[Rodan]

I thought I wanted a ZLE until I drove the ZL1 with the A10 trans.

The ZL1 is a fantastic GT car, and still incredibly capable. For the 2-3 times a year I'll be tracking the car, I was willing to give up those last few seconds that the ZLE is capable of, and most of that can probably be made up with tires anyway.

I decided stick with the 'civilized' version and haven't regretted it. Truth is, exploring the limits of either on public roads is a little nuts.

[RedHot18]

I have an A10 2018 ZL1 , it is a great street/GT car and is also a weapon on the track. The 1LE with normal track day guys driving them is no faster than me in a regular ZL1. Have been to Sebring multiple times with other 1LE's, and Daytona too, we all run about the same times. The A10 is an excellent daily as you can eat, drink, use cell phone without juggling the shifts and the ride is probably a little softer than the 1LE. I went to the ZL1 A10 from a 7 speed manual vette, have not regretted it for one minute.

[Deakins]

Drive both if you can and decide, but do be honest with yourself. Track events are expensive endeavors and things do happen that cost people dearly. I'd you want proof...slide on over to Corvette forum and check out the totalled ZR1 that one of their track guys balled up a while ago! That's a six figure write off right there more than likely unless he bought the track insurance...

[angryBits]

It’s not about how fast the car can be, it’s about the experience you get while driving it. ZL1 and ZLE are night and day, don’t kid yourself, get the one that speaks to you.

IMO two inexperienced drivers at the track with both cars are going to get the same lap times with both cars, but one will of them will be more fun at the track and a bit more abrasive on the street.

Who cares what lap time Randy Pobst got, you’ll never get that

[F1FTY]

Originally Posted by COPO 9560

I am looking to purchase a 2019 Camaro ZL1.

I have mix feeling on what I need and want. I am aware the base ZL1 is a very street-able and a good every day driver. Its also very good on a road course as well. This ZL1 will be a weekend pleasure vehicle with some track time, but mostly a car driven on the back roads.

The ZL1 1LE seems to be a track beast, shaming exotic elites that cost 2-3 times more. Love the wheels and wrapped hood.

How street-able is the ZL1 1LE? Is it a very harsh ride? Does ride height become a major issue coming in and out of driveways?

What are the pro and cons of both trims? (ZL1 base vs ZL1 1LE)

Is it possible to get the 19 inch ZL1 1LE wheels for the ZL1 base model?

How about switching out the base ZL1 spoiler with the SS 1LE black out spoiler? Is that an easy task? Do the bolts match up? The back up camera compatible?

Any input is welcomed......J

Go and test drive them back to back. You’ll make up your mind pretty quickly.

[angryBits]

Originally Posted by COPO 9560

I am looking to purchase a 2019 Camaro ZL1.

I have mix feeling on what I need and want. I am aware the base ZL1 is a very street-able and a good every day driver. Its also very good on a road course as well. This ZL1 will be a weekend pleasure vehicle with some track time, but mostly a car driven on the back roads.

The ZL1 1LE seems to be a track beast, shaming exotic elites that cost 2-3 times more. Love the wheels and wrapped hood.

How street-able is the ZL1 1LE? Is it a very harsh ride? Does ride height become a major issue coming in and out of driveways?

What are the pro and cons of both trims? (ZL1 base vs ZL1 1LE)

Is it possible to get the 19 inch ZL1 1LE wheels for the ZL1 base model?

How about switching out the base ZL1 spoiler with the SS 1LE black out spoiler? Is that an easy task? Do the bolts match up? The back up camera compatible?

Any input is welcomed......J

I have the ZL1 1LE and I daily drive it. I test drove the regular ZL1 (A LOT) before buying the ZL1 1LE.

I can't compare the two in terms of driveways but I can say my ZL1 1LE has no driveway issues and mine is fairly steep. Way better than my Z06.

Street comfort on the ZL1 1LE really depends on your streets. Here in the SF Bay Area we have all kinds of streets, good bad and ugly. Honestly the ZL1 1LE is not bad at all under most conditions.

My biggest complaints are:
Driving in heavy rain with the OEM tires. Scary as F
Driving on ugly highways with giant potholes and seams above 60mph. A big bump (not the small or med stuff) can lift you out of your seat for a moment. It's fun but brace yourself.

