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We’re Driving The 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE Turbo – What Do You Want To Know?

We’re spending this week with the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE Turbo – the one powered by the turbocharged 2.0L I-4 LTG engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The 1LE package was added to the base-model Camaro for the 2019 model year.

2019 Chevrolet Camaro LT 1LE Turbo RS Exterior GMA Garage 002

Our unit is finished in the Riverside Blue Metallic exterior color and has the RS appearance package plus the 1LE package, which features a plethora of performance upgrades such as a limited-slip differential, Brembo 4-piston brakes, an upgraded suspension along with bigger wheels and tires. Visually, the 1LE features a satin black hood, blacked-out front lip spoiler, rear spoiler, and 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels.

2019 Chevrolet Camaro LT 1LE Turbo RS Exterior GMA Garage 003

What’s more, the Camaro is the only front-engine sports car remaining within GM’s lineup, given that the Corvette C8 is going mid-engine. We will have this new take on the iconic American sports car for the week, so if you would like to know more about it beyond the spec sheet, ask your questions about the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE Turbo in the comments section, and we’ll reply in a timely manner as part of the GM Authority interactive review.

Ready…. set… go!

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Automotive Journalist from Canada.

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Comments

  1. What’s the acceleration at speed (i.e. 30 to 50 or 50 to 70) like? How does the transmission perform does it take a while or feel like it does to downshift? Do you think you could take on a Civic SI?

    Reply
    1. Could definitely kill a Civic Si. This thing is Nissan 370Z territory in terms of acceleration. We still need to clock its acceleration times, but the 2.0T puts the power down in a surprisingly efficient manner. Manual transmission works great, nice and precise, even during hard driving.

      Reply
    2. I have a Civic Sport and a Turbo 1LE. The sport isn’t quite the SI, but close. The Civic is a crazy sporty car with its 1.5T. It feels like driving a minivan in the mud after driving the Camaro for a week.

      Reply
  2. Have you driven the V6 1LE? Are there any notable differences unique to the 1LE packages between the two engines, aside from the standard stuff you’d find between the non-1LE 2.0T and V6?

    Reply
    1. The package is exactly the same for both engines, except the 2.0T does not get the V6’s dual-mode exhaust.

      Reply
  3. I have a 2019 2LT M6 turbo, non-1LE. Even without the 1LE package this car is extremely fun. I imagine with the FE3 suspension from the SS it would be even more stable through the corners than it already is. I didn’t get the 1LE package because I didn’t want any of the “black out” stuff and I definitely do not like the fake suede wheel and shifter. I much prefer the leather wrapped versions. And I can upgrade my brakes and suspension later on.
    But if you just want a car you can take to the track right away, it’s a great option.
    The Tremec 3160 really is an awesome manual gearbox.

    Reply
  4. Nice ride…as a current 87 Buick GN owner, I dig the small displacement Turbo motor, especially with a manual. Sounds like it would be a fun commuter, sporty ride. How is the real 0-60, 1/4 mile times for comparison? I think a stock GN was in the mid 14’s back in the day.

    Any idea of real world mileage? How does she handle with the lightweight motor up front?

    Thanks guys!
    -Joe “everything is better with a turbo” Rainville

    Reply
  5. How is the Camaro’s mid-range performance of accelerating from 35-55 mph.

    Reply
    1. Mid-range is actually where this engine is at its best. Will start pulling around 3,500 rpm, all the way to about 5,800 where it slowly runs out of puff.

      Reply
  6. I thought nobody wants manuals anymore? (Sarcasm)

    Reply
  7. real world mileage is good, easy to get 35mpg on highway, drops to around 27-28 if you are having a lot of fun.
    Mid-range acceleration is very quick.
    My wife and I have driven both the SS and the turbo 4 and this was her comment to me:
    “The turbo feels as fast as the SS between 50-90mph.”
    Not quite, but its a telling comment.
    0-60 and 1/4 mile times do not accurately portray this car. The turbo camaro is all about what happens after you are already rolling and in the boost range of 3-5k.
    Just for a real world example, if I’m on the highway at 60 and want to pass, I will downshift to 4th, the revs come up to around 4000, step on the gas and rocket up to 90 without breaking a sweat, and it feels like it could keep pulling up to 110-120 at that same rate.

    Reply
    1. I mostly leave my Turbo 1le in 3rd in the city to stay in the fun part of the powerband. In realworld daily driving, city only, no freeway, some stop and go, over the last 8 months, I have gotten 17ish mpg. On the freeway, 29 driving how I like to drive the car. 33 if I milk it.

      Reply
  8. How does it feel to daily drive in traffic? Could you go four up at a push? If so, how long would people put up with the cramped quarters? Real-world MPG? If you get a chance to drive it on the twisties back-to-back with other camaros (or anything else) I’d be interested to hear how it stacked up. Can you detail the engine noise for us? And I’ve heard the throttle response is a little slow – is this true? I’m a Brit living on the West coast and the 2.0 1le seems like the perfect blend of euro efficiency and American muscle. Am I wrong?

    Reply
    1. A buddy of mine and I autocrossed his 2018 SS and my 2019 Turbo 1le, the four banger crushed the SS in the turns and especially the slolam. The SS owned the launch and the straightaway.

      I have a family of four, with two of us kids in car seats. We comfortably drive together, though everyone is a bit squished in. Two adults and two teens is the sweet spot for the space. Don’t bother with a third adult.

      The engine noise is almost laughably quiet. Don’t rev to impress people. You’ll embarrass yourself. To me this was a selling point. I love the turbo whine and this one sounds great (turn off the Bose artificial engine sound). And you don’t wake the neighbors coming home late. That said, it is so quiet, I have not known the engine was on an stalled it letting go of the clutch.

      It daily drives great even in winter conditions though that front splitter is like an anti-bumper, cracking at the mere sight of old, packed snow. I like it as my commute to work car.

      Potholes are not your friend when it is wearing the 20s and Summers. 18s and winters helps with that. But in the 20s and summers, the car has gobs of grip that make you feel glued to the road.

      Reply
    2. – Throttle response is indeed a tad slow, but we’ve seen worse in other turbo engines. It’s not bad.
      – Engine sound is non-existent, this thing needs an aftermarket exhaust.
      – Visibility is the same as in all other Camaros, which means mediocre.
      – Handling is on par with some of the best German sports cars we’ve tested. It’s the Alpha platform after all, one of the best chassis out there. Well planted, nice and communicative steering, solid brakes, confidence-inspiring. Car tracks beautifully down the road.
      – We pulled an average of 9.3L/100 km (25 mpg) while we had it.

      The 2.0T makes this Camaro feel totally different than the rest of the lineup. It’s a lot lighter, more agile and refined. See it as great competitor to say a Nissan 370Z or even a Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86, but with more power.

      Reply
  9. These comments make me excited for a future 2.7L turbo 4.

    Reply
    1. The crazy thing is, this car doesnt need the 2.7. The LTG is actually plenty powerful and its light.

      Reply
  10. Camaro and 2.7 should not be in the same sentence

    Reply
  11. Will the 2020 Camaro lineup also feature the 1LE option including the turbo 4 version? Thanks.

    Reply
  12. Why no turbo for the v6?

    pat kelly

    Reply

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