Camaro 6th Gen SS for street/track, educate me.

Just sold a Porsche 991S.  It was my dual duty toy, but I couldn't stand having that much money tied up in a toy.

I've had a C5 track toy and I'm very familiar with that platform.  I'd consider a C5Z06 or a C6.  Prices seem more reasonable for the 6th gen Camaro SS.  I know nothing about that platform.  I have heard that the 1LE package is good, but is it necessary for a dual use toy?  1LEs aren't common and I've found there is no reliable to search the common sites for the 1LE package.  They also seem to be double the price of a regular SS.  Is it worth it to pay a premium for a 1LE or spend the difference on improving a more common SS?  Are there any other options I should be looking for?

I'd love to rock a Challenger on the track but that seems like really heavy lifting, literally.

We recently sold a 6th gen ZL1 that we tracked.  Basically an SS 1LE with 200 more hp.  We sold it because we wanted to concentrate on our dedicated track car, and use the resources to go a different direction on the street.

The car was amazingly capable for a 3800lb monster, and IMHO an SS 1LE without the extra weight of the supercharger and associated plumbing on the front end would be even better on track.  The 6th gen Camaro has a really good chassis, and the cream of the crop is the 1LE.  IMHO you can't do better, especially for a dual duty car, by buying an SS and upgrading.

On the street, the Camaro is pretty good.  It's a lot easier to live with day to day than a 'Vette, and very comfortable with the mag ride shocks that are standard on the 1LE.  The whole outward vision complaint is overblown, IMHO, and not any worse in the real world than a current gen Mustang.  The one detractor is that the trunk opening is small.  The trunk itself is plenty roomy, but the opening makes it difficult to get larger items in there.  The rear seats are really only useful for small children or amputees.

On the track, it all works really well.  You'll be wanting 305 rubber at all four corners to be able to rotate, and track rubber in those sizes is expensive.  So are wheels.  Brake pads are also pricey, and the car is hard on both (tires and brakes) because of the weight.  One serious problem for track use is that some helmets will not fit through the side window without opening the door.  That could be a serious safety issue.

If I had to go back to tracking the car that I drive on the street, the SS 1LE would be at the top of the list.

I purchased am SS 1LE a few months ago. I also had a bolt on C5 before. I think the C5 was a little more comfortable getting in and out and it seemed like I had more room and way more visibility.

I really like the 1LE. Havent made it to a track event or autocross yet. Going to head to the drag strip in the next few week then try an autox with it.

On the street I think the Camaro is the better car. Im kind of a bigger guy and the egress with the recaros isnt the easiest, and visibility is poor, Its hard to see stop lights and the rear sight lines to the corners is almost non existent, but those are about the only gripes I have of the car. Being a newer car compared to the c5 the stuff like AC, headlights, technology, and newer mag ride make it a nicer place to be. The stock NPP exhaust also sounds great and is surprisingly quiet in stealth mode. The car rides and drives well, and handles better than my c5 did with c6 z06 shocks, sways and c5 z06 sized tires. That may be because Goodyear SC3s are considerably more grippy than the RE760s I ran on the vette. You get the stronger trans with the 6th gen compared to the C5z06.

I think the LS6 will probably be more reliable on track compared to the LT1. Not saying the LT1 is bad, but they have known valvetrain problems, not super common but it does happen. Good news is if you follow the GM maintenance schedule they will warranty it for track work. The LS6 is generally considered the most reliable LS type engine for track work in stock form. Kind of a wash with the warranty and the LT1s are pretty reliable, and with the c5 z06 may be more reliable you're on your own for repairs that may be covered with a 6th gen.

I also prefer the LT1 in stock tune over the LS1s and LS6s. The LS1 and LS6 always felt lazy to me with a stock tune. I dont know if its torque management or just the stock tune, they are completely different animals with bolt ons and a good tune though. The LT1 seems to be more versatile and have more power everywhere on the stock tune. Mat it at 1500 rpm the LT1 seems much more responsive and willing to give you everything compared to the LS1/6s ive driven. The LT1 also makes power everywhere, it will happily accelerate from 1500 rpm in 6th, makes good midrange and pulls hard all the way to 6500.

If money wasnt considered Id take the 6th gen every day over a C5. Count the cost and it becomes a harder decision, the C5 is a hell of a car in any trim for the money.