Everything else is fine and over exaggerated by others.
Most really badly paved roads with horrible pot holes you don't drive above 25mph anyway.

It's a firm ride but not painful or back breaking. My daughter loves it.

Other trade offs between the two cars are obvious.
Trackability vs Comfort - The ZL1 1LE is adjustable and grippier and the handling responsiveness is pretty noticeable even on the street. ZL1 1LE is 120lbs lighter than the ZL1 A10 but feels twice that. People say you wont notice the ZL1 1LE's improvements on the street but you definitely can. If you like a sharp handling car, the ZL1 1LE is the better feeling car, street or track. The ZL1 is like the smoother street version and you can feel it, your wife will appreciate the regular ZL1.

Cool-factor vs Aggressive but Grown Up - I like the wing. At first I did not like the dive planes and planned to have them removed but now I love them, though I would definitely call the ZL1 1LE more "fast and furious". The regular ZL1 is nice and aggressive but also less silly. But I like silly, I mean 650hp is pretty silly.

Manual vs Auto - So many people here rave about it. Having owned the A8 in my 2017 Grand Sport, I honestly don't think the A10 is worth giving up a manual for. No more so than the A8 anyway. The A10 is not a dual clutch, its a centrifugal clutch like your old school automatics. IMO if you like manuals you but you are ready to switch, go for the A10 and get the ZL1. However if you like manuals and you're hoping the A10 is an upgrade you can live with, I didn't find it so.

Finally...

Watch this youtube video, he says it all best in great detail and brutally honest.

[Pollock]

I have a ZL1 1LE. I bought it to track race and drive around town on nice days. No regrets. If I had to take it on road trips over 2 Hrs long frequently I would possible have minor regrets but would still love the car.

[angryBits]

Originally Posted by Pollock

I have a ZL1 1LE. I bought it to track race and drive around town on nice days. No regrets. If I had to take it on road trips over 2 Hrs long frequently I would possible have minor regrets but would still love the car.

Well said.

I have the same car and even the same color

I recently took a 2 hour road trip to Monterey, then 2 hours back the next day.
I think the only thing that I missed was MagRide (obviously). For a long trip in my Z06 or previous ZL1 I'd put it in Tour Mode.

It's a sacrificed luxury I am willing to give up.

On my daily commute, I have to cross the Dumbarton Bridge. Both Westbound and Eastbound there are two large bumps/seams where the bridge meets the road. So I get 4 large bumps every day at 60-70mph. And every day I say to myself (no literally, and sometimes out loud) "Brace for impact!" In my best Star Trek Commander Riker voice (1st movie, I'm a geek) and I push myself into my seat and I grin and bear it.

It's my one burden for owning an otherwise incredible car.

I grew to adore MagRide in my 2015 ZL1 and I swore I wouldn't own another car without it. My 2017 Grand Sport and 2017 Z06 both had it and I loved it. It was a tough decision to give it up and I do not regret my decision.

At this point I love the suspension on this car so much I don't think I'd switch to MagRide just for Daily Driving because I don't want to give up the sharp handling characteristics I feel even while driving on the street.

For fun... Here's how my impression of the ZL1 1LE went over time.

Day of purchase:
- WOAH the ZL1 1LE looks WAY better in person than it does online.
- I hated the dive planes until I saw them in person now I love it.
- Holy crap the interior is much better than my Z06.
- WOW this car feels much more planted than my Z06.
- HAHA the suspension isn't nearly as bumpy as everyone claims. Silly Matt Farah.

1 Day Later:
- OMG This thing is really freaking bumpy... What have I done?
- Oooh listen to the exhaust when I downshift w/ rev match on!

1 Week Later:
- Wow this thing responds to steering input like no other car I've ever driven. It shames my Z06.

1 Week Later:
- Naa it's not bumpy, I barely notice. "BRACE FOR IMPACT" Ok except for that.

Now having said all that, my #1 reason for embracing the stiff suspension is the handling sharpness. I wonder how much of that could be had on the regular ZL1 if you went solid bushings, stiffer sways and had tires with stiffer sidewalls? probably 50% (guessing) ? How much would that impact the ride quality?

