2017 Camaro 1LE V-6 and V-8 Packages

As the Chicago Auto Show gets on its way this weekend, Chevrolet will be introducing some special 2017 1LE Camaros that will be available for Camaro enthusiast to purchase. Although the 1LE Camaro package has been an option for Camaro shoppers since 1989, the 2017 Camaro 1LE will host two different engine options next year.   

The 2017 Camaro 1LE package will be available for purchase on the V-8 Camaros, like in the past, but for 2017 it will also be available on the V-6 Camaros (1LT and 2LT). In the past, owning a V-6 Camaro or Firebird gave you the looks of a sports car, but when it came to power and handling, even braking, you definitely did not have much to brag about.

Now Camaro is stepping up to change that and give even Camaro V-6 owning's a sports car experience. If you order or buy a 2017 Camaro 3.6-liter V-6 you will be getting a Camaro that is 100-lbs. lighter than its V-8 big brother, while still pumping out 335 horses. Along with that horsepower, you also get a bunch of other goodies that come along with the 1LE.

Here are some stats to look forward to:

Camaro 3.6-liter 1LE
- The 335 horsepower V-6 comes matched up to a six-speed manual transmission
- The FE3 suspension components come from the Camaro SS and includes dampers, rear cradle mounts, ball-jointed rear toe links and stabilizer bars.
- 20-inch forged aluminum lightweight wheels come wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 - 245/40R20s for the front and 275/35R20s for the rear
- Front Brembo 4-piston brake calipers for major stopping power
- Mechanical Limited-slip differential with 3.27 ratio
- Standard track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Suede steering wheel for easy grip and shorter-throw shifter for quick gear selection
- Dual exhaust system comes standard
- The Camaro SS fuel system is put in place for higher-load cornering capability
- A Satin wrapped black hood along with a front splitter and a smooth looking three-piece rear spoiler are some of the styling features of the Camaro
- Unique high flow upper and lower grille with satin black accents
- Optional Recaro seats and Chevy's performance video and data recorder

Camaro SS 1LE
The SS 1LE comes with the new FE4 suspension that is track turned for high-performance corner cutting lap times. The Magnetic Ride dampers, springs and stabilizer bars are most likely courtesy of the Cadillac ATS.

Copping one of these SS Camaros will also get you:

- A 455 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 engine that comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. (no automatic offered)
- Magnetic Ride Control (most of GM's high-performance high-end vehicles have this suspension)
- Special forged aluminum wheels: 285/30ZR20s in the front and 305/30ZR20s in the rear
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires with a compound and construction developed exclusively for the Camaro and carving corners like a supercar
- Brembo brakes with new six-piston monobloc front red calipers and two-piece rotors. Measuring 14.6 inches in diameter, the front rotors are 7% bigger than the regular Camaro SS rotors and feature the 1LE Camaro emblem on them.
- Segment-exclusive electronic limited-slip differential with 3.73 ratio
- Track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Comfortable suede steering wheel with a shorter-throw shifter
- Dual exhaust system
- Recaro front seats with aggressive bolsters optimized for shifting and steering comfort
- Satin black wrapped hood and front mirrors to match along with a unique three-piece rear spoiler
- Satin Graphite front splitter and rear diffuser
- Chevy's performance video and data recorder optional.

Al Oppenheiser, Vehicle Chief Engineer of Camaro says that “the Camaro SS 1LE sets the new benchmark for the segment, lapping the Big Willow track at Willow Springs three seconds faster than the standard Camaro SS.” He also went on to say the V-6 1LE has been making lap times at the Willow Springs Race Way that keeps up with the V-8 Gen-5 Camaros. As of right now the V-6 pulls .97Gs of corning grip, while the V-8 pulls 1G of corning grip.

So what about the four-cylinder turbocharged Camaros that are even lighter. There is no word if they will make a 1LE package for the four-cylinder Camaro yet, but you can bet that you will be able to buy the 1LE components from GM Performance and have them installed. That would be a pretty fun little four-cylinder sports car to drive around.

