[PalmerGA]

Will the Range AFM device, the Vitessee Throttle Controller, Gorilla locking lugs (full 20 piece set), and the Apex Catch Can from my 2013 Camaro SS (A6) work on the 2016 Camaro SS?

I'm about to go take a test drive and, well... you never know what might happen. This will be my first "live" look at the Gen6. Since I know I won't get any extra for the $2,500 worth of mods I've done, if I end up trading I will be stripping off as much as possible (see list below).

I'm quite sure nothing other than possibly these four items will transfer from my Gen5 to the Gen6. I still have the factory intake, stock grill, original lug nuts, and original spoiler, so I'll be removing those mods and reinstalling the originals IF a trade happens. Probably can't use any of these items, so I'll be posting on the Members Classifieds "For Sale" (stay tuned if interested - all in excellent condition).

Thanks for any answers you can provide.

[Sledgehammer70]

All of those items have the best chance to carry over. But until people test each one, we don't know.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer70

All of those items have the best chance to carry over. But until people test each one, we don't know.

Yeah. This morning I emailed VTC and Range about this and they got right back to me.

Vitessee said they don't have VTC for the '16s yet, but are working on it.

Range said I should send my device in to them so they can upgrade the programming to work with the '16s. There is no charge for the upgrade other than paying the shipping.

I can't think of a reason the lug nuts and Catch Can wouldn't transfer to the '16.

[Ragnar]

I for one am looking forward to what you have to say. What color will you maybe get?

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

I for one am looking forward to what you have to say. What color will you maybe get?

Well, the 2SS I test drove was absolutely loaded and had a MSRP of $46,895 (destination charge included). It was black, so I wasn't in danger of doing a spur of the moment deal today. It was the first Gen6 into the dealership and my salesman said it was held up for 41 days in Quality Control (not real comforting to hear). They have another 2SS coming "sometime soon" (the best they could say) and it is SIM, which is what I prefer because it shows dirt/dust the least.
I met with the Order Workbench guru and we worked up a 1SS with some options I would want. The base model 1SS has a MSRP of $37,295 including destination charge. The options include: Low gloss 5 spoke wheels, Sunroof, Magnetic Ride Control, 8-speed auto trans, and dual Mode performance exhaust which ran the price up to $42,480. That's $4,415 less than the 2SS - I can have a lot of fun w/ 4 grand.

About the 2SS I test drove. EXTERIOR: Obviously, we all know how good it looks on the outside although I am really not crazy about the rear end, the hodge-podge looking front grille work, the clunky looking (compared to Gen5) sideview mirrors, or the three post rear spoiler. These things though I'm sure I could grow to like, if not love. TRUNK: The trunk space sucks. It's considerably narrower than the Gen5, though it may be a tad bit deeper. I had to remove the driver AND 3-wood out of my golf bag to fit it in the trunk (at an angle). INTERIOR: It's beautiful, but there sure are a crap-load of buttons all over the place. And lights and gages all over the place too, which are actually kind of distracting initially. Didn't take the time to play with all of the buttons. The seats are every bit as comfy as on my Gen5, maybe more. I only drove it about 10 miles so it's hard to say what a lengthy ride would feel like. The individual climate control is a great feature. Position of the seatbelt shoulder strap fits (me) better than on the Gen5. I'm 6'-3" so I have the seat pretty far back and this means I can't recline the seatback very much due to interference with the back seat. There is no way anybody could sit back there with me driving - there's less room than the Gen5. The upgraded Bose music system sounds GREAT, but it's really just one more expense I can live without - the basis one in my Gen5 works just fine for me. Lastly, the console is considerable smaller than even the miniscule one in the Gen5 - guess I'd be putting more crap in the glovebox. PERFORMANCE: With a push of the keyless ignition button, this baby roars to life. The NPP exhaust sounds amazing on startup and doesn't disappoint when driving either. Outstanding! The LT1/A8 combination is awesome, as is the smoothness of the ride. I didn't drive it long enough to get a true sense for the different ride modes, but the touring and sport modes were super smooth. I expected the Goodyear runflats to feel kind of hard (similar to the P-Zeros) but the combination of them and MRC was smooth as silk. Needless to say I punched her pretty good a few times at various RPMs and the A8 transmission is remarkable. Strong shifts through 3rd, a little softer to 4th and 5th, and you could barely feel the shifts to 6-7-8, even with my foot in it pretty good. If not for the sound of the NPP I almost would not have know it shifted in the upper range. Brakes are excellent, of course. Less roll through curves than the Gen5 (I guess due to MRC). And... I really didn't notice the AFM at all. Maybe they made it less sensitive that the A6 Gen5 versions, I don't know.

OVERALL: So the test drive was pretty short but, overall, I'm giving this Gen6 2SS a 9 out of 10 for the driving part. I really loved the performance and handling. For appearance, I'm giving it 7.5 out of 10 because of the rear end, front grille, and mirrors.

My main general complaint with the Gen6 is all the extra crap they slap in the 2SS package and the price they ask for it. I miss the good ol' days of ordering a new car exactly the way I want it. Even so, and even though I love my '13 SS, I am definitely going to consider a Gen6. It's going to take a lot of thought and weighing the differences.

[Ragnar]

Nice review Mr. Palmer, worth every bite!

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Nice review Mr. Palmer, worth every bite!

[5150 Maro]

[laynlo15]

nice write up, I'm going to drive a 6speed Saturday. I really want an A8, but willing to give the stick a shot. All my vets were 6 speeds, but my 03. I agree they load up too much shit you don't want to pay for and 45k is a lot for this car and that's why I'm considering the 1ss, I have a 2015 2ss rs now and its totally loaded. I don't really care about the magnetic ride control, I'd rather have a better sound system like in the 2ss and fore sure a sunroof. I sell wheels and tires for a living and not a run flat lover at all, I replace standard performance tires all the time for people who hate their runflats. Wish they would not have gone that route and would rather have the 40 series tires as in the gen5 and not the shorter 35 series on the gen6. Just my opinion.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by laynlo15

nice write up, I'm going to drive a 6speed Saturday. I really want an A8, but willing to give the stick a shot. All my vets were 6 speeds, but my 03. I agree they load up too much shit you don't want to pay for and 45k is a lot for this car and that's why I'm considering the 1ss, I have a 2015 2ss rs now and its totally loaded. I don't really care about the magnetic ride control, I'd rather have a better sound system like in the 2ss and fore sure a sunroof. I sell wheels and tires for a living and not a run flat lover at all, I replace standard performance tires all the time for people who hate their runflats. Wish they would not have gone that route and would rather have the 40 series tires as in the gen5 and not the shorter 35 series on the gen6. Just my opinion.

Agreed.