[Malbjey]

Originally Posted by Village Idiot

None immediate area but if you're willing to take a trip these are my favorites. All are 55mph speed limits too so there's no worries.

1. Grafton, WV Route 50 to Route 72 to Route 26 back to Pittsburgh.

2. Waynesburg Pike Rd, Cameron, WV

3. Ohio State Route 555, Zanesville, OH

4. Ohio State Route 26, Marietta, OH

5. Ohio State Route 164, New Hagerstown, OH

6. Prosperity Pike, Prosperity, PA (I nailed a deer on this road so watch out)

Nice thanks I will file those away. Yeah I've heard about OH Route 555 being a good road too.

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by wheelspeed

Hi folks,

Been watching this forum awhile. Just wondered if anyone came from an M3 or Porsche or some other classically good-handling car and how you can compare.

I'm basically shopping across a '22 BRZ, older Cayman, '05 M3, 1LE, possibly a 1SS, and a C7 Vette.

Honestly the '22 BRZ is feeling strong for my 4.5 mile drive to work, with a 1.7 mile curvy road. But I know a momentum car can get you in trouble flying into turns before seeing the exit, and the sound of a big V8 is incredibly toxic and I'm 51 and never had one before, so that's a strong plus. But in a different sense, we don't drag-race in Pittsburgh. Fun cars have to be flingable on bumpy backroads.

I have an awd SUV, and motorcycles for nice days, so mostly looking for a fun, flingable car for wet or cold days that I can't take the bike. I'd have all-season tires on it, so that should help with the flingability.

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear from ex 370Z owners, Miata, vette, M3 owners, etc.

The 1LE handles as good or better than most anything out there, in other words, it's world class handling. This has been proven over and over again. There are plenty of "GT" cars out there that have big engines/high HP, but they are not the absolute monster the SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE are in this regard.

It is not the lightest car though, so cars like the Cayman and BRZ will be more nimble in short courses. Those are classically good handling cars, but a large part of that is their weight.

[Zone5]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

Based on your description of how you want to use your car (drive to work, back-roads, "flingable"), it sounds like you have no intention to track it (road course). If that's the case, then I'd suggest you go with something like a BRZ.

The 1LE is very quick (both in a straight line and the twisties), but the traction limit is so high that the necessary speed you'd have to run to make a corner exciting (chucking the car into a corner, inducing slip angles, etc) would be unsafe for public roads (limited site lines and lack of run-off areas). I recently lost the rear end pulling 1.4G around a 90mph corner at VIR and had a about 0.5 sec in which to save it and keep it on track (I failed, BTW, but the generous run-off area meant no harm was done to the car or me). Don't get me wrong. It can still be fun to drive on back roads, but you just need to realize that you'll be limiting your driving to something like 6 or 7/10s.

Now, it you are going to track it (like some of us do), then hell ya the 1LE is probably the best bang for the buck you can buy today!

This, exactly. The ZL1 (especially the 1LE) is so capable that it would be criminally insane to drive it hard enough into a fast corner on a public road and achieve some kind of slip angle. If a slip angle is the definition of fun on a twisty public road, get the BRZ and you'll be going slower when balancing the car before a corner, (or unbalancing the car if you want some real excitement), and you'll be slower when counter-steering in the corner.

Also, I respectfully disagree with the OP concerning his reasoning about a momentum car having a too-high corner entry speed. A horsepower car that corners well is tougher and scarier because of the very high speeds approaching the corner, and the requirement to brake hard down to your highest entry speed to enter the corner. You'd be going faster everywhere in the ZL1. If you're determined to drive fast on the public roads, and I do it too, the BRZ will scare you less in the corners because the speeds will be lower approaching the corner, and probably through the corner also.

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by Zone5

Also, I respectfully disagree with the OP concerning his reasoning about a momentum car having a too-high corner entry speed. A horsepower car that corners well is tougher and scarier because of the very high speeds approaching the corner, and the requirement to brake hard down to your highest entry speed to enter the corner. You'd be going faster everywhere in the ZL1. If you're determined to drive fast on the public roads, and I do it too, the BRZ will scare you less in the corners because the speeds will be lower approaching the corner, and probably through the corner also.

You don’t have to accelerate in between the corners. When I’m driving my SS on my favorite road, I accelerate into the corner and out of the corner and then just hold my speed until the next corner comes up.

[Spaceme1117]

When the 6th Gen Camaro came out in 2016, Motortrend tested it against the same year BMW M4 and found it to be objectively better in every way.

My 2017 2SS (non-1LE) is one of the best handling cars I have ever owned or driven.

[Zone5]

Originally Posted by m6-lt1

You don’t have to accelerate in between the corners. When I’m driving my SS on my favorite road, I accelerate into the corner and out of the corner and then just hold my speed until the next corner comes up.

Yeah, my point was that a momentum car wasn't scarier in the corners due to the speed required to have momentum. A horsepower car can enter at the same speed as a momentum car can, whether holding the speed between the corners as you do, or approaching at high speed and then braking.

