[gotroost]

Just my 2 cents. The ZL1 1LE just sticks to the road. Firm = Yes. but tolerable. However, the rebound damping is just incredible. Never had a car that lifts over rollers as little as this one ever. Yeah, its heavy but just wants to stay put over rollers that would lift my 2SS. And then high speed corners Came off a modified 5th gen 2SS and it is night and day. Live in AZ with decent roads and it is my daily (unless it is wet or below 35 degrees F). I also ride dirt bikes and and used to suspension tweaks. The ZL1 1LE came out of the box dialed in. Once I finally succumb to putting Windows on my Mac, I will show how much faster the ZL1 1 LE PDR is than my cammed 2SS with Pfadt suspension.

[angryBits]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

I do know what you mean about the slight squishy feel. Granted my M3 was on Ohlin coilovers, but going to the SS 1LE, there was a low speed softness to it, that the M3 did not have.

I believe it is because with MRC, the spring rates do not need to be high, as the shocks have a LOT of room to stiffen up when needed on their own, but when not needed, the shocks can be in a more relaxed state.

It works though, as when you start pushing the car, the MRC responds very quickly. It is the best of both worlds, but it does leave a little crispness lacking in the low speed areas. I have totally gotten used to it though and now it feels normal.

The ZL1 1LE, is more traditional race car stiff at all times because it does not have that ability to totally relax the fluid inside the shocks.

I've owned 3 MRC cars and there is definitely a squishy feel.
The Gen5 ZL1 had it and it felt like a nice street car.
The C7 Grand Sport had it but the car was so low to the ground that it just felt nice and still handled like a dream.
The C7 Z06 w/ Z07 had it but less so -- I could tell a difference in squishiness between the Z06 and the GS -- I figured it was the Z07 tuning. But comparing the Z06 to my ZL1 1LE, night and day. Definitely some squish.

I've not driven an SS 1LE but I'd imagine its similar to the Grand Sport + a little weight and a bit heavier on the nose.

No doubt it handles, but there is some squish.

What I call squishy is that delay in responsiveness as the vehicle mass catches up with your input. Not so much "body roll" because the Grand Sport and Z06 had very little of that, rather just a "delay". In my mind I assume this is the tension on the dampers and springs. I think MRC cars are more forgiving so they can be nice and soft or firm, but because the only thing that changes is the dampers, the springs and other bits are still a bit on the softer side contributing to this squish. I'd also bet some of it is related to the MRC's response time. They say it responds in 1/10th of a second but that doesn't mean it goes from soft to stiff in 1/10th of a second. (theres a joke to be had in there somewhere).

I thought the Gen5 ZL1 had no squish until I bought the Grand Sport.
I thought the Grand Sport had no squish until I bought the Z06.
I thought the Z06 had no squish until I bought the ZL1 1LE.
You get the idea

I think it's what we get used to.

[angryBits]

PS - Not sure why we're debating how close a MRC car can get to a DSSV car.

If you're thinking of buying a ZL1 and then making whatever modifications are needed to reach ZL1 1LE, you're going to sacrifice whatever reason you had for buying the ZL1 in the first place and you probably will find yourself wishing you'd bought the ZL1 1LE. Unless you really want an automatic, in which case there is no question.

Moral of this story.

ZL1 is the better choice for most as it does everything well.
ZL1 1LE is the better choice for those with a one-track-mind and a hardened arse.

It's not a debate of which is better, its a debate of which is better for you.

In general, if you're unsure, get the ZL1.

[COPO 9560]

Originally Posted by mlee

I've had both and if you have any intentions of driving leisure back roads with the ZLE... forget it. It's a track beast period.

Infotainment 3 is awesome but hard to hit the buttons bouncing around in the ZLE and drinking coffee with a lid on is very difficult.

Ride height can be adjusted on the ZLE so really no difference there.

Spoiler and hood wrap is an easy add. Bolts right up.

Aftermarket ZLE wheels are available for the regular Z

Thanks for your insightful input.

[COPO 9560]

Originally Posted by ZLBlue

I believe from other threads that go into fitting ZL1 1LE rims sizes on a normal ZL1, the front struts would be hitting real close to the inner rim. If you're on street alignment then it should fit (but still very close to rubbing), so anything more aggressive would need a trim on the front strut bars or use a 3m to 5mm spacer.

This week I should be receiving ZL1 1LE wheels to see how it goes.

Let me know how they fit, ride, perform.

