2013 ZL1 Vert Review - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

jmos77 · 03-02-2015, 10:29 AM

I purchased a 2013 ZL1 Convertible with 3k miles about 6 months ago and have been waiting to write a review on the car. I have owned alot of cars including 2 corvette's, CTS-V, M3, Z4 35is convertible, Audi S6 to mention a few. I am fortunate enough that I live in NC and started looking for a 4 seat convertible and a friend suggested the ZL1. After doing some research the though of a convertible version of the CTS-V had alot of appeal to me so I bought an out of state car sight unseen finished in AGM with Black wheels. I will also say that I never in a million years thought that I would actually buy a Camaro at the age of 46. I also did some work at RPM mortorsports in NC so the car is now putting down 580HP at the rear wheels. I use the car primarily for fun and never track or race the car as a frame of reference. I am dying to get it to a drag strip as I grew up not to far from Englishtown,NJ and spent many Friday nights at the strip enjoying the track.

My first impression of the car are as follows.

Appearance:
The car is simply sinister looking in person and is a fantastic looking car with a very aggressive stance. I love the look of the AGM with black top and black wheels and the car gets a ridiculous amount of attention. I almost cannot go anywhere without someone stopping me and asking me about the car. The black wheels are a perfect complement and the front and back end are very aggressive. I blacked out the tail lights and side lights to complete make the car even more of a sleeper. The car also has the carbon fiber hood as well which is a beautiful touch. All in all the looks of the car in person have far exceeded my expectations ans the fit and finish is very well done in my opinion. The last and final point on the look of the car is that kids simply go bezerk for this car. i have an 11 yr old and a 3 yr old boys and there is not a single kid on our street, at school or anywhere else for that matter that do not love the convertible ZL1. It is honestly insane how well liked this car is by almost everyone that see it.

Interior:
I guess this is where I have been the most surprised by the ZL1. My car has the Navigation, My Link and microfiber seats and steering wheel with the standard seats as a starting point. I find the seats in this car to be the most comfortable seats I have ever driven in as I am a pretty big guy with a wide beam and I love how wide the car is and how the seats simply welcome you in for long rides. I simply love them. The other feature I really find fantastic on the car is Chevy's MyLink as it is such an easy interface for any smartphone or device and allows you to enjoy all of your media and music which is very important in a convertible. My only gripe is that to enjoy drop top driving in cooler weather you really need a heated steering wheel but that exhaust makes up for just about anything.

Suspension:
One of the reasons I bought the car was that I not only wanted a fast drop top but I wanted a car that can handle as well. One of my favorite features on my CTS-V was the magnetic ride suspension as it truly gives you the best ride as if you are in a luxury car but also handles almost anything you can throw at the car. This is where the ZL1 truly shines and puts it in a class of its own. The fact that this is a large 4 seat convertible that puts out massive power and can handle the way it does is simply amazing. On top of that if you want to take a casual cruise without any fuss makes this car the perfect combinaton of jeckyl and hyde. While I have no doubt that there are cars that can do any one thing better than the ZL1 on it;s own I am not sure the car has any peers when it comes to doing them all this well and composed. The car simply handles speed so well and is ALWAYS composed from a suspension perspective. It is simply the best of both worlds.

Exhaust:
Let's just say that if you are even considering this car in a drop top do not take a ride with the top down at WOT unless you are ready to sign. You will lose all of your ability to negotiate as everyone simply reverts back to their childhood days when hearing this car. One of the mods I did was the mild/wild switch as it is a must have in my opinion for the ZL1 convertible as the car gets a euphoric snap, crackle pop sound when coming off the gas that will put a grin on your face every single time you hear it. Make no mistake this car can wake the dead and I have actually woken up my little guy when starting this car up in my garage as it is loud. The saying "loud and proud" was meant for a ZL1 without reservation. While I have not made friends with a few of my neighbors there are those that text me every time I start the car asking me to make some music when I pull down the street. I specifically make sure to gun it when pulling out of my neighborhood past the community pool just to watch every single person turn their heads to see what car could possibly be making such noise. He He

Performance:
So this is where I was originally a little disappointed as I felt the ZL1 convertible to be a little more sluggish than I anticipated. I will caution anyone that has never owned a CTS-V or a car with over 550HP to the rear wheels to come up with your own opinion on this one yourself as it still is a lot of car. Off went the ZL1 to RPM motorsports in Garner NC (GREAT SHOP FOR ZL1) for a little work and after completion the car is now everything I could have hope for putting down 580HP at the rear wheels. The car has now come to life and is incredibly responsive with ridiculous power throughout the cars power band. Needless to say I love the additional power and I think it was exactly what the car needed. This power combined with the suspension is truly the perfect combination and makes this car simply amazing in all aspects.

