SS vs. ZL1

[Bsanf21]

Is it worth the money to upgrade from the SS to the ZL1? Should I just put the money into my car, or trade my car in and spend a lot more for the ZL1? Never driven one yet.

[Blown355]

For me it was. Had my 2010 2SS/RS for three years before trading up for a ZL1, and have not regretted it.
You get better brakes, better suspension, beefier rear, diff cooler, better looks. Oh, and an extra ~150hp. Even after cam and exhaust upgrades to my SS, it was only putting down 401 to the wheels. My ZL1 with just a 10% overdrive pulley put down 552 to the wheels.

[HDRDTD]

Originally Posted by Bsanf21

Is it worth the money to upgrade from the SS to the ZL1? Should I just put the money into my car, or trade my car in and spend a lot more for the ZL1? Never driven one yet.

Well, I can tell you this. I had a 2011 2SS/RS Vert and traded it in on a ZL1 Vert when they came out.
Is the ZL1 a lot more money? Sure it is, but I'm here to tell you that it's a WHOLE different car. all covered under warranty and designed from the get-go to be driven hard and raced and while still under that warranty.

Was it worth it in my opinion? It sure was.

Others will tell you you can put less money into modding your SS and end up with similar performance. HP-wise? sure. Overall performance, I don't think so.

Plus, when it comes time to sell the car, you'll get a far better return on your investment with a ZL1 than you would with a modded SS.

[E.T.]

Starting from scratch it might be worth it, but since I already modded the heck out of my SS, I decided to keep it and finally supercharged it.

[hawk02]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

Well, I can tell you this. I had a 2011 2SS/RS Vert and traded it in on a ZL1 Vert when they came out.
Is the ZL1 a lot more money? Sure it is, but I'm here to tell you that it's a WHOLE different car. all covered under warranty and designed from the get-go to be driven hard and raced and while still under that warranty.

Was it worth it in my opinion? It sure was.

Others will tell you you can put less money into modding your SS and end up with similar performance. HP-wise? sure. Overall performance, I don't think so.

Plus, when it comes time to sell the car, you'll get a far better return on your investment with a ZL1 than you would with a modded SS.

I have to second HDRDTD's comments. I traded a 2012 2SS convertible for a ZL1 convertible back in January. To get all that power and ride with a full factory warranty was a no brainer as far as I was concerned.

[dmax86]

ive modded the crap out of a SS. yes you can make it faster for about the same dime but im telling you.... its a totally different car! they share some body lines! lol

the ZL1 is a better all around platform. my ss went from stock ~380 rwhp to 415 with cai lt's and tune... then ~528rwhp with cnc'ed heads BIG cam ported TB and intake manifold... then but a blower on and made 638 rwhp then meth and bigger blower with fuel system and ended up with 873hp and 704tq.

car was too much like a race car... for my taste with daily driving.

i got the ZL1 and there is no turning back! now with the Z modded im making 728rwhp and 701 rwtq with stock drive ability!! and just injectors no fuel system

all this said..... BUY A ZL1!

[Juiced1]

If you're just looking for power we would recommend to just keep your SS and mod it (keeps guys like us in business too....lol). You can pull a lot of power out of your SS with the money you would need to upgrade to a ZL1. The ZL1 runs a TVS1900 blower which is great but you can easily find a bigger better blower that will out perform it for cheaper. If you want the power and a daily driver, you can't pass up a ZL1. If you're looking to hit the race coarse then the ZL1 is the only way to go. The suspension is flat out amazing!

[DangerZL1]

I wasn't too keen on the Mag ride suspension before I bought the ZL1 and would have gladly excluded it from the car if it had of been an option. However, it ended up being my second favorite feature of the car next of course to the power. The suspension gives the car the ability to ride like a luxuary car in the touring setting and it handles bumps and dips ion the road better than my Honda. Its something you have to experience.

[kmthor00]

Coming from a guy who has heavily modded 3 different C6 corvettes you will never see the return on investment on a modded car vs one that came from the factory with same equipment. Had a twin turbo 2007 C6 with widebody, original owner had over $80K in it (including car), I bought it with under 2K miles, $41,900. Now buy a ZR1 new for let's say $125,000 & sell it with 2K miles, you'll get a whole lot more than 50% for it.
Get the ZL1! Better resale.

[BlemsBumble]

You should drive one first before you decide, if you get the opportunity. Some have been less than awed by the acceleration out of the hole. I ordered mine on faith and wasn't disappointed. After 10 months the car is operating flawlessly. Is it worth the extra money? I dunno. I do know I made the right decision to move up from the SS.

[SSBN625Starr]

The ZL1 is already a much admired piece of engineering! You can own a very nice sporty SS or you can own a future classic muscle car/pro touring car. I bought the ZL1.

[sportyb24]

ZL1 is the way to go!! In all aspect !

[Mister Will]

I have also been milling this around in my head. While I definitely like the performance figures, poer, and suspension. I wish the car was lighter and get just a little better gas mileage. But if I went with a ZL1 I would be done. Forget mods and leave it stock. Now a 1LE would be a cake walk when comparing the price. But then I would probably want to mod it immediately with bolt ons. Then I would be back into a modded car, no warrantee, and potential breakdowns.

I'll probably make a dealership tour after the '14 come out for some research. I probably won't make a move till after the first of the year.

To anwser the OP's question. I would say no. You could install a supercharger and a suspension package. This would yield ZL1 number on a dyno, and handle better on the raod. But then you just spent a lot of time, money, and effort to lose your warranty, shorten the life of your car, and devalue your trade in. All when you could have just purchased what you wanted off the showroom floor.

[Bsanf21]

Lots of good answers, but I guess for me, keeping the SS and modding it is what I can afford for now. Thanks