Gen 6 Camaro i4 turbo as base for HPDE/track car

I’ve had a good journey with the turbo Miata, but I’m up against some hard limits and considering moving do a different platform.  I’m an intermediate driver, advanced with some groups.  On paper I can get a 2016 base model Camaro with the turbo inline 4 for about $20k, and it would offer the following advantages:

- robust, modern 2.0L motor

- quality OEM turbo setup with performance upside

- excellent chassis with decent aero, good cooling capacity, enough size for my big self and some big tires.

- huge aftermarket and bolt-on OEM performance parts from the 1LE line.  Everything from suspension to brakes to aero.

- some modern conveniences like air conditioning and power windows to make the drive to/from the track slightly less brutal.

Anyone have track experience with this platform and drive train?  Anything I need to know or look out for?  I would love to get it around 10 hp/lb through performance mods and weight loss, while maintaining OEM-type reliability.  I could go with the V8 but it’s less budget friendly and quite a bit heavier.

ShinnyGroove said:

Anyone have track experience with this platform and drive train?  Anything I need to know or look out for?  I would love to get it around 10 hp/lb through performance mods and weight loss, while maintaining OEM-type reliability.  I could go with the V8 but it’s less budget friendly and quite a bit heavier.

I'd love to see a 32000hp Camaro too.

I'd suggest test-driving one.  They look great on paper, but too much car and not enough glass for me personally.  That may be all the new stuff, but high beltlines and fat pillars make me claustrophobic. 

https://youtu.be/iNWzqDRePa4

I’m hearing you can get brand new 1LE 2.0t’s for under $29k right now.  Twenty grand for a base ‘16 sounds a little high.

Relevant GRM feature:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/got-boost-group-gm-employees-race-four-cylinder-ca/

They look to be a great deal on paper, but for some reason a 2016 year 2.0t is difficult to find for under $20k (at least compared to 2015-2016 Ecoboost Mustangs, which go for around $14-18k).  At $20k for a 2016-2018 2.0t Camaro, you might be better off buying new.

you need the extra fluid coolers from the 1LE on track. 

buy a new 1LE 2.0 or used V6 1LE or buy something else, starting with the base 2.0 car here is a bad idea. 

STM317 said:

ShinnyGroove said:

Anyone have track experience with this platform and drive train?  Anything I need to know or look out for?  I would love to get it around 10 hp/lb through performance mods and weight loss, while maintaining OEM-type reliability.  I could go with the V8 but it’s less budget friendly and quite a bit heavier.

I'd love to see a 32000hp Camaro too.

We about to see some serious E36 M3.

Drive one for sure. I am 6'4 and got some weight one me. I cant see a damn thing out of it. Its like driving a tank. 

In reply to Professor_Brap :

I thought the 6th gen was a bit better than the 5th. Still that bad?

I’m 6’2”, and I see better out of my 2016 than I did in my Miata with the top up/hardtop on.

In reply to Daylan C :

Im spoiled with cars that are pretty easy to see out of, but better than 5th, still couldnt own one for that alone. 

Following with interest.  Want a 1LE turbo for the same purpose as a potential replacement for my twin.  

Would be especially curious to see how much weight can be stripped without going super hardcore.  With all the junk out of the trunk and with exactly half a tank (measured by fuel gauge) the FRS came in at 2650.  Probably another 100lbs easy (seats + battery) and 200 not that hard (light weight exhaust, etc.).  If the Camaro can get down to 2800 it'll be pretty amazing, especially with warranty on track!

In reply to Professor_Brap :

I mean I'm used to old stuff with big windows too so I'm sure I would do nothing but complain for the first few miles of driving one.

STM317 said:

ShinnyGroove said:

Anyone have track experience with this platform and drive train?  Anything I need to know or look out for?  I would love to get it around 10 hp/lb through performance mods and weight loss, while maintaining OEM-type reliability.  I could go with the V8 but it’s less budget friendly and quite a bit heavier.

I'd love to see a 32000hp Camaro too.

whoops... yeah I guess that is an aggressive goal. Perhaps I should shoot for 10 lb/hp instead. 

I was at the drag strip in Bradenton, Fl. a few weeks ago, and a base model 2.0t was running 12.8’s on a down pipe and E85.  Making 330hp would not be tough to do.

In reply to Daylan C :

I spent 2 weeks with it, it was harder to see out of than my miata with top up. 

For the record, I had one as a rental car a few months ago and didn’t have a big issue with the visibility. I noticed it immediately when I sat down, but when I adjusted the seat properly I could see fine. 

If new 1LE 2.0t’s are going for under $30k, that’s a lot of car for the money. 

ShinnyGroove said:

For the record, I had one as a rental car a few months ago and didn’t have a big issue with the visibility. I noticed it immediately when I sat down, but when I adjusted the seat properly I could see fine. 

If new 1LE 2.0t’s are going for under $30k, that’s a lot of car for the money. 

