Chevrolet believes that its newly-launched Camaro 1LE package will outperform the potent Ford Mustang Shelby GT350.
While recently speaking with GM Authority at the 1LE’s Chicago Auto Show debut, chief Camaro engineer Al Oppenheiser confirmed that the performance pack for the Camaro SS was bench-marked against the GT350 during testing and is confident that it’s faster.
“That’s obviously our intent [to outperform the GT350]. I have the answer, but I’ll let the rest of you decide how we did. Our goal is to up the game with our competitor, just like they upped the game with the GT350. Everyone had to expect we would punch back. I will tell you this car is three seconds faster than the previous 1LE. Your readers can go out and make their own conclusions,” he said.
“We’re plowing new ground with the V6 1LE, and for the SS 1LE, our initial target benchmark was the fifth-generation 1LE. But, obviously, Ford came out with their GT350 and we changed our sights. We’re not worried,” Oppenheiser said.
It’ll be a particularly impressive feat if the SS 1LE is indeed faster than the GT350 considering the 1LE is simply a performance package while the Shelby GT350 is a dedicated high-performance Mustang variant.
In terms of power, the Camaro SS in 1LE trim is down on the GT350’s 526 hp and pumps out ‘only’ 455 hp. Nevertheless, the 1LE pack does include magnetic ride control, massive Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and an electronic limited slip differential allowing the car to exceed 1G of lateral acceleration.
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