Well, that was quick. Literally. Just two weeks after the first Camaro ZL1's fell in to buyer's hands the famed tuner and modification shop Lingenfelter, they have outfitted one with the modifications necessary to push it in to the glorious 10-second range. Like I said: Quick, on both accounts.

So, while we know how long it takes to outfit a brand new car with the goodies necessary to pass a quarter-mile in the 10 second range, exactly how long does that quarter mile take? Lingenfelter revealed a track slip with an official time of 10.79 seconds and a trap speed of 134.36 mph. Not too shabby.

The 10 Second Lingenfelter Camaro ZL1 Burning a Little Rubber

How exactly did Lingenfelter take this ZL1 and send it in to true super car territory? Well, seeing as they began with a 556hp Supercharged ZL1, it didn't exactly take too much work. The LPE-tuned ZL1 features a custom built Lingenfelter GT9 camshaft, Lingenfelter CNC ported cylinder heads, modified supercharger pulleys, and a custom air intake. Coupling this with high-octane race fuel and a Lingenfelter tune their ZL1 reached a power output of 720hp to the wheels.

Of course, the extra horsepower wasn't all that this ZL1 used to reach the 10 second mark. The LPE Modified ZL1 was also outfitted with Nitto NT05R drag tires which certainly helped it with its track time. Regardless though, it beat the 11-second mark pretty handily, and may have been able to do so even on more road-appropriate tires.

Official Drag Slip confirms a 10.79 second time for the Lingenfelter LPE ZL1

“Our team set a goal to be the first 2012 ZL1 in the 10s, and we are very proud to achieve that goal thanks to our diligent LPE engineers and their intimate knowledge of LS engines,” said Ken Lingenfelter, owner, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. Well, Ken, you've done just that and done so with great aplomb.

Can you remember a car being modified this heavily by a big-dog tuner shop so quickly? I'm extremely excited to see the potential of the ZL1 as it becomes tapped by Lingenfelter and other tuner shops in the months to come.

Camaro Has Finished Quality Control on the ZL1 and Has Begun Shipping

This won't be a long post because all I need to say, ultimately, is this: the wait is over!

Chevrolet officially announced yesterday just after 1pm EST that all current quality control testing and assessment was finished and they would begin shipping the Camaro ZL1 out. Dealerships around the country should start seeing the ZL1 hit showroom floors this upcoming week, and those Camaro fans who paid to reserve their ZL1 should be begin seeing reward for their money and patience in the next few days. Chevrolet has stated that holdover orders should all be met within the next 3 weeks time, or so, depending upon distance from dealer to the Oshawa plant.

Of course, 2012 production has not yet started back. The ZL1s shipping out right now are it for the first batch, so any new orders will apparently have to wait until ZL1 production starts back up--which Chevrolet has scheduled to begin in April.

The Camaro SS is about to get a whole lot meaner with the new 1LE Performance Package, available for under $40,000

Torn between the SS Camaro and the new monster ZL1? Want the handling and performance of the LSA powered ZL1, but can't afford price tag? Wishing Camaro had a direct, handling performance focused competitor for the Mustang Boss 302? Well, if you've had any of these issues or concerns Chevrolet has provided a Camaro answer for you.

For 2012, Chevrolet will begin offering a special 1LE performance upgrade package for SS Camaros. This new package will integrate multiple parts of the ZL1 in to the SS Camaro to create a more handling-focused Camaro SS experience. Key features of the 1LE will be the newly modified six-speed transmission that utilizes an air-to-liquid cooling system, standard for track use, and which is the only transmission offered for this package--which will feature performance tuned final-drive ratio of 3.91, and which has close geared ratio specifically optimized for road racing performance. In addition to this new transmission upgrade, the 1LE Camaro will feature the incredible vacuum-actuated dual-mode NPP Performance exhaust seen on the ZL1 and Corvette which will provide extra horsepower and an improved exhaust tone, and suspension and handling upgrades.

The Camaro 1LE will be easily identifiable by its custom painted hood and striping.

These aspects will all come together to create a Camaro that breaks the 3-minute mark at the Virginia International Raceway, a mark that is reserved for only the upper echelon of sports cars. Also utilized to achieve this are:

• Larger, 27-mm solid front stabilizer bar, and 28-mm solid rear stabilizer bar for improved body control
• Higher-capacity rear-axle half shafts to cope with increased levels of traction
• Strut tower brace for improved steering feel and response
• ZL1-based 20 x 10-inch front and 20 x 11-inch aluminum wheels
• 285/35ZR20 Goodyear Eagle Supercar G:2 tires front and rear (identical to the front tires for ZL1)
• ZL1 wheel bearings, toe links and rear shock mounts for improved on-track performance
• ZL1 high-capacity fuel pump and additional fuel pickups for improved fuel delivery during high-cornering

All of these components will also be benefitted by the outfitting of the new electric power steering system utilized on the ZL1. The variable ratio, variable effort system provides light efforts for easy maneuverability at parking-lot speeds as well as increased resistance at higher speeds. This provides more feedback, and a more direct steering feel, to the driver.

