How glad are you that you bought a ZL1...??

BlaqWhole · 06-30-2019, 03:40 PM

I gotta say, looking at all the competition, I'm glad I chose a ZL1. For starters, we get the Z06 engine at nowhere close to Z06 pricing. We then got the A10 trans which is better than the A8 trans that came in the Z06. We then got tons of options as standard. It came with great cooling, brakes, style, suspension, overall performance, and lots of options. Plus it was priced well below the competition. Look at what you would have to spend to get a car that can beat our ZL1s. Let's go over the main competition.

The Hellcats did not stand a chance around a track. Plus in 2017 stock to stock they could not match the A10 in the quarter mile even if that was due to the stock tires. Plus, the Hellcat was more expensive. Although they came with similar options as standard, they did not have as many options. And now, if you option out a Hellcat or Redeye to specs that the ZL1 comes standard with, you're paying well over $10K more. Meanwhile our lil ZL1 got a $300 price hike in 2018 or some shit, lol!! The Hellcats suffered from blower gear grinding issues (pre 2017 models) and driveshafts snapping when outfitted with DRs all while our ZL1s were relatively problem-free.

Enter the GT350R. Again, less options on a more expensive car that could not beat the ZL1 at anything. On top of having lots of issues. A lot of them are on their 2nd and third engine. All of them (pre 2017) had to be recalled for fire hazard after one spontaneously combusted on a track and turned into a fireball. Overheating issues. The list goes on and on...

Now the GT500. The HP/TQ numbers are 760 and 625 respectively. Which is funny because the GT500 6 years ago had more TQ, the 3-4 year old unchanged ZL1 has more TQ, and the ZR1s, Hellcats, Redeyes, all have more TQ. And I bet that HP figure is with the engine screaming and it probably won't get into it's power band until the last 2500 RPMs which will make gearing necessary. Our "truck" LT4 engines come on at around 2500 RPMs and carry us all the way to redline with a top speed of 202 MPH where they say we get "COPD", lol!! Vs 180 MPH for the GT500. Anyway, that 180 MPH GT500 will cost $74K base vs $62K for the ZL1. And $90K CF version vs $72K for the ZLE.

So the question has to be asked. Can the competition build a car that can beat the ZL1 at anything while carrying the same price? And how much extra would it cost to get a car that can beat a ZL1 at just one thing? How much would it cost to buy a car that can beat a ZL1 at everything? And then when you do spend that much, how will that car (whatever it is) compare to something from GM in that same price range?

It just seems to me that our budget ZL1s that have "horrible" visibility, "truck-like" "low tech dinosaur pushrod" engines, and can't be sold unless they are "highly discounted" just might be the best deal that anyone could hope for these days especially when the competition is $10K-$20K more expensive. Some guys are hitting high 10s stock with the A10 in the standard ZL1. The ZLE Ring times are just crazy. No blower issues. No overheating issues. They won't catch on fire. You won't have to even worry about paying markups.

All in all I think GM really did their research and developed the best car that can possibly be had for the money. In all honesty, I did consider trading my ZL1 in on something newer. But looking at the competition and their performance and what you'll pay, I decided I'm keeping mine. The only thing that might be worth trading it for is a Z06. But that A10 trans tho. The ZL1 is hands down the best performance car you can buy.

krw1103 · 06-30-2019, 04:08 PM

Bought it in Dallas and had the biggest s**t eating grin for the next 9 hours. My face hurt when I got back to south MS. The available acceleration across the power band is unreal. I was wanting to get the ZR1 Vette but a recent back surgery kept me out of it when the time came to pick one out, but now that I have driven Z06, ZR1, and now ZL1 I could not be happier. Quality of interior fit and trim as always leaves MOPAR and Ford in the rearview mirror. Absolutely love it. Now if I could just get off this ship and go home I could get it back on the road.

