Feeling the need for speed?
Chevrolet has announced that the 2017 Camaro will gain an option package called 1LE. Offered on and off since 1988, 1LE is synonymous with a raft of handling-focused modifications designed to make Chevy’s pony car markedly faster around a track.
The package is available on both V6- and V8-powered cars for the first time ever. Regardless of how many cylinders are in the engine bay, it brings a flat black hood that reduces glare, a sizable splitter up front, a three-piece spoiler out back, and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires wrapped around 20-inch alloy wheels. Both variants also receive a suede-upholstered steering wheel and a short-throw shifter.
More important modifications are found by looking under the car. Notably, the V6-powered coupe gains suspension components borrowed from its V8-powered sibling, four-piston Brembo brake calipers, a mechanical limited-slip differential with a 3.27 ratio, and a dual exhaust system. Since 1LE-equipped cars are more likely to see track time, Chevy has added coolers for the engine, transmission, and differential oil as well as a Camaro SS-sourced fuel system that prevents fuel starvation during high-speed cornering.
The Camaro SS builds on the V6 model with an adjustable suspension system named Magnetic Ride Control, six-piston brake calipers manufactured by Brembo, an electronic limited-slip differential, and Recaro bucket seats for the front passengers. General Motors’ Performance Data Recorder, which captures the driver’s perspective of the road ahead and a host of telemetry data, can be ordered at an extra cost.
The 1LE package is exclusively available with a six-speed manual transmission, but it doesn’t include any major mechanical modifications. The Camaro features a 3.6-liter V6 engine that delivers 335 horsepower, and the Camaro SS boasts a 6.2-liter V8 with 455 ponies. Chevrolet isn’t planning on expanding 1LE availability to the four-cylinder-powered model anytime soon.
Enthusiasts who want to order a Chevrolet Camaro with the 1LE package will need to be patient because it’s not scheduled to go on sale until later this year. Pricing information hasn’t been announced yet.