COPO Camaro 2016: A Tall Order to Fill

When it comes to the 2016 COPO Camaro, as with the previous years, Chevrolet will only be producing 69 of them. The problem is there are already some 5,500 order forms filled out all from customers that want the drag strip ready race Camaro.


As of the end of January, at the world-famous Scottsdale, AZ. Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, the first 2016 COPO Camaro was auctioned off for $300,000.00. This COPO Camaro was one of the big-block drag car versions that was specially designed with Courtney Force giving a lot of help in the color scheme and overall look of the Camaro. Unfortunately, big wallets that buy cars from these very prestigious auctions don't buy them to race them. So this car will not only most likely find its home in some museum somewhere, but it also brings down the total of COPO Camaros left to purchase to 68.

There will be three different powerplants that can be ordered with the COPO Camaro. One will be the monstrous naturally aspired 7.0-liter V-8, another engine option will be a 6.2-liter 376-cu.-in. LT engine and a 5.7-liter with a Whipple supercharger will also be an option. The COPO that was auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January came with the 5.7 supercharged setup along with a race-ready THM-350 transmission, the other two engine options will also come with this tranny setup.


That all sounds good, but what if you're not one of the special ones, and, believe me, you will have to be special, to get picked to own a 2016 COPO Camaro. Well, the good news is if you have a big enough pocketbook, the drivetrain and the parts that run the COPO Camaro will be available by order through Chevrolet. You may not technically be able to have a true COPO, but getting your Camaro to move as fast as one will definitely be feasible.

This probably won't happen, but maybe Chevrolet will get their heads out of their asses and see the COPO Camaro's potential for growth and make a few extra ones next year. 

Opel GT Concept - General Motors European Branch

It's probably been a long time since you heard the car brand name “Opel” and sports car in the same sentence, in fact, if you're young enough, like me, you probably never heard the word sports car describing an Opel period. But the General Motors European branch is trying to change that with a very cool looking Opel GT Concept set to make an appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show Switzerland.


A Small Opel With Big Features
The little two-seat coupe has a lot of big features that prove that Opel is looking to move forward with up-to-date innovations that can attract younger people and compete with the many other compact sports cars in today's auto market.

According to Opel's CEO, Karl-Thomas Neumann, “the concept is no business case, but more of a brand investment.” The idea behind the Opel GT concept is to see the reaction of the consumers and see if something like the GT is something that consumers are really looking to get into.
Although the Opel GT is just a concept and has a long way to go to become a real production car, the '68-'73 Opel GT was also just a concept in 1965, but in just three short years it was in production and making the Opel name popular.

Like many concepts, the Opel GT Concept is built with many innovations that might not make it into production even if the Opel GT sports car does. The first one is the noticeable red front tires and wheels that are designed to look much like a roller skate wheel. You also might notice a set of doors that flow seamlessly into the windows with a silver tint to match the vehicle. It looks pretty cool, but government rules would keep the idea out of production unless some laws are changed.

Another innovation that is pretty cool is if you look closely you will notice that there are no side mirrors. The side mirror's duties are relieved by two cameras mounted on both sides of the rear-wheel arches and then displayed on right and left side monitors inside the vehicle. With that fanciness, you may also notice that there are no door handles. You open the doors by an invisible touch-pad integrated into the red stripe that divides the two-tone paint job. 



The Opel is Fun, Small with Power to Match
The sports car power is supplied by a three-cylinder aluminum engine block with a turbocharger. The power is converted to a six-speed transmission that can be controlled with steering wheel paddle shifters. The combination gives the Opel GT 145-hp, which may not sound like a lot for a sports car, but this car only weighs about 2,200-lbs.

Along with some other cool perks like duel exhaust that pokes out of
the rear bumper, panorama glass roof, and a patented door design that allows the doors to partially open into the front wheel-well for easier parking in tight areas - this Opel concept might be something we might see making headlines in the near feature – maybe even with Buick emblems on it. If you look closely at the Buick Avista Concept and compare it with the Opel, the cars look very similar, and it wouldn't be the first time that Buick slapped badges on an Opel.