Markoz28 · 06-30-2019, 04:08 PM

I love it! Always looking for ways to improve it but even if I left it alone, it’s still an amazing machine and puts smiles for miles.

drfeelgood · 06-30-2019, 04:31 PM

I'm not particular to any brand, and to be honest, before my CTS-V coupe, I never thought twice about the big 3. imo, the 5th gen Camaro didnt look good and just didn't do it for me (hated the tail lights, shark fins, weird round look) Never thought twice about a Camaro... and then the 6th gen rolls out, and I'm like ok.

I wanted a convertible, and priced out the SS, but after all of the upgraded bells and whistles, I was too close to the price of a ZL1 for a 2SS to make sense.

I was actually in the middle of buying a house, days before closing, I'm surfing the web for this mythical summit white Zl1 convertible.. and its's sitting on display at a dealership 20 miles from me.

I go with my daughter, check it out, ask the dealer to pull it down off the rack so I can drive it ... I buy it right there on the spot... I leave my CTS-V there at the dealership, ask them to detail it for me... I'll be back in a few days to pick it up

so yes, I love my ZL1... I think the looks are phenomenal.. this chassis is near perfect.. the bang for buck cost/performance ratio is UNPARALLELED!!!!!

krw1103 · 06-30-2019, 04:34 PM

I cant help but wonder why Chevy did not make their website about the specifications more accurate and include the LT4 with the A10 in the Entertainment portion instead of putting it in the Mechanical section.

Grumpy1 · 06-30-2019, 05:08 PM

When I decided to buy brand didn't matter. Did my homework and researched for months till I narrowed it down to the Z06 and the Zl1.
Obviously I choose the Zl1 and couldn't be happier!!!!

philpacs · 06-30-2019, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I gotta say, looking at all the competition, I'm glad I chose a ZL1. For starters, we get the Z06 engine at nowhere close to Z06 pricing. We then got the A10 trans which is better than the A8 trans that came in the Z06. We then got tons of options as standard. It came with great cooling, brakes, style, suspension, overall performance, and lots of options. Plus it was priced well below the competition. Look at what you would have to spend to get a car that can beat our ZL1s. Let's go over the main competition.

The Hellcats did not stand a chance around a track. Plus in 2017 stock to stock they could not match the A10 in the quarter mile even if that was due to the stock tires. Plus, the Hellcat was more expensive. Although they came with similar options as standard, they did not have as many options. And now, if you option out a Hellcat or Redeye to specs that the ZL1 comes standard with, you're paying well over $10K more. Meanwhile our lil ZL1 got a $300 price hike in 2018 or some shit, lol!! The Hellcats suffered from blower gear grinding issues (pre 2017 models) and driveshafts snapping when outfitted with DRs all while our ZL1s were relatively problem-free.

Enter the GT350R. Again, less options on a more expensive car that could not beat the ZL1 at anything. On top of having lots of issues. A lot of them are on their 2nd and third engine. All of them (pre 2017) had to be recalled for fire hazard after one spontaneously combusted on a track and turned into a fireball. Overheating issues. The list goes on and on...

Now the GT500. The HP/TQ numbers are 760 and 625 respectively. Which is funny because the GT500 6 years ago had more TQ, the 3-4 year old unchanged ZL1 has more TQ, and the ZR1s, Hellcats, Redeyes, all have more TQ. And I bet that HP figure is with the engine screaming and it probably won't get into it's power band until the last 2500 RPMs which will make gearing necessary. Our "truck" LT4 engines come on at around 2500 RPMs and carry us all the way to redline with a top speed of 202 MPH where they say we get "COPD", lol!! Vs 180 MPH for the GT500. Anyway, that 180 MPH GT500 will cost $74K base vs $62K for the ZL1. And $90K CF version vs $72K for the ZLE.

So the question has to be asked. Can the competition build a car that can beat the ZL1 at anything while carrying the same price? And how much extra would it cost to get a car that can beat a ZL1 at just one thing? How much would it cost to buy a car that can beat a ZL1 at everything? And then when you do spend that much, how will that car (whatever it is) compare to something from GM in that same price range?

