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I have never driven one of those Camaros and the C-8 was My first Corvette and My 1st sports car.
I would highly suggest now is the time to get on board with a new C-8 and the new Mid-Engine design.
You will be able to go to Spring Mountain and learn about the C-8 and you will be glad you made the jump.
Those camaros are and will always be great cars but the C-8 is a whole new design that you need to experience.
Good luck, now go get one (Don't forget option R8C)
Thanks, I would skip the museum pick up. Would be looking to get one off the lot with a deep discount.
Originally Posted by ZPirate
Welcome to the forum. I had a manual Gen6 ZL1 before my C8. Before that I had a manual SS 1LE. Both are fantastic driver's cars. The C8 is a different vehicle for sure.
I was like you and worried I'd miss the manual. Occasionally I do, but the C8 DCT is amazing. And the C8 is a much more refined vehicle. The C8 interior is way nicer and the C8 is so much more polished and not as raw feeling as the Camaro. Sometimes I do miss that about the Camaro though. It could be a hooligan.
Now is a great time to pick up a C8. New C8s are being heavily discounted and low mileage and well taken care of used C8s are really now affordable.
I hate that GM pulled the plug on the Camaro. The SS 1LE like yours was the absolute best V8 performance bargain out there. I literally paid 46k for my 1LE and it really is a sports car car and a muscle car combined. The 1LE package transforms the SS into a car built for the track.
One other comment about the C8. Coming from a 1LE you are used to having mag ride. I have it on my C8, but many C8s don't. It's not even standard with the Z51 package, but you can get it with the Z51 package.
Good luck with your decision. I made mine and haven't looked back.
Thanks. The car I'm looking at is a non-mag ride car. The one I drove, does have mag-ride. Might be worth a test drive first when I get to the dealer.
Originally Posted by hawk02
My advice would be to test drive a C8 before you make any decision to trade in your Camaro. That wasn't an option for me in '20 - '21. Had it been, I probably would have skipped purchasing a C8.
Yes, I'll need to do that. What wheels do you have on your C8? They look amazing.
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll have to think about just how much I'll miss the manual. The 1LE is a track machine, and I've had a few track outings, but last few years it's been a weekend warrior for warm months. I think that's what's drawing me to the C8. In addition to the supercar performance, looks, and having the ability to go topless. Saw that Hysteria Purple, and man what a color. Current deals caught my attention too, I'm getting about 14% off MSRP on a 1LT coupe before taxes and fees.
Welcome to the forum and great looking Camaro. Prior to purchasing the C8 last April, I had a 2018 Camaro 2SS w/1LE package- same color as yours. I absolutely loved the Camaro; the Alpha Chassis, 1LE package and M6 made the car incredibly enjoyable. The Camaro was the first car I tracked, and I had a blast. I haven't had a chance to track the C8 yet, so I can't make a direct comparison. Do I sometimes miss the manual transmission- yes. Do I regret purchasing the C8-no. Do I wish I could have kept my Camaro and added the C8- yes.
I went from a 6MT ZL1 1LE to my Eray last year. The ZLE was a track day toy that I could drive on the street. It was a phenomenal car when used for what it was made for. On the street, the suspension was too much, Your 1LE isn’t quite as stiff so it might be more livable, but the ZLE was painfully stiff for everyday use. As my track time dwindled to next to nothing I wanted something that was easier to use more often. Seems like you’re in a similar boat.
Do I miss the manual? Sometimes. But the DCT is a lot of fun too. It’s different fun, but still fun. I miss the ZLE, but don’t regret for a second making the switch. One full throttle shift in track mode is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face every time.
They are two very different cars, but OP's 1LE is every bit a sports car (as well as a muscle car). The Alpha platform that underpins the Camaro is a awesome chassis. Add to that the 1LE package and you have a car that handles as good if not better than the C8.
For those who don't know the 1LE package includes Recaro seats, HUD, mag ride, e-diff (with PTM), forged wheels (20 x 10 and 20 x 11), with Goodyear F1 Supercar tires 285 front/305 rear), 6 piston Brembos, NPP exhaust and oil, transmission and diff coolers.
I've driven the 1Le and it's not a sportscar, it's a muscle car.
I get your point but the 1LE is more sports car than a muscle car. In fact, its almost impossible to do a burnout in one. Many publications have plenty of reviews, it is a real driver's car.
The 1LE is muscle car. I've driven it, fast as hell but not sportscars. Being impossible to do a burnout doesn't make it a sportscar.
The 1LE is muscle car. I've driven it, fast as hell but not sportscars. Being impossible to do a burnout doesn't make it a sportscar.
Originally Posted by Kevin A Jones
I've driven the 1Le and it's not a sportscar, it's a muscle car.
Well I guess we just have to agree to disagree. I've owned an SS 1LE, a ZL1 and a C8 with the Z51 package. I consider them all to be sportscars. I think most of the automotive journalist who have reviewed the 1LE would agree that it's a sportscar. Some have said the 1LE blurs the line between the two and is actually both a sportscar and a muscle car. The Gen6 Camaro is the best handling pony car to date and the 1LE, ZL1 and ZLE models take the car's handling to a different level. According you your definition of a Muscle Car a Muscle Car favors straight line acceleration over handling. That certainly isn't the case with a 1LE. It's built to carve corners.
