The Camaro is what happens when Detroit gets muscle cars right: the 6th-gen SS and ZL1 deliver genuine track capability with the 1LE package while holding resale value like few sports cars do, one owner lost just $1,000 after a year and 8,000 miles. The visibility is genuinely terrible, you'll park by Braille, and you'll want the V8 both for the visceral experience and to dodge the V6 stigma at resale. Buy a 6th-gen SS or ZL1 now before production ends for good, skip the complaint-heavy 5th-gen unless you enjoy surprise repair bills, and if you've got collector money, a pristine first-gen remains timelessly desirable.
The GR86 is a purist's sports car: lightweight, rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated, and manual-first. It excels at what it was designed for, carving backroads and delivering steering feedback and chassis balance that punch far above its price. Owners consistently call it 'the most fun you can have under $30k' and many who cross-shop faster cars (Supra, Mustang GT) still choose the 86 for the analog driving experience. The tradeoff is clear: it's slow in a straight line, loud on the highway, and the interior feels budget. If you want a daily commuter or need rear seats, look elsewhere. If you want to learn car control and enjoy driving at legal speeds, this is the answer.