The ZL1 inspired wheels and new dual-mode exhaust give this 1LE Corvette a more aggressive stance and exhaust sound.

Visually, the 1LE package for 2013 is distinguished by its matte-black hood, front splitter and rear spoiler – as well as the 10-spoke ZL1-based wheels, which are finished in black. The functional front splitter and rear spoiler contribute to the car’s on-track performance by helping to reduce aerodynamic lift at high speeds. All of these visual touches combine to give the car a true race appearance right off of the lot.

Inside, the 1LE package incorporates the ZL1’s flat-bottom steering wheel, trimmed in sueded-microfiber and designed for easier heel-and-toe driving on the racetrack. The quick-acting, short-throw shifter from the ZL1 is also trimmed in sueded microfiber.

The spartan 1LE interior features a flat-bottom steering wheel, gorgeous improved gauge clusters, and here the optional MyLink 7" touchscreen control new for 2012.

Now, Chevrolet also realizes that all of these track-ready upgrades will mean people want their car to be certifiably track ready. In accordance with this, Chevrolet is pursuing full SCCA Approval of all 1LE Camaro vehicles for entrance in the Touring Class level of competition. This means that any Camaro 1LE SS owner can now take their car off the lot and head straight to an SCCA sanctioned race event for a true race experience.

The most impressive part of all of this is the price at which Chevrolet is making this new Camaro available. A 1SS Camaro outfitted with the full 1LE will come in at a sub $40,000 price. This price point puts incredible performance in the hands of any aspiring race driver at an affordable entrance point.

The Camaro 1LE Concept recalls the track-focused 1LE package from Camaro's third generation. The new 1LE Concept is based on a Camaro SS, with competition ready modifications, including lightweight 20-inch black wheels, six-piston brakes, shock tower brace, and active exhaust system.

The fifth generation Camaro has been a hit by every definition of the word. At current, Chevrolet holds a 42% share of the rear wheel drive performance coupe market thanks in large part to the Camaro and it's sales success by comparison to such competition as the Mustang and the Challenger. To follow this car up successfully, Chevrolet will need to put something great on the road, and Al Oppenheiser not only knows this, he seems to be feeling a bit of pressure about it.

The sixth-generation Camaro will be arriving in 2015, and will be built on all new Alpha platform designed specifically for it and the new Cadillac ATS. This new platform is meant to be a lighter, more nimble vehicle platform than its predecessor Zeta 1 that the current generation Camaro utilizes. “This is a very successful car,” Oppenheiser said. “In some ways it is actually going to be tougher” to create the new sixth-generation car. “Do you make it look like a second-gen? ... do you make it look like the first gen?” What this means, thankfully, is that Chevrolet is taking this new Camaro design very seriously.

It looks like the primary concern, in terms of technical production, is to lighten the vehicle. Of course, style is the ultimate thing that sells vehicles, but the Camaro crowd is performance minded and knows their stuff so it can't be the only thing. “We always get hammered for mass, and that’s not going to be getting easier going forward” Oppenheiser said.  He did continue from there though to move on to other performance aspects, and while he hasn't given away much of anything yet, we do know that he and the rest of the Camaro production team are already hard at work considering such thing as "Displacement, number of cylinders, all of these things you need to think about" and how they'll be able to fit them in with the growing strictness of CAFE standards. Whatever the result, Chevrolet really impressed with the C5 Camaro and I'm fairly certain they'll do so with the sixth-generation as well.

AN Electronic PDF Copy of the Camaro ZL1 Owner Manual

So you've been waiting with bated breath the release of the Camaro ZL1. You've ordered one for yourself, or maybe you haven't and you've just been an ardent fan and dreamer like myself, and in the meanwhile have pored over every article and bit of news on the car you can get your hands on. You know everything about the ZL1 there is to know--or so you think. Now you can become a true ZL1 expert. Here's a copy of the .pdf version of the ZL1 Owner's Manual (released this week) where you can look up the GM Designated specifics of various systems, compare aspects of the vehicle to your current RS or SS model, or just prepare yourself for the delivery of yours.

