Performance upgrades on the Camaro V6 1LE include the base Camaro SS’ FE3 suspension (dampers, rear cradle mounts, ball-jointed rear toe links, and stabilizer bars), staggered 20-inch (20-by-8.5-inch front, 20-by-9.5-inch rear) alloy wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric RunOnFlat (245/40R20 front, 275/35R20 rear) tires, Brembo four-piston front brake calipers and 12.6-inch front discs, a mechanical limited-slip differential with 3.27 ratio, a cooling package (engine, transmission, differential coolers), SS fuel system optimization for higher-load cornering, a dual-mode exhaust system, and a short-throw shifter.
The 3.6-liter LGX DOHC V-6 engine’s 335 hp at 6,800 rpm and 284 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm is unchanged.
The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE shined on the track (Spring Mountain’s 2.1-mile East Track configuration) while hitting speeds around 110 mph on the straight. Turn-in was smooth, and the steering wheel and suspension and minimal body roll provided good feedback during our session with an instructor from the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School riding shotgun. The V-6 engine’s torque and gearing allowed us to spend most of the time in third gear, only upshifting to fourth gear on the two longest sections of the track.
After several laps in the V-6 1LE, we hopped into a competitor car selected by the crew at Chevy:
2017 Ford Mustang GT without the optional GT Performance package. Why? Because the Camaro V-6 1LE rides on the base Camaro SS’ suspension. The Mustang GT, however, came with a power advantage: 435 hp and 400 lb-ft versus 335 hp and 284 lb-ft in the Camaro.
As a
Ford guy (and previous owner of a 2003
Ford Mustang SVT Cobra), I was disappointed in the base Mustang GT’s track performance. As much as I love the 5.0-liter DOHC Coyote V-8, the transmission gearing doesn’t seem properly matched to the engine’s power band. We spent most of our track time in fourth gear, with fifth needed briefly at the end of the long straight, and at the second-longest section of the track, we hit redline in fourth gear right as we hit the braking zone.
Although I am far from a professional driver and the lap times weren’t timed, the Mustang GT didn’t feel as confident in the corners as the Camaro V6 1LE. Although a Mustang GT with the Performance package may have been a closer comparison, there would be a significant price discrepancy. The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LS 1LE starts at $32,895 (including the $4,500 1LE package and $995 destination), but the base 2017 Ford Mustang GT starts at $33,820. The $2,500 GT Performance package would bring the price up to $36,320. (The Camaro 2LT 1LE is priced at $37,395).