By Nauman Farooq
The most potent version of the current Camaro lineup is the ZL1 model, and if you want to go even faster on the track, than you’ll need to add the 1LE option.
For 2019, to shave even more time off your lap, you’ll need to spec it with an auto!
Yes, the 2019 Camaro ZL1 1LE is now being offered with a 10-speed automatic gearbox. Thanks to its faster shift times, the automatic equipped ZL1 1LE is about 1.5 seconds faster around General Motors Milford Road Course, than the same car equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox. That is quite an advantage, even on a relatively short track like Milford, where one lap is only 4.7 km long. So, on a long track like the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where each lap is roughly 21 km long, the automatic equipped ZL1 1LE would be several seconds faster than a manual equipped car.
“This transmission is optimized for speed,” said Camaro Chief Engineer Mark Dickens. “With unique Track Mode calibrations and 10 gears, you are always in the perfect gear when rolling on or off the throttle. You may not be a professional race car driver, but now you can shift like one.”
The automatic would also make life a little easier on a day to day basis, because driving an automatic through daily, stop-and-go traffic is easier than doing the same with a manual equipped vehicle.
Transmission aside, the 1LE package on its own adds aero tweaks that actually produce downforce, adjustable suspension, and lighter wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires – the type you’d normally find on supercars.
All Camaro ZL1 models come equipped with a 6.2L V8 that is supercharged, and produces 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
The 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has a base Canadian price of $72,395. The 1LE Track Performance Package has a Canadian MSRP of $8,495 and the available 10-speed automatic transmission a Canadian MSRP of $1,835. So, your grand total will likely be $82,725 plus tax – higher, if you add in a few more options.
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