Really Confused after driving SS Hot wheels and ZL1

[Jims Mongoose]

Okay first let me say that I am a newbie at these new type hot rods. I own a 2013 2LT RS in black with some interior and exterior upgrades. I love it, but after viewing all the cars on this forum, I love them all. Each a different taste but all great rides. My last hot rod was a Ram Air IV GTO and it was real fast, very responsive.

I went to a chevy dealer today in Arizona and we first drove a Hot wheels Camaro upgraded 2SS stick. It felt slow. My son has a BMW 550i 2012 which feels faster, much more responsive. Looking up zero to sixty times they seem to be in the same ball park. 4.2 to 4.8 seconds depending if it the Camaro was a stick or who tested it.

I am considering an upgrade from my 2LT to an SS but it just didn't seem that responsive.

Okay, then we drove the ZL1 in an automatic. From 30Mph or so it felt pretty powerful, but off the line, again, it seemed to lack something making the takeoff soft. Not impressed. We had it in sport mod, that is the traction control was not completely off.

Now please don't anyone get offended I'm sure they are both fast, but does something have to be done to make them more responsive?

I know they are performance threads but has anybody experienced the same thing. Do mustangs have the same problems. (not going mustang).

Jim

[intensifi]

I drove an SS with 555 mles on it it an one with 13. The one with 555 was way more fun. I think they need to be broken in before they open up. There is also the issue of what gas was in the tank.

[Jims Mongoose]

Funny you should say that, I told my son the same thing. His BMW is way broken in. Does the higher octane gas make a difference?


Also I didn't mention it before but my son used to own a ZO6 Corvette which he bought used about 2500 miles on it. That felt considerably faster than the ZL1 Camaro. Of course the camaro is heavier but theoretically has 580 compared to the vettes 505 hp.

Are there some simple things that can make both of these machines more responsive?
Also
Still in a quandry about the 2013 SS. You see I don't like the 2014 looks, especially the back. Thinking it may be cheaper to get a 2013 2SSRS and upgrade it a lot in horsepower.

Jim

[intensifi]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

Funny you should say that, I told my son the same thing. His BMW is way broken in. Does the higher octane gas make a difference?


Also I didn't mention it before but my son used to own a ZO6 Corvette which he bought used about 2500 miles on it. That felt considerably faster than the ZL1 Camaro. Of course the camaro is heavier but theoretically has 580 compared to the vettes 505 hp.

Are there some simple things that can make both of these machines more responsive?
Also
Still in a quandry about the 2013 SS. You see I don't like the 2014 looks, especially the back. Thinking it may be cheaper to get a 2013 2SSRS and upgrade it a lot in horsepower.

Jim

Yes, there are numerous threads here about the fuse pull on the SS. If low octane gas was/is in tank,you must do the fuse pull after you refill with high octane gas.

If it was my money, I'd buy a '12 SS new, break it in hard with a catch can installed day one. There are still some on the lots. I wouldn't buy a '14 either due to the front and rear end. The '12s and '13s are better looking and cost less.

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by intensifi

Yes, there are numerous threads here about the fuse pull on the SS. If low octane gas was/is in tank,you must do the fuse pull after you refill with high octane gas.

If it was my money, I'd buy a '12 SS new, break it in hard with a catch can installed day one. There are still some on the lots. I wouldn't buy a '14 either due to the front and rear end. The '12s and '13s are better looking and cost less.

Thanks for the quick response. Okay, again I'm new. what is this fuse pull thing? Also why the 12SS versus the 13 and what is a catch can.

Jim

[Squillo]

My friend ahs the ZL1 and said for the first thousand miles or so the car felt sluggish to him. (He's always had fast cars and drives like a maniac) But after the 1000 mile mark his car is just explosive and he loves it now. HE thinks GM had some computer controlled break in period for the car.

[Jims Mongoose]

It all makes sense. i think the SS with the cheap gas and not broken in will appear a little unresponsive at first. Also it would not surprise me if GM did put a break in period in The ZL1 control system for break in considering the supercharger.

My only concern with getting a 2013SS is if Gm pulls something sneaky and ups the horsepower on the SS, say to 450 or 470, which makes sense. I mean the darn SRT8 is 470 and there are plenty of mustangs running around at 440 horsepower, boss 302's etc.



But if I'm going to upgrade it I guess it doesn't matter.

Again what is this fuse pull thing and what is a 'catch can'?

Jim

[bw26ss]

a catch can is what this thread needs to be thrown in

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by 11fastss

a catch can is what this thread needs to be thrown in

Just asking some questions, sorry if it offends you. LOL

Jim

[JimE]

How a car "feels" doesn't tell the whole story. There are numerous threads and discussions about how the Camaro "feels slow" when compared to other vehicles in it's performance group...even when the numbers show the cars are equal or the Camaro is faster. If you are looking for a car that "feels fast", there are numerous other options available.

I personally bought a Camaro because I wanted a Camaro. Not because of the performance or how it felt compared to other cars.

And you should definetly be able to feel the difference between the V6, SS, and ZL1.

