V6: 1LE or not?

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 01:34 PM

After test-driving a V6 1LE I'm strongly considering buying a Camaro soon. But there are a few things I wanted to know as it compares to the non-1LE trim (no dealers near me have one to try). I searched the forums and the internet at large and wasn't able to find much comparing these, so I apologize if this has been covered.

First is trackability: obviously the 1LE would win hands-down here, but if I'm only going to go to a track maybe once or twice in a year at most, is it necessary? Or would the regular hold up fine (I would be on the track for fun not for any competition, so I wouldn't be pushing it to its limits).

Second is fun factor on the street: with the thinner rear tires on the non-1LE, would it be a little more playful in low-speed tight corners than the 1LE? The 1LE had grip for days which is great, but I think it would be fun to be able to let the back slip just a little bit (not drifting or burning rubber or anything, just a little fun mini-powerslide kinda thing). If you've driven the BRZ/86 something like that, where you really aren't even making noise with the tires but it's playful. I fear that the limits of the 1LE are so high that it'd almost be too composed on the street, but the BRZ/86 just didn't do it for me with its complete lack of torque.

Third is the limited-slip diff: when doing spirited driving I assume this wouldn't make much of a difference day-to-day. But this would be my daily driver and I live in the midwest, so I'd be putting snow wheels/tires on it and I assume the LSD would help here.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

HCI2000SS · 07-27-2020, 01:48 PM

In my opinion it all comes down to what you actually get for what you actually pay, along with your desired intentions for the car. Me for instance, for the extra $4500 of the 1LE, the non rotating summer tires, stiffer suspension, etc, etc...All that would make it a no go for me being that mine is a total year round daily driver here in Michigan. Like you, I may go to the track once a year, so obviously the main focus is daily driving all year around. Obviously there's no wrong answer, but based on what you said, I think a standard non 1LE might be better in your case

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 01:55 PM

Awesome, thanks for the reply! I assume the standard still drives more or less like the 1LE in normal use?

Hops · 07-27-2020, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent_H_

First is trackability: obviously the 1LE would win hands-down here, but if I'm only going to go to a track maybe once or twice in a year at most, is it necessary? Or would the regular hold up fine (I would be on the track for fun not for any competition, so I wouldn't be pushing it to its limits).

consider that with the 1le, the factory warranty stays intact for a tracked car, but does NOT with a non-1le v6. But i suppose a track day in a novice group with dot4 fluid in a non-1le would be ok. I think once you got faster, you might regret not getting a 1le. What tracks can you go to? scca track night has one in Topeka.

HCI2000SS · 07-27-2020, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent_H_

Awesome, thanks for the reply! I assume the standard still drives more or less like the 1LE in normal use?

I've driven both the 1LE and my 1LT RS V6 before making my purchase. They both drive very similar in my opinion. Here's the thing...the Camaro in any trim level is a fantastic handling car. Of course the 1LE will shine noticeably better when pushed to an extreme limit, but that limit on public roads will almost never be needed or reached. Know what I mean? My 2018 RS V6 handles far better than I need it to for spirited daily driving

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hops

consider that with the 1le, the factory warranty stays intact for a tracked car, but does NOT with a non-1le v6. But i suppose a track day in a novice group with dot4 fluid in a non-1le would be ok. I think once you got faster, you might regret not getting a 1le. What tracks can you go to? scca track night has one in Topeka.

The closest track to me is Raceway Park of the Midlands (in eastern Iowa). The only track I've ever driven on is Motorsports Park Hastings, back when I had a Subaru STi. It was a blast, but I still don't see me doing it on a regular basis with my daily driver.

Thanks for your reply!

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HCI2000SS

I've driven both the 1LE and my 1LT RS V6 before making my purchase. They both drive very similar in my opinion. Here's the thing...the Camaro in any trim level is a fantastic handling car. Of course the 1LE will shine noticeably better when pushed to an extreme limit, but that limit on public roads will almost never be needed or reached. Know what I mean? My 2018 RS V6 handles far better than I need it to for spirited daily driving

I definitely know what you mean. It's one of the reasons I'm leaning toward the V6 over the V8. The one I drove was more than fast enough to get in trouble! And yeah, there is something fun about limits that can somewhat be approached at legal speeds, even though even that is a stretch with this amazing platform!

