[JefemanG]

Originally Posted by protovack

I think any SS, or a 1LE if you are really track focused, would work for you.

You said you are looking at 2016's because the price is coming down significantly, which tells me you don't have the money to just spring for a new 2018 2SS.
Watch out, because there are several issues that were very concentrated in the early production cars, and many kinks have been ironed out since then. I know its tempting when you see a deeply discounted 2016 2SS, but you really have to be careful. Insist on service records and do an extensive test drive. You could be buying a car that needs a new torque converter and/or transmission, new rear differential, etc.

Or just get a new 1SS. Mine rocks. I don't daily drive it, but it sees a lot of road time, some long road trips, and track days. The cloth seats are super comfy. The interior of the 1LT/1SS feels more premium than you'd expect if you haven't driven one. The base 6th gen Camaro, even without any options, offers a great driving experience. Mag ride, NPP exhaust, all the bells and whistles, it's all nice. But you are going to get the Camaro experience regardless.

Different priorities for different people. I'd take a 1SS 1LE over a 2SS any day.

I definitely have the money to spring for a new 2SS, I just can't see dropping $47k on a Camaro just to have it be maybe 12k miles and a year or 2 newer. At that price you're looking at new C7s.

The main reason I'm not looking at the 1LE is because I'll only track it maybe 6 times a year. I don't drag race, but definitely closed-circuit, and those aren't easy to get to from where I live. I don't want to hog a 1LE when someone else can use it the way it's meant to be used more often than me.

As for the 1SS vs 2SS debate, I have to drive both. I've only sat in both and the 2SS felt like the clear winner to me, especially since it will also be my DD. End of the year I plan on driving a few SS to see which I prefer (A8 vs M6, 1SS vs 2SS) and also some C7z, GTPPs, C6z, etc.

[torqueaddict]

The only thing I thought was cool in the 2SS was the HUD, so I picked up a portable OBD2 model which projected all the info I wanted. After 2 weeks, I ripped it out as it really was a waste to me. It just seemed redundant and somewhat distracting. And since the instrument cluster is pretty much right in your face and really well laid out, I found myself still glancing at it instead.

IMO, the HUD is more suited for track use, hence the reason the 1LE has it in all trims.
If you really want to save money on tickets, invest in a good radar detector.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by JefemanG

The main reason I'm not looking at the 1LE is because I'll only track it maybe 6 times a year. I don't drag race, but definitely closed-circuit, and those aren't easy to get to from where I live. I don't want to hog a 1LE when someone else can use it the way it's meant to be used more often than me.

Are you serious? You're worried about "hogging" a pre-owned Camaro since it would prevent someone else from enjoying the car? Is this actually a real concern of yours?

To me, someone who tracks a car 6 times a year is pretty hard-core. You'd likely be in the Advanced or Instructor run group for one thing. For another, the annual cost for event registration fees would be upwards of $2500. That's not to mention the cost of tires and additional maintenance you'd need to do. 6 track days a year is a significant investment. If you're really planning on that much track time, I'd definitely recommend the 1LE. It's expressly made for track use. I don't really understand your reasoning against the 1LE here.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by torqueaddict

The only thing I thought was cool in the 2SS was the HUD, so I picked up a portable OBD2 model which projected all the info I wanted. After 2 weeks, I ripped it out as it really was a waste to me. It just seemed redundant and somewhat distracting. And since the instrument cluster is pretty much right in your face and really well laid out, I found myself still glancing at it instead.

IMO, the HUD is more suited for track use, hence the reason the 1LE has it in all trims.
If you really want to save money on tickets, invest in a good radar detector.

The HUD is indeed one of the coolest things about the 2SS and 1LE. It's not just for track. There are many other cars with HUDs, and they're not necessarily track cars - Mazda 3, Volvo, BMW sedans, Mini, Lexus, Benz. Not to mention a bunch of SUVs with HUD.

I can't take my eyes off it in normal street driving. It's mesmerizing. Maybe that's because I never had one before. It really has nothing to do with preventing tickets. HUD or not, you should always be aware of how fast you're going. It's just a cool convenience feature. Do you need it? Obviously no, but just the fact that a Camaro has one is pretty cool if you ask me.

[JamesNoBrakes]

The HUD is to see the shift points better while driving around a track IMO.

Also to see which songs are playing from my thumb-drive

[protovack]

Originally Posted by JefemanG

The main reason I'm not looking at the 1LE is because I'll only track it maybe 6 times a year. I don't drag race, but definitely closed-circuit, and those aren't easy to get to from where I live. I don't want to hog a 1LE when someone else can use it the way it's meant to be used more often than me.

