From yuppie to mullet.. Considering a SS camaro

[nycplumber]

What about the Chevy SS? I think it's a great car

[M.Power]

The new SS is fast as f*ck. I drove a manual one a few months back and it was nice... but as soon as I took a turn I realized why BMW is much better, it can't handle for shit. Plus the interior sucks too.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by 65fastback

Sounds like your ready for a change, no matter what anyone says i think you'll end up in a camaro.

Domestic late model hot rods have gotten better recently with interior design, fit & finish ect........ for a short time i owned a 2015 6 speed manual dodge challenger scat pac it had the 392 485 hp motor.
The short story is.... i regretted the purchase within a week.
Keep your m3 if possible... if not.... go for it, you can alway's buy or trade for a newer M3.

Interesting, after 3y with the M3 I have started to play with the idea whats next. I think the Challenger looks really good, seems to come out ok from the few reviews I saw. A few lines from you on this would be great. (just a quick one OP!)

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Interesting, after 3y with the M3 I have started to play with the idea whats next. I think the Challenger looks really good, seems to come out ok from the few reviews I saw. A few lines from you on this would be great. (just a quick one OP!)

probably because they handle like garbage. i have never encountered a charger/challenger at the track that wasn't moving at the pace of a frickin' miata.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

probably because they handle like garbage. i have never encountered a charger/challenger at the track that wasn't moving at the pace of a frickin' miata.

Got it. I don't track but for sure still highly appreciate handling, coming handy and good fun also on regular street driving. Again only at the beginning of a possible process to change, sucking up info.

Cheers

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Got it. I don't track but for sure still highly appreciate handling, coming handy and good fun also on regular street driving. Again only at the beginning of a possible process to change, sucking up info.

Cheers

the charger/challenger is the only "performance" car (in that $ range) i haven't driven. i just don't have it in my to go to a dealership and fake that i'm interested in that car.
i actually like the hellcat's interior/exterior styling. i'd probably love it as a daily driver if it was free or something. i'm glad that it exists (horsepower wars among manufacturers). i just think it would be a bummer on a road course.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

the charger/challenger is the only "performance" car (in that $ range) i haven't driven. i just don't have it in my to go to a dealership and fake that i'm interested in that car.
i actually like the hellcat's interior/exterior styling. i'd probably love it as a daily driver if it was free or something. i'm glad that it exists (horsepower wars among manufacturers). i just think it would be a bummer on a road course.

The Hellcat is way over my leage, simply wouldn't be able to enjoy that power anywhere here. They are in my book also too expensive for an "American" over here. My thought mainly went to 392 so far. Ah well, we'll see.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

The Hellcat is way over my leage, simply wouldn't be able to enjoy that power anywhere here. They are in my book also too expensive for an "American" over here. My thought mainly went to 392 so far. Ah well, we'll see.

doesn't have to be a hellcat. i guess i'm trying to say they are novelty cars to me. lots of power to brag about, but cheap everywhere else.

[65fastback]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Interesting, after 3y with the M3 I have started to play with the idea whats next. I think the Challenger looks really good, seems to come out ok from the few reviews I saw. A few lines from you on this would be great. (just a quick one OP!)

OK a quick report... btw this is just one mans opinion

They are BIG & heavy! 4500 lbs! its something you won't notice until you drive one. Mine was a 6 speed manual , the autos are faster.
they have a onboard 0-60 timer the best i could muster in many many attempts is 4.8 sec. and that was only 1 time.
The OEM exhaust sounds great however its very loud and you get LOTS of cabin noise and drone at times...yep!
fit and finish is not on par with a m3 not even close... seems they may not hold up as time goes by. the carpet is cheap! the interior materials in general are cheap. but look nice when new.

I could go on but trying to keep it short.

Bottom line for me...great place to visit but i don't want to live there.

[65fastback]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

doesn't have to be a hellcat. i guess i'm trying to say they are novelty cars to me. lots of power to brag about, but cheap everywhere else.

