186,000 miles don’t stop the F-Body from hanging tight with a new SS 1LE.
This week’s Kill Story was originally posted to the forum by “ATXSS” from the Cvick14tx YouTube channel and it features his 4th generation Chevrolet Camaro SS going head-to-head in a pair of highway roll races with a 6th generation Camaro SS 1LE. The new car is stock while the older car has “full bolt-ons” and 186,000 miles on the odometer. Though, it’s clear that the mileage doesn’t slow it down much.
The Competitors
The camera car in the video above is a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro SS. It is powered by an LS1 engine with a cam and “full bolt-ons,” leading to 385 rear wheel horsepower with the 6-speed manual transmission. This Chevy muscle car also has a set of sticky drag radial tires.
The other car is a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE. It is completely stock and it also has a manual transmission. The new LT1 delivers 455 horsepower at the crankshaft and most dyno tests show wheel numbers in the 400-410 horsepower range, so the new model is stronger, but it is also heavier.
At the same time, while the older car might have a better power-to-weight ratio, it also has 186,000 miles on the odometer, leading us to wonder if the 18-year old muscle car can hang with the new model.
The video above shows the two Camaros going head-to-head twice, each time starting in second gear at 50 miles per hour.
In the first run, the 2000 SS gets out to an early lead and stays there until both cars lift at 120 miles per hour. The older car managed to inch away from the newer car, but the end advantage is very narrow.
In the second race, the 2017 SS 1LE jumps out ahead and stays there for much of the run. Late in this race to 135, the 2000 Camaro is gaining ground, but the Alpha car is still out front when the two lift.
"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.