2012 Camaro ZL1 Owners Manual

Ignition took their turn with the Camaro ZL1 and got Randy Pobst to drive one around the Inde Motorsports Ranch

Ignition, MotorTrend's new YouTube TV Show decided to take out the Camaro ZL1 for its second episode. It's a fun video, and it highlights some of the performance aspects of the ZL1. In the video they confirm a 3.8 second 0-60 time, as well as a 12.1 second 1/4 mile time with allusions to the vehicle being able to go sub-12 with proper tires and no other modifications. They also tested the claim by Chevrolet that the ZL1 would pull a full lateral G, and while the computer inside the vehicle apparently read over 1 their own independent test confirmed that it went right up to a full 1.0 G on the skidpad. All of these numbers are, when combined with the ZL1's 7:41 second Nurburgring time, truly supercar territory at a sub-supercar price and combine to make the new ZL1 the world's most impressive muscle car. I won't talk too much or take up too much of your time here, honestly, because the video's a great one. Pay special attention to Pobst, a truly great driver, talking about the brilliance of the vehicle.

Road and Track ignores price differences, drivetrains, and target markets and gives us one of the strangest head to head match-ups imaginable: 2013 Camaro ZL1 versus 2013 Nissan GT-R

All right, so, I love the Camaro. I unabashedly and unashamedly love the Camaro. You may say that I'm incredibly biased and incredibly unfair against other cars, in fact, my love for the Camaro is so intense. However, all of that considered, I would never expect the Camaro to compete with the Nissan GT-R R35. This isn't meant to be a knock to the Camaro, either, but simply a nod to the power that is the $100k, 545HP, AWD Supercar that is the Nissan GT-R--a car that's famous for competing with quarter-million dollar rides on a daily basis.

So, when I saw that Road and Track had pitted these two vehicles against one another I groaned. I expected this to end up being another case of a media outlet displaying a bias towards European and Japanese cars setting up an unfair comparison as reason to lambaste the American automotive entry. The ZL1 is impressive. The ZL1 is powerful. It's beautiful, inspiring, fun, sexy, cool, and above all else affordable by comparison to other vehicles that provide equivalent amount of vehicle, and I was afraid that by comparing it to a Nissan GT-R R35--the 2013 GT-R R35 of sub 3-second 0-60 times and Nurburgring near-record laps--the comparison would undermine the ZL1, but then something surprising happened: The ZL1 held its own, and then some.

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way. The GT-R R35 is the superior track car to the ZL1. It puts out 545HP to a brilliant continuous AWD transmission and strikes fear in to the hearts of turbo Porsches and Ferraris all across the globe, but it's not so superior that this comparison didn't end up being warranted.

On the track the GT-R bested the ZL1 by a little over 2 seconds. Now, 2 seconds is a lot on a track time, but not so much so when you consider that the price tag of the GT-R is, at minimum, $96,820 compared to the ZL1's base price of $54,995. If your primary concern is track time, I'd be willing to wager that the extra $41+k saved by purchasing the ZL1 could be used to make it lap any track quicker than the GT-R, and still have enough left over to buy the losing GT-R driver a beer to help drown his sorrows.

Now, the GT-R is an easier drive, but, the Camaro ZL1 is, by all definitions, a more enjoyable drive. A skilled racer behind the wheel of the ZL1 will get a great deal of enjoyment and much more involvement and personal reward from their experience, and may even be able to cut track time discrepancies down at stock on a warmer day.

Of course, performance isn't all there is to a car. Road and Track actually stated they preferred the interior of the Camaro ZL1, as well as the standard cruising driving experience.

Ultimately, the comparison ends up being a great deal of fun, and it's awesome to see the ZL1 hold its own against a supercar nearly twice its price. The ZL1 really surprised even my biased expectations coming in to this comparison. Also of note, when watching the video, is to listen to the differences in exhaust tones. Wow, the Camaro ZL1 sounds MUCH MUCH better than the whiny tones of the GT-R.

So, what do you think? Me, I'd save my $41k and take the ZL1 over the GT-R any day of the week.

Major automotive publications begin rolling out their Camaro ZL1 Reviews, and they're very very good!

So, by today most of the major automotive publications have had a chance to get behind the wheel of the Camaro ZL1, and over the last week we've seen some great reviews from them hitting the web. There's a lot of them, and I haven't had a chance yet to get behind the wheel of one, so I'll just give you some of my favorite snippets from them and include the links to the original reviews(as well as a few parenthetical remarks from yours truly). Before we get in to them, let me just say, these are incredibly exciting. The ZL1 looks to be such an amazing and exciting vehicle.

