Virginia is for Camaro Lovers

The new 2013 Chevy Camaro 1LE recently took to the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for a few shakedown laps, and the corner-carving Camaro shook things up by posting a quickest time of 2:58.37. It’s the kind of performance usually seen only in the upper echelon of high-performance sports coupes, according to Al Oppenheiser, chief engineer for the Camaro.

“To break a three-minute lap on the four-mile Grand Course is an incredible accomplishment for any car,” he said. “Like the Nürburgring, at VIR there’s never a moment when the car rests at steady state. Each lap tests every aspect of a car, including power, brakes, steering, tire grip and chassis balance.

Uncoincidentally, all those systems and more were significantly upgraded in the Camaro 1LE, which starts life as a 426-hp Camaro SS and then adds handling components from the range-topping Camaro ZL1. In the mix here:

• Solid front (27 mm) and rear (28 mm) stabilizer bars that improve body control
• A strut tower brace that enhances steering feel and response
• 20-inch aluminum wheels based on the same ones outfitting the ZL1
• 285/35ZR20 Goodyear Eagle Supercar G:2 tires for the front and rear (matching the rear rubber in the ZL1)
• ZL1 wheel bearings, toe links and rear shock mounts for better track capabilities
• A ZL1 high-capacity fuel pump, as well as additional fuel pickups, for improved fuel delivery even during hard cornering

“Best of all,” according to Oppenheiser, “The Camaro 1LE is $10,000 less than its nearest competitor. For drivers looking for an affordable way to get on the track, what they save with the 1LE will cover a lot of days at the track.”

(That’s courtesy of a price tag that starts at $37,035, including destination charges.)

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