This is a quick-drive review of the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE (video by Michael Chuang). The hosts describe the 1LE as the most track-focused Camaro ZL1 variant, noting key specs and features: supercharged LT4 V8 (650 bhp / 650 lb-ft), six-speed manual (with optional 10-speed automatic), estimated curb weight ~3,820 lbs, large brakes (15+ in), and sticky Goodyear Ego 3R tires. They compare it repeatedly to the C7 Z06—claiming the Camaro addresses many overheating and packaging issues of the C7—while criticizing a generic cabin and some cheap-feeling interior materials. Measured performance from the quick session: an in-house rolling metric run of 5.32 seconds and another run listed as 8.88 seconds; the reviewer also notes some performance degradation after multiple hard pulls (timing pullback on repeated runs). The video closes with typical creator CTAs (like, subscribe, merch/affiliate links).
Questions this video answers
Michael Chuang
650 brake horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque
3,820 pounds
Goodyear Ego 3R's
15+ inches
Chapters
Today we'll be doing a quick drive of one of Chevrolet's most versatile performance cars. This is the Camaro ZL1 1.
In many ways, I feel like the Camaro is a better sports car than the Chevy Corvette. At least when we talk about the ZL1 trim, which is essentially a 2 plus 2 version of the outgoing C7Z06. Because you know, the C7Z was pretty notorious for overheating on a hot track day, especially on a day like this. And that essentially rendered it useless for.
A lot of folks.
But my understanding is that this car here, this car solves a lot of those problems and more.
The one LE designation is basically denoting that this is the most track focused variant of the ZL1. Which is ironic because the Camaro is technically a muscle car and most folks have come to appreciate that American muscle can't take a corner. But that's simply not the case here, because on paper, even though it weighs in at a hefty 3,820 pounds, it's got aggressive aero, 15 plus inches of brakes, super sticky Goodyear Ego 3R's and fancy computers to help you put down a faster time than Even the new 992 Turbo S around the Nuremberg ring. That's quite impressive. But one of the hottest selling points of the ZL one has to be that it borrows the powertrain from the C7Z06. Which means that it's got the same supercharged LT4 engine that makes 650 brake horsepower and 650 pounds of torque. Of course, this one has a six speed manual instead of a seven, but it still has the rev matching capabilities to mitigate the infamous overheating in the LT4. The ZL1 has more space to place cooling solutions that keep the temps down overall. Speaking of more space, that means that the ZL1 can also benefit from that new 10 speed auto gearbox, which just leaps and bounds better than the 8 speed found in the C7s in 2019. They also spruced up the rear end with those smoked giro style taillights, which I find quite attractive. At first glance. The interior seems a bit stark and it stays that way for the most part. It's got ambient lighting, cool H Vac controls that double as vents, a decent 8 inch infotainment display, lovely bucket seats and a boatload of alcantara. But the dash cluster and steering wheel make me feel like I'm driving a Silverado and not the Porsche beating sports car that it is. Then again, the 6th gen Camaro did debut over five years ago anyway. It probably sounds almost the same as my old C7Z, but I still want to hear it. I'm quite enthused by the amount of blur whine that you can actually hear in this thing. I'm always envious of Hellcat owners and the Z06 was basically a tremendous letdown in that department. Oddly though, I found the position of the six speed manual to be less than ideal than the one in the Corvette and it's also not as robust feeling as you go through the gears, but it's still pretty good in my opinion. The one LE is also notorious for being really stiff on the street since it doesn't have the Magna ride like a normal ZL1, but honestly, coming from cars like the Arrow Atom 3S and McLaren 600LT, I don't think this is too bad. Of course I also think Florida has better roads than New Jersey. Brake bite isn't fantastic and it seems that you really have to dig deep to get them to stop. And I could see how track consumables might start getting a little bit costly if you track this 2 ton machine more than a few times a year. Anyway, a hurricane is rolling in so better get those acceleration times while we can. Since this was shot while we were traveling, I'm only aiming to get the bare minimum metrics and those would be our rolling ones. So for our in house 4100 the ZL1.1 LE did 5.32 seconds, which is right behind the 707 horsepower Hellcat Challenger. And that's impressive considering the Hellcat was an automatic in terms of actual raw power. The 60130 wasn't too bad either at 8.88 seconds, but we know the 10 speed is significantly quicker because of the shorter gearing and more aggressive shifts. Either way, it's pretty fast for a car that's meant to take turns. Any track variant trim is also going to be slower in a straight line due to the increased drag coefficient. And even though this car isn't supposed to overheat, I did notice a degradation in performance starting at the third and fourth pulls. It seems like after a few hero runs it starts to pull timing just like the C7Z would. But I think that's probably just the nature of the stock tune in the LT4.
Of course, because this was one of those quick drive episodes we had even less time with the car than we normally would. And even though it was a fun experience overall, I gotta circle back to what I said in the beginning of the episode about it being, you know, better than a Corvette? Is it a better performance car than the C7Z06? That's highly possible in a lot of cases. Whether it's having less overheating issues on the track, better acoustics with a supercharger whine, or even the option to have the potentially faster 10 speed automatic made it to the LT4. Those are all important things. However, at the end of the day, it doesn't feel nearly as special when you get into it. Sure, I'm a sucker for all the Alcantaras, but aside from that, there's just something missing from the cabin for me. And on top of all that, I like the C7Z's manual gearbox just a little bit more than the one in the Camaro. Ultimately, the Camaro ZL1.1 LE is one of those rare cars that offers supercar level performance at a truly bargain price, and it can still be very humble about it all. But like anything of value, there's often compromises that have to be made. In this case, the biggest pitfall is probably the generic cabin and randomly cheap materials. But at less than 65 grand on MSRP, I can't fault GM for that. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this video, and as always, I'll catch you guys on the next one.
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