We traded our 23 Indy Camaro convertible for a 23 HTC Z51 with mag ride and have never looked back. The day we picked the Camaro up they had a Corvette on the floor with a ten thousand dollar limited availability markup . Wife told me then to buy the vette, you are not going to be happy till you get another one. It was a blast to drive but it's not a Corvette . As soon as the prices started to moderate we got the new vette. Camaro was really nice , but it ain't a C8 .
The 1LE is muscle car. I've driven it, fast as hell but not sportscars. Being impossible to do a burnout doesn't make it a sportscar.
You're entitled to your own opinion, and it may have muscle car roots, but its 100% a sports car. Same as the ZLE and Z28, built for corners rather than straight line speed. Has 295s up front and 305s in the back, riding on sticky Supercar 3s. Mag ride, and eLSD from C7 GS/Z. If it was a strictly a muscle car I wouldn't have bought it. Ive got 28k miles behind the wheel now and several track days through the years. Its a sports car, and pretty much every publication and review agrees.
You're entitled to your own opinion, and it may have muscle car roots, but its 100% a sports car. Same as the ZLE and Z28, built for corners rather than straight line speed. Has 295s up front and 305s in the back, riding on sticky Supercar 3s. Mag ride, and eLSD from C7 GS/Z. If it was a strictly a muscle car I wouldn't have bought it. Ive got 28k miles behind the wheel now and several track days through the years. Its a sports car, and pretty much every publication and review agrees.
To me the Camaro on the Alpha platform in general is a sports car. Other than my Corvette, the Camaro was my number 1 favorite drive. Even then it, was very close but the mid engine just gives that bit more.
Current '18 SS 1LE M6 owner. New to the Vette forum. Have always been a fan of the C7s and now especially the C8. Last few years have been following IMSA and the Corvette teams closely. Recent deals got me wondering about an upgrade. Anyone else go from a Camaro SS to a C8? Wondering if I'll miss the manual. Pic of my 1LE below.
I currently own a 2017 2SS 50th anniversary Camaro in addition to my C8. I do believe I would have missed the Camaro so I traded my Challenger instead. I've added the 1LE suspension, wheels and tires so it handles exceptional well. The cars are so different that I really had to keep them both. The Camaro is larger inside and is some ways more comfortable and in my opinion, a better road trip car. The C8 is more fun to drive fast and feels like it's wrapped around you. I would like it more if the seats weren't as confining. Even the GT1 seats are too tight for my liking.
The one downside of owning the C8 is that Camaro now feels slow but it is a lot of fun to toss around and let the tail hang out. The C8 wants me to be more precise and less childish. The C8 makes me feel mature while the Camaro makes me feel 16 again. Lets not talk about the foxbody.
Its a pretty big change. Maybe you can find a used C8 to drive a bit or even rent one on Turo? Regarding the comment about, looks like AI..... inferring that a camaro can only go in a straight line, take one to the track. They are bad *** cars. To me the C8 is loosing its sports car rawness since they started adding cup holders and making it wider each gen.
When I went to C7 driving school they were using Camaro’s to lead the students around in the Corvettes. We had to work to stay with them!
OP. You will miss the manual. No doubt about it. The mid engine c8 is a true mid engine car and it will take time to get used to the paddles all the time. Its not as fun as a manual. Its different. You basically have to try and get as much fun out of the paddles as the standard. If you want a true sports car, its a looker.
Originally Posted by mikebutson
comparing Apples to Oranges....Totally different kind of car and ride....that's almost insulting to a C8 owner coming it to a Camaro...lol....
Yes you are exactly right. The Camaro totally spanked the C8 stingray on the nurburgring. So no need to bring it down trying to compare to the C8. The Camaro owns that tittle. Its a beast. The copy paste info from AI about muscle cars and blah blah blah was totally off.
OP. You will miss the manual. No doubt about it. The mid engine c8 is a true mid engine car and it will take time to get used to the paddles all the time. Its not as fun as a manual. Its different. You basically have to try and get as much fun out of the paddles as the standard. If you want a true sports car, its a looker.
Yes you are exactly right. The Camaro totally spanked the C8 stingray on the nurburgring. So no need to bring it down trying to compare to the C8. The Camaro owns that tittle. Its a beast. The copy paste info from AI about muscle cars and blah blah blah was totally off.
Gents, appreciate all your recommendations. A week ago I found a 2025 Stingray 1LT coupe in the exact color, wheels and options I wanted, on a dealer lot close by. I couldn't pass it up. Another similar combo was no where near. I picked it up last Friday and have already put 380 miles on it. My impressions so far:
The car is LOW to the ground. The Camaro has a low seating position, but this is another level.
Handling and weight distribution is absolutely amazing, and mine is a non-Z51 and non-mag ride. You can definitely feel the higher center of gravity in the Camaro more than in the Vette. But to be frank, both are point and turn. Base Stingray suspension falls somewhere between the Tour/Sport setting on the 1LE, which has mag ride. Its definitely more of a GT cruiser rather than a track weapon, and Im totally on board with that. Acceleration is, well... I can't tell yet during the break in period. I don't think I ever logged the advertised 4.0 second 0-60 in the 1LE, even with no lift shift. Its still a fast car though. Will I miss the 6M? Time will tell, so far I can't say I do. In any case, I still own the 1LE. For now she's waiting on new shoes and then she's up for sale. The dealer trade in offer was way too low, but in general the book never accounts for the 1LE option, but the market does.
I know this post would be nothing without pics, so here it is.
