Senior Member
This is an interesting article. Having owned both of these (my '92 1LE is basically identical to the test car, and I bought an '88 Mustang GT hatchback new), I would have to say that I agree with most of their conclusions.
They missed a key point on ride and handling, however. I would certainly agree that the 1LE Camaro handles like it's on rails and rides very harsh. But the 1LE is essentially a racing package. Testing a limited-production 1LE against a garden-variety Mustang GT is not exactly an "apples to apples" comparison--not fair to the Camaro in the ride department and not fair to the Mustang in the handling department.
A non-1LE Z28 would have provided a more even and realistic comparison. It would have probably still outhandled the Mustang and the ride would have been more comparable.
They missed a key point on ride and handling, however. I would certainly agree that the 1LE Camaro handles like it's on rails and rides very harsh. But the 1LE is essentially a racing package. Testing a limited-production 1LE against a garden-variety Mustang GT is not exactly an "apples to apples" comparison--not fair to the Camaro in the ride department and not fair to the Mustang in the handling department.
A non-1LE Z28 would have provided a more even and realistic comparison. It would have probably still outhandled the Mustang and the ride would have been more comparable.
The ride and handling of the IROC-Z is not special for the 1LE. It's the same suspension on all 87 IROC-Zs with the 350 and the later G92s. My 87 will ride and handle the same as the 1LE listed, except for the braking.