anything to do with it.

[redcoats1976]

i tested an s-2000.probably would have bought one if i didnt feel like dolly parton in twiggys dress.at 6 ft 2 and 220,theres no room in there for me.

[ecko04]

Originally Posted by Rayfield

Just curious, why wouldn't you call the FR-S/BRZ a "sports car"? It met all of my critieria for that.. (RWD, true manual available, light weight, tight handling)

My definition may be a little more "old-fashioned", back in the day, sports cars were cars like MG's, Austin-Healy's, etc, and having 400hp didn't really have anything to do with it.

It’s more of a grand touring car than a sports car. “Sports” in my opinion, couples all the fantastic qualities that you mention above with an engine that highlights those qualities. The trade off in the FRS is the engine. And it’s not because of the power, although most would assume it could use a bit more, but mainly to do with its lethargic nature. The mid range torque dip in the FRS is real which is a hindrance to its 7500RPM redline. If the car had no more power than it has but had an engine that’s willing and capable to play regardless of where you are in the rev range then it would fit my criteria for a sports car. As it is now, it’s a fantastic sporty/grand tourer and when it’s appreciated for what it is, and not for what people wished it would have been, then it more than exceeded the expectations.


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[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by ecko04

It’s more of a grand touring car than a sports car. “Sports” in my opinion, couples all the fantastic qualities that you mention above with an engine that highlights those qualities. The trade off in the FRS is the engine. And it’s not because of the power, although most would assume it could use a bit more, but mainly to do with its lethargic nature. The mid range torque dip in the FRS is real which is a hindrance to its 7500RPM redline. If the car had no more power than it has but had an engine that’s willing and capable to play regardless of where you are in the rev range then it would fit my criteria for a sports car. As it is now, it’s a fantastic sporty/grand tourer and when it’s appreciated for what it is, and not for what people wished it would have been, then it more than exceeded the expectations.


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IMO, you can't split hairs that fine. Then you get into, "well this car has a half-seat for gnomes in the rear, so it's obviously not a sports car", and so on. FRS/BRZ is a sports car. Not a particularly powerful one, but one doesn't base "sports car" on power.

[Ambush]

Miata and FRS are baby sports

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by WhyUMad1LE

Before test driving anything, I was certain I would get a BRZ. But the engine was just not enjoyable, and not only because of the torque deficit. You should check out the 2-series.

Yes, this is a good suggestion. Coming from the BRZ, it's not as radical a size change as the Camaro would be. The BRZ is about 167 inches long, the BMW 2 Series is about 174 inches long, and the Camaro is 188 inches long. The 2 series is also several hundred pound lighter than the Camaro, and it just feels a lot smaller overall. It has none of the visibility issues of the Camaro, and combined with the small size, it's a super easy car to drive on the street or the track. It's well balanced too. The 228/230 has 100 lb.-ft more torque than the BRZ, while the M235i/240i more than doubles the BRZ torque output.

That said, I went from an M235i to a 2SS 1LE and don't regret the move for a second. The 2SS is a monstrous brute in comparison to the M235i. The BMW was quick, nimble, and refined while the 1LE is racecar-like. Depends on what you want.

[craigss50]

Regarding visibility if you get a 2 SS with blind spot, cross traffic etc you will not have any issues. The front end clears most curbs which was an issue with my Corvette. With the backup camera you can see behind the car very well. The camera is very clear and much better than our old MKX with was like viewing through VGA as opposed to HD.