[Mountain]

Motortrend:
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chev...-drive-review/

Producing 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, the Turbo 1LE isn't a straight-line speed brute, though Chevrolet claims a pretty quick 5.4-second 0-60 run. Instead, it shines in the corners. During my time in our former long-term 2016 Camaro SS, power oversteer was a worry when pushing the V-8 version hard through corners. But this isn't the case with the Turbo 1LE. I found myself eagerly applying full throttle exiting corners, not fearing the worst. If I'd driven the SS that way, the ditch on the side of the road would've been my next stop. You might miss the power of a larger engine on a straight stretch of road, but the coupe makes that up with impressive cornering control. Three sports cars with "low" power outputs and superior cornering capability come to mind: the Mazda Miata, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota 86. But the Camaro is quicker and more powerful than those three and has a lower starting price than their top trims. If you're curious, the above SS hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and produces 455 hp from its 6.2-liter V-8.

To get us behind the wheel of the Camaro Turbo 1LE, Chevrolet invited us to drive a picturesque 60-mile route from our hotel in Renton, Washington, to Ridge Motorsports Park, where a 16-turn, 2.47-mile road course was waiting for us. On the way there, the 1LE provided good ride comfort, better than the Camaro SS. I expected an overly stiff ride given the performance suspension, but I was happily surprised. The throws from the Tremec six-speed manual (the only available transmission, and rightly so) are short and precise, which is a good thing because I found myself downshifting a gear or two whenever I passed on the freeway or simply to pick up some speed due to the transmission's tall gears. Sixth gear should be used strictly for cruising, not for passing. But 30 mpg highway is nice (20 mpg city). Turbo lag doesn't help the situation, and it's noticeable since peak torque hits a little late at 3,000 rpm (and lasts until 4,500 rpm). Still, Chevrolet claims that 90 percent of torque is available below 2,000 rpm. Why not 100 percent? Many modern turbo engines hit max torque below 2,000 rpm. Plenty of road noise seeps into the cabin. If you don't like it, about your only choice is to tack on the optional Bose audio system and crank it up.

With the scenic drive over, it was time for the track. Before I set out, I inserted an SD card into the optional Performance Data Recorder slot for later viewing. On the track, it's hard to find many faults with the coupe. Almost nonexistent body roll provides for crisp and confident turn-in, and the chassis is rock-solid. Over- and understeer almost never happened unless purposely induced, something that put a smile on my face the few times I did it. Steering felt similar to that of the SS, heavy but quite telepathic. The front four-piston Brembo calipers—borrowed from the SS—bite hard and help bring the sports car to a stop from 60 mph in a Chevrolet-claimed 112 feet, not bad for a car weighing at least 3,350 pounds. Braking power never seemed to fade and the Recaro seats offered plenty of lateral support and comfort during our numerous runs.

Moving at a very quick pace, we stayed in third gear for most of the lap, only going to second gear once or twice and hitting fourth at the end of the long straightaway. Automatic rev-matching is not available, so ready your heel-and-toe action. I never noticed the engine temperature creeping up, even though we were at wide-open throttle for a significant amount of time. This shouldn't come as a surprise because Camaro engineers claim the Turbo 1LE can survive 24 hours of cumulative track time in 35-minute sessions (not counting consumables like tires and brakes). Furthermore, due to the engine's efficiency, the Camaro can potentially run on a track for 60 minutes using a single tank of gas. Don't expect that from the V-8.

Car and Driver:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...formance-track

From the driver’s seat, however, things are more similar than they are different. Select the Track driving mode with the toggle on the center console and activate the stability control’s Competition mode and the 1LE becomes a true track car. Its steering is heavy, its clutch is heavy, and its brakes have endless stopping power. Turn-in is immediate, grip is immense, and the Camaro is so well balanced with such communicative steering that we can’t imagine a better beginner’s track-day tool.

Our only reservation is that the four-cylinder has a street-oriented torque curve. It makes a lot of grunt at low revs, hitting its peak of 295 lb-ft at 3000 rpm and running out of breath just above its 5600-rpm power peak, despite having a 7000-rpm redline. This means shifting earlier and more often compared with the V-6 Camaro.

