Camaro SS 1LE vs. Mustang GT Performance Pack Drive Review
Inside the Camaro SS 1LE
Have you ever sat in a car and thought, “Wow, this is actually perfect.” That’s how it feels when you sit in the 1LE. Well, other than the rear visibility, which is appalling. We all know that the current Camaro has big issues when it comes to blind spots. I’m covering it here and now, so we can look forward.
Getting back to the interior, it’s lovely. All of the touch points; the seats, shifter, steering wheel, are all wrapped in alcantara and leather and feel amazing. When seated in the Recaro thrones, this 1LE is all business. The way everything falls to hand screams ‘driver’s car,’ which is notable compared to the Mustang, as we shall see later.
The optional upgraded Chevy MyLink system is clean, intuitive, and easy to use. Though, it’s worth noting that the wireless charging pad, which is a really cool idea, did not work with any phone I tried. An acquaintance at a Chevrolet dealership said this system has been finicky in multiple GM products.
Beyond that, there are back seats, which exist. Headroom in the back seats isn’t terrible for passengers under about 5’10,” but the knee room is rough. I crammed four grown adults in the Camaro and it was akin to driving a clown car. The back seats are for groceries more than humans, unless, perhaps, you dislike your passengers. However, none of that matters. This is a muscle car masquerading as a sports car, who cares about back seat room?
Driving the Camaro SS 1LE
Initial impressions: Wow. Right away, the Camaro is a total sweetheart to drive. Typical perfect GM clutch bites makes this thing easy to drive at low speed and in traffic. That perfect clutch is, well, perfectly paired to the amazing shifter attached to the Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission. The transmission, which sends its good vibrations up through that lovely alcantara shift knob, offers an excellent blend of smooth, quick shifting action with force feedback from every gear change.
Naturally, that perfect transmission is paired to one of the finest production car engines around, the LT1 V8. This naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter mill doles out 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. With that much displacement, it should shock absolutely no one to hear that the Camaro makes the majority of that torque way down in the power band. This engine has a lot of twisting force below 2,000 RPM.
However, there’s a trick here before the 1LE will really win you over. Behind the shifter is the drive move selector. The 1LE isn’t alive until that switch clicks over to Track mode. In Track mode, the 1LE plays for you the sound of its people. The bi-modal exhaust opens up, the MagneRide suspension gets tauter and everything about the 1LE experience gets better. Fuel economy, if you care, at all, suffers notably because you will be chasing the 6,500 RPM red line constantly.
The way this powertrain feels, the way it resonates in your chest, is like feeling the party drugs kick in at Coachella at night. It’s a pupils-fully-dilated, heavy breathing sensation that connects car and driver. The responsive engine and perfect transmission make for a very easy car to fall into syncopation with. Hop in and drive, for as long as you can.
The other drive modes? Well, they exist. There’s Normal, Sport, and Snow/Ice. Skip them, treat yourself and find a way to lock the Camaro into Track mode at all times.
Continue reading about the Camaro SS 1LE and Mustang GT Performance Pack on the next page.
