New "1LE" Camaro

[mockingbird812]

<span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">2013 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE a Mustang Boss 302 Killer?</span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 was thought to be the obvious rival for the Ford Mustang Boss 302, as history would have shown. General Motors has thought otherwise, deciding that their ultimate handling pony car shall be the 1LE, which will sell for under $40,000 and offer a claimed 1g of handling.

This Camaro is similar to how the Corvette Grand Sport was designed. Engineers have taken some good bits from the range-topping ZL1, and put them into the 1SS and 2SS models to make the 1LE. This includes things like a transmission cooler, short-throw shifter, suspension geometry, fuel system components, 10-spoke wheels, and steering wheel.

Other changes that separate the 1LE to other V-8 Camaros include a switch to monotube rear shocks, upgraded axle shafts for better cornering, uprated front and rear swaybars and a strut-bar. Outside, stylists have forgone a gaudy body kit and instead offer a matte-black hood, front lip spoiler and trunk spoiler. Everything else is plain old 1SS or 2SS Camaro, but only comes with a manual transmission (which will probably change much like the ZL1.)

All these changes are well and good, but may not be enough to dominate the Boss 302 from its track day, pony car pedestal. There doesn’t seem to be any real weight-savings attempts on the car, something that seems to be essential for a serious track day special. Also there aren’t any engine tweaks to produce more power like the Ford as well. The only thing it seems to do better with is a cheaper price than the Mustang, which starts at $42,995.

Whether it offers a better performance than the Boss 302 will remain unseen until a comparison can be done.</span></span>

This article was posted on Fox News today.

[Xplantdad]

Hmmm....

[markinnaples]

Why not name it Z/28?

[Fast67VelleN2O]

Why not give it more horsepower? GM fails again.

[69LM1]

Cool concept. But where's the Z28? It would be like Ford making a Boss 302 without a GT model.

Fwiw, I own a 2012 Boss 302, and it is one mean ride. Nothing even close to a stock GT. One of, if not the most enjoyable cars I have ever owned.



Hopefully GM continues to tweak their performance department and starts paying attention to the weight issues on the Camaro.

For now, she's still the fat chick in the room....

RichP

[Fast67VelleN2O]

Rich,

Did you get the sky roof on yours?

[69LM1]

No, none of the Boss 302's can get them, it just looks like it with the gloss black top.

I love the Track Key &quot;red key&quot; option and had mine turned on. Basically, the red key resets the tune on the car to a &quot;track only&quot; tune and the regular (gray) key sets it back to standard Boss 302 mode.

Next morning after I got it I made the first &quot;day 2&quot; mod and removed the restrictor plates from the quad exhaust exits in front of the rear tires. Make a big difference in sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiWSr-Ax8K4

I also was able to do the two day &quot;Track Attack&quot; Boss 302 driving program at Miller MotorSports in Salt Lake. It was an awesome time.

Rich Pern

[jannes_z-28]

I guess calling it 1LE is a natural evolution. The gen 3 and 4 of the Z28s were not really performance packages if you compare to the 1st generation.

Adding the 1LE to the Z28 on a gen 3 or 4 gave you a real racepackage. Read more here: http://www.camarowiki.com/index.php/...Generation_1LE

But I agree that they could've gone a bit further on the mods.

I also agree that a 5th gen Z28 would be better from a marketing point since that is a better known name.

Jan

[1970Bluel78]

1Le.....Really ??? Tell that marketing guy he is fired. Call it the Z28

[69LM1]

The 1LE program was pretty cool if not widely known.

There was a cup called the &quot;players challenge&quot; and the 1LE's sold for that race were called &quot;players cup challenge&quot; cars I think. There were even a few Firebird Players Cup 1LE's made.

http://www.playerschallengeseries.ca/First.htm

They were pretty cool and all were sponsered:




I think the series went from 87-96ish?

here's one (partially) sponsored by Sunoco:



RichP