Honest Comparison GT500 ZL1 1lE (THIS IS NOT A TROLL POST)

[kilobravo]

Thank you both for your service.

You are most welcome, my friend. Your boy must be in the Air Force? I hope he stays safe.

I kept an eye on Russian Ballistic Missile subs while ya'll were sleeping. :-) Enjoyed every minute of it and I bet your son will as well.

Sponsored

 

[Arkarius]

GT500 vs ZL1 is going to come down to preference and price.

Both cars are going to outperform anything at their respective price brackets, and are built to be triple threats.

GT500 is no doubt the faster car, as it should be, since we've had the ZL1 out for 3 years already.

If you're a die-hard mustang enthusiast, then I think the choice is pretty obvious. If not, the ZL1 performs nearly as well for a lot less money.

 

[V00D00]

As someone who grew up with nothing to where I am now I'd say money is ALWAYS a factor no matter how much you have or don't have. I don't think I'd regret either and love all the ones I have now. It's some serious first world problem shit....but it's a car forum where discussing these topics is part of the fun of the ownership and enthusiast experience. Performance is also not the only metric of a car. The sound of the Voodoo is unbeatable, the whine of the Hellcats supercharger, the smell of the catless exhuast and the pure muscle car -ness of it. I'd not get rid of a one of them. On paper the GT500 out performs them all in stock for stock form. No argument from me here but if that were all this were about there would be no discussion. Clearly for you there is no discussion. We are rowing different boats here....hellcat pun intended.

Your right, there is no debate or swaying me, hence my purchase. Ive stated several times, i was in the middle of debating TT GT350 or AIM850 997.1 6MT

So, whichever you decide, doesnt bother nor affect me, we are all car people. But as i read this, what i may be lacking the vocbulary to explain, is everything you just stated, the gt500 provides, wrapped into 1 car vs several.

I can say that, as ive driven all of the cars* ( *no camaro-no need) the exclusivity and raw appreance of the 350 that you like is there ( 350 is still unique) the higher rpm roar, not 8200 but 7500. The supercharger whine - not as pronounced in stock form but will be there with an upper pulley and intake. raw tq feel. The on track handling and driving experience i assume a zl1 offers, but more refined and enjoyable for non track days.

The biggest issue i see with you, is that you dont want to get rid of the others, each is their own. I understand. so if the debate is 500 vs zl1- i would have to ask, other than price, what does the zl1 offer that the 500 doesnt, or vice versa?

it sounds like the 500 offers a lot more of the positives, a culmination of, that you enjoy from the rest of your cars, while providing the track performance of the zl1 you want.

 

[ManyfordsnoMustang]

It's some serious first world problem shit....

This is the best thing said through this whole thread and kudos to you for admitting it. None of us "need" any of the mustangs we have, a vehicle to get us from point A to B would be enough. Could be a bike, a Prius or a bus for that matter. Sounds to me as if you are just caught up in the same rabbit hole most humans get caught up in; the chase is better than the catch. With almost anything (a new house, racing bicycle, computer, investment property, gun, piece of antique furniture etc.) it is the researching, the comparing, browsing and with a car the test drives that fuel the fire, its the anticipation and bench racing that makes it so much fun. That's what you are going through now.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

You are most welcome, my friend. Your boy must be in the Air Force? I hope he stays safe.

I kept an eye on Russian Ballistic Missile subs while ya'll were sleeping. :-) Enjoyed every minute of it and I bet your son will as well.

Yes sir. Air force. He's 2 years in. On a 6 year hitch. He's a biomedical engineer. And had to give an extra 2 years to get a medical gig. But it beats the beating of going to college. And dealing with student loans.

 

[ZRacerLE]

OP, I'll offer my solution that I'm about execute:

I plan to buy a ZLE A10 this month. I'm a road race guy. The long term plan was to trade the ZLE in for a C8 Z06 in 2 or 3 years assuming they don't overheat on the track like the C7Zs. Now that the GT500 CFTP may be a world beater on the track, the plan may switch to trading in for the GT500 instead in 2 or 3 years.

The ZLE is a world class track car. Why not enjoy it for a while and then switch to the GT500 if it ends up being a whole level better?

 

[762Cat]

OP, I'll offer my solution that I'm about execute:

I plan to buy a ZLE A10 this month. I'm a road race guy. The long term plan was to trade the ZLE in for a C8 Z06 in 2 or 3 years assuming they don't overheat on the track like the C7Zs. Now that the GT500 CFTP may be a world beater on the track, the plan may switch to trading in for the GT500 instead in 2 or 3 years.

The ZLE is a world class track car. Why not enjoy it for a while and then switch to the GT500 if it ends up being a whole level better?

To answer Voodoo you are correct I don't want or need to sell any of the cars. And the biggest issue is price for what I see as pretty even cars. If I can spend half the money for 99% of the enjoyment/performance it seems the better option but that assumes we are being logical. Nothing about my garage or this crazy habit is logical. This is fun for me and for all of us. I could walk away from it all tomorrow. It's not what is actually important in life. Ultimately it's a decision I'll make in time and I like the discussion.

