Test drove a ZL1 today

[SlingShot]

IMO anyone who says the ZL1 isn't much faster than or doesn't handle much better than a SS is on drugs. I drive one of each on a regular basis, and the SS is lethargic compared to the ZL1. You can light up the back tires of the ZL1 from a 50 roll at will. When I matt the gas from a 75 roll, it's like getting punched in the chest and pushed into the seat. The SS isn't even close to being on the same level as the ZL1.

[snackbar64]

Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel

So many pretentious people on this forum. The OP said he went with the intention of trading up, but the car didn't live up to the hype in his opinion, so he decided against it. How is that rationalizing? He hasn't denied that it is a great car. Just wasn't worth the extra money for him. I test drove one and had the same experience. I still love the ZL1s, but I can't see myself ever dropping the money on one just because to me, it isn't worth it. Just because you thought it was, and decided to pull the trigger, doesn't mean the OP is rationalizing, or jealous, or whatever other bs you want to throw out there to make yourself feel better about your car. Opinions are like ass holes folks. Everybody has one, and they all stink. Get over yourselves.

You make a few good points here, but I will say this...I wanted a house with a fireplace in the master bedroom and a 3 car garage. I ended up settling for the same house without those two creature comforts. The price difference wasn't huge, but going without those two features completely altered my home ownership experience. Now I have to park my truck outside every day and my home doesn't quite have the wow factor on the inside I was hoping for. It would have been so much easier and cheaper for me to be patient and build all of those things into the house rather then to add them later. Would I sell my house for those things now? My mind and heart say yes, but the housing market and a few other factors say no.

Same goes for the ZL1 vs the SS. It is not easy to trade up when you're upside down and something better comes along. Many would have held out on the SS if they knew the ZL1 was coming. It's a car that kind of snuck up on 2010 SS owners.

Some people regret not buying one and others are content with what they have and there's no shame in that.

I regret not building my house the way I wanted it vs settling for one already built with less features, but a year into ownership there is little I can do about it other than spend a ton of money to create a similar experience that won't quite be the same as it would from the builder. I am so glad I got it right with the ZL1.

[Toyaholic]

I recently test drove a ZL1 and expected more power. I wrote it off to not being broken in. The suspension was WONDERFUL!!! I didn't drive it too hard because it wasn't broken in and didn't feel right screwing it up for myself or anyone else.

The salesman told me to go ahead and drive it hard. Crazy that the dealers let everybody and thier brother hammer on these cars, knowing there is a propper break-in proceedure.

When we bought the SS with 20 miles on it and made sure to follow the same procedure I alwas use for the first 500 miles. That 501st mile burn out installed my permagrin!

I could be wrong about how to break in new cars, but currently hold the number 10 position on the 1/4 mile bone stock fast list with a 12.86. Didn't even drop pressures in the Perelli's. The Z is a 12.2 car and 7/10ths puts you a long way ahead in the 1/4.

Debating to go M6 or Auto. Like the idea of the auto for some road racing fun, but in my opinion, muscle cars should have a third peddle.

Word to the wise... watch how many miles on the car when you purchase it. It could be abused.

[Secret Squirrel]

Originally Posted by snackbar64

You make a few good points here, but I will say this...I wanted a house with a fireplace in the master bedroom and a 3 car garage. I ended up settling for the same house without those two creature comforts. The price difference wasn't huge, but going without those two features completely altered my home ownership experience. Now I have to park my truck outside every day and my home doesn't quite have the wow factor on the inside I was hoping for. It would have been so much easier and cheaper for me to be patient and build all of those things into the house rather then to add them later. Would I sell my house for those things now? My mind and heart say yes, but the housing market and a few other factors say no.

Same goes for the ZL1 vs the SS. It is not easy to trade up when you're upside down and something better comes along. Many would have held out on the SS if they knew the ZL1 was coming. It's a car that kind of snuck up on 2010 SS owners.

Some people regret not buying one and others are content with what they have and there's no shame in that.

I regret not building my house the way I wanted it vs settling for one already built with less features, but a year into ownership there is little I can do about it other than spend a ton of money to create a similar experience that won't quite be the same as it would from the builder. I am so glad I got it right with the ZL1.

