6th Gen Chevrolet Camaro: 2017 ZL1, Z/28

[Tornado]

You mean to tell me GM converted the entire lower bumper into a vent and they still paid someone to come up with "flow-tie" to use as a bullet point for how much ventilation it has?

 

[catamount39]

You mean to tell me GM converted the entire lower bumper into a vent and they still paid someone to come up with "flow-tie" to use as a bullet point for how much ventilation it has?

Yes...somebody was indeed paid for that. xD

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm aware of that, But considering the Voodoo is based on the Coyote, I thought they'd make a flat plane, naturally aspirated V8 out of the LT, But that would probably have a better fit in the Z/28 (If they ever make a new anyways)

GM has been pretty silent on what they want to do, and there has been even less movement on their V8 engine development that we've seen. As much as I'd like to see a redone LS7, or a street version of the LS5.R from the GTE Corvettes, I'm guessing we wouldn't see much more than a heavily revamped LT1. Definitely not a flat-plane engine, GM would want to do something different than Ford for sure.

 

[Cale]

You mean to tell me GM converted the entire lower bumper into a vent and they still paid someone to come up with "flow-tie" to use as a bullet point for how much ventilation it has?

Flowtie has existed for years under that name.

 

[Omnis]

Got to sit in the new Camaro today and it's a huge improvement over the old one. I think my concerns about Frost Knee with those weird air vents blowing right on my knee are probably not going to be a big issue. The dash is still so high up and the lower elements of the dash are a LOT bigger in person than in pictures. Those central vents are huge.

Still, the most disappointing thing for me was just how rickety everything felt. When I went to open the door, it felt like the whole panel was gonna snap off. The dash in every Chevy looks cheap as hell. The way they did those screens and the flat plastic on the passenger side is just awful. The Camaro made me feel like the dash would completely fall apart after 10 years. On the inside it feels like a super corner-cut cheapo ATS coupe.

 

[MisterWaffles]

I'm trying but I still can't like it. The main reason for me is that the 2017 Camaro for me looked dated pretty much straight away, but my opinion may change if I see one rolling around the streets soon.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm trying but I still can't like it. The main reason for me is that the 2017 Camaro for me looked dated pretty much straight away, but my opinion may change if I see one rolling around the streets soon.

I don't think it helps the car much that, when you're looking at it, you've gotta take extra time to be able to tell if it is the new one, or the updated old one.

 

[Minty]

I don't know about that. I spotted one driving around outside of where I work and it caught my eye right away. In pictures and even in auto show environments they look pretty much the same, but out on the street they stand out. At least for the next year until I see 10 or 12 an hour.

 

[AudiMan2011]

The Camaro will be sold in the UK, albeit in left-hand drive. Prices from £32,500 for the 2.0T and £37,000 for the V8

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/chevrolet-camaro-uk-prices-revealed

A very small allocation for this year is being imported so it won't be denting Mustang sales here.

 

[FT-1]

Only 18 cars this year? I guess the price premium you pay over the equivalent Mustang is for exclusivity.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

If the allocation is that small whats the point?

 

[TheCracker]

If the allocation is that small whats the point?

I'd take a guess at GM testing the water, seeing what sort of interest it musters. Perhaps if interest in it is positive, and the Mustang starts selling in numbers, they'll consider one for RHD markets. It will never sell in any numbers unless offered in RHD. All previous attempts to sell Camaros (and Corvettes) in the UK have largely failed, mostly down to LHD only as the pricing was always pretty good.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

I'd take a guess at GM testing the water, seeing what sort of interest it musters. Perhaps if interest in it is positive, and the Mustang starts selling in numbers, they'll consider one for RHD markets. It will never sell in any numbers unless offered in RHD. All previous attempts to sell Camaros (and Corvettes) in the UK have largely failed, mostly down to LHD only as the pricing was always pretty good.

But Ford have reported that orders for the Mustang have been overwhelming here. They're not able to get them in quickly enough and nearly all the allocations have been taken for the year. Surely GM will notice that and think that they can take a slice of that. Only bringing 18 cars over all in LHD and being available from one dealer is hardly going to worry Ford is it? I thought Chevrolet were pulling out of the UK market anyway?

 

[TheCracker]

But Ford have reported that orders for the Mustang have been overwhelming here. They're not able to get them in quickly enough and nearly all the allocations have been taken for the year. Surely GM will notice that and think that they can take a slice of that. Only bringing 18 cars over all in LHD and being available from one dealer is hardly going to worry Ford is it? I thought Chevrolet were pulling out of the UK market anyway?

As of September last year, there'd been 1800 orders placed for Mustangs in the UK. No idea what that figure is now, but it's probably not enough for GM to warrant seriously considering the expense of re-engineering the Camaro to RHD and all that entails. Which is why they're just dipping their toes for now until there's a clearer picture of demand for this kind of car.

 

[Endless-Wilso]

I bet it'll sell well in Germany though, if the new ZL1 is as good as i hear it'll be quite the treat on the the Ring.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Thing is, the Mustang is far more iconic than the Camaro. It sounds like it doesn't handle as well, but the Camaro is uglier inside and out and is simply not the cultural icon that the Mustang is, and it's one of the main reasons why people buy them in the UK. I don't see the Camaro selling well at all, personally.

 

[AudiMan2011]

As of September last year, there'd been 1800 orders placed for Mustangs in the UK. No idea what that figure is now, but it's probably not enough for GM to warrant seriously considering the expense of re-engineering the Camaro to RHD and all that entails. Which is why they're just dipping their toes for now until there's a clearer picture of demand for this kind of car.