[COPO 9560]

Thanks you so much for your input.

[seanblurr]

Originally Posted by angryBits

Moral of this story.

ZL1 is the better choice for most as it does everything well.
ZL1 1LE is the better choice for those with a one-track-mind and a hardened arse.

It's not a debate of which is better, its a debate of which is better for you.

In general, if you're unsure, get the ZL1.

This is spot on 100%

[JamesNoBrakes]

After telling you it's a great daily driver, the next thing that happens on these boards is they tell it's great in the snow.

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, whatever, doesn't make any difference, there'll always be a ton of people saying the track cars are great DD machines.

I don't mean to say the ZL1 1LE sucks at this, but the defense mechanisms and rationalization is way too thick to navigate IME on the internet. You rarely get a completely honest answer.

[Sid-X]

So ... I drove the ZL1 1LE today ... in the heavy rain at about 40 degrees air temp which was an exercise in throttle control. Super Sketchy! While that was not ideal, I mainly wanted to get a feel for how the suspension worked in the real world. I expected all the rigidity of a skateboard reading the forums and reviews but I honestly didn't think it was bad at all compared to my old E36 M3 on coil-overs or former hard core street/track prepped '87 911. Very firm but I could drive it every day if I had to. Even my wife was like, "it's firm but not bad." What I noticed immediately, and maybe because the tires were cold and rock hard is extreme road noise. It was by far the loudest car I've driven this side of a stripped Club Sport Miata I used to autocross. Which was deafening. I am one of those people who really can't stand white noise. I thought we were dragging the e-brake or something at first. Maybe some real world street tires would help that. I would get another set of wheels and tires for the street immediately. The cabin is a bit claustrophobic at first. I couldn't tell where my right front tire was ever but once I was locked in and everything was set I didn't feel like I couldn't see other than when maneuvering the parking lots. I am 5'11' on the slim side and pretty flexible so I didn't have trouble looking behind me. I hate the electronic parking break. Interior is nicer fit and finish than, but I preferred, the Shelby GT350s. It was really quiet even in sport mode compared to the Shelby GT350. We got into a low speed hydroplane at one point. It got sideways and I was surprised how small and square the foot print felt for such a big car as I collected it back into a strait line. What else ...? I liked it other than the excess road noise and underwhelming exhaust note. It looks a lot like a movie prop which isn't a necessarily a bad thing. I am not sure about the disco mood lighting. It's kind of a paradox being so hardcore but also having every modern creature comfort ... but ... I think I may just bring it home.

[Rodan]

I switched our daily tire to all seasons, and they are much quieter than the stock GYs, but the truth is with 4 300+ section tires on the ground there's always going to be a lot of tire noise. High performance tires with huge tread blocks make it worse.

We came from an S550 GT, and I find the interior much better. It takes a little while to get used to the controls and infotainment, but in the long run it's better than the Mustang. I don't find outward visibility to be much worse than the Mustang, except for the high beltline... which just gives it a different feel.

Having all the luxuries is something I really like about the ZL1... you can have your cake and eat it too. My one nit to pick is loosing the cruise 'cancel' button for the heated steering wheel button. PITA if you use cruise a lot. Seems to me they could have found a place for it.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by Sid-X

So ... I drove the ZL1 1LE today ... in the heavy rain at about 40 degrees air temp which was an exercise in throttle control. Super Sketchy! While that was not ideal, I mainly wanted to get a feel for how the suspension worked in the real world. I expected all the rigidity of a skateboard reading the forums and reviews but I honestly didn't think it was bad at all compared to my old E36 M3 on coil-overs or former hard core street/track prepped '87 911. Very firm but I could drive it every day if I had to. Even my wife was like, "it's firm but not bad." What I noticed immediately, and maybe because the tires were cold and rock hard is extreme road noise. It was by far the loudest car I've driven this side of a stripped Club Sport Miata I used to autocross. Which was deafening. I am one of those people who really can't stand white noise. I thought we were dragging the e-brake or something at first. Maybe some real world street tires would help that. I would get another set of wheels and tires for the street immediately. The cabin is a bit claustrophobic at first. I couldn't tell where my right front tire was ever but once I was locked in and everything was set I didn't feel like I couldn't see other than when maneuvering the parking lots. I am 5'11' on the slim side and pretty flexible so I didn't have trouble looking behind me. I hate the electronic parking break. Interior is nicer fit and finish than, but I preferred, the Shelby GT350s. It was really quiet even in sport mode compared to the Shelby GT350. We got into a low speed hydroplane at one point. It got sideways and I was surprised how small and square the foot print felt for such a big car as I collected it back into a strait line. What else ...? I liked it other than the excess road noise and underwhelming exhaust note. It looks a lot like a movie prop which isn't a necessarily a bad thing. I am not sure about the disco mood lighting. It's kind of a paradox being so hardcore but also having every modern creature comfort ... but ... I think I may just bring it home.

