[Maverick ZL1]

Thanks gents for all of your advice.

[coffeelover]

Last year I discussed my comparisons in the 6th gen Camaro vs Forum.


I posted this after purchasing my 21 2SS 1LE 6MT which I still like a lot!


I did test drive a 20 GT350 very shortly after my purchase and my overall impression is they were near equals with different characteristics. At lower RPM the Camaro pulls better but that 350 does wind up more.

Major pluses for me are the 2SS trim's additions. If I had a 1SS then I would have favored the GT350! The other 2SS advantage is the about $20,000 less cost. My 2SS was 42,000 while the GT350 was 22,000 higher.


And about the GT350's Voodoo engine issues. Those appear to have been resolved with the 2019+ Voodoo2 engine!


Of course about 6 months later the local Nissan dealer offered a 23 ZL1 MT6 that I wrestled with myself over. They were asking $70,000 which was not bad. I had been pre-approved for $50,000 but only used $30,000 on my 2SS; but the logistics of trading in talked me and myself out of it, "I" still wanted the uniqueness of that GT350! :-) ... I did not test drive the ZL1 which may have changed my mind! :-)


Patrick

[Z OH 6]

Originally Posted by coffeelover

Last year I discussed my comparisons in the 6th gen Camaro vs Forum.


I posted this after purchasing my 21 2SS 1LE 6MT which I still like a lot!


I did test drive a 20 GT350 very shortly after my purchase and my overall impression is they were near equals with different characteristics. At lower RPM the Camaro pulls better but that 350 does wind up more.

Major pluses for me are the 2SS trim's additions. If I had a 1SS then I would have favored the GT350! The other 2SS advantage is the about $20,000 less cost. My 2SS was 42,000 while the GT350 was 22,000 higher.


And about the GT350's Voodoo engine issues. Those appear to have been resolved with the 2019+ Voodoo2 engine!


Of course about 6 months later the local Nissan dealer offered a 23 ZL1 MT6 that I wrestled with myself over. They were asking $70,000 which was not bad. I had been pre-approved for $50,000 but only used $30,000 on my 2SS; but the logistics of trading in talked me and myself out of it, "I" still wanted the uniqueness of that GT350! :-) ... I did not test drive the ZL1 which may have changed my mind! :-)


Patrick

All Voodoo's are unreliable.

[Tyrolblue67]

ZL1's are great, fun to drive cars.
Kind of like a perfect combination of a sports car and a muscle car.
I purchased mine new in 2019.
I sold my 2002 Z06 Corvette to buy it.
The Z06 was a fun car as well.
My Z06 was lightly modded with headers, intake and a tune. However, no regrets selling it whatsoever.
I'm a 67 year old guy that has owned Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds and classic muscle cars over the years. I was heavily into drag racing and street racing (in Mexico) in my younger years. I've mellowed out and don't partake in that scene anymore.
I'd have to say my ZL1 tops the list as my favorite.
I've always been a manual transmission guy when it came to my fun cars from an enjoyment standpoint. The manual transmission is a wonderful option in the ZL1.
However I chose to go with the 10 speed automatic after taking a test drive.
The automatic is amazing in the ZL1.
Before you decide, I would test drive both.
But again, be aware that this opinion is coming from a 67 year old guy that doesn't track the car and pretty much babies it. I primarily now enjoy cruising twisty country backroads with it.
I've been thru the tracking and racing thing with my other fun cars and I drive my ZL1 kinda like the older guy that I am.
Currently, the only down side of owning the car is that living in Michigan, I can only enjoy it six months a year. Seeing it in winter storage mode really bugs me.
If I were you I would look for a clean, 2019+ lower milage car, test drive both the automatic and manual cars and decide for yourself. You can't go wrong with either.
They're great cars!
Good luck.
Tyrolblue67

[1LEDude]

I’ve owned a SS 1LE and currently a ZL1 1LE along with a few C7’s along the way. I do a mix of spirited canyon carving around the mountains and track days with them so take this for what it’s worth as our usage cases are different. The SS 1LE (similar suspension to the ZL1 non 1LE) is some kind of miracle. In touring mode it is smooth and quite good for long trips and daily driving considering what it does in its other modes. On the other hand, track mode is very good on track and honestly a bit much for the street. I found myself in Sport mode more often than not.

I test drove a few ZL1s before finding the deal on my ZLE and they felt very similar to my SS 1LE in terms of ride and handling but the extra power makes for a much more fun car. The 6th gen platform handles the power well unlike my supercharged C7 which behaved like a drunken gorilla whenever the tire temps dropped below surface of the sun temps.

Considering your usage I would avoid a ZL1 1LE at all costs, it’s a no compromise handling machine. Driving it around town is an exercise in pot-hole avoidance lest ye dislocate your spine. Also, on the highway at 70MPH it’s noticeably higher in the RPM range than a ZL1.

Pick up a ZL1 with a stick, they’re solid cars and a blast whenever you find somewhere to open them up.