THIS ^

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Move Over

Yeah, haven't really told many people about it around here because I feel like a fool. Pulled apart a perfectly settled M3 (luckily I haven't sold it yet). After driving the Z06 for the last few weeks, it's too much of a car for me and where I ma at in my "tracking" career. It's downright scary at the limit, where the M3 is...manageable. Maybe I don't have big enough cahunas. Who knows.

The quality is just simply not there, to get it ready for the track, i'm spending almost twice as much as the M3 mods. It NEEDS brakes, cooling, oil supply mods, seats etc at the bare minimum. Parts are right there as costly as the M3, but you need MORE to make it reliable. Should have done more research. The overall learning experience of it is just beyond my patience, so I think I am going to sell it and rebuild my M3 for the track. I love it too much, and just don't think I can let it go.

Trade Z06 for a cayman

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Move Over

Yeah, haven't really told many people about it around here because I feel like a fool. Pulled apart a perfectly settled M3 (luckily I haven't sold it yet). After driving the Z06 for the last few weeks, it's too much of a car for me and where I ma at in my "tracking" career. It's downright scary at the limit, where the M3 is...manageable. Maybe I don't have big enough cahunas. Who knows.

The quality is just simply not there, to get it ready for the track, i'm spending almost twice as much as the M3 mods. It NEEDS brakes, cooling, oil supply mods, seats etc at the bare minimum. Parts are right there as costly as the M3, but you need MORE to make it reliable. Should have done more research. The overall learning experience of it is just beyond my patience, so I think I am going to sell it and rebuild my M3 for the track. I love it too much, and just don't think I can let it go.

sell z06. buy cayman in link below. install crate engine, gut car, slay at the track.
http://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-m...as-blowby.html

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Trade Z06 for a cayman

I will never understand why so many people here recommend the cayman. The boxster is the bitch car of Porsche, and the cayman looks like a boxster. hell porshce even puts them under the same "718" section on the website now. I am sure its a great drivers car, but to spend 60-75k on that car? wow

[Bucki14]

Can't deny the SS, loves my friends 1LE and would love to own one myself. But, I can't see myself replacing my m3 for one. The ss driving view and interior tightness is just not cutting it for me. But the sound..that muscular roaring engine with long-tube headers is a glorious one.

[Bucki14]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

the charger/challenger is the only "performance" car (in that $ range) i haven't driven. i just don't have it in my to go to a dealership and fake that i'm interested in that car.
i actually like the hellcat's interior/exterior styling. i'd probably love it as a daily driver if it was free or something. i'm glad that it exists (horsepower wars among manufacturers). i just think it would be a bummer on a road course.

Lol, unrelated...but I'm so glad I'm not the only one to admit faking interest to get a test drive of the car to knock it off said bucket list....

[loveskiing]

Originally Posted by Bucki14

Lol, unrelated...but I'm so glad I'm not the only one to admit faking interest to get a test drive of the car to knock it off said bucket list....

This
+1

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Bucki14

Lol, unrelated...but I'm so glad I'm not the only one to admit faking interest to get a test drive of the car to knock it off said bucket list....

i knew i wanted a v8 m3, but i wanted to try other flavors. i drove a 2012ish mustang gt (liked it, it impressed me), a 2011 camaro ss (felt slow, sluggish, sucky), mercedes c63 (liked it, but didn't have enough of a sporty feel). i actually tried to drive a vette, but they acted like they were special or something. when i drove the c63, they didn't even ask for my license. i also tried to drive a cts-v, but the dealer didn't have any (and i didn't really want to).

