[S.T.A.R.]

Originally Posted by DWillys

I think this tells us how important driving skills are. Period

Amen.

[flyinlow]

Originally Posted by DWillys

I think this tells us how important driving skills are. Period

Bingo

[jonny5cam]

ZL1 1LE could have passed the GT.

[plusmiles]

After watching this the second time while focusing more on the tach, you can see that on the straights, the GT is pulling away even when the ZL1 was at 98% throttle, and then catching back up in the turns. It would be interesting to see if the ZL1 were in front, if he would be able to get more distance overall from the GT or if the GT would just catch back up in the straights.

[ChefBorOzzy]

ZL1 is basically a supercar.. We've known this all along.

On a serious note, we know put into the hands of a pro that there would be a decent gap between them. Both great cars.

[2010SLVRBULIT]

..had the GT hugged the corners, it wouldn't even be close. But then again, it looked like it was just stretching its legs.

[RenegadeXR]

This has all been said before at this point, but:

1) This is obviously a track day event. You're taught etiquette including the hand signals people were giving to each other to pass. You pay to get time on the track, and it's more like the track just happens to be shared with other cars at the same time. Ie: It's supposed to be non competitive. But do people end up racing anyway or being assholes by refusing to let faster cars pass? You bet.

2) The GT driver is not taking an ideal line in many corners, especially in the first half of the video although he cleans it up when revisiting some of them for the 2nd pass. I sense that the ZL1 driver was more seasoned because he took a consistent line the entire time.

3) The GT driver is obviously a little scared to wipe out. He avoided some turns that could have been cut a lot more aggressively. He was hammering the throttle in the straights to get some distance from the Camaro it seems before he gave up and waved him off to pass.

It's still cool to see a Camaro keep pace with a GT despite these factors, but we all know the GT would whoop the ZL1's ass in a professional competitive race. Yes, the ZL1 is better value in terms of performance per dollar, but people pay premiums to ilk out the extra performance that cars like the GT bring to the table.

Basically it's like this: Cost per performance goes up at kind of a linear rate to a certain point. However, once you've reached the limits of modern technology, you need to begin investing in major R&D and materials to ilk out any extra performance. Suddenly, costs begin to go up almost exponentially as you tread new ground. Both the 5th gen ZL1 and now 6th gen ZL1 represent cars that are attainable by the non-super-wealthy and are both harbingers of a greater paradigm shift where-in the performance levels previously reserved for the "exponential" area of the cost vs. performance chart begin to shift into the "linear" area. Just as other cars from other brands eventually followed suit from the 5th gen ZL1, you'll see cars follow suit from the 6th gen ZL1. The GT, by comparison, is bleeding edge for our time, as was the last GT, and you pay the fee for it.

And it's for this same reason why in 10 years, you'll probably see an affordable ZL1 that can whoop the current GT's ass. And you'll see a new GT that whoops that ZL1's ass, but at much higher costs. That's just progress.

[LuvMI]

Originally Posted by toronto18zl1

As much as I love ZL1.. these two cars are in two completely different levels, different price range..Not to be compared..

I think that was sorta the point, showing the quality of the ZL1. I'm impressed.

[lmcgrew79]

Originally Posted by plusmiles

After watching this the second time while focusing more on the tach, you can see that on the straights, the GT is pulling away even when the ZL1 was at 98% throttle, and then catching back up in the turns. It would be interesting to see if the ZL1 were in front, if he would be able to get more distance overall from the GT or if the GT would just catch back up in the straights.

98 percent is full throttle.

[evanescent03]

Obviously the drivers are he biggest factor at track days ... I doubt anyone here is fully convinced these cars are equals... however, it's nice having a much less expensive car that is able to keep up with a car of this caliber even if the GT is only at 8/10 and the ZL1 is at 9.5/10.. or whatever. Anyone who has done track days knows the driver mod disparities are enormous ... not only that but the other big X factor .. "how badly would I cry if I wadded this car up in a wall?" .. I've blown by a lot of exotics that didn't really feel proud of, but I always do smile a little inside.

Cool video ... that GT looks like a freakin prototype car from behind.

[jessrayo]

I'm going to toss in my 2 cents. It is a fun video to watch, If you do a lot of track time you will see a lot of seriously out classed cars passing mega dollar hypercars, particularly in lower experience groups. I actually like to go out and ride in the intermediate group every once and a while just so I can pass some more expensive cars. Driver group depends on the body that is controlling the event but I will say you don't see very much of this if you are in the advanced group. The people out there have enough track time to safely run the car closer to the limits and most are running serious track mods.

Now my observation of this video is this, the ZL1 driver is making up the most time in the brake zones. How late you can brake and then smoothly come off into trail braking to manage the transition from braking to smooth cornering is in my opinion, one of the most advanced driving skills. And it can be intimidating to the inexperienced driver to run deeper into the corner (I imagine more so with a half-million dollar car). It is fun to watch but that GT is clearly a much more capable car. This is just an example that the ZL1 is very good and close enough in performance that the driver skill can tip the scales and run a faster lap.

[Gen5er]

Originally Posted by Raven87

I have to disagree - the FGT was pulling away fairly easily in the straights - just go back and watch those parts again. The FGT gets smaller in the camera fairly quickly.

This is no way a slam on the ZL1 in any way and the driver was doing a fantastic job with it. It's just the FGT - at about 6-7 times the cost! - was doing what it should be doing and with a better more aggressive driver in it, it probably would not have been as close as it was in the corners.

Driver mod for both cars would probably show the same with a little advantage going to the FGT. My .02 Cents

[JUSTIFIED]

Originally Posted by Gen5er

Driver mod for both cars would probably show the same with a little advantage going to the FGT. My .02 Cents

The GT weighs 3054 lbs (~ 800 lbs less than ZL1 1LE) and has as much power as the ZL1. No way it'd be close with equal drivers. That said, the ZL1 is a monster. Anyone who has one should be proud.

Edit: And one other thing, a de-tuned version of this car won Le Mans.

[nicktechla]

Originally Posted by JUSTIFIED

The GT weighs 3054 lbs (~ 800 lbs less than ZL1 1LE) and has as much power as the ZL1. No way it'd be close with equal drivers. That said, the ZL1 is a monster. Anyone who has one should be proud.

Edit: And one other thing, a de-tuned version of this car won Le Mans.

don't burst their bubbles