[Iron Oak]

This may be a little bias posting in the Camaro6 forums but I want to ask anyhow. I may post over in the Camaro5 forums as well.

As many of you are aware, GM just announced the new 1LE. Ignoring the fact that they have a V6 option for this discussion I would like to discuss the differences between the 5th Gen 1LE and the new V8 1LE.

I was planning on picking up a 14'-15' 1LE later this spring/early summer and then I saw the announcement for the new 1LE. I got to say, I am really impressed by it. For me, this will be a secondary car, meaning not a daily driver. It will be used mainly for track work and some occasional mountain carving-road trips.

5th Gen 1LE benefits for me are the following:
-More of a timeless look. I can see these being run in SVRA in 15 years and still looking good.
- LS engine is simple, makes good power and is reliable.
- More mechanical drivetrain, I imagine driver involvement is more key to you squeezing the potential out of the vehicle.
- proven design
-Cost. About $10k less then the suspected cost of the new 1LE, for a low mileage stock 5th gen.

5Th Gen 1LE drawbacks are the following:
-WEIGHT, she's a thick b**** to say the least
- the need to upgrade many components for heat dissipation and due to the fact that it is so heavy. e.g. larger front brakes (6 piston CTSV), oil coolers, catch cans, etc
- interior is meh. Not horrible but not great either.
- refinement

6th Gen 1LE Benefits:
- New, refined chassis which is amazing (28% stiffer!!!)
- MRC tuned specifically for the 1LE with track driving in mind (i know for a lot of people this is a draw back but I think people are going to be surprised how good it will be)(plus its an added sell for the wife not having to be in a car with rock hard suspension on road trips)
- The eLSD is a huge asset. A true Torque Vectoring rear differential is unheard of on something with a cost entry as low as this will be.
- all oil coolers are stock with the package
- Recaros are stock
- 6 piston front brakes are stock
- less weight
- HUD stock with the 1LE package
- NPP stock with the 1LE package

6TH Gen 1LE Drawbacks:
- Cost. Not so much in the initial purchase but over the long run. There's a lot of tech in this vehicle and while most modern cars are fairly reliable, its still a nagging concern. The silver lining is most all the tech has been in play for a couple years with the Stingray and most all the kinks worked out.
- the eLSD. I'm not sure how the feedback is going to be at the limit. predictability, reliability etc. Again, I have watched a few videos in regard to the Z51 package on the stingray where they use this eLSD and most all are very pleased with it.
- Looks. I personally like the looks of this car but how will it age? Will it still look good in 10 years or will it be more of a eye sore. Think of like a 64' split window Corvette versus a C4 corvette.
-Reliability?? unknown at this time.
-Driver involvement. again, unknown. I'm not against technology progressing but I still want to be able to A) shut that shit off when I want and B) not impede on the driving characteristics of the car.

At the end of the day I want something I plan to keep for many years to come. I want a car that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and I want something I can build up and make my own. There will always be faster cars out there but I want a Driver's Car.

For me the 6th Gen is just a refined 5th Gen. They learned a lot from the trials and tribulations of the 5th and worked out some of the kinks from all that data with the 6th Gen. It seems you get a lot more right out of the gate with the 6th Gen so I would be able to focus on enjoying the car right away with my only concern being tires and brakes for a while.

Sorry for the long ass post. I look forward to some engaging feedback. Keep in mind I don't currently own a 5th Gen so the concern of upgrading is not in contention.

[jdasnt3]

You've covered all of the good points and made clear your opinions. Now, just to buy the one you really want. Heck of a good deal on the gen 5 right now.

[aa406079]

Originally Posted by Iron Oak

This may be a little bias posting in the Camaro6 forums but I want to ask anyhow. I may post over in the Camaro5 forums as well.

As many of you are aware, GM just announced the new 1LE. Ignoring the fact that they have a V6 option for this discussion I would like to discuss the differences between the 5th Gen 1LE and the new V8 1LE.

I was planning on picking up a 14'-15' 1LE later this spring/early summer and then I saw the announcement for the new 1LE. I got to say, I am really impressed by it. For me, this will be a secondary car, meaning not a daily driver. It will be used mainly for track work and some occasional mountain carving-road trips.

5th Gen 1LE benefits for me are the following:
-More of a timeless look. I can see these being run in SVRA in 15 years and still looking good.
- LS engine is simple, makes good power and is reliable.
- More mechanical drivetrain, I imagine driver involvement is more key to you squeezing the potential out of the vehicle.
- proven design
-Cost. About $10k less then the suspected cost of the new 1LE, for a low mileage stock 5th gen.