[Flying Ace]

They do look good

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by 65fastback

OK a quick report... btw this is just one mans opinion

They are BIG & heavy! 4500 lbs! its something you won't notice until you drive one. Mine was a 6 speed manual , the autos are faster.
they have a onboard 0-60 timer the best i could muster in many many attempts is 4.8 sec. and that was only 1 time.
The OEM exhaust sounds great however its very loud and you get LOTS of cabin noise and drone at times...yep!
fit and finish is not on par with a m3 not even close... seems they may not hold up as time goes by. the carpet is cheap! the interior materials in general are cheap. but look nice when new.

I could go on but trying to keep it short.

Bottom line for me...great place to visit but i don't want to live there.

Cheers Fastback. Believe you just made me take the Challenger of my list.

[Subw00er]

I posted this on the ss forum.. thought I'd share here too. I offer some comparos to my current c7 and (now gone) m3. FYI, I got 24500 for my car and OTD I paid $11200 for the camaro 2ss with mag suspension, adjustable exhaust, magnetic paint and sunroof! I'm very happy with the change so far.
-----------------------

Picked up my 2ss coupe today. Very stoked!



I originally wanted a white on red car, but the last perfect one was sold out from under me at Diver Chevrolet (nice folks, I was just too late - anyone on here buy that one last month?!) I looked for several weeks for the perfect car - I basically know the details inside and out of every car in the entire northeast. I ended up at Mirak Chevrolet in Mass. Nice people over there! Special thanks to Jonathan, Mark, Judy and Jim for their help during negotiations - very professional, upfront and courteous people. I r-an across a few scummy dealerships, and walked away from one good deal that smelled bad. I'm glad I did.

The car has the core good stuff: Magnetic suspension, NPP Exhaust and sunroof - missing the red interior and black wheels, but will try and fix that going forward. It also came with metallic paint, which on a rainy cloudy day like today, I couldnt really even tell it was metallic.. Anyway, the car seems perfect so far, and I really enjoyed the long ride home.

Couple random observations of a m3 and c7 owner..

-I was really worried about being able to see out. I traded my e92m3 in on it, and it has great visibility, but I also own a c7, so I was hoping I'd be ok. What I thought would take a week or two to get used to, took a couple hours. I was really happy about this because it was my largest concern.

-My second largest concern - fitting kids in the back is satisfied by putting one kid up front with the seat pushed forward and the other kid behind - that way they both have leg room. If we need to ride as a family, we'll take the wife's car, but if the very rare occasion we all need to fit in, its doable, but certainly not a long distance solution. I'm ok with this sacrifice though because it will be a rare event. Its nice to have the kids out of baby seats and into boosters!

-The other SS I drove didnt have the sunroof. That really opens up the cockpit and makes it feel less claustrophobic. I"m very glad my car is spec'ed with it.

-Anyone who compares this car to a standard GT (even with performance suspension), or a challenger (even with scat), is out of their mind. This car is in another league in every way that matters to a real enthusiast driver. In my research, I drove both of those cars, alone, for an hour and I got a good feel for them cruising and at the limit. The others are muscle cars, the camaro is a sports car. It feels a LOT like my c7 actually, just a bit softer everywhere - suspension, road feel, interactiveness, but comfort is improved, and hey, it has 4 seats! FWIW, I tracked my c5 z06 for years and when I retired from club racing, I was class champion. I dont say this to impress you, just give you perspective on my opinion.

-The seats are comfy, but I wish they adjusted back more and had bolster adjustment. The m3 seats are a lot more adjustable, but less comfortable. The vette seats are too thin at the hamstrings and I find them pretty uncomfortable. My c5z06 seats were much more comfy.

-The heated steering wheel is as good as the lexus and bmw I've owned and the heated seats, although not as good as the above, are a lot better than my c7. It actually makes me wonder if my c7 seats are not working properly. The cooled seats are also superior to the c7.

-The lighted door sill was a nice surprise, I saw that as an accessory and assumed it was extra. I also like playing with the dash lighting color, although I found it a bit bright at night - I didnt see a way to dim them. Is there a way?! I also wish I could choose what colors were used for each driving mode.