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

Okay first let me say that I am a newbie at these new type hot rods. I own a 2013 2LT RS in black with some interior and exterior upgrades. I love it, but after viewing all the cars on this forum, I love them all. Each a different taste but all great rides. My last hot rod was a Ram Air IV GTO and it was real fast, very responsive.

I went to a chevy dealer today in Arizona and we first drove a Hot wheels Camaro upgraded 2SS stick. It felt slow. My son has a BMW 550i 2012 which feels faster, much more responsive. Looking up zero to sixty times they seem to be in the same ball park. 4.2 to 4.8 seconds depending if it the Camaro was a stick or who tested it.

I am considering an upgrade from my 2LT to an SS but it just didn't seem that responsive.

Okay, then we drove the ZL1 in an automatic. From 30Mph or so it felt pretty powerful, but off the line, again, it seemed to lack something making the takeoff soft. Not impressed. We had it in sport mod, that is the traction control was not completely off.

Now please don't anyone get offended I'm sure they are both fast, but does something have to be done to make them more responsive?

I know they are performance threads but has anybody experienced the same thing. Do mustangs have the same problems. (not going mustang).

Jim

Hi Jim. First, coming to any conclusion about zero to sixty based on how it 'feels' can be deceptive. the car is not going to achieve that maximum performance just becasue somebody hops in the car and floors it

That said, especially since your background involves a classic muslce car that made gobs of torque at a comparable or even lower rpm than the new Camaro SS, the seat of your pants is not deceiving you greatly.

Using your RA IV as an example, it was a relatively light car (or could have been, at least) with a lot of available torque around 2500 rpm. The feeling you had there was from the old adage: "people shop horsepower but they buy torque".

Back to the Camaro SS. From my standpoint- also from a classic muscle car that makes high torque, the throttle response can feel sluggish. Three reasons for that from where I sit:

1) High weight in the Camaro SS
2) in that heavy Camaro, you don't make a 'lot' of torque until you're past 3K rpm, with an LS3. But you need a 'lot' of torque to motivate that 4000 lb car, precisely at low rpm
3) Electronic throttle control, in my opinion and as used on these cars, negates a lot of the responsiveness due to the benefits of what tech the engine has. In short- the throttle response is not what I expect a large V8 to have.

However, once I learned to drive the way the engine wants me to drive and now how my brain says a large V8 is driven, the car performs well.

[lawman007]

Hello all! I can tell you that when I test drove the LT V6 manual, I thought it seemed to me to be slower than it actually was. To my shock when I looked at the speedometer I was actually speeding. So much for the "feeling". This actually translates to how well the car "rides". I wouldn't be so quick to compare the Beemers, Vettes, Stangs, SRT8, Viper, or any of the Camaro flavors. You're comparing apples, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits and the like. I literally had to "learn how to" drive my Camaro when I bought it. It is not like driving anything on the road since has different handling characteristics and specifications. What are the lines going to the front axle? Anyhow, I would try those vehicles you like so well 3x, and make your decision. I will tell you, that every vehicle I test drove I bought except one. Back in 1985, in the short time I test drove an '86 Ford Ranger, it had been sold as I was driving it. But since you are talking about high performance no two high performance vehicles will handle the same. I'm talking about a Beemer and a Stang, they just won't drive the same. That's what you have to get your head around. Now one Camaro SS compared to another should handle the same or similarly.

Now to get a little off topic, GT5(Gran Turismo 5) vehicles are again different and no two will handle the same on a given track. They have programmed this into the game. So you can't just get into a Mini Cooper drive it for a bit then get into a Ford Shelby Mustang and expect the same performance. Won't happen. Good luck with whatever you decide to get!
Troy Lawson

[JJKJ]

Hey Jim, if you get the opportunity, try taking a 1LE for a test drive. The more aggressive gearing of the 1LE may make it feel a bit more responsive.

[Jims Mongoose]

Really enjoying all the responses. One thing I want to make clear, I love the Camaros. All of them. Would never buy a Bimmer or anything like that. They are great cars but not what I want to feel when I drive. I like the muscle car feel. The Camaro is an awesome handling car and in my opinion beautifully styled.

I think you are all right(but who am I to judge anyway, LOL). It is a heavy car and the car I drove was not broken in. Also the electronic throttle probably does make a difference in visceral feel.

The numbers for the SS and the ZL1 don't lie and so I was really just talking about the instant you nail it. Though I wonder if its true that the ZL1 has a built in break in period in the computer since it has a supercharger.

I did notice that the 1LE had faster zero to sixty times than the standard SS, and I did not know that the gearing was more aggressive. Is that tranny gearing or rear axle?

I wish chevy gave more choice on axle ratio, just for that reason.

I love the 2013 look and so I would like to make a choice, probably will go SS and do engine upgrades.

That Z28 with the LS7 is gnawing at me though. My sons Z06 which he has now sold felt incredible. It had that quick response and pulled very strong through all the gears. Hell it is still a very fast car compared to even all the new stuff that's out even now.

No one has still told me what a catch can is.LOL

Jim