To the other Gentlemen's comment you are correct the hunt is part of the fun. I enjoy the research the driving the discussing. It's all part of it. But I"m not caught up in to much it's more a good forum discussion on a day I'm tied to the laptop.

To the quote above..... you are on the path I think. I've been having a private discussion with another member. I'm not gonna make up my mind today. The C8 Z06 is a while off, the GT500 for me is at least a year off so here is my current thought process. Find the appropriate dealer and put a refundable deposit on both a 2021 Gt500 and a C8 Z06. I'm out just the cost of the deposits and both are refundable. I've already spoken with one large volume Corvette dealer a member on here pointed me to in this thread.

If I bought a ZL1 1LE now I could certainly trade it on either in a couple years with little heart burn and no need to put a deposit on one as they are readily available. I'm at least a year out on another car though as I have enough to satisfy me and even I think buying another car right now for me would be ludicrous with out giving one up which I'm not doing. Congrats on the ZLE BTW. There are absolutely SMOKING deals out there right now.

Thanks again to all who have contributed to this discussion. Many options and lots of things to think about. It has kept me entertained most the day and I sincerely appreciate that.

 

[762Cat]

@kilobravo my dude....I just clicked on some of your links. Cool stuff on there man! That video of the GT500 at road Atlanta is one I've not yet seen. Also I laughed because once upon a time I lived in Corpus right across from Bob Hall Pier. Those were good times.

TRULY OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF PHOTOS! I'm usually pretty decisive on colors but it's hard on this car.

 

[jvandy50]

first off, nice garage sir.

...I’ve had a 350 and now a ZLE...i have always just looked forward to the next mustang, have ford shit all over my house/garage...that said, my 350 was a pos and i traded for the ZLE, didn’t even tell the 350 bye. people weren’t budging on manual hellcats and the ZL1 felt like an all around performer.

i always wanted the R upgrade when i had my 350, so i wasn’t going to make that mistake again...ZLE or bust. do i need it? nope. it rides rough... but my lady and little one are NEVER in this car, just me. i have a rural 30 minute 2-lane highway commute, why not have fun? the tranny(M6) is smooth and the torque is what i was missing from my 350, i fkn love torque.

if i were you I’d try to narrow down my transmission choices first, since all 3 cars you’re considering are different. i love the tr6060 in the ZLE, many love the A10, and I’m anxious to see how guys like the DCT in the 500.

from the pics you posted it appears you use these cars for their intended purpose, a ZLE on track is simply nasty. much more planted at triple digit speeds than my 350.

i refuse to join the sword fight for a 500 now, and they are essentially giving the ZLE away...who knows, i might look into one later, but for now the ZLE is the easy bargain. it’s way more for your money than the 350 IMO, but now the 500 is a different story...i think it will best all camaros on track. with your stable, i suppose i could wait a bit for the right car too.

 

[1mic]

first off, nice garage sir.

...I’ve had a 350 and now a ZLE...i have always just looked forward to the next mustang, have ford shit all over my house/garage...that said, my 350 was a pos and i traded for the ZLE, didn’t even tell the 350 bye. people weren’t budging on manual hellcats and the ZL1 felt like an all around performer.

i always wanted the R upgrade when i had my 350, so i wasn’t going to make that mistake again...ZLE or bust. do i need it? nope. it rides rough... but my lady and little one are NEVER in this car, just me. i have a rural 30 minute 2-lane highway commute, why not have fun? the tranny(M6) is smooth and the torque is what i was missing from my 350, i fkn love torque.

if i were you I’d try to narrow down my transmission choices first, since all 3 cars you’re considering are different. i love the tr6060 in the ZLE, many love the A10, and I’m anxious to see how guys like the DCT in the 500.

from the pics you posted it appears you use these cars for their intended purpose, a ZLE on track is simply nasty. much more planted at triple digit speeds than my 350.

i refuse to join the sword fight for a 500 now, and they are essentially giving the ZLE away...who knows, i might look into one later, but for now the ZLE is the easy bargain. it’s way more for your money than the 350 IMO, but now the 500 is a different story...i think it will best all camaros on track. with your stable, i suppose i could wait a bit for the right car too.

Well said, I too believe the GT500 will best the ZL1 1LE, but by how much we will have to see. The price difference is huge and that is one of a few positives the camaro has, PDR is another.

It'd be pretty bonkers if Ford put a manual in the GT500. Apparently the dct in the c8 and dct in the gt500 are in the same tremec dct family, c8 is an 8 speed and the gt500 is a 7 speed. I can honestly see Ford using the 7 speed that is proven from the ZR1 into the GT500 if they go with a manual.

 

[kilobravo]

@kilobravo my dude.

762: So glad that you enjoyed the photos and videos. That's why there where they are, so folks can enjoy them.

Funny about both being in Corpus and you living near Bob Hall Pier. That was a fun day flying the drone to make that video.

 

[Hack]

To answer Voodoo you are correct I don't want or need to sell any of the cars. And the biggest issue is price for what I see as pretty even cars. If I can spend half the money for 99% of the enjoyment/performance it seems the better option but that assumes we are being logical.