-Road noise was bearable - 20% higher than my M3, but lower than my c7. The exhaust on the SS appears to be louder than in my C7 - I cant really hear the exhaust in it. I have NPP on both.

-Stereo is not as good as my M3's (its about 80% as good, I had the pricey upgraded one), but good enough to not complain too much. I might upgrade it down the road if I get bored.

-My car doesnt have NAV, but holy cow, apple car play is awesome. Even if I did have nav, I'd use the car play, so if you're spec'ing a car and have an iphone skip the $500 nav option. VERY happy with carplay, neat stuff and hopefully more apps will come out down the road. I also used the audible player to listen to "Martian" on the way home - made the trip much more bearable!

-The silver wheels look a lot better in person than online. I'd still prefer the black split spoke for sure, but these rims dont photograph well. I think its their sheer size that make them more attractive.

-I've ordered some parts as part of the deal - Sema red hot grille, red knee pads, red stitched matts, lighted black emblem and rear black emblem, and front and rear mudguards. I also ordered a few red dye pens from Amazon to dye the white stitching red. Its a good start! Thanks for everyone's help on here.

I think thats it for now. I'm very sad to have traded in my M3, it was a great car, but after 8 years, it was time for a change, and although it was very reliable, it felt a little like a ticking time bomb. I chose wisely! The camaro has the gadgets and reasonable functionality of my M, and heart and soul of my C7. Chevy totally has their shit together these days. These cars are fast, modern and well built.

BTW, here is my toy history (roughly in order):
'88 Jetta GLI (first car!)
Nissan Maxima SE
Golf GTI
Audi TT
350Z
s2000
Maxima SE
C5 z06
Fx35
WRX STI hatchback (POS!)
e92 M3
e46 m3 vert
Z4 3.5i
Lexus es350
C7 z51 (current)
BMW 335i GT (current)
Camaro SS (current)

Bikes:
BMW F650gs
BMW R1150R
Kawasaki Z1000
Triumph Thunderbird SE
Royal Enfield C5
BMW S1000r (current)

[roastbeef]

getting a new toy is always fun. congrats on the pickup.

[65fastback]

Originally Posted by Subw00er

I posted this on the ss forum.. thought I'd share here too. I offer some comparos to my current c7 and (now gone) m3. FYI, I got 24500 for my car and OTD I paid $11200 for the camaro 2ss with mag suspension, adjustable exhaust, magnetic paint and sunroof! I'm very happy with the change so far.
-----------------------

Picked up my 2ss coupe today. Very stoked!



I originally wanted a white on red car, but the last perfect one was sold out from under me at Diver Chevrolet (nice folks, I was just too late - anyone on here buy that one last month?!) I looked for several weeks for the perfect car - I basically know the details inside and out of every car in the entire northeast. I ended up at Mirak Chevrolet in Mass. Nice people over there! Special thanks to Jonathan, Mark, Judy and Jim for their help during negotiations - very professional, upfront and courteous people. I r-an across a few scummy dealerships, and walked away from one good deal that smelled bad. I'm glad I did.

The car has the core good stuff: Magnetic suspension, NPP Exhaust and sunroof - missing the red interior and black wheels, but will try and fix that going forward. It also came with metallic paint, which on a rainy cloudy day like today, I couldnt really even tell it was metallic.. Anyway, the car seems perfect so far, and I really enjoyed the long ride home.

Couple random observations of a m3 and c7 owner..

-I was really worried about being able to see out. I traded my e92m3 in on it, and it has great visibility, but I also own a c7, so I was hoping I'd be ok. What I thought would take a week or two to get used to, took a couple hours. I was really happy about this because it was my largest concern.

-My second largest concern - fitting kids in the back is satisfied by putting one kid up front with the seat pushed forward and the other kid behind - that way they both have leg room. If we need to ride as a family, we'll take the wife's car, but if the very rare occasion we all need to fit in, its doable, but certainly not a long distance solution. I'm ok with this sacrifice though because it will be a rare event. Its nice to have the kids out of baby seats and into boosters!