As far as modifying a SS over a stock 1le, I considered this because my wife wasnt a fan of the recaro seats. I ended up going 1LE. I like the e diff which isnt available on the normal SS. The 1LE also gets a better shifter which is much nicer, and doesnt seem like a big deal but changing a shifter on a 6th gen is apparently a big deal. IIRC the 1le gets stiffer bushings which is a common upgrade for the SSs but also a pretty big deal to have done. The 1LE gets extra coolers. The 1le gets different springs, sways, wheels, brakes, and the no lift shift is optimized for track work compares the the normal SS which is more drag race oriented. I was willing to get a 2SS with mage ride, NPP and a manual but I never found one, and now Im pretty glad I didnt. The 1LE seems to be the more complete package for track work and the track warranty is definitely worth something. I also think the 1LEs will probably hold their value a little better which is a nice thought, they arent exactly rare but they are harder to find than a normal SS, and I think they are actually a little special. If you are going 18 or newer you could do a 2SS 1le and get most of the luxury stuff you get on a normal SS. FYI if you get any 1LE with recaros it has the equipment for the heated and ventilated seats even if its not a 2SS. there are aftermarket setups to get the ventilated seats to work, Im hoping someone comes out with an OE style integration to make them work but nothing yet.

Side note: The wife really misses my C5 and wanted a C7 or C8. I considered a C6 z06 which would have been less, than I paid, and they have been my favorite vette since they came out, but I wasnt keen on spending more than 30K on a car to just immediately pull the heads and have them sent off for repair, and Im way too anxious to just let it roll. Ive also done some clutches, torque tubes, and diffs on c5s and 6s. I never want to do one again. The 6th gen and 1le seem to have less drivetrain failures, and I will be drag racing this regularly I as have all my cars, so that played a role in my decision. I have watched my friend literally eject a diff out of a stock C6 on street tires at the track. I really like the idea of a conventional clutch swap on a car Im going to beat on.

If I had to get a newer car to abuse I'd probably go this route myself.  I occassionally shop used 1LEs myself, but I'm afraid I'd buy one.  Honestly I like having cheaper cars to abuse for what I do, which is why I sold my 996.  A 20k engine rebuild if I missed a shift scared me off.  I don't care how many Subaru engines or LT-1s I blow up.  They are cheap. 

I'm on the larger side as well.  I haven't tried on a 6th gen, but I've owned both C6 and C5 vetts.  I did drive a Challenger and I thought, this is how easy it should be to get in and out of a fun car.  Part of me is inclined to get one and track prep it and just drive it for the fun of it.

It seem like the opinion is that the 1LE is worth the premium. I just wish they weren't so hard to search for on the various car platforms.  I'm not buying new so is there any reliable way to distinguish a 1LE visually?

I've not eliminated the Corvettes from consideration.  It isn't difficult to find C6Z06 that have the head issues addressed.  There are tons of nicely modded Z06s out there.  I regret selling my C5FRC that sported 450hp.  I'd even consider a Z51 2008+ C6.  Seems to me they are about the same price/hp as a C5Z06.

My searches say that price wise:

2010-17 1LE used, mid $40s (insane that you could buy new for this money if you could find one)

'07-10 C6Z06,mid $30s with decent mods

Any C5Z06, mid $20s with decent mods

I won't buy a car without a clean title, so that eliminates bargains.  I can afford any of them, but my basic cheapness likes $25k way better than $45K.  The dark side of me says Challenger, just for comfort.

The 1LE you want is 2016 or newer.  Have they really gone up that much?  A year ago, you could find '16-17 cars for ~$30k.

IIRC, 1LEs had black hoods, and the wheels were unique and 20".  This is what the factory 1LE wheels look like:

Thanks.  Why 2016+?

6th Gen (Alpha chassis) is 2016 and newer...

The 16s and up are 6th gens which are on the alpha platform, which is generally considered to be a large leap from the 5th generation. They are also lighter.

When I was searching on the major listing sites I thought I could choose 1le as a submodel.

If not and you aren't looking at 18s I believe it wasn't until 18 that the 2ss was available with the 1le so you could just choose manual and 1ss as filters which should greatly reduce search results and just scroll through and look for the black hood and 1le wheels.

The stock hood wrap sucks  and a lot of people remove it, and the 1le are super popular to upgrade to, so they aren't fail proof but are a decent quick visual cue.

The Alcantara shifter and steering wheel and Recaro are 1le only.

If you look at 18s the 2ss was available with 1le and they are pretty rare and command a slight premium.

The auto wasnt available with the 1le until the 10 speed I think, which was 19 IIRC.

The 16-18s are the pretty ones.

In the 1le groups guys are buying new ones for what people are paying for 16-18s. I think I paid 42 for mine about 6 months ago it's an 18 1ss with 900 miles. At the time I was seeing 16-18s with less than 15k miles for low 40s.

I'd definitely consider a C6 z06 once the heads are fixed. They have a stronger diff and Trans over a base C6 IIRC so that would calm some of my drive train concerns, but I still don't want to put a clutch in one, although it wouldn't be a complete deal breaker  on one. I do love those cars.

I was never a huge fan of the 5th gens but if you were open to them the 1les should be considerable cheaper than a 6th gen but I couldn't comment on how good of a package it is.