Tires:
Here is where I have an issue with GM as I HATED the original GoodYear's. As previously indicated I do not race or track my car and I had to replace my rear tires at 6500 miles. Not to mention that I was not impressed with the overall performance of the tire from a handling and traction perspective and I found these tires to track in a very odd way that required a lot of attention to steering inputs especially at lower speeds. I just switched to Michelin PSS and while it has been very cold here and I have pot been able to heat up the tires I can already feel the difference and like them already. I would highly recommend to anyone that this is one of my favorite changes to the OEM tires and have made a great car even better.

Transmission:
Ok so I had to buy an automatic as I need my wife to be able to drive the car and I have gotten lazy in my older years. There is a blessing and a curse with the automatic tranny in the ZL1 which you should be aware of when considering. The tranny in this car is a rock and is built to handle the power. There are quite a few examples on this forum alone on some serious HP cars still using the stock auto transmission that speak to the design and build quality and more importantly the intent of the this transmission. Now the downside. It is not a crisp quick shifting transmission and is a point of frustration as there is way too much time lag on shifts. I need to clarify this as my cirrent 2103 Audi S6 and my Z4 35iS both had automatic DCT transmissions that were simply magical. It is impossible to shift as quick as a DCT tranny and they simply do an incredible job at putting the power down and hooking the cars power to make it usable. I only hope someday that GM can find a way to build a DCT transmission that can handle the power as I think it would be a game changer. Regardless the automatic tranny in the ZL1 is incredibly reliable and can handle the current power we have in these cars. The only other gripe I have is why would GM only have steering wheel paddle shifters rather than adding a a manual function and gate to the center console selector. This is a big miss in my opinion as I still like having the feeling of a stick to change gears even if it an automatic.

ALl in all I my ZL1 Convertible is one of the best cars and one of my most favorite vehicles I have ever owned. It finds the rare balance of power, handling and outright fun that truly has no peers in the market. This car is a great example of what Gm can accomplish when it has focus. Thank you as I truly love this car.

Bigkatf1000 · 03-02-2015, 10:52 AM

Nice review! I have the same car, what mods did you add for 580rwhp?

OVERPAR73 · 03-02-2015, 11:53 AM

Joe,
Really nice review, welcome to the ZL1 vert family. You have already started your mods in the right direction. If you need any questions about any other future mod shoot me a PM. I have torn my car completely apart and put back together to get it just the way I want. I can hardly wait for the weather to turn nice, that's the only draw back, need somewhat nice weather to cruse with the top down! Again, welcome to the family, take care.

Bill

hawk02 · 03-02-2015, 01:41 PM

I second OverPar73's welcome to the ZL1 vert family.

I owned two previous SS verts (a 2011 auto and 2012 manual) so I have a little experience with 5th gen convertibles. From performance, ride and looks, the ZL1 is a totally different beast than the SS.

I find few things more pleasurable than driving my ZL1 on a warm summer evening with top down, the tunes blasting away and the knowledge that I've got all that power under the hood.

I'm with Overpar -- spring can't come fast enough. Enjoy your new ride!

blk 2013 · 03-02-2015, 03:28 PM

they do get some looks.

mdolandese · 03-02-2015, 06:18 PM

Welcome to the 2013 ZL1 Vert Family. Nice review

DDoug · 03-02-2015, 06:36 PM

I think mine is crap!

oh, wait ... I mean

It's the shit!

Sven59 · 03-02-2015, 07:34 PM

Nice job on the review, it is sometimes very hard to put into words how this car acts!
Welcome and enjoy the ride!