I would say tracking a car 6 times a year is a good enough justification for a 1LE. Remember that even the base SS is a fully track capable car, and with a couple minor upgrades, can handle very aggressive track usage. Yet the vast majority of SS owners never track the car. So don't feel bad about getting a 1LE if you find a good one. Otherwise, you just have to decide if the 2SS stuff is worth it to you. Like you, I was in a position to buy a 2SS, but I found a 1SS in a color I liked, and bought it, with no regrets. Well, except that I got an auto and I kind of wish I got a manual

[torqueaddict]

Originally Posted by wjones14

The HUD is indeed one of the coolest things about the 2SS and 1LE. It's not just for track. There are many other cars with HUDs, and they're not necessarily track cars - Mazda 3, Volvo, BMW sedans, Mini, Lexus, Benz. Not to mention a bunch of SUVs with HUD.

I can't take my eyes off it in normal street driving. It's mesmerizing. Maybe that's because I never had one before. It really has nothing to do with preventing tickets. HUD or not, you should always be aware of how fast you're going. It's just a cool convenience feature. Do you need it? Obviously no, but just the fact that a Camaro has one is pretty cool if you ask me.

Yep, it looks cool, but just wasn't worth the distraction. I had this model which actually worked well and was very accurate after calibration:



Mine wasn't positioned that high though, lol.

[BrianL]

When I was looking for my next car, the Camaro wasn't on my radar at all. I have had an older Z28 when they really didn't have much of an engine (no cars did at that time) and it handled decently, but I was more of a sports car guy and Mustangs as the 5.0 was so easy to mod (and I did). I was looking seriously at the Mustang PP and then Motor Trend names the Camaro Car of the year. I digested the content and understood the Alpha platform with the Corvette engine would be a great combination, so put it on the radar and I had to drive it. Once I did and compared it to the Mustang PP, it was a no brainer (I had dismissed any of the Dodge products at the time as large boats with no handling, and a decent engine). Although the Mustang was cheaper, I bought the 2SS as it filled all my desires, and the sports cars I was looking at where either out of reach financially or long in the tooth platforms (Nissan Z which I have had 4 of through the years already).

Like others have suggested, drive some and study. I wanted a C7, but wouldn't pull the trigger as I just can't justify spending that much money. I love my 2SS. For me, it had to be the 2SS or nothing on the Camaro line up.

Good luck

[50MileSmile]

Hey, OP - Of all the cars you listed, you don’t need to go used. There are plenty of new ‘18s and ‘17s on dealer lots. If you can get past the fact that some of them have been sitting outside for a year, for example, you can pick up a new ‘17 C7 GS for at least $15K off sticker. Plus, the manufacturer incentives, supplier pricing specials and other offers are insane right now.

My last three fun cars until 2 weeks ago were a C6 with Z51 (I should have kept it), a GT350 (so awful I can’t think of anyone I hate enough to recommend that they buy one) and an M2 (boring and absolutely no soul). After looking at everything from Caymans to C7s and RS3s to Jags, the 1SS 1LE stood out as an incredible performance bargain and just plain old dirty fun. There was nothing on the 2SS 1LE that I really wanted (except maybe the heated and cooled seats), and what else are you going to find at that performance level under $40K? $20K more than that just gets you into a C7 GS 1LT or a Cayman with no letters after its name - and the same money buys you a Mustang GT PP1 with the harshest ride my butt dyno has ever experienced (including in race cars).

I appreciate the 1LE’s attitude - and its throbbing V8, 6-speed row-it-yourself gearbox, mag ride and just enough features like Recaros, HUD, eLSD, an upholstered package shelf behind the front seats and just a couple of buttons that let you quickly set up the car the way you want to drive it - instead of the way some guy in leather shorts in Bavaria thinks you should drive it (after you scroll through endless menus, that is).

The 1LE isn’t perfect (it has this cool trick of making my neighborhood magically disappear when I’m backing out of my driveway, for instance, and some of the plastics are a little cheesy), but overall it’s really damn good. Keep it on your list when you go shopping.

[JefemanG]

Originally Posted by BrianL

I wanted a C7, but wouldn't pull the trigger as I just can't justify spending that much money. I love my 2SS. For me, it had to be the 2SS or nothing on the Camaro line up.