Too bad you had to deal with rain but great review. It's a fun car for sure.

[Oil Man]

Originally Posted by angryBits

PS - Not sure why we're debating how close a MRC car can get to a DSSV car.

If you're thinking of buying a ZL1 and then making whatever modifications are needed to reach ZL1 1LE, you're going to sacrifice whatever reason you had for buying the ZL1 in the first place and you probably will find yourself wishing you'd bought the ZL1 1LE. Unless you really want an automatic, in which case there is no question.

Moral of this story.

ZL1 is the better choice for most as it does everything well.
ZL1 1LE is the better choice for those with a one-track-mind and a hardened arse.

It's not a debate of which is better, its a debate of which is better for you.

In general, if you're unsure, get the ZL1.

+1


I was fairly sure I wanted a ZL1 when I walked onto the lot, but needed (and was able to) test drive a ZLE to be positive.

A ten minute test drive on our cold, neglected, underfunded roadways was all it took to make up my mind.

[Oil Man]

Originally Posted by Sid-X

So ... I drove the ZL1 1LE today ... in the heavy rain at about 40 degrees air temp which was an exercise in throttle control. Super Sketchy! While that was not ideal, I mainly wanted to get a feel for how the suspension worked in the real world. I expected all the rigidity of a skateboard reading the forums and reviews but I honestly didn't think it was bad at all compared to my old E36 M3 on coil-overs or former hard core street/track prepped '87 911. Very firm but I could drive it every day if I had to. Even my wife was like, "it's firm but not bad." What I noticed immediately, and maybe because the tires were cold and rock hard is extreme road noise. It was by far the loudest car I've driven this side of a stripped Club Sport Miata I used to autocross. Which was deafening. I am one of those people who really can't stand white noise. I thought we were dragging the e-brake or something at first. Maybe some real world street tires would help that. I would get another set of wheels and tires for the street immediately. The cabin is a bit claustrophobic at first. I couldn't tell where my right front tire was ever but once I was locked in and everything was set I didn't feel like I couldn't see other than when maneuvering the parking lots. I am 5'11' on the slim side and pretty flexible so I didn't have trouble looking behind me. I hate the electronic parking break. Interior is nicer fit and finish than, but I preferred, the Shelby GT350s. It was really quiet even in sport mode compared to the Shelby GT350. We got into a low speed hydroplane at one point. It got sideways and I was surprised how small and square the foot print felt for such a big car as I collected it back into a strait line. What else ...? I liked it other than the excess road noise and underwhelming exhaust note. It looks a lot like a movie prop which isn't a necessarily a bad thing. I am not sure about the disco mood lighting. It's kind of a paradox being so hardcore but also having every modern creature comfort ... but ... I think I may just bring it home.

They're great cars. I had a 2SS prior to this, and absolutely loved it. I'm about 6'4" and 285, and I was worried about the bolsters on the Recaros, but they're better than the seats in the 2SS in every way.

I usually just turn the disco lights off, and my chief complaint about them is that after red and blue, none of the other colors are appealing to me. They could have done better with the color palette. It's a bold looking car, but for whatever reason, they went soft and muted with most of those colors.

I miss the sunroof I had before, and not selecting one for this car may end up being my biggest long term regret. It's a feature I can enjoy year round, but I was thinking about autocross/tracking at the time, and I was really pushing the limits to wear a helmet in the old car. Plus the double blister roof is one of the cars most pleasing design features. They had two otherwise identical cars available to me with and without the sunroof, and I made my choice.

As far as ride quality, I found the ZLE too firm for the amount of real world driving I do with the car. It was absolutely impressive, and made my 2SS feel like a Eldorado from the 60's by comparison, but it wasn't for me.

The best descriptor I have for people that ask is to say that the Track setting on my ZL1 feels about as firm the Touring setting on the ZLE. Or at least that was my impression on that day.

[MakCamaro]

Why did you stop posting? This is one of the best threads in this forum. I am about to sell my 2SS for a ZL1 1LE, so this info was extremely useful.