RyanR623 · 07-27-2020, 02:11 PM

The non 1LE will do fine an a track, the alpha platform is great. But you can't buy all of the stuff included in the 1LE package for anywhere NEAR $4500, especially with installation costs. Just something to ponder

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanR623

The non 1LE will do fine an a track, the alpha platform is great. But you can't buy all of the stuff included in the 1LE package for anywhere NEAR $4500, especially with installation costs. Just something to ponder

I don't doubt that! The 1LE package is a bargain. It's a tough decision for sure. While 99% of my driving will be on the street, I could get addicted to the track and then I'd have to reconsider.

Thanks for the reply!

gpskinzhut · 07-27-2020, 02:28 PM

I'd go 1LE. The only downside is not rotating tires.

delthawk5 · 07-27-2020, 04:08 PM

If you're not planning on consistently tracking or autocrossing the car, 1LE is a very hard buy. $4500 isn't bad, it's $7000 on the SS.

UnknownJinX · 07-27-2020, 04:47 PM

Personally I'd get the 1LE but that's my opinion. IMO the extra stuff could be worth it if you like tackling back roads.

Also, you get LSD on all manual LT Camaros. The autos don't have it.

As for slipping and sliding about, I actually don't like doing that. Personally I wouldn't recommend doing it on public streets. If you need a reminder, just look up some Mustang/Corvette fail videos. It doesn't take much to go from hero to zero.

Quote:

Originally Posted by delthawk5

If you're not planning on consistently tracking or autocrossing the car, 1LE is a very hard buy. $4500 isn't bad, it's $7000 on the SS.

It does include more stuff on the SS, though, like the Recaro seats, MRC and ZL1 tires(LT 1LE gives you standard SS tires IIRC).

Also yeah, I highly recommend Autocrossing first before tracking. It's easy, cheap and a good place to get your feet wet. Also a great place to make friends.

HCI2000SS · 07-27-2020, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent_H_

I definitely know what you mean. It's one of the reasons I'm leaning toward the V6 over the V8. The one I drove was more than fast enough to get in trouble! And yeah, there is something fun about limits that can somewhat be approached at legal speeds, even though even that is a stretch with this amazing platform!

Yep for sure. Another thing....you mention this will be a daily driver in the Midwest? So it will see snow, salt, and all the harshest elements? If so, the $4500 you save on not getting the 1LE, you can invest on snow tires and wheels, and any other things that may apply on a daily driver that sees all the above

Silent_H_ · 07-27-2020, 07:35 PM

Thanks for all of the replies! I used to AutoX competitively a ton back in the day and it was fun, but the track definitely gave me more seat time by a long shot (a couple hours in a day vs a few minutes in a day).

I totally agree, slipping and sliding all over is absolutely not my intention here. I'd keep traction control and all of that on, and would drive mostly responsibly. Think more "playful rotation" than trying to get any opposite lock or even counter-steering going. Basically the opposite of what my FWD car does as I accelerate on a turn. Maybe I'm just thinking more of the overall dynamics of a RWD car as that would be new to me.

This would be my daily driver, and you're right - I am in the midwest. I would plan on getting 18" rims with snow tires for use during the cold months, and would just work from home if the snow is supposed to be deep.

One thing that stinks about being in the midwest is that there are very few back roads with any curves in them. This is part of why I started looking at Camaros over the BRZ/86, as I would want a bit of straight-line fun as well.

I'm very glad to hear that all manuals get the LSD!

You guys are all awesome; I really like what I see in the Camaro community. Now I have to make some decisions!

