The Camaro V6 1LE Is The Updated 370Z We Deserve

"TheSixSpeed" (the-six-speed) 12/31/2019 at 17:30 • Filed to: Oppositelock, Oppo, oppo review, Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, V6, Camaro 1LE

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It’s almost 2020. You’re sitting in a chair on your patio with your family on New Years Eve, thinking about cars. You tune out them out like every family gathering before it. Your mind wanders to Nissan. Specifically, the 370Z. You feel your blood start to boil. “Why did Nissan put enthusiasts on the backburner?” You silently scream. ”Why won’t anyone make a rival? At least something to spur Nissan into action? Why can’t I have a true V6 sports car anymore?!” You shout. Your family stares.

What if I told you that someone did make a rival? What if I told you that, yes, you can buy a true modern V6 sports car today? Enter: The Camaro V6 1LE.

(Full Disclosure: Chevy wanted me to drive this car so bad that I drove 800 miles to Arizona and bought it myself. It now has almost 10,000 miles on it, and I use it as a personal car. Credit to VinylLens.com for the shots)

What is it?

The Camaro V6 1LE is a special track package attached to a humble V6 Camaro. It gets you the same FE3 suspension from the SS that’s been specially tuned for the lower weight of the V6, along with a staggered tire set up, a front splitter, a rear blade spoiler, the front brakes from the SS, as well as oil, brake, and transmission coolers to handle the extra heat for extended track sessions. Essentially, you’re getting an SS without, well, the V8.

What’s it like to drive?

In a sense: This is going to be the closest you’re going to get to a true 370Z competitor. It has a 3.6L direct injected V6 making 335 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 284 pounds of twist at 5300 rpm. It weighs 3500 pounds and goes from a dead stop to 60 in 5 seconds flat. It may be a Camaro that’s plagued by the stigma of just a neutered muscle car, but make no mistake, this Camaro is a real bonafide sports car.

Per Road and Track, this car can circle the skidpad at 1G, and has a top speed of 155 miles per hour. Pretty good figures for just a V6 Camaro. Now if you’re asking what it’s like to actually handle, I’m afraid I cannot offer much beyond my encounters of spirited canyon carving, not true track experience. In this case, the only bar I have to compare to is an ND Miata.

And the two couldn’t be more different. The best way I could put it is that the Miata felt like an inexperienced, but willing, dancer. The limits were low but as long as you stayed within those limits you were always in step. The Camaro feels like a 2 time award winning salsa dancer. It is and continues to be entirely too much car for me during spirited corner carving, much less any sort of track use. The limits are high. Grip is not just plentiful but abounding, and there’s simply too much of it for the amount of power it’s putting out. It requires a truly experienced driver to fully realize the potential of this car.

But even with those criticisms in mind, that’s more than you can say about the 370Z. It’s supremely balanced, and although the limits are high the confidence this car gives you as a result is profound. It’s not just a corner carver, but a corner monster. This is not a muscle car. This is a sports car.

Is it a good daily?

The best I can say for the Camaro is that it’s a better daily than the Miata. But that’s not exactly the highest bar to clear. The sightlines are atrocious. The backseat nothing more than a glorified shelf and the trunk opening struggles to even fit golf clubs. Speaking of space, the inside of the Camaro is rather cramped, despite how big this car actually is. The Mustang makes a much better daily. And don’t even mention the Challenger.

Despite that though, it makes for a great cruiser. This particular model sports heated and ventilated seats, a suede wrapped heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control, a Bose audio system, and most importantly, Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

Gas mileage is... okay, for a V6. I’m able to get up to 30 miles per gallon if I really hyper mile it, but that’s rare. Overall, with city driving mixed in, I usually get around 20 MPG. Luckily, this V6 is rated to make full power with regular gas, which is great.

Community questions

Now, I asked a lot of you what questions you’d like answered for this review, and ya’ll delivered. Here are some of your questions, answered.

Do these sell at a discount? Seems like Camaros are priced above similarly equipped Mustangs.

