[rootus]

It's great on the street. Getting in and out of it is a chore and I sometimes wish I wasn't daily driving this (and that may change relatively soon...) but once you're in the seat it's a wonderful drive.

[DenverTaco07]

Those who know, 1LE

[Printman]

Go test drive one and make your own opinion which I think you will feel how good this car is on the street in the first 5 minutes. It is well behaved and I love they way it drives just normal driving. Some have issues with outward vision but it does not bother me.

[mc210]

Originally Posted by Printman

Go test drive one and make your own opinion which I think you will feel how good this car is on the street in the first 5 minutes. It is well behaved and I love they way it drives just normal driving. Some have issues with outward vision but it does not bother me.

Heh, a local dealer had one come through and said that it couldn't be test driven because people don't want anything more than delivery miles on them, and offered to let me drive it around the parking lot

[GuywithL86]

Actually it’s probably not all that fun on the street, I’ve only driven the regular SS not the 1le, but the 1le is just more of the same problem.

IMO the limits are too high to have any fun on the street. The higher the handling limits the less fun it is. Normal things you might try to have a little fun in a regular car are just boring because it’s not even close to what the car is capable of.

“Oh let me just take this on ramp at double the speed limit” you think it will be fun right? Nope. The car basically will take it as if your on a sunday drive.

I personally would not buy a 1le unless you intend to stretch its legs on the track. You will be dying to track it because of this.

Anything remotely legal with the 1le is driving slow in a fast car.

[JBones81]

Honestly, I'm more comfortable in my 1LE than in the 2SS. The only thing I prefer in the 2SS is the stock sound system.

[mc210]

Originally Posted by GuywithL86

Actually it’s probably not all that fun on the street, I’ve only driven the regular SS not the 1le, but the 1le is just more of the same problem.

IMO the limits are too high to have any fun on the street. The higher the handling limits the less fun it is. Normal things you might try to have a little fun in a regular car are just boring because it’s not even close to what the car is capable of.

“Oh let me just take this on ramp at double the speed limit” you think it will be fun right? Nope. The car basically will take it as if your on a sunday drive.

I personally would not buy a 1le unless you intend to stretch its legs on the track. You will be dying to track it because of this.

Anything remotely legal with the 1le is driving slow in a fast car.

Agree 100% that the 1LE would be overkill for a street-only vehicle. However I've had cars like the Boxster or 996 turbo which made me want to find reasons to go drive or make me take a longer route just because I enjoyed driving them.

[slythetove]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Can you explain the reasons why the Camaro is so much better on the street than the Grand Sport? Thanks.

Sure. Remember, all of this stuff is with reference to street - on a track none of this would matter, but on the street it adds up to the GS being just not as nice to drive on the daily vs the 1LE.

The tires on the Grand Sport were harder and wider (rear) so they tramlined and skipped around a bit more on street. There was less sound deadening / insulation so the GS was a lot louder / noisy. The nose and front air dam were lower and scraped significantly vs Camaro which scrapes rarely. Getting in and out of the GS is harder (lower and odd threshold).

The mag ride is newer in the 1LE.

The settings with regard to comfort balanced with performance in the GS compare to the Camaro 1LE like this:
GS Track = No setting this harsh on 1LE
GS Sport = Track on 1LE
GS Tour = Sport on 1LE
GS has no setting as comfortable and compliant as Tour on 1LE

The PTM modes in the 1LE are even better than the GS - it's subtle but it's there.

The Grand Sport was a phenomenal car, but it always felt like it needed a race track to really be worth the money.

The 1LE is sublime on the street and the performance numbers are so close it's crazy to be honest - and the price is a lot lower.

[ClaunchOfficial]

Originally Posted by GuywithL86

Actually it’s probably not all that fun on the street, I’ve only driven the regular SS not the 1le, but the 1le is just more of the same problem.

IMO the limits are too high to have any fun on the street. The higher the handling limits the less fun it is. Normal things you might try to have a little fun in a regular car are just boring because it’s not even close to what the car is capable of.

