Chevrolet has been on a roll with its sixth-gen Camaro. In fact, we named the new modern muscle car our 2016 Motor Trend Car of the Year, and the new 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE placed fourth out of 12 cars in our 2016 Best Driver’s Car competition. Not one to rest on its laurels, the Bow Tie crew now offers the 1LE handling package on the Chevrolet Camaro 1LS and 2LT with the optional 3.6-liter V-6 engine and six-speed manual. Chevrolet invited us to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch about an hour outside of Las Vegas to drive the new 2017 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE and 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE on public streets and the racetrack for some driving impressions.
2017 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE
Performance upgrades on the Camaro V6 1LE include the base Camaro SS’ FE3 suspension (dampers, rear cradle mounts, ball-jointed rear toe links, and stabilizer bars), staggered 20-inch (20-by-8.5-inch front, 20-by-9.5-inch rear) alloy wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric RunOnFlat (245/40R20 front, 275/35R20 rear) tires, Brembo four-piston front brake calipers and 12.6-inch front discs, a mechanical limited-slip differential with 3.27 ratio, a cooling package (engine, transmission, differential coolers), SS fuel system optimization for higher-load cornering, a dual-mode exhaust system, and a short-throw shifter.
The 3.6-liter LGX DOHC V-6 engine’s 335 hp at 6,800 rpm and 284 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm is unchanged.
Other functional and cosmetic changes include black high-flow upper and lower grilles and a black lower splitter on the standard V-6 front fascia, a black three-piece decklid blade spoiler, and a black hood wrap. Inside, the V-6 1LE features a suede steering wheel. Options include $1,195 Recaro seats and $1,300 Performance Data Recorder (2LT only).
Before we hit the racetrack, Chevy had us take the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS V-6 1LE on a 96-mile drive route outside of Pahrump, Nevada. Because I have already taken our long-term 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS on a 2,552-mile road trip, I wasn’t surprised how easily the lighter model would handle the long straights and sweeping curves. Even without our long-term 2SS model’s optional Magnetic Ride Control adjustable shocks, the Camaro V-6 1LE rode smoothly even over rougher pavement on two-lane highways just outside of Death Valley. With 335 hp on tap, it was an exercise in discipline to keep the junior muscle car at sane speeds.
Once we returned from our jaunt through the desert, we got some time on Spring Mountain’s 2.1-mile East Track configuration. (Previous to this event, I have only driven on the 1.5-mile West Track.) The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE shined on the track while hitting speeds around 110 mph on the straight. Turn-in was smooth, and the steering wheel and suspension and minimal body roll provided good feedback during our session with an instructor from the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School riding shotgun. The V-6 engine’s torque and gearing allowed us to spend most of the time in third gear, only upshifting to fourth gear on the two longest sections of the track.
After several laps in the V-6 1LE, we hopped into a competitor car selected by the crew at Chevy: 2017 Ford Mustang GT without the optional GT Performance package. Why? Because the Camaro V-6 1LE rides on the base Camaro SS’ suspension. The Mustang GT, however, came with a power advantage: 435 hp and 400 lb-ft versus 335 hp and 284 lb-ft in the Camaro.
As a Ford guy (and previous owner of a 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra), I was disappointed in the base Mustang GT’s track performance. As much as I love the 5.0-liter DOHC Coyote V-8, the transmission gearing doesn’t seem properly matched to the engine’s power band. We spent most of our track time in fourth gear, with fifth needed briefly at the end of the long straight, and at the second-longest section of the track, we hit redline in fourth gear right as we hit the braking zone.
Although I am far from a professional driver and the lap times weren’t timed, the Mustang GT didn’t feel as confident in the corners as the Camaro V6 1LE. Although a Mustang GT with the Performance package may have been a closer comparison, there would be a significant price discrepancy. The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LS 1LE starts at $32,895 (including the $4,500 1LE package and $995 destination), but the base 2017 Ford Mustang GT starts at $33,820. The $2,500 GT Performance package would bring the price up to $36,320. (The Camaro 2LT 1LE is priced at $37,395).