It just seems to me that our budget ZL1s that have "horrible" visibility, "truck-like" "low tech dinosaur pushrod" engines, and can't be sold unless they are "highly discounted" just might be the best deal that anyone could hope for these days especially when the competition is $10K-$20K more expensive. Some guys are hitting high 10s stock with the A10 in the standard ZL1. The ZLE Ring times are just crazy. No blower issues. No overheating issues. They won't catch on fire. You won't have to even worry about paying markups.

All in all I think GM really did their research and developed the best car that can possibly be had for the money. In all honesty, I did consider trading my ZL1 in on something newer. But looking at the competition and their performance and what you'll pay, I decided I'm keeping mine. The only thing that might be worth trading it for is a Z06. But that A10 trans tho. The ZL1 is hands down the best performance car you can buy.

Amen!

LT4Greg · 06-30-2019, 06:32 PM

I’m really happy with my 2017 ZL1 that I bought back in early March! Mine was used with less than 500 miles and a great price that I had to buy. It was located at a Chevy dealer 300 miles(S.C) from home and the 4 hour trip back to Georgia was memorable and enjoyable! No regrets here!

kwav8r · 06-30-2019, 06:52 PM

+1 Blaq

It's funny to me how the talk has changed to discounting the "truck-like", "low tech pushrod motor" in the ZL1 but for this day and age that's where the reliability is and besides, nothing beats cubes (Mopar's recipe for sure).

IF someone could figure out how to twist large displacement iron faster it would have been done by now- physics is a bitch. The Voodoo owners love bragging about the high revs but what I'm seeing is a bunch of cratered motors and/or high oil consumption that signals something is very wrong with the design and I'm willing to bet it's more about the materials used - unobtanium doesn't exist yet.

Oddspyke · 06-30-2019, 09:08 PM

If you're looking for a manual trans convertible, there is no competition. Hellcat and Shelby don't offer theirs in a drop top and for the $60k I paid for mine brand new, you can only get sub-300hp 4 cylinders from the German brands. The AMGs and M's have to get close to $100k before they even start to approach the performance level of the ZL1. It's a crazy good deal.

Brudda*Termite · 06-30-2019, 11:58 PM

If the Camaro is really going away again after 2023, I'm buying a ZL1 before they drive off into the sunset...

HoldMyBeer · 07-01-2019, 02:09 AM

This car puts a huge smile on my face every single time I start it up. All around best performance car for the $$$$ and I personally love all the kudos and thumbs up I get driving it.

I’ve always been a GM guy, but in the last 10 years, I’ve owned mustangs and almost bought a charger hellcat because they were/are great cars as well. We are all lucky with the brands battling each other with these cars that have performance previously unheard of.

TEST DRyVer · 07-01-2019, 03:13 AM

Stop it!!! You people are making me more excited than I need to be... My wife and I are shopping for a house (which should take priority over a car), but throughout the process, someone saw the spec on my 718 Cayman 6mt (it was a factory build for my wife and I) and decided to make an offer. I couldn't refuse, especially since I was already eyeballing recent V8 domestics (not usually my taste, but the latest selections are really impressive, and not just by domestic standards, but by any car enthusiast standards).
I narrowed it down to all lightly pre-owned: 2SS 1LE, ZL1 6mt, and GT350 (the Charger / Challenger Hellcat was off the list due to weight and lack of sharp handling). I drove all of them, and they were ALL 3 very impressive! I just placed a deposit on a private party 17 ZL1 6mt with 10k miles from Northern California (I live in Phoenix). Now I just have to setup closed transport and I should be in business.
I've owned well over 2 dozen performance cars in my life, many of them lightly or heavily modified for performance (not cosmetics), but the ZL1 will likely be the most powerful car I've owned to date.
The ZL1 would be one of the few cars that I might focus on light cosmetic mods as opposed to performance. With that kind of power, and a 3rd pedal, I think I might be all set on the performance front and retain a warranty for once in a long time. My average has been to keep a car for about 13 months, let's see if this car will last longer than that before I get the itch...