You make a good point, but my comment wasn't aimed at the mature comments like yours. OP is content with what he has. Would he like the stuff on the ZL1? Sure, but are they really necessary for his happiness? Probably not. Beyond that though, he said he wasn't really as impressed as he thought he would be, which is more the point really. Different things impress different people. I'm in love with my car, but some people look at it and think it's a waste of money. To each their own. I don't say they are jealous, or rationalizing because they don't think what I have is worth the money to them. Whether they can afford it or not really has no bearing.

I bought my 10 SS used, after the ZL1 came out. The ZL1 was more than I wanted to spend, but I could have made it work if I wanted it bad enough...just like the OP. I'm not trying to make my car into an after market ZL1. I'm just trying to make it uniquely "mine", with a look and power level that I am totally content with. My car, as it is now, will, and has smoked a ZL1 in a straight line, but only because I added a few k in mods. I've heard the argument that if you just tune a ZL1, it really wakes it up. That may be a true statement, but if I'm going to drop 60k on a stock ZL1 that is already supercharged, I don't want to have to drop any more money in to it to "wake it up". I expect it to already be "woken up".

My expectations, as were the OPs, were that it would throw me back in my seat, and blow away my slightly modded SS. That didn't happen. Anyone else's expectations could be completely different, and so they could have had the experience they were hoping for. Again, I'm not saying a ZL1 is slow, and I am not slamming the ZL1 by any stretch of the imagination. It is a beautiful car, with some awesome features, but, to me, and apparently to OP, just isn't worth the huge price difference. That shouldn't offend anyone who happens to own a ZL1, and if it does...well, sorry.

[SlingShot]

Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel

My expectations, as were the OPs, were that it would throw me back in my seat, and blow away my slightly modded SS. That didn't happen. Anyone else's expectations could be completely different, and so they could have had the experience they were hoping for. Again, I'm not saying a ZL1 is slow, and I am not slamming the ZL1 by any stretch of the imagination. It is a beautiful car, with some awesome features, but, to me, and apparently to OP, just isn't worth the huge price difference. That shouldn't offend anyone who happens to own a ZL1, and if it does...well, sorry.

What do you expect when you compare a modded SS to a stock ZL1. With your mods you are what, within 50hp of the ZL1 and 400lbs less? Gee, maybe if you were to compare stock to stock, you may understand the price difference, and say oh WOW ...

[2012-1822]

Maybe the ZL1 isn't for everyone, but I drive mine every day and love it. Never driven a SS though.

[KMPrenger]

Originally Posted by big dave

I had the same feeling when I bought my ZL1. The car felt no quicker than my modded lt1. I would've given it a mid 12 second car at best. Seat of the pants can be deceiving though. First time at the track, the car ran in the 11s bone stock. The power delivery is so smooth and linear, it just doesn't feel like it's all that quick. The track scale said it weighed 4480 with me in it. That's where all that horsepower is going.

You need to submit your info to the 1/4 mile thread here:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21013

You'd be in the top four...and only the 4th on the list to be in the 11s stock.

Nice!

[ZL1-V]

Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel

So many pretentious people on this forum. The OP said he went with the intention of trading up, but the car didn't live up to the hype in his opinion, so he decided against it. How is that rationalizing? He hasn't denied that it is a great car. Just wasn't worth the extra money for him. I test drove one and had the same experience. I still love the ZL1s, but I can't see myself ever dropping the money on one just because to me, it isn't worth it. Just because you thought it was, and decided to pull the trigger, doesn't mean the OP is rationalizing, or jealous, or whatever other bs you want to throw out there to make yourself feel better about your car. Opinions are like ass holes folks. Everybody has one, and they all stink. Get over yourselves.

Rationalize,

b : to attribute (one's actions) to rational and creditable motives without analysis of true and especially unconscious motives <rationalized his dislike of his brother> ; broadly : to create an excuse or more attractive explanation for <rationalize the problem>

example,

"He couldn't rationalize buying such an expensive car".

[Wezbad1]

Originally Posted by Toyaholic

The salesman told me to go ahead and drive it hard. Crazy that the dealers let everybody and there brother hammer on these cars, knowing there is a proper break-in procedure.