Yes, these very much do sell at a discount. I picked up this particular 2017 Camaro with 11 miles on it for $28,000. Now that seems pretty in line with most V6 Camaros, right? What if I told you the MSRP for this was $42,000? Yes, because no one wanted a loaded V6 track-packed Camaro for 42 grand I was able to pick this up for more than $10,000 off MSRP after it sat on the lot for 2 years. You can get some great deals on these if you’re willing to travel. And for the money, I say it’s worth it.

Why V6 over Turbo-4? I’ve heard great things about the 4 but the 6 seems to often be described as a rental car engine.

Before I bought this particular model I looked at a Turbo 4 Camaro and I gotta say; I don’t agree with that consensus. The V6 is smooth, linear, makes much of the same power and has an absolutely fantastic wail once you reach 5000 RPM. Plus, with the fact that it’s rated for full power on 87 octane, you save some money at the pump too.

I’m assuming you cross-shopped with the comparable Mustang, (would that be the V6 or the 4 cylinder) what made you go with the Camaro over the Mustang?

Simply because there is no V6 Mustang anymore, and even if there still was, the current generation was never made with any sort of performance package. Besides, after having several cars with inline 4s, I was ready for a change.

How many frozen burritos and/or hamsters can fit in the glove compartment?

At least 7.

Why not get the V8?

Now this is a good question. It all depends on money. If this car were listed at it’s full MSRP price of 42K, I would have never have bought this car. And after driving the new Camaro LT1, which starts at 35K, I can’t say I don’t miss having a V8. In fact, a V8 might be my next car after I get tired of this one. But that’ll be a while.

I want to know how many people ask if it’s a V8 and what’s their reaction to the V6.

It depends on the crowd. If I go to Cars and Coffee and try and park next to the rest of the V8 Camaros, I’m shown no love. But this car has garnered the attention of regular enthusiasts out on the street, and they seem to love it. Especially if you give it a good rev. I’ve received more than enough comments of “That’s a V6?!”

Is it as fun as an older 300hp Mustang?

Oh yes, absolutely. If you don’t mind the stigma of not having a V8, you’ll have a ton of fun with these newer Camaros.

How many small dogs fit in the glove box?

One, provided that said dog is the size of 7 frozen burritos.

What happens if a bird poops on the hood? I was looking at one of these, but that matte black hood worried me since I was going to be parking it outside 24/7.

I also park mine outside, and it’s honestly fine. A good wash will get it off. It’s actually fairly good vinyl.

Curb weight and weight balance (front-rear)?

Per Road and Track, it has a curb weight of 3514 pounds and a weight distribution of 51.9% front and 48.1% rear. So almost 50/50 weight balance.

I work at a Chevy dealer and personally believe the V6 1LE is the best ~$35K sports car. With that said, what would you change about yours?

I also believe it’s the best V6 sports car you can get for the money, but if it was me, I’d wish for more space and more power. At that point though, what you got is a Mustang. And that’s saying something.

The V6 Camaro 1LE is what Nissan should use as the benchmark for the next 370Z. It’s just that good. But if you have the money, and want more space, or more power, there are better options out there. And that’s hard to say when you’re talking about the car you own. But that’s the honest truth. There’s a reason I was able to pick this up for more than 10K off MSRP. Because it’s a unicorn that no one wants.

gettingoldercarguy > TheSixSpeed 12/31/2019 at 17:39

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Great Oppo! Fun read and the alpha chassis is absolutely fantastic.

nicole > TheSixSpeed 12/31/2019 at 18:01

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What if the dog is 7.5 burritos big?

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > TheSixSpeed 12/31/2019 at 18:07

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No Recaro’s in the V6? Interesting 

TheSixSpeed > nicole 12/31/2019 at 18:07

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then it no fit. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. 

Gerry197 > TheSixSpeed 12/31/2019 at 19:05

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I think people are getting confused about the Camaro V6, it’s actually a premium motor. U sed originally as the front-line motor in Cadillac’ s sedans , which should make it fine in a middle model Camaro.

Also, it was meant to compete directly with The Mustang I4 turbo, not the Mustang v6 which was a low rent motor for their cheapest Mustangs. The step up for Ford was the I4 turbo, whereas it was the opposite for the Camaro, the I4 turbo taking up the cheap option.