Gunkk · 07-01-2019, 06:56 AM

Three words:

650 Horsepower Convertible!

06-30-2019, 03:40 PM	#1
BlaqWhole Account Suspended Drives: 2017 Camaro ZL1 A10 Join Date: May 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 7,692	How glad are you that you bought a ZL1...?? I gotta say, looking at all the competition, I'm glad I chose a ZL1. For starters, we get the Z06 engine at nowhere close to Z06 pricing. We then got the A10 trans which is better than the A8 trans that came in the Z06. We then got tons of options as standard. It came with great cooling, brakes, style, suspension, overall performance, and lots of options. Plus it was priced well below the competition. Look at what you would have to spend to get a car that can beat our ZL1s. Let's go over the main competition. The Hellcats did not stand a chance around a track. Plus in 2017 stock to stock they could not match the A10 in the quarter mile even if that was due to the stock tires. Plus, the Hellcat was more expensive. Although they came with similar options as standard, they did not have as many options. And now, if you option out a Hellcat or Redeye to specs that the ZL1 comes standard with, you're paying well over $10K more. Meanwhile our lil ZL1 got a $300 price hike in 2018 or some shit, lol!! The Hellcats suffered from blower gear grinding issues (pre 2017 models) and driveshafts snapping when outfitted with DRs all while our ZL1s were relatively problem-free. Enter the GT350R. Again, less options on a more expensive car that could not beat the ZL1 at anything. On top of having lots of issues. A lot of them are on their 2nd and third engine. All of them (pre 2017) had to be recalled for fire hazard after one spontaneously combusted on a track and turned into a fireball. Overheating issues. The list goes on and on... Now the GT500. The HP/TQ numbers are 760 and 625 respectively. Which is funny because the GT500 6 years ago had more TQ, the 3-4 year old unchanged ZL1 has more TQ, and the ZR1s, Hellcats, Redeyes, all have more TQ. And I bet that HP figure is with the engine screaming and it probably won't get into it's power band until the last 2500 RPMs which will make gearing necessary. Our "truck" LT4 engines come on at around 2500 RPMs and carry us all the way to redline with a top speed of 202 MPH where they say we get "COPD", lol!! Vs 180 MPH for the GT500. Anyway, that 180 MPH GT500 will cost $74K base vs $62K for the ZL1. And $90K CF version vs $72K for the ZLE. So the question has to be asked. Can the competition build a car that can beat the ZL1 at anything while carrying the same price? And how much extra would it cost to get a car that can beat a ZL1 at just one thing? How much would it cost to buy a car that can beat a ZL1 at everything? And then when you do spend that much, how will that car (whatever it is) compare to something from GM in that same price range? It just seems to me that our budget ZL1s that have "horrible" visibility, "truck-like" "low tech dinosaur pushrod" engines, and can't be sold unless they are "highly discounted" just might be the best deal that anyone could hope for these days especially when the competition is $10K-$20K more expensive. Some guys are hitting high 10s stock with the A10 in the standard ZL1. The ZLE Ring times are just crazy. No blower issues. No overheating issues. They won't catch on fire. You won't have to even worry about paying markups. All in all I think GM really did their research and developed the best car that can possibly be had for the money. In all honesty, I did consider trading my ZL1 in on something newer. But looking at the competition and their performance and what you'll pay, I decided I'm keeping mine. The only thing that might be worth trading it for is a Z06. But that A10 trans tho. The ZL1 is hands down the best performance car you can buy.

06-30-2019, 04:08 PM	#2
krw1103 Drives: 2019 ZL1 Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: South Mississippi Posts: 82	I was smiling for the entire 9 hour drive home with it Bought it in Dallas and had the biggest s**t eating grin for the next 9 hours. My face hurt when I got back to south MS. The available acceleration across the power band is unreal. I was wanting to get the ZR1 Vette but a recent back surgery kept me out of it when the time came to pick one out, but now that I have driven Z06, ZR1, and now ZL1 I could not be happier. Quality of interior fit and trim as always leaves MOPAR and Ford in the rearview mirror. Absolutely love it. Now if I could just get off this ship and go home I could get it back on the road. __________________ 2019 ZL1 Satin Steel Gray Metallic 2018 Yukon XL Denali Satin Steel 2017 Sierra SLT Z71 Artic White Tricoat

