4 Sixth-Gen Chevrolet Camaros Equipped With A V8 Engine

The Chevy Camaro could be gone for good or just discontinued for a time following the exit of its sixth generation at the end of the 2024 model year. Like other Chevrolet Camaro generations that came before, the sixth-gen featured a rear-wheel drive front engine layout with a variety of engine options, including an inline-four-cylinder, a V6, a naturally aspirated V8, and a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8, the most powerful engine ever put in a production Camaro.

Produced from 2016 through the final 2024 model year, every production sixth-gen Chevy Camaro was powered by one of the four engines listed above. Non-V8 power plants included a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder that made 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque as the base engine until 2024, when it was removed from the Camaro's engine offerings, and the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 that produced 335 horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque became the base engine for 2024, although it was an option for the other model years.

However, it was the Camaro's V8 engine options, available for 2024 in the LT1, 1SS, 2SS, and ZL1 trim levels, which captured the attention of performance enthusiasts. The four V8-powered Camaro trims use either a GM LT1 or LT4 engine, both displacing 6.2 liters. You may be wondering what the difference is between the LT1 and LT4. We'll dig into that question along with more info on the four V8-powered sixth-gen Chevrolet Camaros.

Prior to the 2020 model year, only the SS and ZL1 trimmed Chevrolet Camaro offered a V8 engine. Unfortunately, those upper-level trims kept many buyers from experiencing the V8 Camaro's full potential due to budget concerns. While the Camaro SS offered premium interior finishes and superior ride control, the LT1 featured the same 455-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 with 455 lb-ft of torque in a simpler package at a more affordable price.

The 2020 LT1 Camaro came with a six-speed manual transmission. However, buyers who favored an automatic could opt for the available 10-speed automatic transmission for an additional $1,595. Motor1 tested a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro LT1 when it first became available. 

The review mentions pros for the model that included good value for the V8 engine, good handling, and "a refined ride." However, the cheap feel of the seat material, its small, sluggish touch-screen, and excessive road noise were listed as cons. The 2020 LT1 Camaro was able to sprint from zero to 60 mph in four seconds flat thanks to its powerful V8, 10-speed automatic transmission, and included limited-slip rear differential.

The 1SS and 2SS trims were around before the introduction of the sixth-gen Camaro. If you base the comparison on engine power, there isn't any difference between the two, or the LT1, for that matter. All three use the same 455-horsepower 6.2L V8 with a choice of six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmissions, and they all have the same limited-slip rear differential. However, both SS trims offer some advantages over the LT1 Camaro.

Unlike the LT1, the Camaro 1SS features magnetic ride control, upgraded cooling systems for the engine, rear differential and transmission, and stickier "summer-only" tires. While the 1SS trim is a performance upgrade over the LT1 in many ways, the 2SS trim increases comfort with some upscale interior touches, such as leather-trimmed heated sport bucket front seats. The 2SS trim also features a heated steering wheel, a Head-up Display, and a dual-zone climate control system, none of which are standard on the 1SS trim.

The easiest-to-spot characteristic that makes the ZL1 Camaro special is the presence of its LT4 power plant that pushed the 2017 Camaro ZL1 to a top speed of 198 mph, making it the fastest Chevy Camaro ever produced. The LT4 under the hood of the Camaro ZL1 is a supercharged version of the same 6.2L V8 found in the LT1 and SS sixth-gen Camaros.

The ZL1's supercharged LT4 is similar to the LT1 and SS Camaro's 6.2L V8 based on the shared pushrod-activated 16-valve, aluminum block and heads, and direct fuel-injection architecture. However, the Eaton 1.7-liter supercharger used on the LT4 provides enough boost pressure to drive the 6.2L V8 to produce 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.

Like the other sixth-gen V8 Camaros, the six-speed manual transmission is standard, while the 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters is optional. Zero to 60 mph times for the automatic transmission-equipped ZL1 Camaro come in at 3.5 seconds, about 0.2 seconds quicker than the manual shift ZL1.