Chevrolet Camaro 1LE wants to be your affordable track weapon

Chevrolet has dropped the details on its widely-loved options package for the 2016 Camaro, offering a suite of handling and performance improvements that elevate the 2016 Camaro’s performance even further.

The new 1LE package, which is being introduced for the 2017 model year, will be available for both the V-6 and V-8 variants of the sixth-gen Camaro. Whatever. We think that the more sporting, rear-drive coupes that exist in this world, the better, no matter what they have under the hood. A track-cooling package adds oil, diff, and transmission coolers. Chevrolet promises the auto can generate 0.97G in corning grip. Other features include a satin graphite front splitter and rear diffuser along with a dual mode exhaust.

Chevy is bringing back our favorite off-the-rack package for the 2017 Camaro. Forged 20-inch wheels get Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires with an exclusive compound and construction developed by the Camaro team, measuring 285/30 in front and 305/30 in the back. For starters, buyers who tick the 1LE option box get uprated SS suspension components, 20-inch aluminum wheels, Brembo front calipers, a mechanical limited-slip differential, suede steering wheel and short-throw shifter, and a standard dual-mode exhaust system… and that’s just on the V-6.

The Camaro LT 1LE will have a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine rate at 335 horsepower.

The paint that you literally won’t be able to miss on the Chicago-bound V-6 1LE is called Krypton Green, but Chevrolet says it is at this point just a pre-preproduction color. Additionally, the model comes complete with Recaro racing seats and can be optioned with a Performance Data Recorder allowing owners to record their racetrack experiences. Also note that where LED daytime running lights would be on the standard V-6, 1LE cars get a dedicated scoop to feed the air curtain that smooths aerodynamic flow over the front wheels and tires. That’s no accident. As before, the 1LE package is strictly a chassis upgrade, and ordering it changes nothing about the Camaro’s six- and eight-cylinder engines. The engine is a beast with the LT1 V8 pumping out 455 HP with all that power routed through a six-speed manual. With the 1LE package, which turned the previous Camaro SS into a veritable world-beater, the new bowtied brute becomes that much more enticing.

“With a curb weight under 3,500 pounds, excellent front-to-rear weight balance and the precision of the FE3 suspension, the Camaro LT 1LE offers unmatched capability in its class”, said Oppenheiser.