GR86 vs Camaro SS 1LE (weekend / track)
 

How do they compare for daily drive / weekend and track? I haven't had any opportunity to test drive either cars. Only plan to do a few track day per year. Mainly will be used for weekend and occasional daily.

One is smaller and lighter and one is bigger and heavier. You need to drive both and see which you prefer

If you just want faster lap times go with the Camaro. If your desire is to become a better driver go with the 86.

With the Camaro you will be far more likely to develop bad habits driven by that fact that you can cover up your errors with power. On the other hand the 86 will help expose your errors and weaknesses so that you can work on them.

As for daily drivability, the Camaro is a nightmare to see out of but it is also a larger, has a useable backseat and is arguably a more comfortable car. The 86 is smaller, but still with very usable space (other than the backseat) and is something that you can rev out on even a grocery store run without getting into too much trouble.

Both cars are around equally suited for both jobs.. The real question is how much are you willing to spend to do it?


The 86 sacrifices power and space to add lightness, and overall costs less to run (smaller tires, smaller brakes, more fuel efficient).
The Camaro is powerful, but that requires bigger tires, bigger brakes, and more gas.


I own a gr86, and have rented a Camaro SS (non-1LE) on a few occasions, and frankly I prefer lightness over a lighter wallet.

If you plan on doing ANYTHING other than just daily drive (ie: autocross or track), the Camaro costs explode exponentially.

Tires are easily twice the price.
Gas consumption skyrockets.
Brake components are going to be an issue tho from what I understand, the SS 1LE isn't as underbraked as the new twins.

Daily driving, the Camaro is akin to driving a WW1 tank with slits for vision (I am exagerrating) in comparison to the decent-ish twin.

Test drove one on the weekend since my son-in-law is shopping for them.
The 2022 rear seat is just as bad (or possibly worse when you consider head room) as the twins and the rear seat may be a deal breaker.

https://www.autoguide.com/blog/wp-co...ck-Seat-01.jpg

Although the car is certainly larger the drivers position is much more cramped due to the massive interior door panels that stick into the cabin and the huge console up the center. Any front passenger over about 5'7" WILL hit their knees on the stupid protruding glove box! The 86/BRZ has much more usable space for the front seat passengers even though a smaller car. They really have upped their game on interior quality though.
https://cdn.carbuzz.com/gallery-imag...18163-1600.jpg
https://dealerinspire-image-library-...LILuwornqI.jpg

They lowered the waistline a little so you don't feel quite so much like you are in a bathtub but... Those door panels push you so far into the car that shoulder checks are awkward to the point of almost impossible. You want to see behind you or where the front of the car actually is? Ya good luck with that! @Frost you were not exaggerating in any form.

Cost of fuel, tire, brakes, etc aside I would not be interested in daily driving a Camaro in any form. They are better than the last gen (I shopped them in 2014) but still a total pain.

I hate to say it but if shopping for a Pony car for DD and track the upper level Mustang is a far superior choice. And I can not stand Mustangs so that is saying something.

For track duty, the Camaro platform is superior to the Mustang platform in every respect, it is not even close.

With the Camaro, if you are over 5'11" and are first in line at a red light, chances are very good you are literally going to have to duck your head down to see the street lights.

Now if we could only copy/paste the Camaro's engine note into the crappy GR86 cabin sound augmentation....

GR86 vs Camaro SS 1LE (weekend / track)
 

[FLAMESUIT] Hot take, IMO the LS sounds like garbage. Easily the worst sounding V8 to me I can think of.[/FLAMESUIT]

Can't believe I'm saying this but the GF's 2020 RS can take a corner way better than I expected, maybe due to V6 giving it a lighter nose? Regardless my FRS still will whoop hers in the tight & twisty's. To answer OP's question I say it depends where you live. Have mountains/canyons closeby? 86. Live in Texas/Florida/insert flat state here. Camaro. My FRS is kinda boring around Charlotte, NC. But when I take it to the mountains an hour away it really livens up and reminds me why I got it in the first place.

I came from a Camaro 2.0T that I daily drove and autocrossed. You do get used to the visibility, but it's never good. Funny thing, the first time I sat in the BRZ I thought I was sitting really high up, but it was just that the belt line isn't absurdly high.

My experience with the Camaro was that it was all business. I had 305s on all 4 corners and the chassis is an amazing performer. The way it ate bumps at high cornering loads never stopped amazing me. That said, the new 86 is also a very good performer that doesn't take itself so seriously. It wants you to toss it around and is fun at 7/10ths whereas the Camaro only really shined at 10/10ths. Mine would have probably been more enjoyable on the street with the V8, but IMO speed gets boring once you get used to it, and it doesn't take long to get there.

"For DD and track"

I wouldn't say that.

While the Camaro is *faster* in many regards, I find the Mustangs more satisfying to drive, particularly the GT350.

I've had both as combination daily drivers and track cars.

The SS 1LE is one of the best packages out of the box you'll find - it literally needs nothing to hit track days, while also being pretty decent on the road. The size and visibility aren't great, but once you get used to it, it's not that bad. The interior is nice and the car is very comfortable in Touring mode - it might be my favorite road trip car I've had. As a track car, the Camaro is just sublime - it makes all the right noises and is incredibly easy to drive. The stock cooling, and even the brakes, are more than adequate for most track usage. As others have said, the biggest downside is the consumables. Plan on $1200+ for tires, and $700 or more for brake pads, and neither last very long.

Having recently moved back to the twin platform, I think the GR is probably the better balance of fun per dollar. The 86 is obviously slower, but with some minor modifications (sway bar, tires, brake pads, camber) it's great on track, and I've also enjoyed it more for street driving since you can actually drive it unlike the Camaro, where a second gear pull would get you to 80mph really quick.

The best way I can describe it is that I'm not having any less fun on track with the GR86 than I did with the Camaro, but I'm doing it a heck of a lot cheaper. In my case, I have no regrets.