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

[Boss2013]

Wut.

He said, "they are built for abuse". I simply stated that driving a track-intent/engineered vehicle on a track is not abusing it. The only people who worry about track mileage on a car like the ZL1 or GT500 are those that are looking at the car as some sort of investment or are more concerned about resale value than actually taking full advantage of what they have purchased. And there is nothing wrong with that. It's their money to spend as they please.

I paid $5K over MSRP for my 2016 GT350R, drove it daily to work, participated in multiple track events and amassed over 18,000 miles on it before I sold it for the original MSRP 16 months later. The buyer was looking for a car to track, and the car fit the bill.

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[damiansmith]

This is long. I'm post op sinus surgery stuck on the couch.....help me out I really have nothing better I can do.

I have two Hellcats and a GT350. A ZL1 1LE has been calling my name for a long time. I'm in the ZL1 1LE vs Gt500 mental debate and would like to discuss it with some of the people most informed on the subject. I belong to Hellcatforum.org....the will tell me both suck. I belong to Camaro6 they will tell me of course it's the ZL1. I suspect I'll get it's the GT500 here but here but I expect this crowd to be the most well informed on the new GT500 and I know a few have at least driven it in Vegas or taken delivery now.

The problem is I can get a brand new 2020 Zl1 1LE in the A10 transmission for 61k. Is the GT500 worth the premium with even and MSRP deal base model costing 80K? I've driven the Manual ZLE (for short) and loved it. That being said I bought a GT350 instead. Mostly because it felt more special and it was something very different than what i currently owned and I got it for a better deal. At the time 68K was the best ZLE deal out there and I paid 55900 OTD for a 2019 GT350.

Performance wise the cars I think are going to be very very close. Ford says 3.3 0-60 and 10.7 1/4 mile. We've seen 3.3 via stangmode and 10.6 twice now. Motor trend says 3.6 and 11.4 in their testing which is close to their ZL1 testing of 3.3 and 11.4. Both on unprepared surfaces as MT does. The 500 puts down 760hp so it's up by 110 but it's down 25lbs of torque and it weighs close to 400lbs more depending on your source being Ford or a kid on youtube. All in all it points to a very close match up. The ZLE has a big wang that produces I believe slightly more down force than the Fords and does so with out adding 18500 dollars to the equation. It also wears massive 325 wide tires out back that I can say from experience hook very well even in first gear. The Ford has the Dual clutch which by all accounts is phenomenal. The A10 Zl1 is also by all accounts amazing.....see the most recent lightning lap testing. The ZLE has proven on track performance at the Ring and many others. The GT500 no doubt in my mind will be as good or very close and perhaps slightly better in the CFTP variety but it seems Ford has no interest in official lap time testing and for whatever reason other publications aren't sharing the numbers either. Ford will be and is faster in the 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and probably the standing mile. After that it's limited to 180 whereas the ZLE tops out officially at 199 with it's non 1LE brother at 202. Who cares? I do a little bit as somebody who has taken his Hellcat to the Kennedy Space center for 2 mile runs and has had both Cats well past the 180mph mark on more than one occasion. Is it that important? No....but it's another measuring stick for the comparison. Even with the GT500 being definitively faster in the 1/4 its worth noting after years of trying ZL1 owners have only managed 10.9s in a stock form much to their dismay and even on a drag radial. Relevant because the ZL1 has good traction control and torque management that helps it hook up in the real world but that hurt it on a prepped surface. I wonder if the Gt500 will be the same or if it will truly benefit from a Drag Radial. The Hellcat is the opposite. It NEEDS a drag radial and benefits significantly from it.

I've seen both interiors. The Camaros recaros are a bit nicer being electrically adjustable and heated and cooled but I rather like the interior of my 2019 GT350 with the carbon fiber and the GT500s is a bit nicer with the better recaros. All in all I think its a wash. The visibility is TERRIBLE in the camaro but I've driven it with no issues and I'm not buying the car to go sight seeing in. The ride is not so great but IMHO not so bad either. The 500 will no doubt be more livable on the street though and certainly for passengers.