5Th Gen 1LE drawbacks are the following:
-WEIGHT, she's a thick bitch to say the least
- the need to upgrade many components for heat dissipation and due to the fact that it is so heavy. e.g. larger front brakes (6 piston CTSV), oil coolers, catch cans, etc
- interior is meh. Not horrible but not great either.
- refinement

6th Gen 1LE Benefits:
- New, refined chassis which is amazing (28% stiffer!!!)
- MRC tuned specifically for the 1LE with track driving in mind (i know for a lot of people this is a draw back but I think people are going to be surprised how good it will be)(plus its an added sell for the wife not having to be in a car with rock hard suspension on road trips)
- The eLSD is a huge asset. A true Torque Vectoring rear differential is unheard of on something with a cost entry as low as this will be.
- all oil coolers are stock with the package
- Recaros are stock
- 6 piston front brakes are stock
- less weight
- HUD stock with the 1LE package
- NPP stock with the 1LE package

6TH Gen 1LE Drawbacks:
- Cost. Not so much in the initial purchase but over the long run. There's a lot of tech in this vehicle and while most modern cars are fairly reliable, its still a nagging concern. The silver lining is most all the tech has been in play for a couple years with the Stingray and most all the kinks worked out.
- the eLSD. I'm not sure how the feedback is going to be at the limit. predictability, reliability etc. Again, I have watched a few videos in regard to the Z51 package on the stingray where they use this eLSD and most all are very pleased with it.
- Looks. I personally like the looks of this car but how will it age? Will it still look good in 10 years or will it be more of a eye sore. Think of like a 64' split window Corvette versus a C4 corvette.
-Reliability?? unknown at this time.
-Driver involvement. again, unknown. I'm not against technology progressing but I still want to be able to A) shut that shit off when I want and B) not impede on the driving characteristics of the car.

At the end of the day I want something I plan to keep for many years to come. I want a car that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and I want something I can build up and make my own. There will always be faster cars out there but I want a Driver's Car.

For me the 6th Gen is just a refined 5th Gen. They learned a lot from the trials and tribulations of the 5th and worked out some of the kinks from all that data with the 6th Gen. It seems you get a lot more right out of the gate with the 6th Gen so I would be able to focus on enjoying the car right away with my only concern being tires and brakes for a while.

Sorry for the long ass post. I look forward to some engaging feedback. Keep in mind I don't currently own a 5th Gen so the concern of upgrading is not in contention.

You have eloquently stated essentially all the pros and cons we can make at this stage of the game.... until we get some preview test drives we wont know for sure how driver involved the car will be... but I suspect GM has hit it out of the park... unless the package costs more than $7,000 than it will be the best performance bargain out there and will be a premier drivers' car.


AS you have stated, this will NOT be your primary car. So I can understand your dilemna in picking something that is more of a fun ride than a daily driver.

IMHO, I was geniunely blown away by the new 1LE package... its about twice as good as I thought it would be.

The wheel/tire combo, all the performance related options from the 2SS as standard... and most importantly the FE4 MRC specially tuned for the track.

The last one hits home because Al Oppenheiser stated it was picked for performance, not cushiness. Combined with TPMS ad the eLSD, you have components working together for far more than the sum of their parts.

I highly suggest those skeptical of the eLSD/MRC synergy to research the Vette Z51.

For me.... someone who will be using it as a daily driver, canyon carver, and occasional track time enthusiast.... the MRC suspension really is the icing on the cake

Being able to daily drive a track ready, immensely capable street car on any road conditions....


I think for you, will be the wait to see what the package will cost... I would estimate the goodies on the 1LE would cost over $11,000 if bought seperately, so that $$$ price difference between the 5th Gen and 6th Gen might not be such an issue when you consider all that money is spent on making it a better handling performance car...

[Iron Oak]

Originally Posted by aa406079

You have eloquently stated essentially all the pros and cons we can make at this stage of the game.... until we get some preview test drives we wont know for sure how driver involved the car will be... but I suspect GM has hit it out of the park... unless the package costs more than $7,000 than it will be the best performance bargain out there and will be a premier drivers' car.


AS you have stated, this will NOT be your primary car. So I can understand your dilemna in picking something that is more of a fun ride than a daily driver.

