Corner-Carving 1LE Package Returns To Camaro Lineup For 2017

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While the all-new, Alpha platform-based Camaro has proven to be a capable performer both in terms of straight-line pull and on a road course, we knew it was only a matter of time before the folks at GM ratcheted up the car’s prowess even more with a succession of high performance variants. This week the company took the wraps off the first of those iterations to make it out of the gate, and the enhancements read like a track rat’s wish list.

Known as the 1LE package, the performance suite will be available for both V6 and V8 models equipped with a manual gearbox. It’s tailored specifically toward enhancing both the Camaro’s handling and its ability to withstand the rigors of repeated laps at road course speeds.

“The Camaro 1LE packages follow a recipe any track-day enthusiast will appreciate,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “Start with a lightweight, stiff structure and then add higher levels of suspension stiffness and damping, more aggressive tires, higher downforce, more powerful brakes and more cooling. The result delivers better performance in all measures.”

It’s not the first time we’ve seen the package offered on the Camaro. In fact, the track-focused package dates as far back as the third generation Camaro, though its popularity increased substantially when Chevrolet made it available for the fifth generation car back in 2012.

The SS 1LE

cq5dam.web.1280.1280 (2)While the 2016 Camaro SS – which got optional Magnetic Ride suspension dampers for the first time ever – set a new handling standard in its segment, the 1LE package looks to take the model to another level.

Magnetic Ride control will be standard on the SS 1LE, with dampers, springs and sway bars that are specially tuned for the package. The SS 1LE will also include the electronically controlled limited slip differential from the C7 Corvette, which will feature the same 3.73 gear ratio as the standard SS.

On the braking front, the SS 1LE boasts six-piston Brembo brakes up front and four-piston units in the rear with monoblock calipers. Two piece rotors are installed at all four corners with the front units measuring 14.6 inches, a 7 percent increase from the standard SS discs.

cq5dam.web.1280.1280 (3)Attached to them will be a set of unique 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires that were developed specifically for the 1LE Camaro and measure 285mm up front and 305mm in the rear, offering a sustainably larger footprint than you’d find on the standard SS.

And because all the performance in the world is useless if it can’t stand up to the abuses of the race track, Chevrolet has also equipped the SS 1LE with a comprehensive cooling package that includes oil, differential and transmission coolers.

Visually the SS 1LE sets itself apart from the standard SS model with a satin black hood, side mirrors and three piece ducktail rear spoiler, while a front splitter and rear diffuser serve both form and function. Inside the cabin, SS 1LE models will get a short-throw shifter, suede-covered steering wheel, and the Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder will be an optional addition.

LT 1LE

Lest you think this package is all about V8-powered Camaros, V6 enthusiasts fear not, as the LT 1LE package is a formidable setup in its own right. In fact, GM says the new LT 1LE generates lap times that go toe to toe with the previous generation V8 model, delivering an estimated 0.97G in cornering grip. Autocross special, anyone?

cq5dam.web.1280.1280 (1)The LT 1LE model borrows the lion’s share of its suspension components from the standard SS model, while four-piston Brembos are installed up front and a mechanical limited slip differential with a 3.27 gear ratio joins the party out back.

The LT 1LE also gets its own set of unique 20-inch forged aluminum wheels which are clad in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires that measure 245/40R20 in front and 275/35R20 in the rear. Similar to the SS 1LE, the V6 model gets a handful of subtle visual tweaks as well, including the satin black hood, rear spoiler and a front splitter.

Like the SS 1LE, a dual-mode exhaust system will be standard. Recaro seats, along with the PDR, are both optional on the V6 model.

How It Stacks Up

Without putting too fine a point on it, the new Camaro SS already outperforms the current generation Mustang GT in essentially every measurable performance metric, including straight-line acceleration, braking, and cornering grip.

Not only should this new handling package widen that gap, it will likely take the fight to the Mustang GT350, although the Camaro is still at a horsepower deficit, as the 1LE package leaves the engine untouched. And like the Mustang GT, cars like the BMW M4 and Dodge Challenger SRT 392 were already having a tough time keeping up with the all-new SS model’s performance, so the 1LE package will likely serve to compound that.

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Is the new Camaro SS 1LE ready to take on the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz? The last generation Z28 fought well above its weight class, and with the sixth generation car’s new chassis and LT1 power train, this 1LE package will likely do the same.

But what Chevrolet hasn’t outlined is the pricing for the package, we inquired to Chevrolet representatives regarding this who responded simply that they were not ready to release that information. The 1LE package is expected to hit showrooms toward the end of 2016 as a 2017 model option.

About the author

Bradley Iger

Lover of noisy cars, noisy music, and noisy bulldogs, Brad can often be found flogging something expensive along the twisting tarmac of the Angeles Forest.
Read My Articles

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