“Oh let me just take this on ramp at double the speed limit” you think it will be fun right? Nope. The car basically will take it as if your on a sunday drive.

I personally would not buy a 1le unless you intend to stretch its legs on the track. You will be dying to track it because of this.

Anything remotely legal with the 1le is driving slow in a fast car.

Much of this could be said about any sports car on the market yet they are everywhere. I went from a 16 1ss to 17 1LE. The 1LE is no more boring, rigid or uncomfortable of a car. Actually I'd say it feels better with mag ride and the tires actually make less noise than the SS run flats. In short I like the 1LE over the my SS in every way (maybe not tire wear but I had same set up on ss). Most of the parts can be equipped on an SS so it's not some kind of monster that isn't good on the streets yet it has some options that are unique to the 1LE that just makes it a special car. It feels and performs better and being less common it gets way more attenion. I had more people taking pics, videos and asking about the car in 1st 2 days than 18 months of the SS. The gen 6 1LE will always be remembered as an awesome car, it's capable of so much without much sacrificing daily capabilities (as far as a sports car goes) at an amazing price.

[mjk3888]

Originally Posted by mc210

Hey guys, how is the 1LE on the street? Weighing a few different options (996 or early 997, Boxster, Cayman, etc.) at the moment and I'm starting to wise up and realize I'd spend 99.9% of the time on the street, with a handful of track days throughout the year and possibly even some autox.

I know what the 1LE is capable of on the track (slotting in damn close to the GT4, which is crazy), but I'm looking for more input from you guys on how much fun it is on the street.

I daily mine and I can say that it is just as fun around town. The torque is available at all RPMs giving you that instant acceleration anytime you want to take a sporty curve or overtake someone. They mag ride does an excellent job. The splitter isn't too low and the clearance is surprisingly better than I thought.

To me the only potential downside is the tire wear. Honestly it is an issue on any performance car with good quality tires, however I put about 10-15k miles on my car a year so I recently picked up a set of standard Camaro SS wheels and mounted 50K mile all seasons to them (G-MAX AS-05s). The whole set of extra wheels and new all seasons cost me just around $1k and all I have to do is bolt on the OEM wheels & tires and program the TPMS with the $19 tool and I'm ready to go. Even with the 255/275 all seasons the car still handles great and is a blast to drive.

I just returned from my annual 1000k mile round trip to the Rolex 24 in Daytona and it reminded me of another under rated feature of this car. The 19 gallon tank! Most cars in this class come with a smaller tank and require more stops on Road trips. Having a range of 425+ miles on a tank of gas is great!

Obviously you'll get a biased opinion from me but I think the SS 1LE is the best all around car and value given your listed options.

If you get one make sure it has the PDR! Best option on the car by far! I even use it to record as a dash cam on my daily commutes and just delete the clips every week to keep space on the SD card. On track it is extremely helpful in analyzing your laps!

[Lugnutty]

Originally Posted by mc210

Hey guys, how is the 1LE on the street? Weighing a few different options (996 or early 997, Boxster, Cayman, etc.) at the moment and I'm starting to wise up and realize I'd spend 99.9% of the time on the street, with a handful of track days throughout the year and possibly even some autox.

I know what the 1LE is capable of on the track (slotting in damn close to the GT4, which is crazy), but I'm looking for more input from you guys on how much fun it is on the street.

I've had a 996, early Boxsters, and I currently have a 997 and my 1LE. The 997 is easier to get in and out of - the seats aren't as bolstered and the leather Porsche seats aren't as grippy as the Camaro seats. The back seats in the Camaro are bigger (my 11yo fits fine in both cars, though). The Camaro has more cargo space. Neither car can fit a set of wheels and tires inside.

The Camaro is *way* harder to park. It's bigger and taller and thicker and much harder to see the corners of the car. Plus the 1LE wheels are pushed way out, which looks fantastic and gives it extra track, but does make it easier to curb your wheels when you're maneuvering into a tight parking spot. My winter tires are mounted on regular SS wheels and I have yet to bump something with them. Note that I'm only talking about front-in parking. Parallel parking the Camaro is a breeze because it's super easy to see what the back of the car is doing. And the backup camera is awesome. (This is the first car I've had with a backup camera and I admit that I'm a fan ).

