2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Ideal Shift Points Laid out in Detail by GM Authority

Every time we spot a Camaro on the road, it's long been a habit of ours here at West Chevy of Knoxville to slow down and check it out: the staff on duty at GM Authority just finished spending a solid week testing the 2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Turbo, powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 LTG engine and equipped with the 1LE track handling package. They first took it to the drag strip, where they executed a quarter-mile time of 14.1 seconds at 103 mph. These are fantastic numbers, especially for a car that was not originally meant for the drag strip but engineered for the standard handling course instead.

Reduced weight, upgraded suspension, stickier tires, and limited rear slip differential all boost the car's performance in the road and track realms, as well as a casual daily drive. While the team was on the drag strip incorporating the best ways to get the car off the line as fast as possible, they also were able to closely observe how and when the 2.0-liter inline-four LTG engine makes power and torque. During the first quarter-mile attempt, they kept holding on the gears, pushing the boosted 4-cylinder engine to its 7000 rpm redline, which they first didn't realize was quite correct!

Since it relies heavily on boost to make its power, the turbocharged LTG engine hits its peak 295 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. Meanwhile, its 275 horsepower tops out at 5,600 rpm. After that occurrence, the turbo drops out substantially, and the engine understandably runs out of steam a bit. Because of this, it is not needed to just keep revving high on the 1LE in hopes of extracting more raw power. Instead, the GM Authority crew recommends shifting just under the 6,000 rpm mark, which enables the engine to fall back into the most generous allotment of its powerband.

By using this technique, they were able to alleviate a full 0.3 seconds off the quarter-mile time, with a best time of 14.1 seconds at 103 mph. The 2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Turbo is equipped with the same “no-lift shift” feature as the V6 and V8 powered Camaro 1LE models: this allows the driver to change gears without releasing the throttle, which really allows the driver to focus intently on the RPM gauge while careening down the straightaway. We love it when the most experienced of drivers get Chevy vehicles out into their best natural habitat and open them up, and this feature gives us the inside scoop on the pointers for added gusto in the acceleration department!