Just watched this again, and Chris is spot on about the virtues of analogue stuff. Long live manual transmissions, mechanical watches, and turn tables!
11:08 , waxing poetical, why Chris is the best: "An analogue car in a digital age, like a lovely chronometer on your wrists, and like a beautiful turntable in your hi-fi"
I own both cars, so I can speak with experience on these two great cars. I have owned the Porsche for over 2 years and have had it on the track several times. Unbelieveable car!! I recently purchased a 2014 Z/28 when Chevy reduced the purchase price by 20%...yes 20%. Paid just over 60K. I have not had the Z/28 on the track yet, but I can tell you it will be a beast in it's domain. While this seems like a unfair comparision, it is after all just comparing two cars, both built with the track in mind. I can tell you this the sheer driving pleasure of the Camaro is on par with the Porsche, just in a differant way. It is raw, rough & completely unbelieveable for the money. A much better value then the Porsche. Once the 7.0L is upgraded to NA 650 HP this month, I think it will keep up with the Porsche and perhaps beat it at the track. And it will still be less then 70K. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU CHRIS!!! Once again, you have come through with the goods. Yes, we should have stopped moaning about the small fee for /DRIVE+. I mean $4 per month for quality content isn't really that big of a stretch, but when Chris left, that was the final straw. It's good to have you back, ol' friend!
Dunno, I think he wanted to do his own thing. After /DRIVE made a deal with NBC to keep going (as DRIVE's budget could no longer sustain free videos) there was less and lower quality content going out. I think he wanted what was best for us subscribers.
It's so weird, a few years ago when it came out I hated the camaro. But now the z28 has completely won me over. It's so strange seeing so much rubber in the front of a car. And those angles; that rectangular shape looks so rugged. I like it. I really like it.
Trygve Germo Oh yea I'm in love too. The nismo is a very fast car, but nowhere near as fast as Nissan makes is sound. They never seem to mention all the modifications they had to do for the nurburgring time. Not to mention the performance package that costed a whopping $100k. Not just this but all of GM. Have you seen the z06? Like sheesh, most lateral G ever recorded from a production car by both motor trend and Car and Driver. Also that new Shelby gt350 from Ford. . . When did American cars get this good? My word.
i used to hate camaro's too,but after watching the motor trend guy(big build,not sure what his name is,he wears glasses,one video he said this is the manliest thing i've ever done)test it with the gt-r,i started liking it(z/28 only).
***** Exactly. And not just competing with, but beating those cars too. I was so blown away when on both road and tracks and motor trends tests when it beat a gtr track edition around a track. After that I was sold.
@@RosinGoblin I've seen about seven here in California on the streets and highways they look even better in front of you i wish I could get my hands on one.
It's hilarious how many morons on here are so butt hurt about how good of a car the Z28 is. I have never been a fan of Camaro's in general by the way. Every sports car I have owned is either German or Japanese. I do have a friend who own a GT3 RS and have been fortunate enough to spend some time on a couple race tracks with it, that Porsche is probably the best all around car I have ever driven. The first time I took a hard lap in it... I just drooled on myself. But all that proves is how cool the Z28 is considering it has been proven dozens of times to compete with or even out perform cars that are far more expensive to own and maintain. My buddy loves his GT3 but even he admits that the Camaro is badass. He is filthy rich, so he has no reason to leave his Porsche behind, but he openly admits that if he had less money the Z28 is probably a better value track car with very little drop off in fun and performance when you consider the cost to own and operate. I can barely afford to set up and run an 18 year old BMW M3 at the track on the regular...track cars are expensive no matter what kind it is. So anyone who doesn't appreciate the outstanding value and performance of the Z28 has right out of the box...has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. It's actually kind of sad to see so many people that are unwilling to enjoy the awesomeness of a new car just because they are too stuck up to admit that a "bunch of fat Americans" can actually build a badass track car that you don't have to be filthy rich to own. The even sadder part is that I promise that 99% of the people making those comments have never driven either car or one like them on a track...most have probably never driven on a track at all. All Chris Harris does for a living is driving crazy nice and expensive sports cars. So if it's good enough for him, then anyone bashing the Z28 must be one special person.
Well said. I still don't want one. I want style and power, and I think the Camaro is pretty, but it isn't what I want. I had what I want, and stupidly sold it. The other thing I want is too hard to find. Maybe the C8. Still looking. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your Camaro, I truly do.
Agreed. I haven't had the chance to get behind the wheel of a Z28 yet but I daily drive a ZL1. And while it is more powerful it is a bit on the heavy side. I'd love to experience what My car feel like after a bit of a diet and just a little more focus on naked aggression. When Chevy debuted the new Z28 I was absolutely tickled by what they did. I would not have seen it coming that they would have made a track day focused Camaro. You'd expect to get a Corvette for that role. Their audacity was refreshing and exciting. My ZL1 is my 8th Camaro. And unless I can get my hands on a Z28 it will probably be the newest one I ever own if the rumors hold true and 2020 is the last Camaro model year. It just makes me happy that GM decided to build something that isn't just some overweight, overpowered, and sloppy dragster (Hellcat).