IMHO, I was geniunely blown away by the new 1LE package... its about twice as good as I thought it would be.

The wheel/tire combo, all the performance related options from the 2SS as standard... and most importantly the FE4 MRC specially tuned for the track.

The last one hits home because Al Oppenheiser stated it was picked for performance, not cushiness. Combined with TPMS ad the eLSD, you have components working together for far more than the sum of their parts.

I highly suggest those skeptical of the eLSD/MRC synergy to research the Vette Z51.

For me.... someone who will be using it as a daily driver, canyon carver, and occasional track time enthusiast.... the MRC suspension really is the icing on the cake

Being able to daily drive a track ready, immensely capable street car on any road conditions....


I think for you, will be the wait to see what the package will cost... I would estimate the goodies on the 1LE would cost over $11,000 if bought seperately, so that $$$ price difference between the 5th Gen and 6th Gen might not be such an issue when you consider all that money is spent on making it a better handling performance car...

I think I may be leaning towards the 6th Gen too. Based off my research and what Al has stated about the GT350 being their target to beat on top of being a steal, price wise, I can't imagine it costing more than the GT350 Track Pack, which is $6500.

That being said, lets say the 1LE package is $6000, add that to the $37K base price of the 1SS and you're at $43K. Not too bad all things considered.

I too have researched the Z51 Stingray after I was blown away by what was included with the 1LE package and it seems like an amazing amount of kit.

I'm looking into going to a press event once they do a media day for the 1LE. I want to drive one and do a story on the experience. Time will tell. I don't expect anything before mid summer anyways. If I do, you all can be sure I will do a massive write up.

[SS 1LE]

I couldn't deal with the 5th generation short comings. The interior is pretty poor, and it's noticeably heavier behind the wheel. I only kept my 5th gen 9 or 10 months. If you can afford the 6th generation SS 1LE, get that. Heck, in my opinion you are better off with a regular 6th generation 1SS, then a 5th generation 1LE.

[NinoSS]

I just sold my 10' SS and was considering another 5th gen 1LE (14'-15'), however I feel I just could not live with the size of the car any longer. It's just too big...

I will be without a toy for a little while to see how this car looks in person. As it stands now it really has me impressed.

Just my two cents...

[RenegadeXR]

I think you can definitely find great values on a 5th gen 1LE, especially if it's one of the rarer 1SS 1LE packages (the majority out there are actually 2SS 1LE, even though GM claims they won't offer this trim for the 5th gen.)

However, at the end of the day, the 6th gen 1LE sounds like a way more complete package from a track car perspective. Al O. stated that unlike the 5th gen, it was not an afterthought and the initial design of the 6th gen was carefully planned out to offer a future track pack. It just seems like a much more dialed-in car and perhaps the true manifestation of the handling aspirations that the 6th gen team originally targeted. It's the 6th gen "as it's supposed to be" so to speak and makes the standard 1SS and 2SS seem watered down.

[HuJass]

The 6th gen is better dynamically.
The 5th gen is better aesthetically.

Which is more important to you?

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by HuJass

The 6th gen is better dynamically.
The 6th gen is better aesthetically.

Which is more important to you?

Fixed.

[Bosse'sBoss]

Get the 6th. gen SS 1LE, is an easy decision. The present base SS laps faster than the 5th. gen 1LE

[Thor142]

6th gen. I'm obviously waiting to test drive one first but I like the look of the car better. You really can't lose either way. The 5th gen is awesome too.

[ST1LE]

Originally Posted by NinoSS

I just sold my 10' SS and was considering another 5th gen 1LE (14'-15'), however I feel I just could not live with the size of the car any longer. It's just too big...

I will be without a toy for a little while to see how this car looks in person. As it stands now it really has me impressed.

Just my two cents...

That is how I feel too. The 5th Gen is too big, and too heavy. Like the current Mustang.

[Atra]

IMO the looks alone make any 6th gen more appealing than any 5th gen. Interior for the 5th gen is garbage as f*** and should never have made it out of the factory.

[Thor142]

Originally Posted by Atra

IMO the looks alone make any 6th gen more appealing than any 5th gen. Interior for the 5th gen is garbage as f*** and should never have made it out of the factory.

LOL, while I agree the interior of the 5th gen is a bit cheap and utilitarian (I've had 2) I've honestly never got in my 1LE and thought "screw this garbage as f*** interior I can't drive this car anymore."