[LESS1]

Originally Posted by pbsinternet1le

I left to buy a Mustang and came home with a Camaro.

Dodged a bullet there!!!

[drivingisfun]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Just a few extra comments for the OP:

Anyone that says that a Camaro doesn't come alive until 75mph should come for a drive with me

Sighlines are not at all "unforgiving"! ALL you have to do is adjust side mirrors properly to eliminate "blind spots".
Albeit rear cross traffic sensors in 2SS equipped cars would surely be a bonus. How the heck we all drove cars years ago with zero safety tech and didnt wreck daily is beyond me...maybe we were better drivers back then?
Or maybe getting complacent, if not lazy...
My 86 yr old auntie drives a 15 yr old car with zero tech and hasnt wrecked yet!!!

I strongly suggest you visit GM website and go thru a process of "building" a car to see what each trim (like 1SS and 2SS) will give ya. Basically, the latter is the same car but better stereo, heated/ventilated seats and safety tech and some extra bling (i think?).

Note, that "1LE" denotes a track package option on an SS (either with 1SS basic trim, or 2SS which is a loaded trim per my comment above). Either way, an SS 1LE is primariy a track focused car. Basically, mechanically identical to C7 Corvette Grand Sport plus 2 rear seats for much less money. It has the same motor, the same MRC suspension, the same ELSD, the same Brembo brakes, the same Drive Modes selections (Touring/Sport/Track) and the same PTM electronics. But it has far better Ricaro front seats.

I have a 1SS trim level SS 1LE and i love it! I routinely drive several hundreds of miles to/from track venues many times per season and this car is as rewarding as a DD, as it is on a track.
So, i am not at all surprised, that quite a few folks here own 1LEs yet dont track them much, it at all, yet love their cars.

On the other hand, the 1LE track package option costs a bit of money. So, you may also consider getting just an SS without the 1LE package, but spending your money on a 2SS trim plus MRC instead. This should save you money, while still getting you a terrific performance car plus all the bling and safety tech. That is, if saving money is important and getting max performance at a track is not.

Hope it helps. Cheers!

Much appreciated for the insight! I live in north Florida so I really want cooled seats to deal with the brutal heat we get here. I've read from many people that the Recaros are uncomfortable for longer trips, but your experiences pretty much tell me that I'll have to try them out for myself to see how they are. I'll say this, after reading your comment I'm more open to considering the 1SS 1LE. I definitely like the price tag compared to the 2SS 1LE or a heavily optioned 2SS. I just wish my 50 mile radius (or even my 250 mile radius) had manual SS/1LEs in inventory. I guess I could always test drive a lower trim Camaro with a manual transmission to get a feel for it.

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Keep in mind that due to frontend splitter most of us park in reverse. Cross traffic alert sounds nice but may not be as necessary.

Thanks for the comment! I'll keep this in mind and work on my reverse parking skills so I'm ready if duty calls.

Originally Posted by Hops

I ruminated about two years about getting a Camaro, even though my inner gear head knew with the release of the 2017 ss 1le, this was the car for me. I had many of the issues the OP had about daily use and I got too caught up with immersing myself too much online researching the car. And looking back, a lot of it was a waste of time.

Yes, issues about ride, comfort, visibility, room, are all negative in reviews, but so much depends on your specific situation and how much you weigh positives to offset the negatives. I would have gotten in a Camaro sooner if i just got some seat time in the car. I don't find the ride that bad, i have enough room to take the kids to school because i'm not tall and can move the seat forward a decent amount, the room in the trunk is fine. The visibility isn't as bad as i thought, although it did take me a few days to really know i wouldn't have serious regrets about it.


In short, i'd first suggest a long test drive or better, a couple day rental.

Thanks for your comment! Glad to hear you're having a great experience with your 1LE. I'm on the smaller side too, 5'7" 150 lbs, so it's nice to know that if I have kids during my ownership, I'll at least be able to get away with using the SS as a daily for their first 5 years or so. Right now I'm leaning towards the 2SS with MRC for the softer ride for daily driving and the cooled seats for Florida springs, summers, and falls. I do have a track that's about 100 miles away from me though so I also have the option of going to track days. I'll have to weigh that option when thinking about the 1LE package.

[drivingisfun]

Originally Posted by Jaxcam02

I agree with this. I was good and confident in the mirrors. BUT for instance, turning left and stopping in the middle median you better be either perpendicular or parallel to the traveling lanes because that quarter panel blocks your entire view if you are trying to look over your right shoulder at an angle. I ****ed up once doing that thinking I was in my truck and I couldn't see any of the oncoming traffic. I had to almost lean all the way over to the passenger window to see lol.