Good luck

That's mainly where I'm at right now with the C7. It's only slightly better performance than the Camaro and has more prestige, but at the end of the day, it's not as aggressive looking nor do I think $10k+ better performing.

Guess I need to drive the new Camaro to cure this hangup I have on it. just don't see paying $40k+ for a Camaro, especially after having driven prior generations, but on paper this new Camaro is leagues above its predecessors and its competition, so getting on it will likely change my mind.

If Chevy digs deep with discounts in the winters and I like the car enough, I'll probably do it. I saw people scooping up prior MYs last year for 20-25% off MSRP as their OTD price. I'll pay the extra few thousand if it means having a brand new car. I don't care if it's sat on the lot for a bit.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by JefemanG

That's mainly where I'm at right now with the C7. It's only slightly better performance than the Camaro and has more prestige, but at the end of the day, it's not as aggressive looking nor do I think $10k+ better performing.

Guess I need to drive the new Camaro to cure this hangup I have on it. just don't see paying $40k+ for a Camaro, especially after having driven prior generations, but on paper this new Camaro is leagues above its predecessors and its competition, so getting on it will likely change my mind.

If Chevy digs deep with discounts in the winters and I like the car enough, I'll probably do it. I saw people scooping up prior MYs last year for 20-25% off MSRP as their OTD price. I'll pay the extra few thousand if it means having a brand new car. I don't care if it's sat on the lot for a bit.

A test drive costs you nothing, and I'm pretty sure you'll come away impressed. Try both the 1LE and the regular counterpart trim.

My car was definitely worth $40K+, but once the 2019 models roll in, you should be able to get much better deals.

[protovack]

Originally Posted by JefemanG

That's mainly where I'm at right now with the C7. It's only slightly better performance than the Camaro and has more prestige, but at the end of the day, it's not as aggressive looking nor do I think $10k+ better performing.

Guess I need to drive the new Camaro to cure this hangup I have on it. just don't see paying $40k+ for a Camaro, especially after having driven prior generations, but on paper this new Camaro is leagues above its predecessors and its competition, so getting on it will likely change my mind.

If Chevy digs deep with discounts in the winters and I like the car enough, I'll probably do it. I saw people scooping up prior MYs last year for 20-25% off MSRP as their OTD price. I'll pay the extra few thousand if it means having a brand new car. I don't care if it's sat on the lot for a bit.

The problem with that strategy is you are limited by what's immediately available, which in some cases, is not much. You could end up with a car that isn't what you really want. If you don't have a lot of specific preferences, that would work though.

You have to decide whether you want a corvette or a camaro. And the criteria you are using to make that decision--prestige, how aggressive it looks, and price/performance ratio--seem a little off to me. You have a bigger decision to make. You have to decide if you want a 2+2 that is much more practical and realistic for daily driving, with most of the performance, but not all, that a corvette has. That's it, you just have to decide that. There's no way around it. The corvette is going to perform better every single time in every way.

The other issue is, it's kind of an awkward time to be dropping big cash on a new Camaro. It's the end of the '16-'18 life cycle, new inventory is dwindling. In a sense, much depends on whether you like the 2019 refresh. Because if you do, you might just decide to wait a few months, then you'll have your pick of new inventory, or be able to custom order one. But as for right now, you are limited to the shrinking new inventory.

You're going to love the Camaro after you drive it. We all know it, you just don't yet. My guess is, you'll drive it and end up getting one. Maybe it will be your forever Camaro, maybe not. But at least you'll be in the door and after that, its history. You'll be a convert. I haven't seen one person disappointed after buying one, unless you get a car with driveline issues. You can protect yourself from that by sticking to 2018 models with a warranty.

[danbrew]

I find myself in a similar boat - I'm considering a 1SS or a 2SS at the moment. The 2SS extras do it for me and the money difference isn't that big a deal to me. But I hate the thought of buying one tomorrow and seeing all sorts of MY end deals come out. I'm interested in a convertible 2SS with the MRC and performance exhaust. Which I can find all day long in the colors I want within a reasonable driving distance of home. Other than the $1000 locality discount, there does not seem to be any GM incentives. I'm guessing this will change when the 19s start to hit. Anyone have a sense of that date?

[50MileSmile]

Chevy had a $2,000 Conquest rebate for the Memorial Day holiday that wasn’t well publicized - all you needed was to own a competitive make, which could have been anything. My dealer sold 2 of his 3 ‘18 1LEs then. I’d look for another special around the 4th of July, but the supply of “good” ‘18 1LEs seems to be shrinking pretty fast.