Repair-It

Rather than hijack Bill's thread, I thought I'd make a new one.

So Bill likes cars like the gen 5 Camaro and I like cars like the Chevrolet SS. Since the SS is basically a full size car (inside), with a far better interior (never mind the actual equipment differences), that you can also see out of, I thought it would be interesting to compare what performance you might give up compared to something as dialed-in as the 1LE. Absurd, right? Let's begin.

Engine
1LE: LS3 putting out 426 hp and 420 lb-ft
SS: LS3 putting out 415 hp and 415 lb-ft

1/4 mile
1LE: 12.7 (this video) to 12.9 (2015 1LE M/T test) @ 111.8 mph (this video) to 110.5 mph (2015)
SS: 12.9 (2015) to 13.0 (2014) @ 110.8 mph (2015) to 109.4 mph (2014)

0-60 (just for Bill)
1LE: 4.2 (this video) to 4.4 (2015)
SS: 4.5 (2015) to 4.6 (2014)

Weight:
1LE: 3,886 lbs (2015)
SS: 3,918 lbs (2015)

Weight bias
1LE: 53%/47% F/R
SS: 52%/48% F/R

60-0 Braking
1LE: 99 ft (2015) to 101 ft (this video)
SS: 105 ft (2014) to 110 ft (2015)

Lateral G
1LE: 1.03 (this video) to 0.98 (2015)
SS: 0.94 (2015) to 0.92 (2014)

Figure 8
1LE: 24.2s @ 0.83G (this video) to 24.5s @ 0.87G (2015). 0.87 doesn't really fit the rest of the data, FWIW.
SS: 24.9s @ 0.81G (2015) to 24.8s @ 0.80G (2014)

Streets of Willow lap times
1LE: 82.7 (this video) to 82.81 (2015)
SS: 85.71 (2014). Cannot find a 2015 lap, but probably a tad faster with MR shocks on the 2015.

There is no engine difference year to year, though the 2015 Chevrolet SS has a few things over the 2014 (bigger rear brakes, available manual, MR shocks, namely).

More importantly, I should mention that the Chevrolet SS is not a 1LE package, and in fact they were talking about doing a 1LE package. Aside from suspension, the tires used on the 1LE are Goodyear F1 Supercar and the SS uses Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, which are in the same class (on Tirerack). The 1LE does use wider tires, especially in the front.

The 1LE is a bit lighter and has a bit more power.

Is it not amazing how close the SS comes? The 1LE has a clear advantage in track conditions, but aside from the numbers, I know that both the Chevy SS and Camaro 1LE have been lauded for their handling feel, ride/handling balance, and how approachable the limit is (i.e. "the car shrinks around you"). In other words, this is NOT like comparing an SS to a 300C SRT-8 where many of the numbers are similar but the SS is in another league in terms of how sorted the chassis really is. This suggests that the SS would be no less satisfying to drive daily than the 1LE, because we know that good track numbers commonly do NOT translate into positive daily driver characteristics.

I'd take it a step further and say what the 1LE does for pony cars, the Chevrolet SS does for the large sedan. Total upset in terms of expectations for the breed and what you get for your money compared to the competition (even if both are far more expensive than some people would like).

All in all, for a daily driver, from a practicality and performance blend, I guess you can see why my preference would be the SS.

Please forgive me as I shout into the wind...

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYiFiWn38jw
http://www.motortrend.com/news/comparis ... ustang-gt/
http://www.motortrend.com/news/2014-che ... cond-test/
http://www.motortrend.com/news/2014-che ... omparison/
http://www.motortrend.com/news/2015-che ... irst-test/

Sadly, the SS is so good that it may end up with prices like the E39 M5. You know those articles that drive an old M5 and they're like "damn, this thing still feels good." The SS is going to be exactly like that. I think the best I can hope is that people forget the car existed.

CTS-V1 resale is driven by several things that are questionable for the SS: interior below status quo expectations at the time, performance significantly eclipsed by each successive generation, certain durability concerns (diff, even though in practice it's not a big deal, but perception is reality). That is why the SS won't depreciate like the CTS-V1 has. The SS is also a Chevrolet (driving an older Chevrolet is less of a social faux pas than an older Cadillac, if I may generalize). The SS was also cheaper in inflationary terms, which usually translates into less depreciation (by percentage). The conservative styling of the SS could age more gracefully than the first gen art/science theme on my CTS-V, even though I still like it.

All of this is a bummer. And would make the V2 the actual choice for something in the 5 year time frame, not an SS. We shall see.

V2 is already depreciating a little more than it has in the shadow of the V3. Also, as they get miles (and fall out of warranty), the blower bearing concern on the LSA becomes more of a resale driver for folks, even if it may end up like the diff on the V1 (something you can control even if by preventative bearing replacement or listening for any whine).

On the V1 diff, there is a driving style that is known to blow them up (starting with abusive wheel hop). An informed consumer should not be surprised by either issue and can take action before catastrophe (and won't mind, because of the resale drop due to perceptions). There is a way to configure the V1 to mostly remove the risk of diff failure. With the V2 blower, I suspect the aftermarket will solve it, even if you have to ship your blower out to somewhere to have the bearing replaced with something that addresses the issue. But I digress.

I don't really disagree with any of this but I will say, first off, you are paying for those extras. The 1LE could be had for 37K compared to 45K. Also, in my opinion, the 1LE looks WAY better. If you don't think so and want a back seat that somebody older than 10 can use and like the styling of the SS, or just don't care about styling, and have an extra 7K, buy the SS. I don't have a problem with that. The 1Le is still the better performer.

Yeah, not saying you should be buying an SS instead of a Camaro 1LE. But I AM saying that, on the street, if the Chevy SS gets smoked by something, so will the Camaro 1LE. They aren't that different.