The stiff, track-prioritized suspension might be a little much for someone who isn’t going to lap their Turbo 1LE, but for a car that can be driven to the track, lapped all day, and then driven home, it is perfectly acceptable. Less so the Camaro’s inherently claustrophobic cabin, although it does fortify the illusion of being strapped in behind the wheel of an IMSA race car. After a few laps, Stockholm syndrome sets in and you just forget what it was like to drive a car with a greenhouse larger than a jail cell.

The public comments on the looks of the 2019 are... poor. Most (nearly all) comments are... negative:

[TheWiseWolf]

ewww

[warriordave927]

I love that orange car

[gpskinzhut]

I've been really curious to take one of these out on something like the Tail of the Dragon.

[ste1n]

I stopped reading roadshow's review after reading this "I certainly wouldn't have this over a VW GTI or Honda Civic Si"

[shaffe]

Those were both a little bit more kind than the autoblog review

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/08/30/...eview-19ct1le/

"SHELTON, Wash. – There's a riddle at the heart of the 2019 Camaro Turbo 1LE, and it's figuring out which of three Camaros it actually is. There's the car Chevy wants it to be, a hot-hatch fighter and genre-buster that brings in people who'd never consider a pony car before. There's the car its enthusiastic fans want it to be, which is a Mustang trouncer that has a superior chassis and nails all the intangibles. And then there's the car it actually is, something we can't easily sum up. Frankly we wouldn't be surprised if potential buyers tuned out before they could wrap their heads around this turbocharged, track-oriented Camaro."

"The optimist will say: It's a momentum car, with more grip than motor. It's so communicative and playful that it'll let you hang it out a bit without it getting away from you. It's a great combination for beginner and novice track rats, and there's some room to grow if you tune for more boost. The pessimist will say: You'll get tired of the low power peak and weak upper end puff unless you're actually competing in SCCA or autocross events with class limitations. The V6 or SS 1LEs are therefore better long-term propositions. Chevy Performance also doesn't offer many factory solutions for extracting more power from the 2.0-liter turbo engine – and the V6 1LE is only $1,495 more, netting you a useful 335 hp, 284 lb-ft of torque for an approximately 136-pound weight penalty."

[Crazed_1LE]

Originally Posted by Mountain

Motortrend:
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chev...-drive-review/




Car and Driver:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...formance-track



The public comments on the looks of the 2019 are... poor. Most (nearly all) comments are... negative:

Comments on car articles are as bad as comments on political articles.

They're totally worthless.

[SSJ455]

It was a good read, but I am glad I have a V8.

[GearheadSS]

Originally Posted by Mountain

The public comments on the looks of the 2019 are... poor. Most (nearly all) comments are... negative:

Of course they are. The die hards will scoff at the 2.0T and say that this car is a failure without ever driving it. True gearheads will at least acknowledge that it's great value as an entry level track day car. IMO, it's a great offering for those can't afford the V6 or V8 but still want a car that they can take to a track day without mods.

[Mountain]

Originally Posted by GearheadSS

Of course they are. The die hards will scoff at the 2.0T and say that this car is a failure without ever driving it. True gearheads will at least acknowledge that it's great value as an entry level track day car. IMO, it's a great offering for those can't afford the V6 or V8 but still want a car that they can take to a track day without mods.

The 2.0L turbo 1LE is only going to come in $1500 below the V6.

Very cool car, and I know what that configuration can do on a short road course and autocross, but it's going to be a very, VERY niche car, like the V6 1LE is.

Stock for stock, I'd go for the V6. Better sound, better power, more rev-range. If I were looking at this car, the V6 and the Ecoboost PP, and I didn't want to/have to stay with a stock tune, I'd go with this car, hands-down. Tune in some more power and this thing would be a cheap track slayer.

Also, I heard someone somewhere mention this car going into BS in SCCA autox... Not sure what the thought is there when the V6 1LE is in FS.

[Mountain]

Just thought of this: Most likely, the comments on having a pretty harsh ride are more related to the tires. Those RF tires are very stiff. I know, on my SS, when I switched tires to Conti ECS tires, the ride quality improved very noticeably over the Goodyear RF tires.

[wise]

The non-SS front end has really grown on me and the new rear end and tail lights look great. I think it’s cool that GM is offering cars closer to base with a lesser 1LE package. If GM could have just done better with the SS front end I would have waited to get an orange SS 1LE.

[Ace01]

[Mountain]

@SCCA Solo Nats:
Car looks good, sans the tail lights. This is a CAM-C done-up car.