CRider > TheSixSpeed 12/31/2019 at 20:02

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https://www.phastekperformance.com/Edelbrock-E-Force-Supercharger-Full-Kit-p/edelbrock-15995.htm

Ne eds more whine

Deesiel678 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/01/2020 at 01:28

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Re caros are optional. They aren't included in the V6 1LE package like they are in the SS 1LE package.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > TheSixSpeed 01/01/2020 at 02:34

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I want to like this car. It is the right configuration for a front engine car.

But GM... the marginal corporate quality reputation, the interior and exterior styling being so cartoonishly fixated on the past... can’t quite make myself truly like or consider it.

If it were in the form of a sleek, futuristic Buick Avenir (but should have been called Riviera or Grand National, Wildcat, or something more tangible than Avenir) I might be tempted... but I can’t even truly say I liked the look of the Cadillac ATS Coupe.

If ATS Coupe had looked as gorgeously sleek as the ELR, and performed like an Alpha platform DOHC V6 car, instead of being mechanically and dynamically WORSE than the Volt... that would have been interesting.

I loathe the Nissan 370Z, and can’t say it better than Doug DeMuro who said that it has no business existing as a new car, or asking as much money as it does.

BMW Z4M of yesteryear is not quite right, either.

Jaguar F-type 6-speed Manual V6 RWD could be great, but it is expensive nearly double over the Camaro or 350Z , reportedly unreliable, and now discontinued. But it is gorgeous.

Mustang EcoBoost HPP may be the best new car contender, with only the exhaust note betraying it... but has as much power and more torque than many of these atmospheric V6s like Camaro and 370Z... and I wish it had a rear hatch.

T he smaller footprint, the 2-seat plus rear hatch fastback profile, precision, balance, and the RIGHT amount of power, not too weak so to regret not having more, or to make excuses, and not too much that it creates fear, or becomes unuseable overkill.

Frankly, for what a new 370Z, Camaro V6-6MT, or EcoBoost HPP + handling pack would cost...

A Porsche 981 Cayman, or a Boxster if you like the open air, is a better car for that money, even used vs. new. And they are holding their value as people realize that the 718 Turbo-4 is just not the same, even if it is statistically a bit more.

This is why the market is seriously under-served in the 35-45K$ performance car segment. Camaro is almost certainly going away, and is not selling . 370Z should have been gone or replaced long ago, (and Nissan is in no current condition to do it now),

Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, Supra, and Corvette are all well above 50 grand, and in the next higher segment.

WRX STI is 15 years old, and way out of touch with both the new young people coming up, and the people who were young 15 years ago when it arrived.

Miata and BRZ/86 aren’t big enough for tall drivers, powerful enough for true versatility, or comfortable enough for emerging from a road trip without one’s head ringing from the noise and vibration of driving a small engine and tiny, noisy car that far. I had a Miata. I barely fit, and while it was great fun on a back road, it gave me headaches, and defensive driving anxiety on the highway among 80mph semi trucks, and 2-3 ton SUVs and pickup trucks that couldn’t see me .

They could see a Camaro... and it would be more comfortable and more powerful, but I wouldn’t be able to see them from inside the Camaro, and I wouldn’t truly enjoy looking at the car myself, either. Just a matter of subjective taste.

Thomas Donohue > gettingoldercarguy 01/01/2020 at 12:02

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Ditto. This is good oppo!

BadMotorScooter > TheSixSpeed 01/01/2020 at 13:23

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Great review! Camaro V6 is vastly underappreciated. It’s a rev happy, powerful, good sounding DOHC NA V6 that can be paired with a good manual, sport suspension, and great chassis. And it can be bought super cheap, brand new. It is the kind of car we enthusiasts say we want, but then dont buy. Is that because it’s a Chevy? Or a Camaro? Or is there a better option out there?

You said it right, a Camaro V6 1LE is a great sports car, not a muscle car. Maybe that’s the problem. People expect a Camaro to be a V8 muscle car and the Challenger does that better.