TOO.BAD · 03-06-2015, 03:25 PM

Great Review!
I love mine too!

omegaman · 03-06-2015, 03:43 PM

Great review. I appreciate the effort you took to write this glowing article.

KaBoom1701 · 03-06-2015, 04:07 PM

Wow...great read.

I enjoy your review.

I must be the only one who likes the OEM GY....lol

But I do track my car so maybe that is the difference....and I don't have to drive in cold sever weather like some of you do.

Any plans for a roll bar?

owhite3003 · 03-06-2015, 04:08 PM

Nice review. I do like the AGM!!

Ryanbabz71 · 03-06-2015, 04:18 PM

Nice car

Ryan

A.VEE.BEE · 03-06-2015, 05:58 PM

Sweet ride!

03-02-2015, 10:29 AM	#1
jmos77 Drives: N/A Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Cary,NC Posts: 10	2013 ZL1 Vert Review I purchased a 2013 ZL1 Convertible with 3k miles about 6 months ago and have been waiting to write a review on the car. I have owned alot of cars including 2 corvette's, CTS-V, M3, Z4 35is convertible, Audi S6 to mention a few. I am fortunate enough that I live in NC and started looking for a 4 seat convertible and a friend suggested the ZL1. After doing some research the though of a convertible version of the CTS-V had alot of appeal to me so I bought an out of state car sight unseen finished in AGM with Black wheels. I will also say that I never in a million years thought that I would actually buy a Camaro at the age of 46. I also did some work at RPM mortorsports in NC so the car is now putting down 580HP at the rear wheels. I use the car primarily for fun and never track or race the car as a frame of reference. I am dying to get it to a drag strip as I grew up not to far from Englishtown,NJ and spent many Friday nights at the strip enjoying the track. My first impression of the car are as follows. Appearance: The car is simply sinister looking in person and is a fantastic looking car with a very aggressive stance. I love the look of the AGM with black top and black wheels and the car gets a ridiculous amount of attention. I almost cannot go anywhere without someone stopping me and asking me about the car. The black wheels are a perfect complement and the front and back end are very aggressive. I blacked out the tail lights and side lights to complete make the car even more of a sleeper. The car also has the carbon fiber hood as well which is a beautiful touch. All in all the looks of the car in person have far exceeded my expectations ans the fit and finish is very well done in my opinion. The last and final point on the look of the car is that kids simply go bezerk for this car. i have an 11 yr old and a 3 yr old boys and there is not a single kid on our street, at school or anywhere else for that matter that do not love the convertible ZL1. It is honestly insane how well liked this car is by almost everyone that see it. Interior: I guess this is where I have been the most surprised by the ZL1. My car has the Navigation, My Link and microfiber seats and steering wheel with the standard seats as a starting point. I find the seats in this car to be the most comfortable seats I have ever driven in as I am a pretty big guy with a wide beam and I love how wide the car is and how the seats simply welcome you in for long rides. I simply love them. The other feature I really find fantastic on the car is Chevy's MyLink as it is such an easy interface for any smartphone or device and allows you to enjoy all of your media and music which is very important in a convertible. My only gripe is that to enjoy drop top driving in cooler weather you really need a heated steering wheel but that exhaust makes up for just about anything. Suspension: One of the reasons I bought the car was that I not only wanted a fast drop top but I wanted a car that can handle as well. One of my favorite features on my CTS-V was the magnetic ride suspension as it truly gives you the best ride as if you are in a luxury car but also handles almost anything you can throw at the car. This is where the ZL1 truly shines and puts it in a class of its own. The fact that this is a large 4 seat convertible that puts out massive power and can handle the way it does is simply amazing. On top of that if you want to take a casual cruise without any fuss makes this car the perfect combinaton of jeckyl and hyde. While I have no doubt that there are cars that can do any one thing better than the ZL1 on it;s own I am not sure the car has any peers when it comes to doing them all this well and composed. The car simply handles speed so well and is ALWAYS composed from a suspension perspective. It is simply the best of both worlds. Exhaust: Let's just say that if you are even considering this car in a drop top do not take a ride with the top down at WOT unless you are ready to sign. You will lose all of your ability to negotiate as everyone simply reverts back to their childhood days when hearing this car. One of the mods I did was the mild/wild switch as it is a must