[fredz]

AngryB. I have only driven a test car ZL11LE for about 5 minutes....no way to know anything since I was so mesmerized by the power and sound and the salesman next to me. I did pull over sharply to adjust the side mirrors and it definitely got my attention.
As I stated in my opening thread on the main site.......I am a car guy through and through. DD is Tesla S. Fun car sharing the garage was, in order: 1965 Shelby Cobra roadster FFR..550 h 550 T, 1966 Mustang GT 350 clone, Porsche 911 Carerra GTS...Past DD's were, BMW 745, Merc S550, BMW X5, Merc E550, Hyndai Equs, .....so I get the bug! Just sold my 2017 Shelby GT350 and loved it. Which brings us to now......bought my ZL11LE in Phoenix and is on the carrier tomorrow to be delivered to me here in Hermosa Beach. I liked the Mag ride but drove the mustang in Sport most of the time.....stiff but what a car. Now the top performance car that Chevy makes is on the way! I agree with you...will be very happy to have the top dawg in the nest and the ride will just put a smile on my face....once my teeth have fallen out!!!! Bring it!!!

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by angryBits

Well said.

I have the same car and even the same color

I recently took a 2 hour road trip to Monterey, then 2 hours back the next day.
I think the only thing that I missed was MagRide (obviously). For a long trip in my Z06 or previous ZL1 I'd put it in Tour Mode.

It's a sacrificed luxury I am willing to give up.

On my daily commute, I have to cross the Dumbarton Bridge. Both Westbound and Eastbound there are two large bumps/seams where the bridge meets the road. So I get 4 large bumps every day at 60-70mph. And every day I say to myself (no literally, and sometimes out loud) "Brace for impact!" In my best Star Trek Commander Riker voice (1st movie, I'm a geek) and I push myself into my seat and I grin and bear it.

It's my one burden for owning an otherwise incredible car.

I grew to adore MagRide in my 2015 ZL1 and I swore I wouldn't own another car without it. My 2017 Grand Sport and 2017 Z06 both had it and I loved it. It was a tough decision to give it up and I do not regret my decision.

At this point I love the suspension on this car so much I don't think I'd switch to MagRide just for Daily Driving because I don't want to give up the sharp handling characteristics I feel even while driving on the street.

For fun... Here's how my impression of the ZL1 1LE went over time.

Day of purchase:
- WOAH the ZL1 1LE looks WAY better in person than it does online.
- I hated the dive planes until I saw them in person now I love it.
- Holy crap the interior is much better than my Z06.
- WOW this car feels much more planted than my Z06.
- HAHA the suspension isn't nearly as bumpy as everyone claims. Silly Matt Farah.

1 Day Later:
- OMG This thing is really freaking bumpy... What have I done?
- Oooh listen to the exhaust when I downshift w/ rev match on!

1 Week Later:
- Wow this thing responds to steering input like no other car I've ever driven. It shames my Z06.

1 Week Later:
- Naa it's not bumpy, I barely notice. "BRACE FOR IMPACT" Ok except for that.

Now having said all that, my #1 reason for embracing the stiff suspension is the handling sharpness. I wonder how much of that could be had on the regular ZL1 if you went solid bushings, stiffer sways and had tires with stiffer sidewalls? probably 50% (guessing) ? How much would that impact the ride quality?

Regarding how close you can get to that sharpness in a ZL1 or SS 1LE...

As far as the rear-end, the solid rear cradle bushing from the ZL1 1LE, will take care of that. Regarding the front-end grip, I bet most of that is the tires.

I do believe they make the F1 3R's now in stock ZL1 / SS 1LE sizes. They share a majority of the same suspension components. The only different in the front (other than the shocks/springs obviously) are the "handling links" and a stiffer sway bar to account for the additional weight. I bet you get at least 70% there with just the 3R tires.

[angryBits]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

Regarding how close you can get to that sharpness in a ZL1 or SS 1LE...

As far as the rear-end, the solid rear cradle bushing from the ZL1 1LE, will take care of that. Regarding the front-end grip, I bet most of that is the tires.

