[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by Hellobatman

Drove a bimmer for 10 years, loved it while warranty was active, hated it when it was up. It's like they flip a switch and everything starts falling apart. It was my DD, although the ZL1 is not, I could DD it if I had to. All in all, I'd not even dream of driving a BMW ever again, I'd only ride one....their bikes are amazing!

Yeah, I hear that. I wouldn't want to own one out of warranty either. Been there.

Despite GM's advancements, I suspect even this car would be relatively inexpensive to fix, save the MRC and the new transmission.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by catdog

Tour setting is nice and compliant but the issue is the tires, so may need to switch to a more A/S tire such as DWS06 but expect a drop in razor sharp responses...

That's exactly what I'd like to do for the cold months here, just switch to some DWS06s. However, I don't think they have them in the right sizes for the ZL1.

Originally Posted by catdog

Heated/cooled seats nice but interior less special than 2SS in adrenaline red... despite gobs of "suede"... saw somebody with red knee pads in ZL1 looked sharp... maybe an option

Yes, that's the one thing I like about the 2SS, the adrenaline red interior without all the alcantara/suede. I'd really prefer that to the ZL1's interior, but I could live with it if it's quality.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by ScottMZ3

I've owned 11 BMWs and never owned a single American car (a few Japanese cars though). That is about to change! Going to be placing an order for a '18 ZL1 convertible next week. As nice as BMWs are, the newer ones are just losing their appeal to me. They kind of have a "stale" feeling to me now...more of the same with each new model they release. My wife's 2016 528i is an awesome family car: smooth, quiet, great MPG, roomy, comfortable, etc. So it will continue to do the family duties and I'll enjoy it for what it does so well.

But I want the fun/weekend car I drive to have "soul". BMWs to me are missing that now. The ZL1 to me has real "soul"...a presence that most other cars just can't match. The 2000 M-Coupe I drive now definitely has soul (this is a model produced before BMW sapped so much of its "Ultimate Driving Machine" experience from its cars), but I'm ready to move to something much more modern and with a lot more power. Plus I've never owned a convertible, so I think it will be a blast!

Wow, congratulations!

The last American vehicle I had was a Jeep Grand Cherokee, probably 10 years ago or so. It was one of the older ones with the I6, and pretty much unstoppable.

The ZL1 ticks a lot of boxes for me, even though it misses a couple/few:

I'm still a sedan guy, so going to 2 doors and near-useless back seats is a bit of a compromise.

I'd also prefer to have something I could drive in inclement weather.

The interior doesn't do a whole lot for me either, but it's not bad, and I could probably live with it if things don't rattle and the like.

Enjoy it!

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by kwav8r

Das auto ist WUNDERBAR!! My .02

Jaja, vielen Dank mein freund!

Originally Posted by kwav8r

The power, though instantaneous when you want it, is kept in check by the eLSD (and my foot once I figured it out). Interior was on par with the Audi though I thought it could be a little more refined (it's a US sports car though, not to be compared to closely with a Porsche interior). Accoutrements are very nice though I still think GM's MyLink system needs a complete redesign (form and function).

That's what I understand too, despite all the power, the eLSD really puts it down. Numbers seem to back that up. Frankly, that's one issue I have with the M3.

I'm not sure I could compare the interior to an Audi, as I think they are the best in the business, but as long as it's put together well I can live with it. It's a big improvement over the gen5 I believe.

Originally Posted by kwav8r

Having said all of that here's what you cannot deny. This car, at it's price point, is phenomenal. While I have heard some folks on here refer to the Camaro as the "blue color sports car" this car is right up there with any "white color sports car" (I hate that comparison by the way) - this car is beyond that. Have no doubts, it is a "Super Car" from end to end. This car will hang with nearly anything out there (within reason) and it'll meet or beat a lot of "Super Cars" that don't have a backseat.

This is true, which is why I'm kind of drawn to the car. If I had the money to burn, I'd just get a 911 Turbo S and be done with it.

However, to get something in the ballpark performance-wise at 1/3 of the cost? That's hard to pass up.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by cleoent

There are plenty of former BMW owners here, and quite a few former M owners (me too, E60 M5).

BMW has lost the crowd that cares about driving, most evident in the F80. BMW sales are also sky rocketing, so I dont see them changing course any time soon. RIP fun BMWs.

Chevy doing a great job picking up the slack.

I'm seeing that.

I guess I'm in the minority on this forum, as I enjoy the Hell out of my F80.

Sure, it doesn't have the sound of the E9x M3, and it can be a bit finicky putting the power to the ground, but I think it's a great all-rounder.