Orders are past 3500 for the Mustang now.

 

[Zenith]

I'm aware of that, But considering the Voodoo is based on the Coyote, I thought they'd make a flat plane, naturally aspirated V8 out of the LT, But that would probably have a better fit in the Z/28 (If they ever make a new anyways)

Flat plane crank and pushrods don't mix. Flat plane likes high revs, pushrods don't like this. Pushrods like displacement, flatplane does not like displacement.

Now if they brought back the LT5...

 

[YSSMAN]

The Camaro will be sold in the UK, albeit in left-hand drive. Prices from £32,500 for the 2.0T and £37,000 for the V8

Interesting that they're skipping the V6. I think there is an argument to be made that it might be the best of the three Camaros, depending on what you're looking for.

 

[TheCracker]

Interesting that they're skipping the V6. I think there is an argument to be made that it might be the best of the three Camaros, depending on what you're looking for.

People either want the full-fat muscle car experience or they want the tax-friendly one.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

As of September last year, there'd been 1800 orders placed for Mustangs in the UK. No idea what that figure is now, but it's probably not enough for GM to warrant seriously considering the expense of re-engineering the Camaro to RHD and all that entails. Which is why they're just dipping their toes for now until there's a clearer picture of demand for this kind of car.

That's fine, it would be expensive for them to make a RHD allocated batch of cars.

But again, I found out about the Camaro being sold here on this website, hows the average Joe going to find out when he/she doesn't live near the 1 dealer they're available from? It's fine wanting to dip their toes in but to allocate such a tiny amount and have them available from 1 dealer?

 

[88GTA]

Interesting that they're skipping the V6. I think there is an argument to be made that it might be the best of the three Camaros, depending on what you're looking for.

Camaro RS V6 review (manual).

According to the article, the nose of the V6 Camaro is 223 lb. lighter than the SS with the V8. The LGX V6 (which it shares with some Cadillac siblings) has 335hp, does 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and closes the 1/4 mile in 13.7 seconds at 103 mph. Those performance numbers are on par with 4th gen F-body LS1 cars ('98-'02).

 

[YSSMAN]

Right, but straight line performance isn't the be all/end all here.

Since the V6 is lighter and shares many of the impressive handling characteristics of the SS, the forthcoming 1LE V6 should be an interesting choice. I'm not specifically saying that I'd have it over an SS, however, from a driving enthusiasts perspective, there is a lot to be said about a car that's near-enough $10k cheaper, and still packs plenty of punch to be fun most of the time.

 

[Zenith]

Right, but straight line performance isn't the be all/end all here.

Since the V6 is lighter and shares many of the impressive handling characteristics of the SS, the forthcoming 1LE V6 should be an interesting choice. I'm not specifically saying that I'd have it over an SS, however, from a driving enthusiasts perspective, there is a lot to be said about a car that's near-enough $10k cheaper, and still packs plenty of punch to be fun most of the time.

How much did the previous 1LE model save?

 

[88GTA]

The 5th gen SS curb weight was around 3,860 lb. and this article weighs the 1LE in at 3,878. The article mentions that the 1LE wheels free up 5.5 lb. per corner so the added 1LE components must bring the weight back up and over the normal SS. The 1LE option is like a track package and is not necessarily for reducing weight.

5th Gen Camaro 1LE Option ($3500):
- ZL1 short-throw shifter and steering wheel
- ZL1-based aluminum wheels (20 x 10 in. front, 20 x 11 in. rear)
- ZL1 wheel bearings, toe links and rear shock mounts
- ZL1 high capacity fuel pump
- exclusive Tremec TR6060/MM6 6 speed manual transmission with air-to-liquid cooling system
- 3.91 rear gear ratio
- higher capacity rear axle half shafts
- strut tower brace
- enlarged front and rear roll bars (27mm and 28mm respectively)
- monotube rear shocks
- matte black (wrapped) hood
- black front splitter and rear spoiler

It's the option of the decade as far as I'm concerned.

Edit:
@YSSMAN
I just caught the performance times from the 1LE in this article. While I agree that straight-line performance is not the purpose of the 1LE, it is impressive to compare the straight-line times of the 5th gen 1LE and the new 6th gen V6 that I mentioned earlier:

5th gen 1LE LS3 (V8):
- 426hp
- 0-60 mph 4.5 seconds
- 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds at 111 mph

6th gen LGX (V6):
- 335hp
- 0-60 mph 5.1 seconds
- 1/4 mile in 13.7 seconds at 103 mph

As you said above, I am interested in a V6 1LE that could be $10k cheaper than the SS and still be loads of fun to drive. Wikipedia has the 6th gen V6 model with a manual at 3,339 lb., over 500 lb. lighter than the out-going V8.

 

[YSSMAN]

Considering how the V6 1LE near enough gets the suspension and tire package from the standard SS V8, I'm wondering how similar the performance would be between the two, sans a straight line performance test.

 

[88GTA]

@YSSMAN
I missed this during the 1LE package announcement at the Chicago Auto Show, but according to Oppenheiser, "In our development tests, the V-6 Camaro 1LE delivers lap times comparable with the previous-gen V-8 model. The 2016 Camaro SS 1LE sets the new benchmark for the segment, lapping the Big Willow track at Willow Springs three seconds faster than the standard Camaro SS.”

 

[Cale]

It'd be nice if the V6 1LE got the same 3.91 axle ratio. Make use of those 7500RPMs

 

[Omnis]

I would love a 3.91 with that ten speed automatic and a ridiculous 10th gear overdrive.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Is This Wild 2018 Camaro Tester The New Trans-Am Z/28?