[BLU]

Buy a v8 before they are gone. 1LE is the best overall car out there pound for pound. It can do it all. Hell, even a 1SS or 2SS with the magnetic dampers is pretty awesome. The only very minor downside is if you care about it or not is fit and finish. It could be a little better, but what you get in performance and fun factor makes you not think about it at all. A second choice if you care more for daily usability and saving a couple of bucks then it would be the BRZ. The rest are not bad choices, but with the current market, you will have to buy older to say in the same price range. Just my 2 cents from a 50 year old guy.

[ctrlz]

Originally Posted by BLU

Buy a v8 before they are gone.

Sounds like the OP could wait on that idea and pick up a used one.

OP's range of choices is too broad to really make a recommendation. New vs. used (up to 16 years old), V8 vs. I6, etc. And no mention of any price ceiling.

[FarmerFran]

Say f-it and get the Emira

[metros11]

Here's a comparo Motor Trend did a while back when the 6th gen was first released. Full article and video.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/c...let-camaro-ss/

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by Spaceme1117

When the 6th Gen Camaro came out in 2016, Motortrend tested it against the same year BMW M4 and found it to be objectively better in every way.

My 2017 2SS (non-1LE) is one of the best handling cars I have ever owned or driven.

Picking nits....

They found it "SUBJECTIVELY" better in every way. Objectively the 2 cars tied in every measure except braking distance and the BMW had carbon brakes.

[Bosse'sBoss]

Originally Posted by wheelspeed

Hi folks,

Been watching this forum awhile. Just wondered if anyone came from an M3 or Porsche or some other classically good-handling car and how you can compare.

I'm basically shopping across a '22 BRZ, older Cayman, '05 M3, 1LE, possibly a 1SS, and a C7 Vette.

Honestly the '22 BRZ is feeling strong for my 4.5 mile drive to work, with a 1.7 mile curvy road. But I know a momentum car can get you in trouble flying into turns before seeing the exit, and the sound of a big V8 is incredibly toxic and I'm 51 and never had one before, so that's a strong plus. But in a different sense, we don't drag-race in Pittsburgh. Fun cars have to be flingable on bumpy backroads.

I have an awd SUV, and motorcycles for nice days, so mostly looking for a fun, flingable car for wet or cold days that I can't take the bike. I'd have all-season tires on it, so that should help with the flingability.

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear from ex 370Z owners, Miata, vette, M3 owners, etc.

BRZ is a great handling car, but it lacks power.

Porsche, BMW and C7 Corvettes are very expensive to maintain.

The 6th gen Camaro SS would give you great handling and power, and it would be able to beat those cars that you mentioned and its be very close to the Corvette C7's performance. If you are planning to go to the track often you can get a Camaro SS1LE or even go to higher power with the ZL1.

[LA_LT1]

Originally Posted by wheelspeed

Hi folks,

Been watching this forum awhile. Just wondered if anyone came from an M3 or Porsche or some other classically good-handling car and how you can compare.

I'm basically shopping across a '22 BRZ, older Cayman, '05 M3, 1LE, possibly a 1SS, and a C7 Vette.

Honestly the '22 BRZ is feeling strong for my 4.5 mile drive to work, with a 1.7 mile curvy road. But I know a momentum car can get you in trouble flying into turns before seeing the exit, and the sound of a big V8 is incredibly toxic and I'm 51 and never had one before, so that's a strong plus. But in a different sense, we don't drag-race in Pittsburgh. Fun cars have to be flingable on bumpy backroads.

I have an awd SUV, and motorcycles for nice days, so mostly looking for a fun, flingable car for wet or cold days that I can't take the bike. I'd have all-season tires on it, so that should help with the flingability.

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear from ex 370Z owners, Miata, vette, M3 owners, etc.

My two cars are a 2021 Camaro LT1 and a 2008 E92 M3 so I believe I am qualified for this question..

Handling.. Stock for Stock the Camaro is better. It's a newer chassis and feels stiffer and a little more precise. The camaro steering rack is faster, and has good feel for EPS, but the M3 has a bit more road feel with its hydraulic rack. Camaro seems to have sharper turn in. The general balance with both cars is very similar, their wheelbase is with an inch apart and have the feeling of well balanced RWD cars.
My LT1 has 245 all seasons so the limits are much lower, which might be a benefit if you want to have fun on public roads.
The BMW feels a bit more confidence inspiring because of the much lower torque and higher grip (not the Camaro's fault, unique to my trim level).
When it does let go, the BMW feels a bit more progressive and 'easier to catch'. The Diff lockup is more predictable in the BMW. my Camaro does not have an E-diff.
I have never driven a Camaro SS with summer tires so I can't comment how proper rubber and a better diff change the car, but I can say the general dynamics of my LT1 are excellent and does not feel 'inferior' to the BMW and is superior in many ways.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Picking nits....

They found it "SUBJECTIVELY" better in every way. Objectively the 2 cars tied in every measure except braking distance and the BMW had carbon brakes.

Subjectively WAY better exhaust also!