Extreme Value: 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Priced

You can imagine the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in relation to the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as being analogous to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS compared with the Porsche 911 GT3. That is, the ZL1 1LE is about as close as it gets to owning a race car for the street. Now we know that this special model—formally known as the 1LE Extreme Track package—will set consumers back $69,995, or only $7500 more than the regular Camaro ZL1 .That money gets ZL1 buyers a host of race-ready features including high-tech spool-valve dampers, adjustable camber plates, and a three-position adjustable rear anti-roll bar. Extra grip comes courtesy of a giant carbon-fiber fixed rear wing, air deflectors and dive planes fitted to the car’s nose, and a set of sticky summer tires—a new breed of Goodyear rubber dubbed Eagle F1 Supercar 3R—mounted on lightweight, staggered-width 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels (11 inches wide up front, 12 inches wide in the rear).

While the ZL1 1LE is motivated by the same 650-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine found in the standard ZL1, the racier model forgoes the standard car’s optional 10-speed automatic transmission and instead relies solely on a shift-it-yourself six-speed manual. Thinner rear-window glass, a fixed (rather than folding) rear seatback, and lighter wheels and dampers help the 1LE shed a claimed 60 pounds compared to its more street-oriented counterpart.

The ZL1 isn’t the only Camaro trim to benefit from the addition of a 1LE package for the 2018 model year, either, as Chevrolet is expanding the package to higher-end Camaro SS models. Already available on the lower-level 1SS trim, the 1LE package is now available on the 2SS, which adds features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seating surfaces, and heated and cooled front seats to the mix.

Although we’ve yet to take a turn behind the wheel of the ZL1 1LE, we can’t imagine wanting to use this monster machine as a daily driver—that’s what the more comfortable ZL1 is for. However, if we had the means to have an extra track car, the ZL1 1LE seems like a reasonably inexpensive way to own a car that you can race on Sunday and, if need be, drive on Monday.