I do believe they make the F1 3R's now in stock ZL1 / SS 1LE sizes. They share a majority of the same suspension components. The only different in the front (other than the shocks/springs obviously) are the "handling links" and a stiffer sway bar to account for the additional weight. I bet you get at least 70% there with just the 3R tires.

I agree some can be had from these improvements but if you can get that close, why would they bother with DSSV?

When we talk about turn-in response, dampers have a lot to do with it.

I'd bet that with reprogramming the MagRide hardware could probably get close especially when coupled with the upgrades you suggested. But after all this, you should have just bought the ZL1 1LE

The other aspect is that MagRide and other non-DSSV dampers tend to lose their ability over time. The DSSV dampers are designed to take endless abuse without growing softer over time.

NOTE: I'm not an expert, I only know what I read online. I do track my car but I don't do suspension tuning other than Forza Motorsports on my Gaming PC. I welcome corrections.

[harner]

Some great information in here. I had my mind made up regarding a ZLE when I was looking for the last year or so. I wanted something that people would stare at and provide me with the fun and excitement that I was seeking after owning a 5th gen SS and V2 (CTS-V), just in 6th gen form.

Then, I started seeing people talk about the ride difference. And then I started researching the 10 speed a little more and how it really was an amazing piece of engineering. If the ZLE had a 10 speed option, I would have been all over it. Instead, I opted for a new A10 ZL1 and couldn't be happier. I still miss rowing gears, but also glad I didn't sacrifice ride comfort since Pennsylvania is littered with garbage quality roads.

I did test drive an M6 ZL1 and it was fun, but used and the interior felt cramped for some reason. The A10 ZL1 I have now feels like I could sit in it easily for many hours at a time without any hassle whatsoever. And I am 6'3" 300#.

Good luck.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by angryBits

I agree some can be had from these improvements but if you can get that close, why would they bother with DSSV?

When we talk about turn-in response, dampers have a lot to do with it.

I'd bet that with reprogramming the MagRide hardware could probably get close especially when coupled with the upgrades you suggested. But after all this, you should have just bought the ZL1 1LE

The other aspect is that MagRide and other non-DSSV dampers tend to lose their ability over time. The DSSV dampers are designed to take endless abuse without growing softer over time.

NOTE: I'm not an expert, I only know what I read online. I do track my car but I don't do suspension tuning other than Forza Motorsports on my Gaming PC. I welcome corrections.

Well, now we are getting into 2 separate discussions. As far as which one is more durable over time, yeah the DSSV probably will fair better, but I don't know, the magnetic fluid is the biggest factor with MRC, as there are fewer moving parts and its simply the "coil" that tells it what to do. No clue if the fluid degrades over time or not.

The subject at hand is the sharpness response , and you probably could get close with additional coding with the MRC, but at present time the only place that offers MRC tuning is DSC and they in my opinion are a hack job.

One thing to note with MRC though is that it can stiffen up just as much as DSSV and does when it senses a big delta, it reacts to your control inputs via an electrical charge to the fluid. I think the biggest advantage to DSSV over MRC is its consistency, with a mechanical sleeve, it will do the same thing everytime, while MRC will have slight variations based on temps, etc. The other being that DSSV is probably a little quicker reacting ( I am assuming, I have not driven the DSSV at triple digit speeds) kind of like a coilover would.
MRC is great dual purpose , but from a quickness standpoint, the Ohlins on my previous M3 was a bit better and faster responding, of course at the expense of day to day ride quality, and I assume the same with the DSSV's

[Sid-X]

Hey guys and girls ... I'm in the same boat. My '17 GT350 gave up it's ghost and I just sold it back to Ford. Sad day as I loved that car but, stellar as it is, I don't trust the Voodoo motor enough to replace it with another GT350. So, I am in the market for a replacement. I am driving a 1LE this weekend to see just how rigid is rigid. I used to drive around an M3 on Bilstien PSS9 coil-overs I had prepped for BSP autocross and it didn't phase me a bit but I was 10 years younger and we live in central Oregon where the roads are great. Plus, I have another daily driver. I did like being able to take the GT350 on trips though and the standard ZL1 is faster than I am so I am curious to drive them both even though its nearly impossible for me not to go for the faster version of anything if it's available ... ha. First world problems eh ...