Remind me to never buy a car in Roswell. GA

[silverds]

Originally Posted by Camaro2ss2013

I know I'm going to get flamed for this post but its my honest opinion. I found a good deal on a new 2013 Camaro ZL1 (30 miles on it) so i went to go look at it. When I pulled up a salesman came out and said yea we have it here its around back getting washed. Long story short he brought it around and threw the keys at me and said lets go for a ride. When I got in I said I'm going to put it through its paces. He looked at me laughed and said drive it how you want. I turned the traction control off and right out of the lot I had a quarter mile to the light with no one around so I floored it and ran through the gears. I was expecting to be pushed back in the seat and have perma grin from the extra horses. Instead it was a total let down. It didn't feel like it had much more power than my SS. We then took it around some corners with speed and I could tell that the suspension was better than my SS but not all that much. If I could have tracked the car my opinion may have been different. We were on a public road so I could only push it so far. I did like the transmission that was in the car. It just felt better changing gears and was a lot shorter shifts than my SS. Needless to say I went to test drive it with all intentions of trading mine in on it but I left with my SS.

By the sounds of it, you have finally gotten the hang of your 2013 2SS. I know you were having a little trouble getting the tires to spin at 10MPH with Stability and Traction control off, but it sounds like after 1300 or so miles since May, you have really started to bond with it. Congratulations, it's a beautiful car.

By the way, is this the ZL1 you test drove? Victory Red, Manual, Sunroof, Nav, Microfiber Package. There aren't that many 2013 ZL1's around, so it's not too hard to figure out where they are. I'm tempted to take this one out for a test drive myself to see what all the hubub is about. It probably has a lot more miles on it by now from your's and other folks test drives. They might just be peddling a Lemon.

[el ess A]

Drove my SS today after driving the Z. There's a major difference in ride and handling that is very discernible. The Z wouldn't be touched. The SS is broken in at 11K miles, but while it was peppy, the ZL1 had a very smooth power that came on and kept coming. I'm still not quite to 1500 miles so I haven't opened it up, but pushing the throttle at nearly any speed is a noticeable difference.

If you can't justify the cost, then so be it. Stay with the SS. It's still a winner. But if you mod your car and dump another 20K into it performance-wise, the Z would still have a warranty and you don't have to worry about matching components to work with each other. The ZL1 engineers have already done that for you.

I think it's worth it. Others may not. That's why I drive one.

[Camaro2ss2013]

Originally Posted by silverds

By the sounds of it, you have finally gotten the hang of your 2013 2SS. I know you were having a little trouble getting the tires to spin at 10MPH with Stability and Traction control off, but it sounds like after 1300 or so miles since May, you have really started to bond with it. Congratulations, it's a beautiful car.

By the way, is this the ZL1 you test drove? Victory Red, Manual, Sunroof, Nav, Microfiber Package. There aren't that many 2013 ZL1's around, so it's not too hard to figure out where they are. I'm tempted to take this one out for a test drive myself to see what all the hubub is about. It probably has a lot more miles on it by now from your's and other folks test drives. They might just be peddling a Lemon.

The SS will still not break the tires loose at a 10mph roll. Hence the reason I went to test drive the ZL1. Yes, that is the car I drove. When I drove the car it had exactly 30 miles on it. If you go test drive it let me know what your opinion of it is and see how many miles it has now.

[Secret Squirrel]

Originally Posted by ZL1-V

Rationalize,

b : to attribute (one's actions) to rational and creditable motives without analysis of true and especially unconscious motives <rationalized his dislike of his brother> ; broadly : to create an excuse or more attractive explanation for <rationalize the problem>

example,

"He couldn't rationalize buying such an expensive car".

Context brother. Do you know what his "unconscious motives" were? I would assume not, so your definition of rationalize, and the context in which you used it, was more along the lines of "to create an excuse". By your comment, you came across as

pre·ten·tious
priˈtenCHəs/
adjective
adjective: pretentious
1.
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

This is fun...

[MYDLIFECRISIS]

Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel

Context brother. Do you know what his "unconscious motives" were? I would assume not, so your definition of rationalize, and the context in which you used it, was more along the lines of "to create an excuse". By your comment, you came across as

pre·ten·tious
priˈtenCHəs/
adjective
adjective: pretentious
1.
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

This is fun...