2016 Buick Avista Concept Car

The North America International Auto Show always brings us the latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs that the auto industry has to offer. They also bring us cool concept cars that may or may not make it into production in the near future. For the 2016 NAIAS, there were many concepts that stood out this year, but perhaps the one concept that stood out the most and has the biggest chance of making it into production sooner than later is the 2016 Buick Avista concept.

A Luxurious Interior Cool Enough For Space Travel 

The Avista is built on the Camaro Alpha chassis, which leaves room on the inside for four passengers to enjoy the comfort of  Mist Gray leather seating inserts, 3-D printed door and seat trim, and exposed carbon fiber and aluminum accents. The future of Buick's IntelliLink technology is also displayed throughout the dash and is controlled by touchscreen controls on a widescreen instrument panel display. The touchscreen technology is also displayed on the center console that stretches all the way to the back seat passengers.


From the driver seat, the driver can feel like he is captain of his own spaceship with the digital futuristic instrumental panel that smoothly integrates into the dash and flows seamlessly with the rest of the interior components. And, in your spaceship like Buick, it may also sound like you are somewhere out in space with the most up-date next-generation QuietTuning and air-quality control, including advanced noise cancellation technology, ionic air purifiers, and aromatherapy.

“There is elegant simplicity in the Avista’s surfaces, which speak to the purity of the car’s performance, and a timeless beauty that’s a hallmark of Buick design,” Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of Global Buick Design says. “It was designed to capture the spirit of the perfect drive for all passengers.”

Driving a Buick Full of Technology and Power
Buick really has not been known for power-punching cars outside of the '86 and '87 V-6 turbocharged Grand Nationals. And before that, you have to go back to the muscle car era, when Buick was producing 455-cu-in torque monsters to find fun fast worthy cars to drive. But Buick knows that Buick fans are ready for some more technology-driven fast and fun cars.

If the Buick Avista makes it to the market the way it sits as a concept, it will receive a 3.0-liter V-6 400-hp twin-turbo engine that will be matted up to an 8-speed automatic transmission. 400 horses are good, especially when you are getting it out of a V-6 that will use Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) with Start-Stop technology to bring you some very good mpg averages. And along with all that awesome power comes an awesome ride, the wide stance and 20'' rims not only help the car look great, but also work perfectly with General Motors' iconic Magnetic Ride Control for nice and tight cornering.

Smooth, But, Bold Exterior Excellence

The exterior profile of the Buick Avista's wide stance gives the vehicle an aggressive sportier look. With the intent to attract younger customers, Buick put a lot of effort into making the Buick stand out with bold and futuristic-looking head and taillights, 20'' aluminum rims, and a big mesh front grill with the Buick emblem front and center.

“The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service, and Marketing. “It is a modern expression of the brand’s heritage of sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance.” 


A lot of times these cars never even make it into production, and if they do they are deturned, toned-down versions from their concept start. But the market is hungry for a vehicle like this. It was not long ago the Chevy Volt sat in front of us as a concept vehicle and one mesially year later it was rolling off the assembly line, in other words, let's keep our fingers crossed, it could be here in no time.
  

1997 Camaro SS 30th Anniversary (LT-4) SLP Edition

 

Redirect: 1997 Camaro SS 30th Anniversary (LT4) SLP

Major Auto Industry Vehicles and Their Competitors – Can You Tell The Difference?

Mustang vs. Camaro – GM trucks vs. Ford trucks vs. Dodge trucks – Corvette vs. Viper – you can
even throw a Ferrari in the mix, everyone is going to have their own opinions on which ones are better crafted, more stylish – can beat who where and why. But are vehicles made by different companies but in the same class even that much different from each other to even make a solid argument of which one is better?


Growing up in a family where General Motor checks mostly paid the bills, to me GM vehicles ran the earth, and Ford stood for (Find On Road Dead), you could say I had my share of arguments with kids my age about how Camaros stomped on Mustangs. But in the end, we were really just a bunch of juveniles arguing about things just for the sake of argument.

