LS1Tech Imagines What a Camaro LT1 1LE Would Look Like

Despite the 2020 Camaro LT1 lacking the comforts of an SS, our 1LE package render adds serious on-track performance for less.

Chevrolet added the LT1 trim level to the Camaro for the 2020 model year as a low-cost entry into the V8-powered muscle car. The LT1 is basically a stripped-down version of the Camaro SS, with the focus of the package being the LT1 V8 under the hood. It is basically a base model 1LT, except the V6 has been replaced with the 6.2-liter V8. The package includes few standard features and even fewer options, so if you want more than the basic car with V8 power, you will need to opt for the 1SS.

One option that the LT1 doesn’t get is the 1LE package. Chevrolet offers the 1LE package for all of the other trim levels, ranging from the base car with the turbocharged four cylinder or the V6 to the SS and the ZL1. The package is intended to offer superior performance on a road course, but the LT1 budget performance models don’t get this option.

With this in mind, we asked our artist to create a new Camaro LT1 with the 1LE package, which would serve as an excellent road racer with V8 power for buyers on a budget.

Camaro LT1 1LE

The 2020 Camaro LT1 is a culmination of 1LT and 1SS parts, so we imagine that the 1LE package for this budget V8 model would have some parts from various other 1LE packages.

First, the Camaro LT1 1LE would begin on the outside with some subtle aero improvements, including a matte black SS hood, a unique chin spoiler, aggressive side skirts and a low-profile rear spoiler. The exterior build is finished off with a set of package specific 20-inch wheels, similar to what comes on the V6 1LE package.

Next, to improve the road racing capabilities of the Camaro LT1, our 1LE package would add the performance-tuned FE3 suspension. This 1LE package would also add 6-piston Brembo front brakes with 4-piston rear brakes. Both the suspension setup and the Brembo brake setup are standard on the 1SS while being part of the 1LE package for turbo-four and V6 models. It should be noted that the LT1 1LE would not include Magnetic Ride Control, which is one of the key differences between the LT1 and SS 1LE packages. Also, rather than the Goodyear Supercar tires that come on the SS 1LE, the LT1 1LE would get the Eagle F1 Asymmetric tires from the smaller engine models, measuring 265/40 up front and 285/35 out back.

Finally, the only real interior upgrade would be the Performance Data Recorder system, which is a fantastic feature for gathering data from the track.

Pricing is Key

Some of you might be wondering why someone would want a Camaro LT1 1LE rather than just getting an SS 1LE. The reason is price. Thanks to the low base price of the LT1 model, we envision the 1LE package bringing the total price up around the range of a basic Camaro SS.

The 2020 Camaro LT1 with the manual transmission starts at $34,995. The 1LE package for the V6 models costs $4,500. The 1LE package that we imagine for the LT1 has a bit less content, so we could see it being priced in the $3,500 range. That would put the LT1 1LE around $38,500 to start, while the Camaro 1SS starts at $37,995.

Of course, this is all just speculation, as there has been no sign that Chevy plans to offer a 1LE package for the LT1 trim level. However, if they did offer this combination, it could help slightly improve sales, and any extra Camaro sales would help right now.

Photo Renders: Pratyush Rout 

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com