-The other SS I drove didnt have the sunroof. That really opens up the cockpit and makes it feel less claustrophobic. I"m very glad my car is spec'ed with it.

-Anyone who compares this car to a standard GT (even with performance suspension), or a challenger (even with scat), is out of their mind. This car is in another league in every way that matters to a real enthusiast driver. In my research, I drove both of those cars, alone, for an hour and I got a good feel for them cruising and at the limit. The others are muscle cars, the camaro is a sports car. It feels a LOT like my c7 actually, just a bit softer everywhere - suspension, road feel, interactiveness, but comfort is improved, and hey, it has 4 seats! FWIW, I tracked my c5 z06 for years and when I retired from club racing, I was class champion. I dont say this to impress you, just give you perspective on my opinion.

-The seats are comfy, but I wish they adjusted back more and had bolster adjustment. The m3 seats are a lot more adjustable, but less comfortable. The vette seats are too thin at the hamstrings and I find them pretty uncomfortable. My c5z06 seats were much more comfy.

-The heated steering wheel is as good as the lexus and bmw I've owned and the heated seats, although not as good as the above, are a lot better than my c7. It actually makes me wonder if my c7 seats are not working properly. The cooled seats are also superior to the c7.

-The lighted door sill was a nice surprise, I saw that as an accessory and assumed it was extra. I also like playing with the dash lighting color, although I found it a bit bright at night - I didnt see a way to dim them. Is there a way?! I also wish I could choose what colors were used for each driving mode.

-Road noise was bearable - 20% higher than my M3, but lower than my c7. The exhaust on the SS appears to be louder than in my C7 - I cant really hear the exhaust in it. I have NPP on both.

-Stereo is not as good as my M3's (its about 80% as good, I had the pricey upgraded one), but good enough to not complain too much. I might upgrade it down the road if I get bored.

-My car doesnt have NAV, but holy cow, apple car play is awesome. Even if I did have nav, I'd use the car play, so if you're spec'ing a car and have an iphone skip the $500 nav option. VERY happy with carplay, neat stuff and hopefully more apps will come out down the road. I also used the audible player to listen to "Martian" on the way home - made the trip much more bearable!

-The silver wheels look a lot better in person than online. I'd still prefer the black split spoke for sure, but these rims dont photograph well. I think its their sheer size that make them more attractive.

-I've ordered some parts as part of the deal - Sema red hot grille, red knee pads, red stitched matts, lighted black emblem and rear black emblem, and front and rear mudguards. I also ordered a few red dye pens from Amazon to dye the white stitching red. Its a good start! Thanks for everyone's help on here.

I think thats it for now. I'm very sad to have traded in my M3, it was a great car, but after 8 years, it was time for a change, and although it was very reliable, it felt a little like a ticking time bomb. I chose wisely! The camaro has the gadgets and reasonable functionality of my M, and heart and soul of my C7. Chevy totally has their shit together these days. These cars are fast, modern and well built.

BTW, here is my toy history (roughly in order):
'88 Jetta GLI (first car!)
Nissan Maxima SE
Golf GTI
Audi TT
350Z
s2000
Maxima SE
C5 z06
Fx35
WRX STI hatchback (POS!)
e92 M3
e46 m3 vert
Z4 3.5i
Lexus es350
C7 z51 (current)
BMW 335i GT (current)
Camaro SS (current)

Bikes:
BMW F650gs
BMW R1150R
Kawasaki Z1000
Triumph Thunderbird SE
Royal Enfield C5
BMW S1000r (current)

Hope you update this once the "new car" high has worn off.
After years of owning lots of car's i have come to the conclusion the m3 is the perfect size car for my taste. (wondering if you will miss your old m3 for is size and balance ).

Congrats on the new ride! looks great in black!!