Following Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car competition is the tradition of running the world’s greatest drag race. The race, in its sixth iteration, lines up the hottest performance metal for one shot down the quarter mile.
And GM’s sole performer here this year was the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE. How’d it do? It came in last place.
But, that’s not much of a hit against it. The 2017 Camaro SS 1LE ran down the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds. So, yes, the slowest car managed to clip a sub 13 second time. That’s nothing to scoff at. Even though seconds count, that’s just two seconds slower than the McLaren 570S.
Have a look at the race right up above.
Comments
I would have loved to see the new ZL1 Camaro tear that GT350 up.
so different cars
That’s awesome! The slowest car runs a quarter mile time of 12.7 seconds! In other words, there’s no real losers here! You just can’t beat the Camaro’s performance to dollar ratio! No matter what you think about the Camaro!!
The Porche 911 is perhaps the most impressive of the bunch in my opinion! How those engineers managed to make that 3.0L, 420-hp, 368-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve flat-6 rocket from 0-60 in 3.1 seconds with a 1/4 mile time of 11.7 seconds is stellar!
All. Wheel. Drive. And proper gearing.
Just a simple fact that the SS is the ONE running with the big dogs is the highest compliment there can be.
Why did they use an SS1 LE with the six speed manual? I would’ve done better with an SS with an automatic. In this, day and age who goes to a drag race with a manual transmission.
Bigger question: where was the Corvette Grand Sport?
I image that the producers thoroughly vetted (no pun intended) the entire lineup to choose cars that would produce tight finishes. The Corvette has been in past episodes of WGD, and I doubt that it won’t return in the future, either as the C7 ZR1 or the C8.
Gotta keep it fresh and mix it up.
I truly agree with the Chevrolet Camaro SS. As being by far the lowest priced vehicle with the next closets car the Mustang 350R being at least 30K more. Makes the Chevy Camaro 1SS Super Sport with it’s 8 speed automatic a true Super. And yes where was the Corvette Stingray Z06? GM’s Big Bother Flagship,” To the Camaro”, Where the hell was she? Very European biased as across the pond in 24 hours of Le Mann’s as well as on Germany’s road courses the Z06 Vette is beating those Italian Super cars more so then not. Plus, The engineering is top notch to the point of were one could buy at least 3 Vette’s or more to this video’s top line winners. Also, US American’s could produce the 300 Vette’s to one of the others …
They used a Six Speed manual because the SS 1LE was only made in a manual for it’s debut in 2017.
Video says it was 12.4 seconds. Still last, but that’s still moving quite well.
One has to wonder whether the guys at Motor Trend were fixing the race for the 2017 Camaro to lose because this was a straightline acceleration test and the Camaro SS 1LE might not have been the best car for this test as the 2017 Camaro SS without the 1LE’s suspension components might have done better.
BINGO!!!
12.4 seconds. The fifth gen (2013 1le ran 12.7)
The 1LE wasn’t made for drag racing, it was made for handling, turning awesome laps, and above all to reward discerning driving enthusiast who prefer to row their own gears instead of succumbing to the automatics. On the track where it belongs it put to shame or kept up with cars that were $50-100k more expensive. Of course automatics with fast gear changes, high HP, low drag, and all wheel drive or low weight will be faster in a drag race. But that’s not what this car was made for.
Mark do you own a 2016/17 Super Sport? I don’t but I have driven the Mustang 350, GT, Camaro SS 6 manual as well as the 8 speed automatic. I work as a Jet Tech and just love car’s, Jet’s, rocket’s, firearm’s (combat type and long range 300 WIN MAG’s) and motorcycles. BTW, I do love the slowest motorcycle of them all the best H.D’s. After driving those four cars to purchase one of them it was very easy for me to decide. The 2 SS 8 speed auto. It is faster then a manual in a drag race and in the corners it is incredible even if you don’t use the paddle shifters. The computer in track mode thinks in milli seconds. By the time you push in the clutch then down shift then release the clutch in 1 second this Tran’s Computer is all ready went down a gear or two and rev match’s the powerplant for the best possible Torque/H.P Curve for the vehicles Caddy Suspension. Then it sticks and balances the curve or turn and launches the car thru it. It’s an American Beast that has a “Very Dark Side” ,,, LOL
Hey Robert, congrats on your 2SS! I was looking at similar cars as you. I loved the GT350 and almost bought one but was just turned off by all the dealer markup. Then I saw the 1LE at the auto show in Chicago and followed every piece of news I could find on that for nearly 7 months. I finally was able to order the 2017 1SS 1LE last Monday and can’t wait to get it. (Unfortunately it will be winter here in Chicago when I get it so it will be covered up in the garage until April most likely) As for automatics, I like them for daily driving especially when sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Chicago, but I’ve driven manuals my entire life except my current car and feel like something’s missing in m life. I don’t mind waking up early and being on the road at 5:30am to beat traffic, that just gets me to the office before everyone else so I can get more work done before all the meetings. And I especially enjoy the manual when I get to the track. Getting out to the track a few weekends a year is my oasis, and having a manual transmission is all about the experience and involvement in driving. I’m not knocking the 2SS or automatics, they are definitely faster than a manual, and the 2SS is a fantastic GT muscle car, I’m just saying what I’ve been missing I my life is that manual transmission. I’m also thrilled to finally see GM can make cars that out handle European cars. My last 4 cars have been German the past 16 years, and I thought even 5 years ago “I’ll never buy Anerican cars, the interiors feel cheap and they lack the driving refinement of German cars…” And fast forward a few years and GM+Ford are finally making sports cars for discerning driving enthusiasts, and I can say, now have succeeded to win back a buyer who has gone German for 16 years…
🧐
This comment section is a joke.
As a Car guy and Chevy fan it is obvious
Motor Trend cannot drive. These are not
Pro drivers like Randy Pobst . He isnt doing
WGDR. These guys are journalists. Look
How poorly they drive USDM cars
11.4 in the Z06 and now 11.5 in the ACR
Both are 10second cars.
The Z06 ran 10.68 with the A8 Bone Stock
I agree with all of the above sentiments. I own a higher-end foreign sport sedan but I am strongly considering the camaro as my next car.
I drove the SS for 4 days this las week. i think all around this is a great car. Its not spectacular. My biggest isaue is the lag in rhe RPMs to build after shifting Or say on launch if TC doesnt catch it all. Also very diasapointing was it lacked posi in the rear end. After making a statement with the car I went to turn around and what should have been a quick blip of the throttle to get the ass end to come around 180° turned into just the inside tire spinning. Really embarrasing. Bottom line.. The SS is a great car. Just pick your battles.
All Camaro SS have a Posi rear end. Not sure what you were driving. I have a 17 SS 6 speed. And actually dollar for dollar the performance and handling is spectacular. The SS 1LE handling is even more spectacular.
Yeh…and its a hell of a lot cheaper to go fast in the camaro too. You got to spend damn near 6 figures to go that fast in Jap and German.