Those of you familiar with the Car&Driver’s Lightning Lap will probably be happy to know that a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro V6 1LE has just claimed the fastest LL1 (cars priced up to $34,999) time in the event’s 10-year history.
In fact, it not only stomped its current rival from Ford, the Mustang Ecoboost with the Performance package, but it also got within half a second of the mighty Charger Hellcat.
All this with just 335 HP on tap? Yes, indeed. It’s obvious then that the all-new Camaro V6 is the type of car that’s capable of “punching above its weight class”. In sector four of the track, the Camaro proved quicker than the F-Type Project 7, the Audi R8 V10 and the previously mentioned 707 HP Charger Hellcat.
The official time for the Camaro was 3:04, which also happens to be just one tenth shy of the 2012 Porsche Cayman R and the 2016 Focus RS’ runs.
According to Car and Driver, what sets the Camaro apart isn’t necessarily its straight line speed, but more so its grip. During its high-speed run, the 1LE proved very poised in the corners and its steering helped the driver point the front tires precisely where he needed them.
Furthermore, thanks to the $4,500 1LE kit, the Camaro’s optional Brembo brakes and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric3 rubber helped the car avoid those pesky cool-down laps that many sports cars seem to require nowadays. The kit also includes a limited-slip differential and a firmer suspension as well.
It seems Chevy really hit one out of the park with the 1LE Camaro. Should the Blue Oval be worried though?