Instrumented Test
arrow
Transformed into a track star.
It’s not easy to see out of a Chevy Camaro. That is just an inescapable consequence of forcing 1967 design and style cues onto modern, safety-compliant hardware shared with the Chevrolet SS and the late, lamented Pontiac G8. You will have to reside with this poor visibility if you purchase any Camaro. But opt for a Camaro SS equipped with the 1LE package, and you might not care.
For $ 3500, the 1LE selection transforms the Camaro SS into a finely tuned handling instrument, a track-ready performer on the order of the Porsche 911 GT3. Even if you never take your Camaro to a road course, 1LE is a have to-have option for the driving enthusiast. It is telling that the order type will not let you pair an automatic transmission and 1LE—presumably, that’s Chevy’s way of saying, “Serious Inquiries Only.”
Hardware From The ZL1
Chassis modifications are comprehensive and bring the 1LE closely in line with the handling, if not the ultimate prowess, of the 580-hp ZL1. Compared with the common SS, the front and rear anti-roll bars are enlarged, a strut-tower brace is bolted in spot, monotube rear shocks replace the SS’s twin-tube units, and black 20-inch wheels—10-inches wide in front and 11-inches wide in back—are furnished with 285/35R-20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 rubber borrowed from the ZL1’s front end. To aid preserve it all operating beneath duress, the ZL1’s wheel bearings, rear shock mounts, and larger fuel pump are used.
 |
In addition to the black wheels, the exterior is dressed up with a hood wrapped in black vinyl, as well as larger front and rear spoilers. Interior modifications contain the microfiber-wrapped steering wheel and shifter from the ZL1. That shifter has shorter throws and churns a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox with a shorter (numerically larger) final-drive ratio.
Taut And Communicative
These are the goods. But what makes the 1LE exceptional is how these components combine to adjust how the Camaro feels. Even even though the steering is electrically boosted, it is complete of info. Tiny vibrations and kicks come through, delivering communiqués from the road. Turn the Camaro toward its 1.01-g’s of grip and the steering heft increases as the front tires bite into the tarmac. Ride quality is on the harsh side and may possibly be a bit also rough for some, but impacts are instantly dissipated by the taut structure. This also explains why Chevy won’t give you the 1LE kit on a convertible. Tiny window openings and thick A- and C-pillars may well be terrible for visibility, but they’re fantastic for structural rigidity.
There’s a directness that pervades the 1LE. Chevy removes every bit of imprecision. Any slack that’s in a regular Camaro SS is gone each and every portion of the auto is pulled tight. Steering and throttle inputs create an immediate reaction, but that immediacy treads the fine line amongst nervousness and feeling appropriate. Like all wonderful-handling vehicles, the Camaro seems to shed some of its 3884 pounds the tougher you drive it. And the harder you pound it into corners, the happier it becomes. We did notice a dab of slop in the brakes when you very first touch the pedal, but they’re otherwise great and developed stops from 70 mph in a Corvette-like 145 feet.
 |
What the 1LE code doesn’t alter is the engine. Like all manual Camaro SS models the 1LE spins its rear wheels with a 426-hp 6.2-liter LS3 V-7 Our test car’s V-8 plays via an $ 895 2-mode exhaust program that opens valves to allow for far more noise beneath hard acceleration and at high rpm. Acceleration times fall in line with like-priced versions of the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger. The quarter-mile passes in 12.9 seconds at 111 mph, and the run to 60 takes only 4.5 seconds. The shifter slots into gear as if pulled by magnets, and your hands will believe that the fake-suede wrapping on the knob could’ve come from Stuttgart.
Not A Quite Cabin
With the exception of the $ 1995 Recaro seats and the material covering the steering wheel and shifter, the rest of the Camaro interior reminds us of the Common Motors that went bankrupt. If it weren’t for the interior, absolutely nothing about the 1LE would really feel inexpensive.
And however, we’d be prepared to overlook the interior and the lack of outward visibility to park a Camaro SS 1LE in the garage. It’s definitely on the tough-core side of the efficiency spectrum, but so is a Porsche GT3. The suspension may be a bit too tough and its reflexes also swift for some, but these folks will likely be purchasing an automatic Camaro anyway. Or waiting for the lighter, smaller all-new Camaro coming for 2016—and hoping it brings a classier interior and far better visibility.
View Photo Gallery
Other Stories You May possibly Like
2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE Tested: Transformed Track Star
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder