Well, E36 M3. I was just playing around with the Camaro configurator seeing how cheap I could get a 1LE 2.0T yesterday
According to a GM dealer fleet order guide obtained by Muscle Cars & Trucks—and later confirmed by Autoblog—the 1LE package is no longer available for V6 and four-cylinder Camaros. The order guide does show that the 1LE package will still be an option for the V8-powered SS and ZL1 models.
The 1LE package dates back to the mid-1980s, when GM engineers sought an in-house solution to a need for beefier, track-suitable brakes on the Firebird and Camaro. You can read the full story of the birth of the 1LE package here, but essentially the package also added a baffled gas tank, aluminum driveshaft, stronger transmission mount and stiffer rear suspension bushings. The fog lights were also deleted to improve cooling.
The 1LE package was first made available to the V6 Camaro in 2017, and then to the turbo-four Camaro in 2019. Besides a matte-black hood and unique wheels, each 1LE-eqiupped car also featured Camaro SS suspension, asymmetrical Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, four-piston Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, a suede flat-bottom steering wheel, and a drive mode selector that featured track and competition modes. Recaro seats and a data recorder were optional equipment.
If there was any doubt as to the capability of a four-cylinder Camaro equipped with the 1LE package, a group of GM employees garnered a first- and second-place finish at SCCA’s Cam Challenge not too long ago in just such a car.
Well, E36 M3. I was just playing around with the Camaro configurator seeing how cheap I could get a 1LE 2.0T yesterday
I suspect the 1LE package just got middled out. For a buyer of a base Camaro, an extra $5000 is hard to swallow. You can get a stripper V8 for $33,600 with the cash back they have right now
In reply to calteg :
That seemed to be the speculation in most of what I was reading. Getting a 1LE-equipped Turbo or V6 Camaro wasn't that much cheaper than a lower-trim V8 model.
Colin Wood said:In reply to calteg :
That seemed to be the speculation in most of what I was reading. Getting a 1LE-equipped Turbo or V6 Camaro wasn't that much cheaper than a lower-trim V8 model.
GM wanted to get the price of the V8 down, so beginning in MY2020 they began offering the lower spec LT1 trim level. It's supposedly pretty popular according to a quote from GM
“Chevrolet is retiring the Turbo 1LE and V6 1LE from the Camaro line when model year 2021 concludes in order to produce more in-demand models like the LT1, which has risen to be nearly a quarter of Camaro sales since hitting showrooms in model year 2020."
It's the new 1988 Fiero.
The LT1 trim probably makes lots of sense if you only plan to use a Camaro on the street. It does not have the additional radiator and diff cooler, so it doesn't negate the core reasons the 4/6-cyl 1LE packages existed.
An engineer at work bought a Camaro a few years back and I asked him what engine he got. His response was "I fail to see how that is a valid question".
I am sure that a 1LE 4 or 6 would not be a valid question as well.
A friend has a 990hp 1LE that is amazing. Yup, it has a V8...
Sad, but sadly not unexpected.
It's somewhat moot, since I'm not buying any new car at the moment.
If I were to buy any new car, it'd probably have been a 1LT 1LE . A new car with a warranty, a little bit of a unicorn, silly color options, a nice focus on handling, a fancy radio that talks to my phone, all for about thirty grand? What's not to like?
Edit: 1LE, Wicker Bill, Trailer Hitch, Shock premium paint, Recaro package, 1LE hash mark graphic. $32,285 MSRP. That feels like a lot of value, but again, I'm not actually buying, so I'm worth nothing to Chevy.
I'll be suprised if the Camaro is built after the 2022 model year at all... They keep making it uglier and more expensive...Just like Ford did with the Thunderbird.
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