The 997 and Camaro get similar gas mileage. It's 18-22ish around town. Highway miles get into high 20s for each car. They both take premium.

On the street, the 1LE is a ton of fun. Any of these cars are too fast for the street. I kept thinking about buying an S instead of my regular old Carrera 4, but on the street even the measly 325hp is more than enough. Of course, the Camaro has more than 100 more, so it's even more unnecessary, but it's a hoot. It sounds brilliant and it's really easy to drive fast or slow.

With the mag suspension, the Camaro is nice and cushy when you want, and stiff when you want that. I've had a couple cars with MRC and I think it's brilliant. Even in crappy, potholey Chicago streets in the winter, it's plenty comfortable in Tour.

The Camaro is a very comfortable place to be. People complain about the interior but honestly I have no problems with it. I don't understand people who say it's too harsh or compromised for the street. It's tight and quiet and feels pretty solid. It has a ton of fun and interesting technology. I've had luxury cars that I feel haven't been as nice to be inside as this car. Then again, I also daily drove an old Triumph GT6 prepped for vintage racing, so what do I know?

I do a couple dozen track days a year. Both the 997 and the Camaro are wonderful track cars, and really do double-duty very well. I drive to the track, run all day, and drive home. I split daily driving duties between both cars in all weather. If something happened that made me go down to one car, I would have a terribly difficult time deciding between keeping the Porsche or keeping the Camaro. They're both great choices. The 997, though, will be worth at least $35k forever. The Camaro will be a $12k car in a few years. In case that sort of thing matters to you.

It's the advice everyone will give you, and I will repeat it. Drive all of the cars you're interested in and decide which one suits you best. If you don't need the back seats, a Cayman S is a ton of car for the money and a better sportscar than either the 1LE or the 997, although the 1LE will certainly be faster.

[Turbo_J89]

Originally Posted by Reefblue42

Took mine out for a few hours today and put a few hundred miles on it. Rides great! I don't like where the volume/song track buttons are though, but given the space restrictions its ok.

James

few hours and a few hundred miles. Doing the napkin math that sounds like one hell of a joy ride!

[TrackClub]

I'd echo all the comments above except for stock tires being expensive as they cost half of cup2s which many other similar offers come with. But I understand why some folks go with all season choices to get better longevity.

I've put about 9k miles on mine last year including a bunch of track days and honestly the car excels as a DD.
The seats are superbly comfy even on long drives yet provide fantastic support on a track. And of course ditto re: an absolutely fantastic magnetic suspension. I like design of the interior a lot too. All the controls are intuitive and well positioned and look and feel nice including a well designed and attractive steering wheel and shifter.

After all the comments i had read about visibility i was sensitive to this during my test drive yet when I returned I realized I didn't think about visibility even once!. Perhaps because I don't look at the sky when I drive and perhaps because I always set side mirrors for zero blind spots so don't need to rubber neck. I almost always back into parking spots which is super easy with the rear camera. I love the car on a track but also can't wait to take it out and get that extra quart of milk I forgot about. Again

Lastly, I get tons of thumbs up, "nice car!" and also "wow a nice car - what is it???" comments. Funny how a lot of folks do a double take when I point to the bow tie lol!

[12SilverBulletSS]

I believe all accounts are true as well. I ride my bike a lot so technically I don’t daily drive my 1LE, but it is pretty docile when driven that way. The problem is the car is very fast...too fast for the street to really enjoy it.

As far as being close to a Cayman GT4, I can confirm the SS 1LE is faster, at least on the straights. I have video of me and a Cayman GT4 on Yas Marina Circuit and you can tell I was not giving it all it had when I was behind that car in the corners. To the Caymans credit, the drive was not driving a good line so that comes into play, but on the straights, my car pulled on him every time. I just didn’t have enough track to get around him fully.

Yes, the car is that good, and mind you I had never driven on a track before so I am no pro.