All this being said and if you are still with me (thank you) I think the GT500 is the better car and like the 350 will feel more special. But is it 20-60K more special? At the high end of that is room for a nice truck or a significant down payment on say a 65 Cobra (replica of course BackDraft of Superformance) or Ariel atom. Then of course there is the trying to get one game. All rational thinking points me to the ZL1 but this isn't a rational thing.....this is the need for speed and the passion for automobiles. Something greater that the 500 will come eventually. It may even be soon with the C8 Z06. The mental debate continues. The greatest mustang ever built or the greatest Camaro ever built? I have no brand loyalty but I do love and respect Carol Shelby and the history tied to the car even though it's very much Ford Performance product now. Let's not forget also, a Cobra is much cooler than alphabet soup. Interested in constructive thoughts.....hell at this point even A-hole comments would be entertaining.

Hey 762 - how do you get to drive Kennedy Space Center??

I never knew that was an option - google isn't helping me find out how I can do this - I would make a Florida driving holiday to fit something like this in

 

[oregongt350]

Love him or hate him, kudos for putting out content.

Love him or hate him, kudos for putting out content.

I'll tell you one thing the kid has converted me from having a semi garage queen to doing with these cars what they are designed to do.
Looking forward to my upcoming 500, sure going to miss my 350......................

 

[762Cat]

Hey 762 - how do you get to drive Kennedy Space Center??

I never knew that was an option - google isn't helping me find out how I can do this - I would make a Florida driving holiday to fit something like this in

https://www.jbprovinggrounds.com/

This should get you going. They do out past a standing 2.3 mile now. It's amazing.

Pro Tip. When the wife and I went we Air BNB'd a condo on the beach with a nice little garage to tuck the car into. Plenty of great restaurants and stuff to do near Cape Canaveral. I think we stayed in Coco Beach? You can make a great trip out of it. Ideal time of year is JAN-FEB for good dense air and good weather wit out the summer Thunder Storms.

 

[ZRacerLE]

Driving a car built for a specific purpose is not abusing it. Are you abusing your XBox/Playstation when you are playing Call of Duty? Are you abusing your hammer when you drive nails?

I try to abuse mine, ha!

 

[ZRacerLE]

762, why not buy the ZLE and trade it in in a few years after the GT500 has had time to prove itself and prices lower?

 

[jvandy50]

762, why not buy the ZLE and trade it in in a few years after the GT500 has had time to prove itself and prices lower?

Add in the caveat to get year-end models or wait til the 15% discount! The camaro/vette tank much harder than the shelby variety IMO.

 

[ZRacerLE]

Add in the caveat to get year-end models or wait til the 15% discount! The camaro/vette tank much harder than the shelby variety IMO.

Yep, love it. Shop nationwide and push hard enough and ZLEs can be had for 18% to 20% off. I'm the type that brags about my bargain rather than how expensive my cars were, ha!

 

[shogun32]

or wait til the 15% discount! The camaro/vette tank much harder

15% discount? Where you be shopping? 19% off a 2020 SS/1LE and 25% off 2019 Corvette Z51/2LT is not unusual around here.
True, the Shelby's are harder to find with more than a 11% discount despite being end of year.

 

[762Cat]

762, why not buy the ZLE and trade it in in a few years after the GT500 has had time to prove itself and prices lower?

Oh I've thought about it. Still might happen. When I'm seeing 2019 A10s for 61k.....

 

[ZRacerLE]

Oh I've thought about it. Still might happen. When I'm seeing 2019 A10s for 61k.....

Yep, you could have a lot of fun waiting for that GT500 price to come back to earth!

 

[V00D00]

i dunno, with all th fun im having and the performance and attn im getting, base gt500 at sticker has been a blast.. and i havent even really taken it out yet

 

[ZRacerLE]

i dunno, with all th fun im having and the performance and attn im getting, base gt500 at sticker has been a blast.. and i havent even really taken it out yet

Worth every penny I'm sure! That's a great deal for a new hot car. I'm looking forward to seeing these bad boys on the street.

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