xxyion

I think the interesting thing you pointed out was that the looks of these cars dont seem to age well. And i'm not sure if its because i'm such a JDM fan, but i find that to be very true for me. Like this gen Camaro looks great, but i also thought that about the previous gen Camaro, however i think the previous gen looks lame now in comparison. Hell even mustangs suffer from the same (and i love mustangs), i loved the 90s mustang, but now when i see when i'm kinda turned off. Even this Gens mustang looks great, but what happens in 5 years when its been refreshed?

Compared to lets say, the Subaru STI, theres literally just 1 year when i thought the design was questionable. But every year looks absolutley gorgeous to me. Or even the S2000, the cars looks still break necks even 10 years after it stopped being produced.


I will admit i'm also kinda JDM biased. While i do make an exception for Ford, everytime i've owned an American made car, its always had issues before 10k miles. My Focus ST had transmission issues at 9k miles, and my Fiesta ST had cylinder misfire issues. My Fiesta SES also had transmission issues, and my ex-girlfriends Dodge Dart had issues with the radiator. Whereas every JDM car i've ever owned or friends have owned, have lasted well over 100k miles with zero issues with very minor maintenance (i was poor back then so i literally didnt care about my cars).

TheDonEffect

Yeah I have zero doubt that the gen 6 camaro wont exactly age well, Camaros since the first generation flight generally have not aged well. Vettes are the other generally aged well.

I think this nd rf will go down as one of the better looking affordable cars.

Stis imo never looked good, but their quirky nature and performance chops make the functional styling work.

But yeah, that is a chip in the nd bucket because I want a long term car this time around, perhaps in may grow weary of the camaro in short time. I slowly walked last one the other day, small car it is not for sure but then I walked by a 4 series that while it does hide its size better, that's also a big car.

Bullwings

Depends on your definition of track capable. I would say an RF-ND1/2 fits in there for my criteria of track capable.

Regarding the Camaro, I have no doubts about it's capability or ability to turn laptimes and even provide an overall enjoyable driver's focused experience. However; similar to the mantra of there being no replacement for displacement and V8 torque, there really is no replacement for light weight.

I place a much greater valued emphasis on weight over power and torque. Weight also has the added benefit of reducing operating costs on brakes and tires.

All of that said, I can definitely respect the reasons for picking the SS 1LE over an RF-ND2.
My own direct experience with the cars is limited. I've driven an NA/NB at an auto-x and ridden in an ND on track. I've only ridden in a second gen CTS-V and driven a Mustang GT on the road as my closest Camaro experience. I could feel the obvious differences in weight and torque/power delivery. While limited, it confirmed my biased preference for choosing weight over torque and power.

rob-2

I used to be one of those small motor and light car fans. Never would have touched a domestic. Then BMW dealership was rude when I went to look at a M5. Ended up in a Dodge product (oddly). Then you get into a nicely setup v8 and your life changes. Yes I can feel the 800lbs my high reving v8 has over my former s2000 that rev'd as high. However the driving experience is dialed up to 11 in comparison. Does my interior lack, does it have some rattles and are there things I'd like to see changed? Yes, but same held true for my s2000. Tore that interior apart to reduce very bad road noise and address rattles.

Most of the faults you can make of the Ford Gt350 or Chevy's can be said of the S2000 we all compare to. It's like driving out of a tank too with really poor visibility. I love how on the forums we play up one particular car without realizing there are great options now from so many people.

Yeah, light cars with low end brakes are cheap to drive hard on the track. My operating expenses are about twice that with these cars - worth every dime.

HawkeyeGeoff

I can see where you're coming from...and obviously I also picked a lower operating cost track car as well. I burn through plenty of consumables on this s2000 that would likely be double on the 1LE with how much I track it.

That being said, the Alpha chassis hides its weight extremely well. Much more so than the Mustang/Challenger. This is the main reason everyone is calling it a true sports car now. You really have to drive one to experience what I'm talking about, lots of magic happening there with mag ride and a really, really stiff chasiss.

TheDonEffect

I've driven my share of stangs, trust me when I say the 1le drives and feels noticeably smaller.

TheDonEffect

Yeah that chassis is stiff, alot of guys Jack up one side using the front jack point and are able to get both jack stands on that side.

But the consumables is really something to consider, its literally a vacation fund more (I don't travel luxuriously) to replace a set of tires over the nd.

And you guys nailed it on the head, this is really a comparison between power vs weight.

HawkeyeGeoff

If you don't see yourself doing more than 2-3 track days a year I think the consumables is a little more moot than if you were doing 10-12 though. Easily 2 years out of a set of those eagle f1 supercar tires IMO. Brakes are a non issue.... probably about the same if not more. Just my 2 cents.

The nice thing about the Miata is that it is a drop top though. I'm about to go drive my s2k and I almost couldn't imagine driving a hard top today. Living in the Midwest you have to savor it!!

cdelena

That is why my SS is a convertible rather than a 1LE and for street driving this is no difference.

And rather than my S2000, Miata, etc. of the past with the Chevy when you see a spot on the freeway a quarter mile down you want to be in you just floor it and you are there rather than looking for alternatives.

HawkeyeGeoff

SS vert is nice if you're looking for a cruiser, it's a far cry from a 1LE though.