@Bones12x2 We need more people like you in the car community. All these other toxic people trash-talking Americans, or American cars or any car in general, because they can't appreciate how good a car is, regardless where it's from, ruins the car community image.
Ummm, nope. GM, Ford and Chrysler (plus AMC, back in the day) built many great 1/4 mile cars, also great for ovals, but for race tracks where you turn both ways, brake and shift a lot... not really. Still, you have to give it to GM to try better, more advanced cars, closer to European standards.
So my take away here is this fella can drive, at track speeds, in the rain, while giving a review, better than me poking at my keyboard while resting comfortably on my couch. Geeesh. Love this!
No disrespect to Jeremy Clarkson or Tiff Needell but I got to say that between Randy Pobst & Chris Harris they both are my favorite drivers! Great on camara appeal & top notch driving skills period!! Honorable mention Vicki Henderson for her great personality and sexy witted one liners!! That Camaro is the reason why Chevy needs to get their stuff together and give the Camaro a serious & all out remake that's bound to reinvigorate the Camaro heritage! Enough playing it safe & being restrained! The new C8 proves you still have the right tools in the shed now let's hit another home run with a IROC Z for retribution!!
EVERYONE. SUPPORT CHRIS HARRIS: www.patreon.com/user?u=401656 Please do it. A dollar a month is the minimum, and waaaay better content than 'the other guys'. If Chris came up to you and asked for 12 bucks a year to help him film baddass car videos, you'd probably say yes, wouldn't you?
the one thing I love about Chris Harris is the enjoyment you can see on his face when he has "fun" while driving, better than other videos where they just read off the spec sheets the whole time
***** I'm 6'7" with a size 16 shoe so I know about foot angle. Rather than heel and toe try toe and heal. Actually in my case it's more toe and arch. If that makes any sense.
***** My car was like this too, then I switched the way I heel/toe. Instead of my heel braking and my toe matching, I now brake with the toe and blip with the heel, works pretty good with the short/fat brake pedal set up in many cars.
It's so great to have Chris Harris back. He does what we do. This flogging in the rain reminds me of a week I spent in Seattle in a borrowed C5 corvette. Just a blast!
I love 997 GT3 RS, it's my favourite car ever! But, honestly, after watching this, I'm in LOVE with the Camaro... So beautiful, so loud, so fast and so cheap! Great vid btw!
+todd lithgow lmao Right. Other sports cars don't use wide tires because they don't want to use shortcuts to good lap times. And there would be no such thing as more down-force from wings and spoilers; the only way for more down-force is more car weight! Haha The stuff idiots will say to bash some car these days...
+todd lithgow the same reason any car has bigger tires , to carry the weight of the engine . Have you ever seen a Porsche with skinny tires on the back ? wouldn't handle worth shit cause the engine is in the back . I don't really like the new Camaro , but from a looks point , and the fact that gm decided to use the Cadillac ATS chassis for it . I have owned 3 Camaro's , but nothing newer than a gen 3 ,and gm is doing the same to the camaro as they did to Pontiac since the 60's . the Corvette and Camaro were always their own car never using a chassi from another model , the new one is too tall and boxy looking for me , but what you said is just retarded .
Rick2010100 You're very mistaken about the relationship between displacement and fuel efficiency. The z28 gets 13/19 mpg. The current generation gt3rs gets 14/20 mpg with a 4.0 liter engine. Not to mention the facts that gas guzzler tax goes by fuel efficiency and not displacementand, and that fuel is dirt cheap in America. What you said just doesn't make for good argument.
Seriously, this man is the best. As a viewer he is just such a joy to listen to. He criticizes......but in a constructive way. He gives compliments.....but in a way that doesnt make him sound bias and a fanboy of a certain car/brand. He is a fan of the auto industry and cars themselves, for what they truly are. Continue to make great stuff Chris.
Finally a Performance car from the US! Best of all it is priced correctly. As long as their are no dealer markups. I believe the European counterparts having been goudging car enthusiast all along. Competition makes them honest and savvy buyers educated.
I'll be a Ford guy 'till the day I die, I just think they make such classic cars. The new facelift Camaro doesn't look too modern but the new performance versions sure are damn well put together cars, especially considering what was coming out of GM just a few years ago. I can't wait to see some testing of the Mustang GT350 and GT350R, hope Chris gets his hands on a hot Mustang soon!
Just a reminder to everyone in this thread that the Nurburgring isn't the only track that matters. It's only a litmus test, a measuring stick, a benchmark. Your average sports car owner who gets into racing their toys may find that what works at the Nordschleife may not work at say, Silverstone, or Brands Hatch, or their annual/monthly SCCA Hillclimb or weekly autocross session. Many people don't even care about that-- the Mazda MX-5 (Miata) is slow as all hell, as are the Scion FR-S/Toyota (GT)86/Subaru BR-Z, but they still sell because they're fun cars to drive even if they aren't fast. What more the ones that actually are, like the Caterham 7 family or Ariel Atom; both of which will happily embarrass the two cars in this video on a track day with a competent driver behind the wheel?
fuck flappy paddles for goodness sake give me a car with a manual trans that will do nor to 60 in 4.5 seconds vs a GAY GTR that will do it in 2.6 cars are not measured in numbers they are measured in fun, heart, and soul get a manual transmission master the art of driving be challenged be a better driver fucks automated dual clutch shifts that happen in milli seconds that is what fat middle aged guys say to brag to there golf buddies.. damn it people SAVE THE MANUALS
Ethan Masih shitty plastic my C7 interior is nappa leather alcantara aluminum and carbon fiber exterior is carbon fiber magnesium titanium my brakes are brembo carbon ceramic so remind me what is rubbish again I forgot?????