[Maverick ZL1]

Is the ZL1 overkill for the street if I don't plan on tracking it at all.
I would think that in terms of gen 6 Camaro's holding their values and even appreciating over time, the top dog ZL1 would be at the top of that list.
I did find a low mileage, clean ZL1 however the color was "shock", extremely bright and not my cup of tea at first, but I am starting to warm up to it.
Thoughts on shock for those that have seen it in person?
It's probably not the color for those who don't want to get a lot of attention.

[Tyrolblue67]

Originally Posted by Maverick ZL1

Is the ZL1 overkill for the street if I don't plan on tracking it at all.
I would think that in terms of gen 6 Camaro's holding their values and even appreciating over time, the top dog ZL1 would be at the top of that list.
I did find a low mileage, clean ZL1 however the color was "shock", extremely bright and not my cup of tea at first, but I am starting to warm up to it.
Thoughts on shock for those that have seen it in person?
It's probably not the color for those who don't want to get a lot of attention.

Definitely not overkill for the street.
Driving around normal, you wouldn't know you were driving a 650 hp car.
In tour mode it's quite comfortable.
I'm not a bright color guy so I'm not into shock. To bright for me.
Mine is shadow grey metallic if that means anything.
Tyrolblue67

[LuckZL1]

Shock is a beautiful color, definitely loud. Overkill for the street is a definite no, in fact, you may want more power. Especially once you familiarize yourself with the car.

[arpad_m]

Nah, a ZL1 isn't overkill for the street, you get to experience much more powerful acceleration than in a stock SS.

Fortunately, having 650 hp in a pushrod LT4 doesn't mean you have to wring the engine out to get good torque, so you don't really need to be at triple digit speeds to feel the power. You can even add 100-150 extra hp to a stock ZL1 and still have a perfect street warrior.

[m6-lt1]

If you can afford the ZL1 get it. I regret ordering my SS 1LE but I’d probably be happy if I had ordered a ZL1. Since the SS 1LE and ZL1 have very similar suspension setups, the SS 1LE kind of feels very underpowered and underwhelming to me. It feels awesome on track but if you’re aren’t tracking it, get the more powerful/higher torque car. It will be significantly more fun on the street.you'll never find someone who regrets getting a ZL1, I can promise you that.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by m6-lt1

you'll never find someone who regrets getting a ZL1, I can promise you that.

This is true, but much of it is the "top trim factor", as quite simply no higher factory spec exists. I'm sure this psychological phenomenon already has a name (I've given up on thinking I'll ever have a truly original idea ).

If GM had released a 6th gen Z/28 that would've been superior in every way (unlike the ZL1 1LE that is strictly track focused with forced tradeoffs), the ZL1's resale value and reputation would run parallel to the SS, at a higher level of course, but still parallel.

[hawk02]

For years, I’ve maintained that the 6th-gen Camaro ZL1 was the best bang for the buck ever to come out of the Chevrolet Performance Division. Nothing else GM built at the time came close to delivering that level of performance, capability, and features for the money. It was one of those cars that made you stop and appreciate just how good GM could be when it wanted to.

I’d still have my ZL1 today if Cadillac hadn’t thrown a curveball in 2022 with the Blackwing—and made a 6-speed manual standard. I truly loved my ’17 ZL1. It was special. The Blackwing didn’t replace that feeling so much as evolve it. I just happen to love the Blackwing a little more.

[IndyZrider]

Originally Posted by Maverick ZL1

Is the ZL1 overkill for the street if I don't plan on tracking it at all.
I would think that in terms of gen 6 Camaro's holding their values and even appreciating over time, the top dog ZL1 would be at the top of that list.
I did find a low mileage, clean ZL1 however the color was "shock", extremely bright and not my cup of tea at first, but I am starting to warm up to it.
Thoughts on shock for those that have seen it in person?
It's probably not the color for those who don't want to get a lot of attention.

I'm biased....shock is the best color on these Z's...im not a Chevy guy but when I saw the shock camaro in 2019 I was like if I ever got one that's the color! Imo it makes the car...and competes with mopars awesome color offerings...

[Maverick ZL1]

Originally Posted by hawk02

For years, I’ve maintained that the 6th-gen Camaro ZL1 was the best bang for the buck ever to come out of the Chevrolet Performance Division. Nothing else GM built at the time came close to delivering that level of performance, capability, and features for the money. It was one of those cars that made you stop and appreciate just how good GM could be when it wanted to.

I’d still have my ZL1 today if Cadillac hadn’t thrown a curveball in 2022 with the Blackwing—and made a 6-speed manual standard. I truly loved my ’17 ZL1. It was special. The Blackwing didn’t replace that feeling so much as evolve it. I just happen to love the Blackwing a little more.

My friend funny that you mentioned the black wing, I came across this video yesterday of a gentleman doing a review on the Black Wing and you can see in the video that he has a heck of a time getting all that power down, the rear end of the car is squirming around like crazy every time he gets on it a little bit.
Since the ZL1 basically has the same powertrain and HP as the ct5-v Blackwing, will I have the same issue with the ZL1?
Sure it's fun to play around now and then with the back end of the car, sliding it around.
However if it's going to be a continuous battle constantly fighting with the rear of the car, that might get old quickly.

https://youtu.be/v8nbhzBtmHk?si=JWz4zJITKn5f-3nb