2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE: 5 Ways Track Package Kicks Ass
By Matt Schmitz
August 1, 2017
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2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE | Manufacturer image
CARS.COM — Set to arrive just in time for your track days this summer, the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Extreme Track Performance Package can now be heard roaring toward dealerships in the distance. The amped-up aerodynamics-and-suspension setup costs $7,500, which will bring your starting price to $69,995, including a $995 destination charge, Chevrolet announced today.
“In the long, storied history of Camaro performance,” said Steve Majoros, Chevrolet cars and crossovers marketing director, in a statement, “there’s never been another model that matches the capability of the ZL1 1LE.”
Here are five fanny-kicking features of the ZL1 1LE Extreme Track Performance Package:
1. Aerodynamics
A carbon-fiber rear wing, air deflectors and dive planes flanking the aggressive, interlocking hexagonal-motif lower grille all combine to generate grip-getting downforce, which Chevy promises will help drivers stick harder and take turns faster.
2. Suspension
The lightweight dynamic suspension dampers in the front and rear help hone vehicle control, as front-end ride height and the three-way rear stabilizer bar can both be adjusted.
3. Wheels and Tires
New, lightweight forged aluminum wheels are an inch larger in width, but an inch smaller in diameter, front and rear, while new Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires improve grip. Chevrolet says the ZL1’s footprint expands by 10 percent while shedding 3.3 pounds-per-corner of wheel weight.
4. Weight Reduction
Lighter wheels and dampers, as well as thinner rear glass and a fixed-back rear seat resulted in a 60-pound-lower curb weight.
5. Supercharged Performance
The 1LE package gets the ZL1’s 6.2-liter V-8, which makes 650 horsepower and 650 pounds-feet of torque, all mated to a six-speed manual transmission and tamed through the turns by Brembo performance brakes.
Assistant Managing Editor-News
Matt Schmitz
Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Matt Schmitz is a veteran Chicago journalist indulging his curiosity for all things auto while helping to inform car shoppers.