Note, I bought a V6 manual RS trim Camaro so know the car well. 

jimjo > TheSixSpeed 01/01/2020 at 13:26

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Ive been looking for a good deal on one of these for a while, but they don't make a lot of them, and Chevy has been kind of tight with rebates. Great car, probably better insurance rates than an SS, and if I ever need more power, I can always add the supercharger. If I can find a deal like you got, I'm there. Great write up

MISS1LE > TheSixSpeed 01/01/2020 at 16:56

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I have  a 2018 V6 1LE, for the exact reasons you outlined. I use mine for recreation and it delivers a lot of smiles per gallon, and was relatively inexpensive being one year used, like 1/2 MSRP, so they’re out there, just need to hunt for them. I had a 4 turbo Camaro and it’s no where near as responsive as the V6. Granted it’s not the V8 but it feels balanced and more precise.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/01/2020 at 22:40

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Dang. Reading this made me realize the current state of sports cars and it makes me sad.  

BadMotorScooter > Gerry197 01/02/2020 at 13:40

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True, and there is the persistent hangover of the previous generations V6 Camaro. I’m old enough to remember the 80s V6 Camaro which were terrible. I was staunchly in the camp of a Camaro without a V8 is a cute toy, until I drove a new one. The LGX V6 is 335hp, or 93 HP/liter. It revs to 7000rpm and sounds damn good doing it, especially with aftermarket exhaust. It is very close to  early LS V8 performance. And it will do it on regular gas!

CobraJoe > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/02/2020 at 13:51

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The smaller footprint, the 2-seat plus rear hatch fastback profile, precision, balance, and the RIGHT amount of power, not too weak so to regret not having more, or to make excuses, and not too much that it creates fear, or becomes unuseable overkill.

This, right here, is what I’m hoping someone will build soon. The only thing I’d add is to say to make sure it has torque down in the RPM range where the engine often is in traffic.

There is nothing more annoying to me than to drive a “fast” car only for it to be a slug when trying to accelerate in traffic

Oh, and I’d like a manual option too, please.  

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > CobraJoe 01/02/2020 at 14:58

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“...is what I’m hoping someone other than Porsche will build soon.”

FIFY.

Cayman S, GTS, and GT4 fill that role... but far more expensively than necessary.

Frankly, that is what Subaru/Toyota should be doing as a mid-engined MR2, and also what Nissan Z should be doing as a front-engine next-gen Z, or Mazda with a new MX or RX car .

Manual option... good for an ICE. I would give up the manual gearbox if it were a truly compelling performance-calibrated PHEV, and it would be my first electrified-propulsion car.

Something with 20-30kWh for commuting in electric mode, cruising in hybrid-regen mode, and combining both ICE and electric motor output in sport/burst mode. Moderate weight, moderate size, no range limit, and versatile drive modes without huge overhead of a giant engine, or way more battery mass.

I keep saying... if BMW i8's drivetrain would have come to market in a steel, aluminum and plastic car for 35K, like most mainstream PHEVs... rather than carbon fiber... and performed exactly as it currently does at an affordable price, with still at least half the slick looks still intact.. it would have been the mainstream performance car gestalt shift, and brought a whole lot of gearheads into a whole new world of technology.

Make it a rotary-engine PHEV... no idle, no low-speed lugging with low oil pressure , no short cold re-starts and flooding... just electric generation and high-speed direct-drive... and some battery and cabin heat in the winter, and cooling pump drive in the summer, that would be huge.

Mainstream manufacturers could do this. They aren’t choosing to.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > CRider 01/02/2020 at 15:07

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Needs more power. $5000 for 41hp? 

CobraJoe > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/02/2020 at 16:19

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“...is what I’m hoping someone other than Porsche will build soon.”

FIFY.

Cayman S, GTS, and GT4 fill that role... but far more expensively than necessary.

I guess I missed an addition to your listing, a 2+2 is pretty much a minimum necessary seating config for me. Any of the 911 variants would be amazing, but they’re half the cost of my house. (Though it makes me wonder if a 20 year one might be worth considering for my next fun car...)

Liftback/hatchback coupes are extremely rare these days, and I’m not sure why. They were massively popular in the 80s, and extremely versatile. (Was there a manufacturer that didn’t make a sporty liftback coupe in the 80s?)