I do agree about a lot of their lineup though. The regular 3-series used to be a fun car as well, but now not so much.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by docw

Another former M car (m5,m6) owner here. Just wanted to chime in and say that while I sure do love the German cars in my stable, there's just something about the zl1 that I haven't been able to get over since I test drove a colleague's. I'm guessing its the sort of "heart and soul" that we don't really get in these high performance German cars, but that the ZL1 possesses in excess. Sometimes it's worth sacrificing a full leather interior for fun. I'm now anxiously awaiting the day that I can pick up my '18 ZL1 (if I can even wait that long without scooping up a '17)!

Thanks for the perspective!

I'll probably wait for the '18 myself if I get one. I can sacrifice the full leather, I just want the interior to be good quality and not look too tacky.

I hear you on the temptation though. There's a '17 a couple hours from me in pretty much the exact spec that I would get.

[Supercup]

Well I fall into the catagory of German car fan having owned a few and having three now; one BMW and two Porsche. Over the years I have gravitated to cars I like over "brands". I liked the M5 and had every version except the current one, that is because the Panamera Turbo came along and I liked it better and so it goes.

Last October I bought a 2015 Z/28 as a fun track car, felt for $53k can't find a better value for a new car that I can take to the track. It is not a DD for me but a fun that is super fun and handles amazing. After I got the Z I started noticing Camaro's (I had an 87 IROC Z/28) and would ask myself "who buys that car and why"? As a track guy I got the Z, but I did not get the SS or RS.

Last weekend I was in San Jose with my son for one of his hockey camps and he was at rink all day and I had a lot of time. When I rented from Hertz for $22 per day more I could get a Gen 6 SS convertible - so I rented one to see if I could answer those questions.

I was super impressed with the SS maybe because I was not really expecting all that much from the SS, which is no ZL1. The SS vert ticked a lot of the right boxes and in fact I was surprised how well it does everything, rides good, goes pretty darn fast, handles great and top down on a sunny day is always a welcome add to a street car. So off I went to some twisty roads and found the SS, while still heavy, held its own very well. Overall for the money the car is a fantastic value.

End of the weekend I picked up my son and we did a few donuts and burnouts etc... (he had done them in the dirt, but not on the street). We both still have a smile on our face from the fun we had and my view of the Camaro has totally changed.

The ZL1 with another 200 hp and all the torque is one bad MOFO! Have to say for the money it is hard to argue why I would want to spend a lot of extra $ to say I have an x brand car. For people who don't buy brands, but just love good cars, the new SS, ZL1, GT350 & R are all great cars for a lot less money than their german counterparts.

So while I will never leave Porsche, I will continue to look for good/fun cars regardless of brand or price

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by Supercup

Well I fall into the catagory of German car fan having owned a few and having three now; one BMW and two Porsche. Over the years I have gravitated to cars I like over "brands". I liked the M5 and had every version except the current one, that is because the Panamera Turbo came along and I liked it better and so it goes.

Last October I bought a 2015 Z/28 as a fun track car, felt for $53k can't find a better value for a new car that I can take to the track. It is not a DD for me but a fun that is super fun and handles amazing. After I got the Z I started noticing Camaro's (I had an 87 IROC Z/28) and would ask myself "who buys that car and why"? As a track guy I got the Z, but I did not get the SS or RS.

Last weekend I was in San Jose with my son for one of his hockey camps and he was at rink all day and I had a lot of time. When I rented from Hertz for $22 per day more I could get a Gen 6 SS convertible - so I rented one to see if I could answer those questions.

I was super impressed with the SS maybe because I was not really expecting all that much from the SS, which is no ZL1. The SS vert ticked a lot of the right boxes and in fact I was surprised how well it does everything, rides good, goes pretty darn fast, handles great and top down on a sunny day is always a welcome add to a street car. So off I went to some twisty roads and found the SS, while still heavy, held its own very well. Overall for the money the car is a fantastic value.

End of the weekend I picked up my son and we did a few donuts and burnouts etc... (he had done them in the dirt, but not on the street). We both still have a smile on our face from the fun we had and my view of the Camaro has totally changed.

The ZL1 with another 200 hp and all the torque is one bad MOFO! Have to say for the money it is hard to argue why I would want to spend a lot of extra $ to say I have an x brand car. For people who don't buy brands, but just love good cars, the new SS, ZL1, GT350 & R are all great cars for a lot less money than their german counterparts.

So while I will never leave Porsche, I will continue to look for good/fun cars regardless of brand or price

Good perspective. Huge hockey fan here too!

I'm not really drawn to brands, per se, it's just that my experience is the German cars seem to be more of a complete package overall.

