It’s that time of the year again: Motor Trend is currently conducting testing to figure out its Best Driver’s Car for 2016.
Last year, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT walked away with the bragging rights. Rightfully so, too, as it is a sublime machine. However, the publication chose the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro as its 2016 Car of the Year, and the bowtie brand supplied fresh ammo for Best Driver’s Car.
The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE is on hand with Motor Trend and company to see what the latest variant of Alpha-based Camaro is capable of. Jonny Lieberman also let it slide that the 2017 Camaro 1LE has already performed its hot lap at Laguna Seca with star driver, Randy Pobst, at the wheel.
MT previously clocked a 1:37.82 with the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28, but Lieberman alluded to the 2017 1LE’s time matching, or shaving seconds off the Z/28’s. We’ve iterated it before, but that’s an incredible feat after digesting the 1LE is really only an SS on steroids.
Al Oppenheiser, lead Camaro engineer, has also stated the 1LE will more than likely wipe the track with the Shelby GT350. Ford countered by making the GT350’s track pack standard equipment.
This news keeps us eager to see what the Camaro team has up their sleeves for a sixth-generation, 2018 Z/28.
Comments
Keep in mind the old Zeta was a good platform but a very old platform that had been updated several times.
The Alpha took and made a new platform that fixed many of the Zeta issues that could not be fixed and also cut the weight of the car. Weight loss adds much more performance than just more engine.
Less mass improved handling and stopping along with better acceleration. You all three axis improved vs just one.
I think people are in for a shock what this car will so not just in this package but also the Z/28.
I hope they make the 1LE also available in the Turbo and V6 as it will bring better performance to more people at a lower price.
Chevrolet announced the V6 1le simultaneously with the V8 1le. If you remember the release pictures, the V8 1le is black and the V6 1le is green with a black hood. Oppenhauser also mentioned a T4 1le if enough buyers asked.
Yes I remember but I have not seen one tested or released.
The Turbo 4 is still pending and that I think is the one that would really benefit as the Tuners will take that one and bump up the power a lot.
Chevrolet’s GEN 6 Camaro is possibly the best ever and part of this is due to weight as the Camaro is light and nimble; this is why the base Camaro with it’s 275 hp LTG 2.0L DOHC-4v 4-cyl turbo will out accelerate a Ford Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 despite giving up a 35 hp advantage or why the Camaro SS is a better sports car than a BMW M4.
Chevrolet GEN 6 Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser is wringing out every bit of performance that’s possible from the current platform as Oppenheiser recently said how the 1LE Camaro grip is 0.97 on the V-6 and it’s a 1 g car on the V-8.
“this is why the base Camaro with it’s 275 hp LTG 2.0L DOHC-4v 4-cyl turbo will out accelerate a Ford Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 despite giving up a 35 hp advantage or why the Camaro SS is a better sports car than a BMW M4.”
I wouldn’t go off MotorTrend’s comparison. Now sure how they ended up with the numbers that they did, but I’ve personally seen stock ecoboosts in the 13.7-13.9 range, quite a few actually. Car and Driver got a half second better time in the 1/4 mile and a 4 mph better trap.
MotorTrend has a lot of fishy stuff going on with their comparisons. I recall a Z28 comparison where they reran some times because of tire pressure, them putting 87 octane in a Mustang GT vs 93 in a SS, and a Z06 comparison where they reran some times because of a suspension issue.
I’m not sure who sets up their comparisons, but quite a few that I’ve read have made special note about issues they had and why the comparisons weren’t fair.
It will be interesting to see the 1LE going up against the 2017 GT350, Ford made the track pack standard now. Should be a good race.
wish you the best with this new Camaro
Looks mean..nice…
Looks like last year’s.
Waiting for the TROLLS to arrive at this particular blog….It’s kind of sad when you cannot accept the reality that we are already beginning to see that the 2017 Camaro SS 1LE will beat a standard GT350. What I want to know is how it competes with the GT350 for 2017 since it will have the Track Pack standard, MARKETING BS BE DAMNED !
incredible. it all starts with the alpha platform. truly a world class platform. it all makes sense. Mark said the SS would feel more like a ZL1 and the 1LE is more like the Z28. the ZL1 with the 1le suspension parts is really going to be something incredible and push the envelope even further,but the Z28 is going to be a crazy crazy good track weapon. I really wonder what kind of powertrain GM is hopefully cooking up to replace the LS7