06-30-2019, 04:31 PM	#4
drfeelgood Drives: 2017 ZL1 Convertible A10 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: San Gabriel, CA Posts: 993	I'm not particular to any brand, and to be honest, before my CTS-V coupe, I never thought twice about the big 3. imo, the 5th gen Camaro didnt look good and just didn't do it for me (hated the tail lights, shark fins, weird round look) Never thought twice about a Camaro... and then the 6th gen rolls out, and I'm like ok. I wanted a convertible, and priced out the SS, but after all of the upgraded bells and whistles, I was too close to the price of a ZL1 for a 2SS to make sense. I was actually in the middle of buying a house, days before closing, I'm surfing the web for this mythical summit white Zl1 convertible.. and its's sitting on display at a dealership 20 miles from me. I go with my daughter, check it out, ask the dealer to pull it down off the rack so I can drive it ... I buy it right there on the spot... I leave my CTS-V there at the dealership, ask them to detail it for me... I'll be back in a few days to pick it up so yes, I love my ZL1... I think the looks are phenomenal.. this chassis is near perfect.. the bang for buck cost/performance ratio is UNPARALLELED!!!!! __________________ '17 White ZL1 A10 Convertible - TM ported TB - RotoFab CAI - 2.3" griptech upper pulley - Kooks 1 7/8" Headers with High Flow Cats - Borla S-type Catback - Audio Overhaul - NavTV M650-GM - 20" BlackDiForza- Michelin Pilot Sport4S - Tuned at BRC Raceworks (606rwhp/675trq) '14 CTS-V Coupe - ZL1 lid - Ported TB - Ported Snout - AirRad CAI - 8.66" lower - 2.55" upper- Greenbelt - SW Headers - SW Catback - Varimax Intercooler Pump - Track Attack Intercooler-Tuned at BRC Raceworks (551rwhp/516trq) '17 Maserati Levante- STOCK

06-30-2019, 04:34 PM	#5
krw1103 Drives: 2019 ZL1 Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: South Mississippi Posts: 82	How happy? I cant help but wonder why Chevy did not make their website about the specifications more accurate and include the LT4 with the A10 in the Entertainment portion instead of putting it in the Mechanical section. __________________ 2019 ZL1 Satin Steel Gray Metallic 2018 Yukon XL Denali Satin Steel 2017 Sierra SLT Z71 Artic White Tricoat

06-30-2019, 06:32 PM	#8
LT4Greg Drives: 2017 Camaro ZL1 Coupe Join Date: May 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 5,869	I’m really happy with my 2017 ZL1 that I bought back in early March! Mine was used with less than 500 miles and a great price that I had to buy. It was located at a Chevy dealer 300 miles(S.C) from home and the 4 hour trip back to Georgia was memorable and enjoyable! No regrets here! __________________ ZL1 Coupe, PDR, Exposed carbon fiber hood insert, My Link with Nav, M6 6 speed and Silver Ice Metallic. Mods done: ceramic window tint, GM Accessories Camaro floor mats and Roto-Fab CAI.

06-30-2019, 04:08 PM	#3
Markoz28 Drives: 18 ZL1 nightfall grey A10 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: RGV Texas Posts: 1,527	I love it! Always looking for ways to improve it but even if I left it alone, it’s still an amazing machine and puts smiles for miles.

06-30-2019, 05:08 PM	#6
Grumpy1 Drives: 2018 ZL1 Hyper Blue A10 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Covington LA Posts: 648	When I decided to buy brand didn't matter. Did my homework and researched for months till I narrowed it down to the Z06 and the Zl1. Obviously I choose the Zl1 and couldn't be happier!!!!

