2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE: 1 Less Excuse to Not Buy a Camaro

There are some things about the ’80s that aren’t worthy of nostalgia. The era’s pony cars, by and large, fall under this umbrella. It’s true that Ford has the five-point-oh—a designation fairly soaked in Aqua Net, yet perhaps the only thing about the decade’s Stangs worth revisiting—but when it named its latest track-oriented model, it resurrected “Boss”. First appearing in 1969, Boss is cool, it’s a little intimidating, and it’s also Bruce Springsteen’s nickname. It sounds bad-ass. Chevrolet’s 1LE? For the 17 people who were paying attention in 1988, it conjures memories of an option bundle that only made that year’s Camaro less bad. To the rest of us, it sounds like three randomly selected characters. 

While it still seems as though the designation was plucked from an alphanumeric bingo bucket, 1LE has new significance for 2013 as an option package for manual-transmission Camaro SS models. It brings a host of upgrades either ported from or inspired by the mighty ZL1. The pieces that make the most difference fall into the latter category, however, including the front anti-roll-bar mounting setup, 10x20-inch front wheels and 11x20-inch rears, and beefier half-shafts. The gear pilfered directly from the ZL1 includes wheel bearings, toe links, rear shock mounts, the fuel pump, the flat-bottom steering wheel, the short-throw six-speed manual and its transmission cooler, and 285/35-20 Goodyear Eagle Supercar G: 2 tires all around (the ZL1 gets 305/35-20 rubber at the rear). The beefy wheel/tire combo actually saves a total of 22 pounds of unsprung weight. 

The 1LE package also comes with a shorter final-drive ratio of 3.91:1 versus the 3.45:1 rear end in the SS, and adds monotube rear dampers—instead of the SS’s twin-tubes—and a strut-tower brace. As for externals, Chevy engineers tell us that while the 1LE’s splitter increases downforce in the front, the wider wheels generate enough lift to bring the 1LE right back in line with the SS. Out back, the SS’s lip spoiler carries over to 1LE cars.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE: $37,305

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 376 cu in, 6162 cc
Power: 426 hp @ 5900 rpm
Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.3 in
Length: 190.4 in
Width: 75.5 in Height: 54.2 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3900 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.5 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 13.0 sec
Top speed: 157 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 16/24 mpg

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