2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE

alanced. Firm. Sticky. Loud. These descriptors flashed through my mind during my first taste of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE. And what a delectable and surprising taste it was.
The fifth-generation Camaro SS isn't supposed to act like the 1LE. It's supposed to plow into corners when pressed hard. Its helm should feel as artificial as AstroTurf. It's supposed to pivot, accelerate, and grip like the 4000-pound car it is. Not anymore. Those gripes have been largely addressed by diligent GM engineers keen on honing their ponycar into a Ford Mustang Boss 302-killer.




To get this very enticing Camaro, all it takes is an extra $3500 on top of the 1SS or 2SS' asking price. That additional dough brings a solid list of performance and aesthetic mods to the SS' repertoire. Exterior treatments include a ZL1-inspired (a lot of the 1LE package takes from the ZL1 parts/idea bin) and downforce-inducing front splitter and rear trunk spoiler, wrapped matte black hood and radio antenna, and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels covered in gummy 285/35R-20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 rubber. The 426-horse, 6.2-liter V-8 is left alone, but it does get a glorious two-stage exhaust system lifted from its 'roid ragin' 580-horse brother. Forget WOT blasts (though they are AH-MAY-ZING) -- startups are the bee's knees, and will likely set off some car alarms. Inside, you'll find a flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in a suede-like material and an easy to navigate MyLink media system with a touch screen.

The Tremec TR6060-MM6 short-throw six-speed manual employs a sportier 3.91:1 final drive rather than the normal 3.45:1. Like in the ZL1, crisp shifts are had row after row, thanks to an air-to-liquid cooling system. There are ZL1 wheel bearings, toe links, and shock mounts, too. Monotube shocks replace the SS' more civilized twin-tubes. The stabilizer bars thicken to 27mm front, 28mm rear, and sturdier rear axle half-shafts cope with the newfound grip. A new front strut tower brace keeps everything tight, and a higher capacity fuel pump ensures the LS3 heart gets all the liquid strength it needs during high-G load situations.

You'd think that with a suspension like this, the 1LE would ride as stiff as a San Francisco cable car. Yes, more of what's going on below gets transmitted to your hindquarters, but it's not that jarring or punishing. And mind you, I say this after driving it nearly 1500 miles up and down the California coast over the course of a week.

Throw the Camaro into a corner and the new variable electric power steering returns a weighty and progressive feel. Body roll is kept to a minimum, and the front end grabs securely. Its Brembos kill forward momentum pedal stab after pedal stab, and the rowdy 6.2-liter smoothly doles its 420 lb-ft to the steamroller Goodyears. Associate road test editor Carlos Lago noted that understeer comes into play mid-corner, but stability is there and "the throttle makes it easy to modulate the rear end and induce oversteer." It's an orchestration of athleticism I've never experienced in any fifth-gen Camaro.

The 3860-pound 1LE posts admirable track numbers, too. Getting to 60 mph from nil takes 4.3 seconds; a quarter mile arrives in 12.7 seconds at 111.8 mph; braking from 60 mph to a standstill takes 101 feet. Most impressive: It achieved a 1.03 g average on the skidpad (for reference, that's stickier than a 2012 Audi R8 GT) and traced our figure eight in 24.2 seconds at an average 0.83 g. Before you Google "2012 Mustang Boss 302 Motor Trend", here are the 'Stang specs you seek: 3640 pound curb weight; 4.0 seconds from 0 to 60 mph; quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 115 mph; 60 mph to 0 in 106 feet; 1.0 g skidpad average; figure eight in 24.6 seconds at 0.81 g average. Feel free to discuss below.

Don't get me wrong, the Camaro SS 1LE is still a big car, and you still feel as if you're sitting inside of a cave. Even so, this SS' footwork and stick is impressive. As Lago said, "This is how the Camaro should have handled out of the factory."

It may not have the ZL1's fancy shocks; it's nowhere close to corralling 600 force-fed horses under a bulging hood; and it's not the quickest in a straight line; but the 1LE is a well-balanced, track-ready, and sufficiently powered performance edition that will make any Camaro fan proud.

1 comment:

  1. Everyone knows the GM small-block V8 is a wonderful piece of machinery. It doesn't rev out quite like the Mustang's 5.0-liter DOHC V8, but it's no slouch. I do like it better than the naturally-aspirated versions of the Hemi. There's gobs of torque everywhere in the rev range and makes some absolutely fantastic noises. It doesn't sing or rip like some German or Japanese V8s, but that's what makes it so good. It's wholly and distinctly American, and I absolutely love it.
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