Still there will be many apologists for paddle shift transmissions, I just dont understand what guys like that dont get about the need to driver involvement. Government bureaucrats, environmentalists and rich posers that can't drive killed the manual transmission. There's so many great cars that you look back and think 'if only it had a manual'
Amen. In particular, I wish the 360 Stradale or the Scud had the manual option. The 360's F1 shift is ancient compared to modern semi-autos and would be so much more memorable with a manual. At least, that is my opinion.
lol those aren't the reasons they moved from stick shift to paddle shifters, it's just the price of progress. eventually cars will get so fast that a human couldn't operate a manual gearbox fast enough to keep up!
Yeah I can't wait until there's cars that drive themselves around a track faster than any human can, and you guys will say "I dont understand why you would want to drive the car yourself, the self driving car is faster' What is it you people dont understand about driver involvement and the challenge of taming a car, and there are many people that find that much more enjoyable than just being able to say 'my car is faster'
Not to sure who was in charge of building the Camaro but what a bang up job. Give the people what they want !!! Keep it simple and they sure did. Listen to what the customer's want stick shift jice and easy and grest bang for the buck what more could ya want. No doubts they will sell shit tons
Having to do so much? You mean, drive? Instead of getting into a video game car, as are so many nowadays just to acquire more tenths? These 2 cars are about actually driving and showing what the driver can do, not the video game. Phenomenal creations!
You drive beautifully!! really glad you like our new Z/28. were proud of it ourselfs! And I feel that as an American sports car, we are doing what we've always tried to do, is deliver a great car that can hang with the worlds best, for a fraction of the cost!! But we don't know that until a true European car enthusiast tells us that we've accomplished the amazing feat of coming close to the pure refinement of the polished European cars! Thank you very much sir!!
Finally America has learned/taught itself how to build a DRIVER car. 1999 GM decided to go racing with the Corvette in a factory supported team. We got the return of Z06 in 2001, we got the LS7 in 2006, the return of the 1LE, the Z28, now a new mid-engine Corvette is coming, along with the next gen of driver machines with big brute motors. While germany, japan and the uk have moved towards DCT's, America may have been late to the show, but America has the chance to end the story with some of the baddest track day driver cars ever...ACR, ZR1, Z06, Z28, GT350R, etc. I have a Z06 and the Z28 is next on my list to add to my stable of M3 and S2k.
GM has raised their Performance Car division, one can only hope they continue to produce quality and affordable exciting pieces of work, such as the Z28.
GT350, GT350R, Z/28, SS 1LE, along with new gen of Camaros coming, hopefully Dodge steps up their challenger game with something other than the hellcat... new golden age of muscle cars is here!
Ok you can drift mate....but it kills the lap times. I am impressed with the manual normally aspirated mechanics. Visceral experience in a true sport car cockpit. Path of action as much on a linear plane front to back closes to the apex with controlled brake, steering throttle before, during & after is what makes it fun and fast. Ahh... yes the shifts, the shifts!!
What lap times LOL? Did you even look at the river passing on the track? Didn't you saw the Trofeo r's and the cup2? What kind of comment is that? Of course, the guy can lap a car (and you might know it very well), Chris already raced a couple of times in 24H (Nurburgring and Lemans), like real race driver, for a team, inclusive he was one of the guys racing an OEM GT3 RS back when they were released in the 24H, he was supposed to share the car with Walter Rohl and 2 other fellas, unfortunately, Walter was sick and he hadn't had the chance.
I believe I did. Motortrend is awesome. I was surprised at how much better the 1le is! I think it did better than the z28. Chevy really came to bat with this camaro!
If you love track cars with manual you should really review the 2015 viper ACR when it hits production. Or a 2014 T/A :) would love to watch a viper review from you
Chris was the ONLY reason I ever watched /DRIVE. When they started charging, I completely unsubscribed from the channel. THANK YOU Chris for going your own way, you are better than those idiots anyway. YOU are what we really want to watch. I hope Top Gear scoops him up someday and throws lots of money at him, he deserves it.
I didn't know Chris left Drive, but if thats the case, Chris you have my full support. I vowed to not watch any Drive content when they started their subscription garbage. Keep making great videos, you've got my full support.
Hats of for You Chris!! Yes, a real car-rewev* whithout uscar-hate-englishtweed comment and indstead you show the experience, and drive both cars the same, and dont throw the upponent into curvs and only drift bulling.All Respekt*to you..: )