07-27-2020, 01:34 PM	#1
Silent_H_ Drives: '21 V6 1LE Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: NE Posts: 263	V6: 1LE or not? After test-driving a V6 1LE I'm strongly considering buying a Camaro soon. But there are a few things I wanted to know as it compares to the non-1LE trim (no dealers near me have one to try). I searched the forums and the internet at large and wasn't able to find much comparing these, so I apologize if this has been covered. First is trackability: obviously the 1LE would win hands-down here, but if I'm only going to go to a track maybe once or twice in a year at most, is it necessary? Or would the regular hold up fine (I would be on the track for fun not for any competition, so I wouldn't be pushing it to its limits). Second is fun factor on the street: with the thinner rear tires on the non-1LE, would it be a little more playful in low-speed tight corners than the 1LE? The 1LE had grip for days which is great, but I think it would be fun to be able to let the back slip just a little bit (not drifting or burning rubber or anything, just a little fun mini-powerslide kinda thing). If you've driven the BRZ/86 something like that, where you really aren't even making noise with the tires but it's playful. I fear that the limits of the 1LE are so high that it'd almost be too composed on the street, but the BRZ/86 just didn't do it for me with its complete lack of torque. Third is the limited-slip diff: when doing spirited driving I assume this wouldn't make much of a difference day-to-day. But this would be my daily driver and I live in the midwest, so I'd be putting snow wheels/tires on it and I assume the LSD would help here. Thanks in advance for any advice!

07-27-2020, 02:28 PM	#10
gpskinzhut Drives: 2017 ZL1 A10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 1,960 View My Garage	I'd go 1LE. The only downside is not rotating tires. __________________ 2017 ZL1 A10 2017 2SS M6: (SOLD) \|\| 2014 2LT Convertible: (SOLD) \|\| 2010 2LT M6 Supercharged:(SOLD) \|\| 1987 IROC-Z 5.0 M5: (SOLD)

07-27-2020, 01:48 PM	#2
HCI2000SS Drives: 2018 Camaro V6/RS Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: MI Posts: 1,596	In my opinion it all comes down to what you actually get for what you actually pay, along with your desired intentions for the car. Me for instance, for the extra $4500 of the 1LE, the non rotating summer tires, stiffer suspension, etc, etc...All that would make it a no go for me being that mine is a total year round daily driver here in Michigan. Like you, I may go to the track once a year, so obviously the main focus is daily driving all year around. Obviously there's no wrong answer, but based on what you said, I think a standard non 1LE might be better in your case

07-27-2020, 01:55 PM	#3
Silent_H_ Drives: '21 V6 1LE Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: NE Posts: 263	Awesome, thanks for the reply! I assume the standard still drives more or less like the 1LE in normal use?

07-27-2020, 02:11 PM	#8
RyanR623 Drives: SS A8, NPP, Red Hot Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 583	The non 1LE will do fine an a track, the alpha platform is great. But you can't buy all of the stuff included in the 1LE package for anywhere NEAR $4500, especially with installation costs. Just something to ponder

07-27-2020, 04:08 PM	#11
delthawk5 Drives: 2019 2SS Crush Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 163	If you're not planning on consistently tracking or autocrossing the car, 1LE is a very hard buy. $4500 isn't bad, it's $7000 on the SS.

07-27-2020, 07:35 PM	#14
Silent_H_ Drives: '21 V6 1LE Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: NE Posts: 263	Thanks for all of the replies! I used to AutoX competitively a ton back in the day and it was fun, but the track definitely gave me more seat time by a long shot (a couple hours in a day vs a few minutes in a day). I totally agree, slipping and sliding all over is absolutely not my intention here. I'd keep traction control and all of that on, and would drive mostly responsibly. Think more "playful rotation" than trying to get any opposite lock or even counter-steering going. Basically the opposite of what my FWD car does as I accelerate on a turn. Maybe I'm just thinking more of the overall dynamics of a RWD car as that would be new to me. This would be my daily driver, and you're right - I am in the midwest. I would plan on getting 18" rims with snow tires for use during the cold months, and would just work from home if the snow is supposed to be deep. One thing that stinks about being in the midwest is that there are very few back roads with any curves in them. This is part of why I started looking at Camaros over the BRZ/86, as I would want a bit of straight-line fun as well. I'm very glad to hear that all manuals get the LSD! You guys are all awesome; I really like what I see in the Camaro community. Now I have to make some decisions!

User Name		Remember Me?
Password