have in my opinion for the ZL1 convertible as the car gets a euphoric snap, crackle pop sound when coming off the gas that will put a grin on your face every single time you hear it. Make no mistake this car can wake the dead and I have actually woken up my little guy when starting this car up in my garage as it is loud. The saying "loud and proud" was meant for a ZL1 without reservation. While I have not made friends with a few of my neighbors there are those that text me every time I start the car asking me to make some music when I pull down the street. I specifically make sure to gun it when pulling out of my neighborhood past the community pool just to watch every single person turn their heads to see what car could possibly be making such noise. He He Performance: So this is where I was originally a little disappointed as I felt the ZL1 convertible to be a little more sluggish than I anticipated. I will caution anyone that has never owned a CTS-V or a car with over 550HP to the rear wheels to come up with your own opinion on this one yourself as it still is a lot of car. Off went the ZL1 to RPM motorsports in Garner NC (GREAT SHOP FOR ZL1) for a little work and after completion the car is now everything I could have hope for putting down 580HP at the rear wheels. The car has now come to life and is incredibly responsive with ridiculous power throughout the cars power band. Needless to say I love the additional power and I think it was exactly what the car needed. This power combined with the suspension is truly the perfect combination and makes this car simply amazing in all aspects. Tires: Here is where I have an issue with GM as I HATED the original GoodYear's. As previously indicated I do not race or track my car and I had to replace my rear tires at 6500 miles. Not to mention that I was not impressed with the overall performance of the tire from a handling and traction perspective and I found these tires to track in a very odd way that required a lot of attention to steering inputs especially at lower speeds. I just switched to Michelin PSS and while it has been very cold here and I have pot been able to heat up the tires I can already feel the difference and like them already. I would highly recommend to anyone that this is one of my favorite changes to the OEM tires and have made a great car even better. Transmission: Ok so I had to buy an automatic as I need my wife to be able to drive the car and I have gotten lazy in my older years. There is a blessing and a curse with the automatic tranny in the ZL1 which you should be aware of when considering. The tranny in this car is a rock and is built to handle the power. There are quite a few examples on this forum alone on some serious HP cars still using the stock auto transmission that speak to the design and build quality and more importantly the intent of the this transmission. Now the downside. It is not a crisp quick shifting transmission and is a point of frustration as there is way too much time lag on shifts. I need to clarify this as my cirrent 2103 Audi S6 and my Z4 35iS both had automatic DCT transmissions that were simply magical. It is impossible to shift as quick as a DCT tranny and they simply do an incredible job at putting the power down and hooking the cars power to make it usable. I only hope someday that GM can find a way to build a DCT transmission that can handle the power as I think it would be a game changer. Regardless the automatic tranny in the ZL1 is incredibly reliable and can handle the current power we have in these cars. The only other gripe I have is why would GM only have steering wheel paddle shifters rather than adding a a manual function and gate to the center console selector. This is a big miss in my opinion as I still like having the feeling of a stick to change gears even if it an automatic. ALl in all I my ZL1 Convertible is one of the best cars and one of my most favorite vehicles I have ever owned. It finds the rare balance of power, handling and outright fun that truly has no peers in the market. This car is a great example of what Gm can accomplish when it has focus. Thank you as I truly love this car. Attached Images Last edited by jmos77; 03-02-2015 at 08:06 PM.

03-02-2015, 11:53 AM	#3
OVERPAR73 2018 Garnet Red ZL1 conve Drives: 2013 & 2018 ZL1 vert Join Date: May 2009 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 1,471 View My Garage	Joe, Really nice review, welcome to the ZL1 vert family. You have already started your mods in the right direction. If you need any questions about any other future mod shoot me a PM. I have torn my car completely apart and put back together to get it just the way I want. I can hardly wait for the weather to turn nice, that's the only draw back, need somewhat nice weather to cruse with the top down! Again, welcome to the family, take care. Bill __________________ Build Thread: 2018 ZL1 Vert Purchased (Overpar73)