2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE
Chevrolet followed a similar recipe for the handling upgrades for Camaro SS 1LE, which include the upcoming Camaro ZL1’s FE4 suspension (dampers, springs, and stabilizer bars) with Magnetic Ride Control, staggered 20-inch (20-by-10-inch front, 20-by-11-inch rear) alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 (P285/30R20 front, P305/30R20 rear) tires, Brembo six-piston front brake calipers with 14.6-inch front discs and four-piston rear brake calipers with 13.3-inch rear discs, an electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) with 3.73 ratio, the Track Cooling package (engine, transmission, differential coolers), a dual-mode exhaust system, and a short-throw shifter (5.1:1 ratio).
Like the V-6 1LE, the 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine’s 455 hp at 6,000 rpm and 455 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm is unchanged.
Other functional and cosmetic changes for the SS 1LE include a black lower splitter on the stock SS fascia, a black three-piece decklid blade spoiler, a black rear diffuser, a black hood wrap, and black side mirrors. Inside, the SS 1LE features a suede steering wheel and standard Recaro seats. The lone option is the $1,300 Performance Data Recorder.
The day before our track excursion with both Camaro 1LE models, Chevy let us drive a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE from the SEMA show in Las Vegas to the track at Spring Mountain. Despite the strip and the track being only about 55 miles apart, our route took us nearly 135 miles through the desert for some quality time behind the wheel.
There was noticeable difference in handling for the SS 1LE with its Magnetic Ride Control, larger stabilizer bars, and wider tires, which allowed it to corner nearly flat while returning a comfortable ride even in Track mode on the streets. If the 335-hp V-6 1LE was hard to keep its speed in check, another 120 hp and 116 lb-ft of torque and stable ride could easily get an owner deep into felonious speeds. Both cars could easily take long sweepers at double the suggested limits.
On track, the Camaro SS 1LE offered even more confidence than the V-6 model and was able to reach much higher speeds on the straight—well above 110 mph. Body roll for the SS 1LE was almost imperceptible even on some of the tighter corners. The steering always pointed the car exactly where you intended. Like the V-6 1LE, the Camaro SS could tackle much of the track in third gear, upshifts needed on only the two longest stretches.
After several laps in the Camaro SS 1LE, we hopped into another competitor car: a 2017 BMW M4 with the Competition package (more power, adaptive M suspension, M Dynamic Mode settings, a revised steering ratio, revised DSC and active M differential settings, 20-inch alloy wheels, black trim and accents, a sport exhaust with dual tailpipes, and M Sport seats). With the Competition package the BMW M4 makes 444 hp (19 hp more than stock) from 5,500 to 7,300 rpm and 406 lb-ft from 1,850 to 5,500 rpm.
Power of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 was linear, and like both 1LE models, third gear was used for most of the track, with a brief shift into fourth gear on the longest straight. The M4’s steering, however, felt more artificial and light off-center compared to both Camaro models (and the Mustang) and didn’t offer as much feedback around the track. Body roll was also much more prevalent than in the Camaro SS 1LE. In fact, of the four cars we drove on track, the M4 in which we induced oversteer and a four-wheel drift on a particularly technical high-speed decreasing-radius right-hand corner.
Not only is the Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE a better track day car, but it’s also priced significantly less than the BMW M4 coupe. The SS 1LE starts at $44,400 compared with $71,945 for an M4 with the manual transmission and just the Competition package. It’s no wonder that the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE placed fourth and the 2016 BMW M4 GTS placed 11th in out of 12 cars in our 2016 Best Driver’s Car competition. The M4 GTS featured water injection and titanium exhaust for a bump in power to 493 hp and 443 lb-ft as well as revised suspension, wider wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, a rollcage, and more aggressive aerodynamics. The BMW M4 GTS beat the Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE by just 0.11 second around the 2.2-mile track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Why buy an M4 GTS,” Christian Seabaugh said at the time, “when I can have one of these?”
Chevrolet has built impressive track cars with both the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE and 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE—and that’s before factoring in their price. Well done, Chevy. Well done.
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