I can take my M3 to the track, and later pick up clients from the airport in the same car. It does everything well, and wasn't terribly expensive since I didn't go nuts with options (something that would be impossible for me to do with Porsche I think).

I know, the solution is just to get a third car with the ZL1 but I'd rather not.

[Supercup]

Originally Posted by Dethsupp0rt

I know, the solution is just to get a third car with the ZL1 but I'd rather not.

It is always good to have one more car than drivers in the house - then you always have a spare!

[unavailablezl1]

Originally Posted by Dethsupp0rt

I'm seeing that.

I guess I'm in the minority on this forum, as I enjoy the Hell out of my F80.

Sure, it doesn't have the sound of the E9x M3, and it can be a bit finicky putting the power to the ground, but I think it's a great all-rounder.

I do agree about a lot of their lineup though. The regular 3-series used to be a fun car as well, but now not so much.

I must say, the E92 does have a nicer V8 sound then that of the 6 cyl of the current M3.

[MoreSpeed]

Originally Posted by ZL*Won

Saw some talk of switching to 19" rims and tires for better selection, etc. I love the 20" rims so not sure I would do that unless the tire choices really suck. Is there anyone running Michelin Pilot Sports or SuperSports 285/305s on this car? Impressions? Want a sticky tire but want 20K+ miles out of it...is this possible if I don't get on it all the time (like that will happen)?

Also wouldn't going to a 19" rim/tire lower the front splitter? Already paranoid about that thing, not sure I would want it any lower. Thanks for responses.

The 19" with the RE71R rubber that I was getting was something like .1 inches taller in diameter overall in the front than OEM 20"'s or maybe about .05 inches higher at the splitter. Not really a big deal. The rears were off by a bit more, but we are talking small differences here... less than an inch overall change in height which translates into an even smaller difference in ride height.

[ZL*Won]

Originally Posted by MoreSpeed

The 19" with the RE71R rubber that I was getting was something like .1 inches taller in diameter overall in the front than OEM 20"'s or maybe about .05 inches higher at the splitter. Not really a big deal. The rears were off by a bit more, but we are talking small differences here... less than an inch overall change in height which translates into an even smaller difference in ride height.

Thanks for responding. So the 19's were higher than the 20's? The sidewall height of the tire is an important factor, I would imagine, as well as the diameter of the rim. Not sure there is any advantage to going to 19' for us warm weather Z owners, as I will not need different tires for winter. Would like a bit better rain performance tho so will be researching that soon.

Have not popped the front spitter yet but very careful so far. It is higher than it looks, measured it a 6". It appears to be the same height as the Z06 front splitter.

[trackrat70]

Originally Posted by Dethsupp0rt

Jaja, vielen Dank mein freund!



That's what I understand too, despite all the power, the eLSD really puts it down. Numbers seem to back that up. Frankly, that's one issue I have with the M3.

I'm not sure I could compare the interior to an Audi, as I think they are the best in the business, but as long as it's put together well I can live with it. It's a big improvement over the gen5 I believe.



This is true, which is why I'm kind of drawn to the car. If I had the money to burn, I'd just get a 911 Turbo S and be done with it.

However, to get something in the ballpark performance-wise at 1/3 of the cost? That's hard to pass up.

I am considering the ZL1 for its performance, value and visceral experience. Since you mentioned the TTS here is my perspective. I ordered a '15 991 Turbo S, tracked it a couple of weeks after delivery, which was three months from order date, and drove it over 11,000 miles. Unbelievable speed, comfort and exquisite build quality. The best value for basically supercar performance that can be driven year round, but it is a very different experience from say the GT3, which is lighter and not as fast on a track, but the GT3 is a lot more fun. Fact is that the TTS just did not have enough soul. it does everything extremely well with no drama. Still the best value on the aftermarket, but you could get the Audi RS3 and a ZL1 for about the same money as a '14 or '15 991 TTS today. Moreover, the ZL1 will definitely run with or maybe ahead of the 991 TTS on a track, even if it would be several car lengths behind in a 0-60 sprint.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by ZL*Won

Thanks for responding. So the 19's were higher than the 20's? The sidewall height of the tire is an important factor, I would imagine, as well as the diameter of the rim. Not sure there is any advantage to going to 19' for us warm weather Z owners, as I will not need different tires for winter. Would like a bit better rain performance tho so will be researching that soon.

They make the Michelin Pilot Super Sport and the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in the ZL1 sizes.

They're really good in the dry, once warmed up, and really good in the wet. I have them on my car and they're great until it gets below about 40-45 degrees.

Tread life is decent, but my car has a staggered setup like the ZL1, so I don't think you'd get more than 15K out of them. Not sure what the Goodyears are getting, but I'd venture to say less.