If someone said that Camaros look like crap, I had to fire back on how the look of a Mustang made me want to puke. But were talking about back when Mustangs and Camaros actually looked different. This was back in the day when Corvettes were boring and the only people who really drove them were older guys with a lot of money, and as far as foreign sports cars were concerned, they weren't really in no ones budget.

Times have changed since then, exotic sports cars are much more affordable, Corvettes are made to kill the road course, not to mention the drag strip, even Mustangs and Camaros are made to pump out a lot of power while turning in road course numbers that are nothing less than awesome.

But with all this technology, what about the exterior styling of these vehicles. A lot of these vehicles share so much of the same characteristics, dimensions, and colors schemes, it seems hardly worth an argument about which one is the best looking. At a quick glance, there is not much that really sets these vehicles apart. Sure there are some attributes that are different, but it's almost like trying to compare one ditsy, blonde haired, blue eyed cheerleader with the other twelve cheerleaders on the squad.

  

As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate all vehicles. Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar is nothing more than needing something to stand for – almost like why most people vote for the home team in professional sports. You don't really know anybody on that team, but you feel obliged to root for them and wear their logos.

But to me, if you look at these pictures, it seems like if you closed your eyes you could mistake one for the other pretty easily. Even on the inside – General Motors has the Mylink technology displayed on a touchscreen in the center of the dash, Ford has the SYNC technology located in the same place, and image this, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge uses what they call the Uconnect that is also placed in the same place. But you can call it what you want to call it, all three of those systems basically work off a platform that is extremely similar. They all share the same connectivity availability, social medias, etc. Even safety features take on names or phases that are different from each other, but do the same thing.  

It's awesome that the power and efficiency of these vehicles are outstanding, but I'd like to see some major changes and attempts to look different in the styling department.

2017 Corvette Zora C8 Mid-Engine Possibilities

If you are that person who has been hoping and waiting for a mid-engine Corvette, your Corvette may be on its way sooner than you think. Many sources like Car and Driver and GM Authority claim Mark Reuss, head of GM's Global Product Development confirms that the company is already working on the next generation Corvette.

As of now, the C8 Zora-ZR1 mid-engine supercar is being pushed to make a 2017 debut. Estimates of  about $150,000 average price tag could be what Chevy will be looking for, and about only 1500 units will be built, much like ZR1 C4's and C6's.



Why the Push for a Mid-Engine Vette
GM claims there is two reasons for the push of the mid-engine Vette. One of those reasons are after tweaking all of the power that they did out of the ZO6, they realized that they would not be able to put any more usable power into the front-engine Vette because the tires simply just will not handle it.

GM also believes that a mid-engine Corvette could bring in a newer, possibly younger customer base. Instead of a big shot corporate man in America showing his success and his taste for the finer things in life with Porches or Ferraris, maybe a mid-engine Corvette could serve the same purpose.

Performance 
Well, nothing is set in stone, but there should be no reason to worry that you might see a 2017 V-6 Corvette anytime soon. Sounds like a single cam V-8 with direct injection and shut down cylinder displacement will still be what's on the horizon. As for a power rating and or what kind of aspiration will be used is yet to be known.

There has been rumors that as government fuel consumption clamp downs become more and more an issue to car designers, we might see a 2020 mid-engine Vette that could host a V-6 that would leave room for an electric motor that would run the front wheels making it a four-wheel drive hybrid Vette.   



Cockpit and Cargo Space
A mid-engine Corvette will give the luxury of giving the driver and passenger better forward sight lines since there won't be no reason for having an elevated hood. But that also means your view looking backwards will obviously be hampered.

There is also a lot of questions about luggage space. Where will the gas tank go? If it gets located in the front, will there be space for golf clubs, luggage, etc.?

I guess time will tell, I'm sure GM does not even have a clear answer to how and where the transmission, trans-axle, radiator, and exhaust will fit.