If you think the Camaro ZL1 1LE and the GT500 are going to be "pretty even", then we are in different worlds or you have a very strong bias toward the French car. Every review I have seen of the ZL1 1LE the reviewer said it is way too rough to enjoy on the streets. We all know the interior sucks and the views out of the Camaro aren't good. The transmission in the GT500 is far superior to what you get in the ZL1 1LE.

And the GT500 makes 110 more HP.

"Pretty even"? Hardly.

 

[762Cat]

If you think the Camaro ZL1 1LE and the GT500 are going to be "pretty even", then we are in different worlds or you have a very strong bias toward the French car. Every review I have seen of the ZL1 1LE the reviewer said it is way too rough to enjoy on the streets. We all know the interior sucks and the views out of the Camaro aren't good. The transmission in the GT500 is far superior to what you get in the ZL1 1LE.

And the GT500 makes 110 more HP.

"Pretty even"? Hardly.

All those points have been addressed if you've read the entire thread or even the first post and I'm sorry but you are wrong. Fully disagree on the interior the ZLE is actually a bit nicer, the ride having driven it is bad but not that bad if you are car guy and the visibility is what it is but irrelevant for track work. Performance wise the cars are pretty damn close. The A10 transmission on the ZL1 1LE is by all accounts incredible...... "A supercharged V-8 with 650 horsepower and torque means the Camaro really doesn't need 10 gears, but the shifts are so quick and the programming is so spot on that it picks the perfect gear while you're concentrating on braking. There's no need to go to the paddles"...... that is what they had to say about it at the most recent lightning lap. There is certainly not 60K of difference when compared to the CFTP. The ZLE is 15th on the list of 269 cars at lightning lap just .8 tenths behind the Viper ACR and besting cars with 4 times the price tag. For perspective the GT350R sits at 41 and it's no slouch. Is the lightning lap the only measure of a car? Hell no, but it's one example of many that refute your argument. The only place the GT500 will dominate the ZLE is the 1/4 mile on a prepped surface. Non prepped thus far (not a ton of data) is even. I still think the GT500 is the better car if it makes you feel better. Final point...110hp down 25Tq and 200-400lbs depending on scale and who you believe.

 

[gmd2003]

All those points have been addressed if you've read the entire thread or even the first post and I'm sorry but you are wrong. Fully disagree on the interior the ZLE is actually a bit nicer, the ride having driven it is bad but not that bad if you are car guy and the visibility is what it is but irrelevant for track work. Performance wise the cars are pretty damn close. The A10 transmission on the ZL1 1LE is by all accounts incredible...... "A supercharged V-8 with 650 horsepower and torque means the Camaro really doesn't need 10 gears, but the shifts are so quick and the programming is so spot on that it picks the perfect gear while you're concentrating on braking. There's no need to go to the paddles"...... that is what they had to say about it at the most recent lightning lap. There is certainly not 60K of difference when compared to the CFTP. The ZLE is 15th on the list of 269 cars at lightning lap just .8 tenths behind the Viper ACR and besting cars with 4 times the price tag. For perspective the GT350R sits at 41 and it's no slouch. Is the lightning lap the only measure of a car? Hell no, but it's one example of many that refute your argument. The only place the GT500 will dominate the ZLE is the 1/4 mile on a prepped surface. Non prepped thus far (not a ton of data) is even. I still think the GT500 is the better car if it makes you feel better. Final point...110hp down 25Tq and 200-400lbs depending on scale and who you believe.

To be fair the 0-150 mph time between the car and driver data is far from even, 3 seconds is an eternity , that and the trap speed delta despite not hooking up tells the story on straight line performance. Track performance though will be close as the alpha platform is an excellent chassis and the Goodyear 3R’s on the 1LE are almost slicks lol . I used them on my 350 R to replace the cup 2’s .As an aside I go to Roebling a lot too love it ! Here’s me in my rear wheel drive R8 from last week holding me over until my CFTP 500 comes in the spring . You can’t argue the 1LE is not the best value for track use , but specialness wise the delta may be more than the data .

 

[Moogatwo]

OP, I'll offer my solution that I'm about execute:

I plan to buy a ZLE A10 this month. I'm a road race guy. The long term plan was to trade the ZLE in for a C8 Z06 in 2 or 3 years assuming they don't overheat on the track like the C7Zs. Now that the GT500 CFTP may be a world beater on the track, the plan may switch to trading in for the GT500 instead in 2 or 3 years.

The ZLE is a world class track car. Why not enjoy it for a while and then switch to the GT500 if it ends up being a whole level better?

I second this. I traded my 350 in on a ZL1 this summer for a couple of reasons...

1. I wanted something new, and the ZL1 incentives in June were bonkers
2. I want a GT500, but would like to wait on final reviews, and ADM cooldown
3. I'm also very interested in the C8 Z06, and would like to wait and see how it shakes out

I don't plan to keep the ZL1 forever, but have thoroughly enjoyed it for what is. If you can swing purchasing one while you wait out the GT500 market I would recommend it. I'd be very surprised if the ZL1 overall "bests" the GT500 in any trim. However, for the money, in the present, it is a lot of car!

Sponsored