Originally Posted by Tyestick

Side mirror coverage:



Adjusting the mirrors will be different for everyone. Having your seat properly adjusted also ties into how well you’re able to see outside of your vehicle in conjunction with your mirrors.

I have my side mirrors adjusted to where I can see a little bit of my car, due to the fact that when motorcycles are ‘filtering/lane splitting’, I have no issue seeing them.

Originally Posted by Laststandard

A 1LE will actually be heavier than a similarly equipped SS, due to the eLSD and wider wheels / tires.

Devilishly handsome cars there, fellas! Looks like you're driving batmobiles, especially the all black one!

[dangjohnny]

What part of Florida are you at?

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by BlackbeastSS2

You couldn’t be more wrong in your statement about the wider tires. I had a 2016 2SS with 315 on rear and 285 up front. There is not comparison in handling and drivability in track conditions, I drove the 2SS for over 3 years and is a great car but now driving the 1LE it’s a dream. Have you driven a 1LE before? If not you should, there is a big difference and it’s not just the wide tires. It’s the total package, limited slip diff is the cat’s meow and getting the weight down helps a lot too. Both great models of a truly great car.

I appreciate your point, Blackbeast. The chances of anyone letting me borrow their 1LE to track it are slim to none, of course, and in all honesty my driving skills aren't close to reaching the limits of even my SS.

We all know and I did state that the 1LE is better, all I mean to say is that unless one is good enough to need the last ~10% percent of the 1LE's capability, the non-1LE with wide wheels, tires and maybe a splitter+different spoiler combo is still an excellent option.

(It's kinda unfortunate to see the subconscious self-justification and/or self-elevation aspect to all these discussions, I can't even count the number of times I saw this "total package" argument in 1LE vs non-1LE, ZL1 vs SS, 2SS vs 1SS, SS vs LT, V8 vs V6/I4 comparisons... Yeah, there are differences, sometimes major ones, but it isn't like one 6th gen Camaro is a turd and another one is the bomb, we have to keep the proper perspective.)

[Jbanta1983]

I own a 2ss 1le and it is an amazing machine to say the least but with that being said mine is not a daily driver and I don't think it would be practical for the things you have listed you wanna do with it.

[Tyestick]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

The chances of anyone letting me borrow their 1LE to track it are slim to none, of course, and in all honesty my driving skills aren't close to reaching the limits of even my SS.

You’ve shown genuine interest in purchasing a 1LE, you seem like a nice guy, and with that in mind, if you were local to me, I’d most certainly let you drive my car at a HPDE event.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Tyestick

You’ve shown genuine interest in purchasing a 1LE, you seem like a nice guy, and with that in mind, if you were local to me, I’d most certainly let you drive my car at a HPDE event.

Man, you've just made my day. Thank you

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by drivingisfun

I live in north Florida so I really want cooled seats to deal with the brutal heat we get here. I've read from many people that the Recaros are uncomfortable for longer trips, but your experiences pretty much tell me that I'll have to try them out for myself to see how they are. I'll say this, after reading your comment I'm more open to considering the 1SS 1LE. I definitely like the price tag compared to the 2SS 1LE or a heavily optioned 2SS.

Just so ya know, if you get a 1SS the Recaros that come in it are identical to the ones in the 2SS, and actually have the cooling fans and heater elements installed. They just aren't connected to power or a PWM speed controller. But Gen5DIY has you covered: for $99 or $149 they sell you a plug-and-play harness with controller that makes your cooling fans operable. I put that in mind for autocross and track days, mainly, and it works just fine. Now, obviously the 2SS has lots of other goodies that you may want. But if the cooled seats are the main attraction to 2SS for you - and in FL I totally understand that - then you can save a metric shit-ton of money by going with 1SS and using this harness. Just sayin'.

As to the comfort, I wasn't sure about that myself. But I'm 6'1" and 245lbs wearing 40"-waist pants, and I've found that after a few drives the seats break in a bit and are fine. I've now made a couple 75-minute trips (each way) and have zero discomfort for that long a drive. At 5'7" and 150lbs, I bet you'll be great. The one hassle the Recaros present is that the bolsters make ingress/egress significantly harder than regular seats. But if I can work around that, you can.

[Matos1LE]

I'm just over 6'1" and 190 lbs or so, and the Recaros are very comfortable for me. I've driven to Orlando, Sebring, and Gainsville from Miami in the 1LE and never felt uncomfortable. The car is also sweet to drive for road trips; the suspension isn't too harsh, the interior is quiet for a sports car, and there's plenty of torque on tap when you need to pass.