I've looked at the 2.0T 1LE at length, and my buddy has a 2017/18 V6 1LE he got on clearance a year ago. V6 is faster and he bought his after trying to add coolers to his ATS 2.0T that he DD'd and wanted to track more. the 2.0 just heat soaks incredibly fast and they need the oil coolers and extra radiators to deal with the heat generated after a few laps on track. 

The 1LE 2.0T and V6 track warranty is very straightforward. don't modify the car and you follow the specified fluid change intervals in the Owners Manual. It's like a 7-8 qt 0W40 full syn oil change for the motor every 4 hours on track. Which is not cheap.. but it keeps you under warranty and keeps the car happy, which I see as a win all the way around. 

  I have a 6th gen V8 1LE.  I understand why some get the claustrophobic feeling, initially anyway.   I'm not a racing guru, but I'd think a lot of race car platforms feel claustrophobic till you get used to it with all the cages, safety equipment etc.  The pro dragsters give me the willies just watching them on tv. 

  Personally tho, I don't even think about the outward visibility in the Camaro.  With the mirrors properly adjusted, I can flip my eyes and feel like I've got a good read on the world around me to the rear and sides.  But I rarely turn my head to look out as I just feel confident in what is or isn't there from watching behind me in the mirrors constantly.    I haven't two wide in a track corner on the gas pitched sideways... but on the flip side, I drive So-Cal freeways and haven't had any issue or worries.  I don't know if your intended racing is solo or with others on the track so may not be a concern anyways. My only concern (on the road) is passing with a merge lane (to the right) and some jackass charges down an on-ramp, but I'm not typically in the slow lane either.   

  I may be different tho as I drive heavy trucks for work with a bucket lifts directly behind me blocking my view to the rear...so there's nothing to see anyway.  Some don't even have rear view mirror in them and I'm used to it.  So I'm maybe a little more comfortable getting my sense of space and traffic from my mirrors than you might be.  In the trucks, I am in the slower lanes a lot, so I it's a not too much different than a track in that respect.  There are a lot of idiots moving around at much highter speeds weaving thru 5-6 lanes (wide) on the freeways.  

  If I have one gripe, its looking up at traffic signs above or high up on the sides and knowing where the curbs are in relation to your front tires at drive-thrus, etc.   Mirrors do nothing to help that.  With the 285 in front and wide expensive wheels on 1LE, not something to experiment with finding curbs. 

  My guess is you'll be fine.  Maybe  get a rental v6 6th gen for a few weeks and see how you take to it.  Lot cheaper than committing to one if you just doesn't suit you.

For stop light visibility the MINI crowd was pretty big into the Light in sight and I still move the couple of them I have from car to car.

I really want the prices to come down on the used 2.0t cars so I can get a lightly beat up one cheap enough to put the drivetrain under an Opel. 

My college job was driving a long panel van with no rear windows (or backup camera) around a busy campus to move A/V equipment from conference rooms.  I guess that put the whole visibility thing into perspective for me.

I drive a Soft top ND miata, which doesnt have the best visibility and a 5th gen feels super claustrophobic to me, most of the reviews of the 6th gen complain about it. I think it bothers me because of the high belt line.

Outside of that Id love to see a track build of a 2.0 1le.

I was a big fan of the similarly equipped Ecoboost stangs, until I started reading about engine failures online. At first I wrote it off as everything is exaggerated online, like Opti failures for LT1s, then a coworkers let go at like 30k miles with just a ford racing tune, and I know he takes good care of the car, and it's mostly street driven with maybe 15 1/4 mile passes

Opti said:

Outside of that Id love to see a track build of a 2.0 1le.

Also interests me, but the reality is.. $$ wise... if making power beyond what theV6 or 2.0T make is what interest you. Moving up to the SS or SS1LE is a compelling option because there's so much more potential left in that V8 vs what's already a semi pushed 4cyl

True, but I think the V8 is also 300 lbs. heavier. I think it’s probably a winning deal for acceleration, but maybe not for cornering and braking. 

On the weekend of June 8/9 I had the opportunity of driving a 2019 Ford Mustang Eco Boost 4 cylinder with an 8 speed auto.  Three 20 minute sessions on Saturday and two on Sunday. Both days the temps were in the mid 90's, the car never suffered a warm/hot issue.  It was my choice to not drive the third session on Sunday.  

On the drive to Buttonwillow the car delivered 30 MPG.  The owners manual, the paper/book from, in the glove box was insightful.  The steering has three settings. The driving modes include options for going fast in a straight line.  Given it was on street tires I never tried the track mode, I stayed in Sport.  That and I let the auto do the work.  Having both hands on the wheel and using the two available pedals was just right.  Not having to think about shifting, the car never missed delivering what I needed in the moment.

Other than the really fast cars, I was in control of the point by pass's that happened.  Coming out of the corners the turbo was very quick to spool up and the up shifts via the nannies allowed me to focus on the next corner and then the coming elements.  

I had hoped to drive a Camaro SS, as I had last year, but I would not hesitate to again drive the Mustang at future events.  On the drive home I did not get the 30 MPG I had on my first long drive, but that's OK.