06-30-2019, 06:52 PM	#9
kwav8r Flyin NOE Drives: 2018 ZL1 (A10) Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: TX Posts: 949	+1 Blaq It's funny to me how the talk has changed to discounting the "truck-like", "low tech pushrod motor" in the ZL1 but for this day and age that's where the reliability is and besides, nothing beats cubes (Mopar's recipe for sure). IF someone could figure out how to twist large displacement iron faster it would have been done by now- physics is a bitch. The Voodoo owners love bragging about the high revs but what I'm seeing is a bunch of cratered motors and/or high oil consumption that signals something is very wrong with the design and I'm willing to bet it's more about the materials used - unobtanium doesn't exist yet.

06-30-2019, 09:08 PM	#10
Oddspyke Drives: 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: PA Posts: 30	If you're looking for a manual trans convertible, there is no competition. Hellcat and Shelby don't offer theirs in a drop top and for the $60k I paid for mine brand new, you can only get sub-300hp 4 cylinders from the German brands. The AMGs and M's have to get close to $100k before they even start to approach the performance level of the ZL1. It's a crazy good deal.

06-30-2019, 11:58 PM	#11
Brudda*Termite Drives: 2017 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Lakeland, Florida Posts: 416	If the Camaro is really going away again after 2023, I'm buying a ZL1 before they drive off into the sunset... __________________ Gary 2017 2SS A8 White, Bolt-Ons, Prayed Upon

07-01-2019, 02:09 AM	#12
HoldMyBeer Drives: 2017 ZL1(Silver) - A10, Stock Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: SoCal Posts: 65	This car puts a huge smile on my face every single time I start it up. All around best performance car for the $$$$ and I personally love all the kudos and thumbs up I get driving it. I’ve always been a GM guy, but in the last 10 years, I’ve owned mustangs and almost bought a charger hellcat because they were/are great cars as well. We are all lucky with the brands battling each other with these cars that have performance previously unheard of. __________________ 2017 ZL1(Silver) A10

07-01-2019, 03:13 AM	#13
TEST DRyVer Drives: 17 ZL1 6mt with PDR Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Gilbert, AZ. Posts: 169	Stop it!!! You people are making me more excited than I need to be... My wife and I are shopping for a house (which should take priority over a car), but throughout the process, someone saw the spec on my 718 Cayman 6mt (it was a factory build for my wife and I) and decided to make an offer. I couldn't refuse, especially since I was already eyeballing recent V8 domestics (not usually my taste, but the latest selections are really impressive, and not just by domestic standards, but by any car enthusiast standards). I narrowed it down to all lightly pre-owned: 2SS 1LE, ZL1 6mt, and GT350 (the Charger / Challenger Hellcat was off the list due to weight and lack of sharp handling). I drove all of them, and they were ALL 3 very impressive! I just placed a deposit on a private party 17 ZL1 6mt with 10k miles from Northern California (I live in Phoenix). Now I just have to setup closed transport and I should be in business. I've owned well over 2 dozen performance cars in my life, many of them lightly or heavily modified for performance (not cosmetics), but the ZL1 will likely be the most powerful car I've owned to date. The ZL1 would be one of the few cars that I might focus on light cosmetic mods as opposed to performance. With that kind of power, and a 3rd pedal, I think I might be all set on the performance front and retain a warranty for once in a long time. My average has been to keep a car for about 13 months, let's see if this car will last longer than that before I get the itch... __________________ Current Daily: 2017 ZL1 6mt in Black with PDR. Esthetics: Nardo Grey wrap with original black accents throughout, complete Xpel ceramic coat, Diode Dynamics markers, Smoked GM tail & 3rd brake light, C7 Carbon 1LE style Spoiler in blk, ACS splash guards, blk'd out emblems. Variant Krypton wheels in Gloss black. Performance: AWE Touring catback exhaust with resonator, Rotofab dry intake, TM throttle body, Kooks 1 7/8 Headers with Green Cats, Advanced Fuel Dynamics Flex Fuel kit with e50 blend and dyno tuned. Current Family car (for the wifey): 2021 Audi SQ5

07-01-2019, 06:56 AM	#14
Gunkk Thank you Al Oppenheiser! Drives: Red Hot A10 ZL1 Convertible Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 5,156 View My Garage	Hell yeah I'm glad! Three words: 650 Horsepower Convertible!

User Name		Remember Me?
Password