03-02-2015, 01:41 PM	#4
hawk02 Coupe Newbie Drives: 2017 ZL1, 2021 Corvette Convertible Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 3,281 View My Garage	I second OverPar73's welcome to the ZL1 vert family. I owned two previous SS verts (a 2011 auto and 2012 manual) so I have a little experience with 5th gen convertibles. From performance, ride and looks, the ZL1 is a totally different beast than the SS. I find few things more pleasurable than driving my ZL1 on a warm summer evening with top down, the tunes blasting away and the knowledge that I've got all that power under the hood. I'm with Overpar -- spring can't come fast enough. Enjoy your new ride! __________________

03-02-2015, 06:36 PM	#7
DDoug Drives: '13 Inferno Orange ZL1 Convertible Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: The 313 Posts: 437	I think mine is crap! oh, wait ... I mean It's the shit! __________________

03-02-2015, 07:34 PM	#8
Sven59 HAMMER PILOT Drives: 13 ZL1#182, 85 CJ7, 16 Silverado Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 4,386	Nice job on the review, it is sometimes very hard to put into words how this car acts! Welcome and enjoy the ride! __________________ "DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT THE HAMMER DOWN?"

03-02-2015, 10:52 AM	#2
Bigkatf1000 Drives: 2013 ZL1 Vert Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Albany Posts: 61	Nice review! I have the same car, what mods did you add for 580rwhp?

03-02-2015, 03:28 PM	#5
blk 2013 Drives: 2017 SS 6sp Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Carrollton texas Posts: 323	they do get some looks.

03-02-2015, 06:18 PM	#6
mdolandese Drives: 2013 ZL1 Victory Red Vert Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Wauconda, Il Posts: 315	Welcome to the 2013 ZL1 Vert Family. Nice review

03-06-2015, 03:25 PM	#9
TOO.BAD Drives: 2013 ZL1 M6 Convertible Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 260 View My Garage	Great Review! I love mine too!

03-06-2015, 03:43 PM	#10
omegaman Drives: very poorly Join Date: May 2009 Location: Glendale, Arizona Posts: 550	Great review. I appreciate the effort you took to write this glowing article. __________________ 2013 Camaro ZL1, Crystal Red, Auto, Exposed Carbon Fiber, Navigation.

03-06-2015, 04:07 PM	#11
KaBoom1701 KaBoom1701 Drives: 13' ZL1 Red M6 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: I.E. SoCal (Yucaipa) Posts: 8,630	Wow...great read. I enjoy your review. I must be the only one who likes the OEM GY....lol But I do track my car so maybe that is the difference....and I don't have to drive in cold sever weather like some of you do. Any plans for a roll bar? __________________ Mods: Roto-Fab Intake, WW Res. kit & Big Gulp Air Scoop, Elite Catch Can, ATI Super Damper & 18% OD Pulley, LF Idler pulley bracket, Metco CC breather, ID850 Injectors, Stainless Power Headers w/ ceramic coating, TR71X Spark Plugs, JMS Fuel Pump Booster, Bo White TB, Tuned by Ted @ Jannetty Racing, Ron Davis HX, D3 Reservoir, Pfadt 1" Springs, Moreno Camber Plates, ZL1 Addons Splitter guard washers, Tow Hook kit & rock guards, Hurst Shifter Billet Plus 6 Speed Short Shifter, ZL1 DRL lighting harness, ZL1 Recaro Seats.

03-06-2015, 04:08 PM	#12
owhite3003 Z-BEAST Drives: 2013 JDP ZL-850 Track Spec ZL1, Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 1,470	Nice review. I do like the AGM!!

03-06-2015, 04:18 PM	#13
Ryanbabz71 Drives: 2018 Hyper Blue 1SS 1LE Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Brownsburg, Indiana Posts: 6,231 View My Garage	Nice car Ryan __________________ Ryan * 2018 1SS 1LE Camaro Hyper Blue Metallic Car Build: http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showth...0#post10049680

03-06-2015, 05:58 PM	#14
A.VEE.BEE So Cold! Drives: Summit White 2015 2SS Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Carrollton, VA Posts: 1,154	Sweet ride! __________________