I think they could make a fun PHEV with a manual (The CR-Z was a hybrid, though without enough power to have a full electric mode) . T hough I’m not exactly sure it would be as fun as I hope it would be.

Though I’m with you in the prediction that range extended or PHEV’s being the next popular power source for vehicles. EV function in commuting, with a smaller battery to keep the cost down, and a small ICE for range extending on longer trips. It sounds like a great compromise.  

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > CobraJoe 01/02/2020 at 18:10

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Between Cayman and 370Z as 2-seaters, and Kia Stinger GT, Audi A5-series liftback sport sedans , and bigger CUV *hack*-sport utility coupes-*spit/cough*….

I can’t readily think of a 2 + 2 coupe with a liftback... not like my old Fox Mustang and the 93 Probe GT I had after that. (I still think a 21st century version of that car with FocusRS AWD drivetrain would be slick.)

I am deeply smitten with the idea of a 986S, 987 or maybe a 981 by the someday timeframe that I am bound to... or a very nice 996, or a 997 Carrera or S.

Second runner up would have to be new, and thus more expensive, a 2020 Mustang EcoBoost Premium High Performance Package with Handling Package... fully optioned, those top out over $ 40K, ~8K$ and 200lbs less than a Mustang GT PP1, and way less than a Shelby GT350. But no hatchback, and even the lighter EB-HPP is still 5-600lbs or more heavier than Boxster/Cayman.

By all accounts I’ve seen Honda CR-Z was a badly missed opportunity. Personally, I think they are an ugly dust-buster on wheels, propelled by the wrong axle, heavier and slower for having the hybrid drive, without the efficiency boost.

A mild hybrid would still use a gearbox, because it is basically an ICE car with a little bit of electric boost and regen , but a proper PHEV shouldn’t have multi-ratio transmission in the traditional sense, at all. Koeniggsegg Regera certainly doesn’t need one.

the electric motor handles everything below ~50mph, the kinetic engine engages directly, or gets mixed in via fluid coupling, to the final drive ratio, possibly with a bit of overdrive, and relieves the heat and stress on the electrical system at sustained high speeds. , T he electrical system then turns to being a coasting/deceleration regen charger for the battery , or a boost assist to pass or in sport mode.

Maybe a 2-ratio adjustment for the drive, like 1.5:1 for acceleration, and 0.6:1 for cruise efficiency... or a CVT between those two fairly narrow end point ratios.

It wouldn’t be a matter of manual vs. Automatic... it would be a whole different ballgame, where the throttle pedal or cruise control calls for road speed adjustments, and the drivetrain management knows were the electric motor is far more efficient with TONS of torque , where direct kinetic drive and regen is most efficient with better high-speed horsepower without sustained high amp draw off the batteries , and when to apply both together for burst speed.

CRider > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/03/2020 at 01:17

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41 hp? It’s a gain of about 130 WHP over a stock V6 Camaro.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > CRider 01/03/2020 at 10:03

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The ad says Edelbrock estimates 376hp with the huffer; the stock motor is 335.

CobraJoe > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/03/2020 at 11:40

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The kia stinger is so close to what I want (Well, I’d prefer 2 door) , but I just can’t get excited about spending $30k+ on a car without everything I want (the manual).

But I’m with you, I really miss my foxbody Mustang. It was fun at normal traffic speeds, it was extremely roomy inside compared to the outside, and the liftback was incredibly useful. There is nothing comparable today that is RWD. The current Mustang is too cramped inside for how big it is on the outside, the Camaro is possibly even worse, and the Challenger is successful just by being a larger vehicle.

I’ve heard the CR-Z can be a lot of fun with a supercharger. Nearly 200hp and under 3000 pounds is a good recipe for a fun car. Shame it’s only a 2 seater in the US though.

I’m kind of excited to see where the next step of EV/PHEV/Hybrid tech goes.  It’s almost the wild west again, anything is possible to gain an advantage, and no one really knows what the best solution will be yet.  

CRider > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2020 at 00:34

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376 at the wheels vs 335 at th e crank stock. They make about 245 at the wheels stock.