Aaron Gold of Motor Trend recognized at the beginning of a new feature last week that the Camaro is often compared to the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, as the three of these are all fiercely competitive with each other in every way. This week here at Chuck Hutton of Memphis we are going to look at the 2021 Chevy Camaro Turbo 1LE, which combines the smallest Camaro engine with the SS model's taut and legendary suspension.
A couple of weeks of real-world driving was going to be the proper judge of whether or not this model with its 275-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo I-4, six-speed manual, and focus on handling instead of raw power would suffice. The staff pleasantly came away from the time feeling as if this character that is not as burly has lots to love, and truly possesses its own unique personality. The 1LE is a specialized track performance package that provides FE3 suspension components from the V8-powered SS with 4-piston Brembo front brakes, a mechanical limited-slip differential, a short-throw shifter, and coolers to provide aid for the transmission, oil, and rear differential.
Outside, the 1LE adds a black hood, ultra-lightweight wheels, Goodyear Eagle F1 run-flat summer tires, and unique RS badging. This particular 4-cylinder will still get to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, and launch mode is a feature that many of us (admittedly!) dreamed of during that decade that begins with a “4 times 2!” The no-lift shift feature allows you to keep the accelerator pinned to the floor while you shift gears, and works superbly in conjunction with the racing-style shift indicator situated on the head-up display.
During the drives on twisty roads, the team's admiration for the car really started to rise, and it became much more of a sports-car and completely out of the hatchback/urban commuter league. Here the very professional handling and performance traits started to stick out drastically, and right-turn "grippiness", as well as ideal weight distribution, started to shine through during testing. It takes many different traits and processes during the engineering task to fully create a driving experience that provides a telepathic connection between the car and driver, and once again on this model Dodge hit a star-studded home run.
Even though experienced drivers tend to prefer massively large engines, this 4-cylinder reduces weight on the nose, and the turn-on is smooth, with the front tires offering up the perfect eyes and ears to guide you through the road surface. You can open the throttle very widely without seeing the rear wheels jump up and break loose, and it winds up ultimately being a much better engine for a curvy road than a V6 or V8. The heavy clutch, intractable shifter, and impressive lack of an automatic transmission also help this car stay within the exciting lanes of pony status even while brandishing the slightly less menacing powertrain!
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