From AutomobileMag.com where they decided to compare the ZL1 to the Grand Sport Corvette for the basis of their review:

"During development, one ZL1 endured 600 clutch-dumping launches as part of the most demanding driveline durability testing program in the history of General Motors." (Sounds like a monster of a driveline in this new Camaro!)

"Third-generation Magnetic Ride dampers charge and discharge faster than earlier examples, allowing for more precise control of damping rates. Their flexibility and bandwidth also allow the ZL1 to use the same springs as the Camaro SS. Sport and tour buttons just ahead of the shifter adjust the dampers accordingly, and a third mode -- track -- is available when Performance Traction Management is active. Unlike most cars, in which sport mode alters throttle calibration for quicker acceleration with less pedal travel, the ZL1 makes the throttle-pedal mapping less aggressive to allow for finer modulation."

"Rather than focus on reducing drag to, say, hit 200 mph, the ZL1 team aimed to maximize high-speed stability with downforce. The hood extractor, front splitter, and rear spoiler create enough downforce to eliminate lift as the ZL1 nears its top speed of 184 mph."

"On a 2.75-mile road course at Inde Motorsports Ranch, twenty-one turns make the case for the ZL1. We expected the intoxicating effect of more power and assumed there would be significantly improved body control, but we were skeptical that the ZL1 would revolutionize the way the Camaro handles. In fact, it does. "

"The fast, balanced steering of the ZL1 is much more confidence-inspiring than the Camaro SS's hydraulic power steering. The effort, the damping, and the return are tuned for a perfectly natural weight, but the electric rack does filter out most of the front-end feel. That's even more true when compared with the Corvette, which boasts an equally quick rack with a robust hydraulic assist. While both cars deliver satisfying shifts, the Camaro's shorter, snappier throws are more inviting than the Corvette's longer shifts."

From Autoweek.com:

"Packaging in the Camaro allows better intake and exhaust flow, with a 30 percent reduction in flow restriction compared with the CTS-V."

"Its shifter was developed by Chevrolet, using slightly longer throws than the Hurst package in the Camaro SS, and was optimized for a road course rather than drag racing."

"The ultimate Camaro also offers something you can't get in a Mustang GT500 or Boss 302: an automatic transmission... There's another technology in the ZL1 that you can't get in a Mustang, and it's significant. GM's Magnetic Ride Suspension (MRS), now applied in supercars such as the Audi R8 and the Ferrari FF, has been upgraded for the ZL1. The Gen III MRS gets a faster processor and four smaller magnets in each shock, rather than two larger ones. The objective is quicker reaction time."

"The ZL1 comes standard with track stuff you don't get on a GT500, including a transmission cooler, differential cooler and brake-cooling ducts, and its aerodynamics have been optimized for high speed."

"Chevy says development included a 24-hour, high-speed flog at GM's proving ground in Milford, Mich., with a 150-mph-plus top speed each lap and an average of 88 mph, stopping only to change tires and brakes."

Here's Car and Driver's review. It's my favorite one of the bunch:

"It features GM’s second-most-powerful engine: With 580 horsepower, it’s behind only  the truly absurd, 638-hp Corvette ZR1. No surprise that during its development it was known simply as the “HP.” And it carries the most sophisticated adjustable dampers and stability-control system any amount of money can buy. For this, GM asks a base price of $56,295, which includes a $1300 gas-guzzler tax; all the go-fast parts are standard issue."

"The ZL1 is not your old-school, all-ate-up-with-motor muscle car, although its name derives from such a vehicle. It is built with the GM Performance Division mantra of  “go, stop, and turn” in mind. Track ability was always part of the HP program from back when everyone assumed the car would be called the Z28."

"Get everything right, and the ZL1 hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and passes 1320 feet in 12.3 seconds at 119 mph—or better, as the cold and dusty track at Inde was less than ideal for acceleration runs. Few cars costing less than $60,000 can claim such feats. And the ZL1 sounds angry, with a throaty bass-boat rumble backed by a faint supercharger whine. The V-8 fires up with a roar, and the exhaust crackles when you back out of  full throttle."

"Starker is the transformation of the ZL1’s handling characteristics from those of a stock SS. In the latter, the driver is always fighting the car—it understeers on turn-in and oversteers on corner exit, all served up with a healthy dollop of body roll. The ZL1 does exactly what you want all the time, with no surprises. Front grip is tenacious enough that you actually get a sense of the tires biting in as you turn the wheel. Power comes in so creamily and with such linearity that it’s easy to forget you’re driving a 580-hp car. The brake pedal feels solid but still offers enough travel for smooth application, and it shows no fade. The ZL1 goes around the track with a composure that would shock many BMW M3 fans." (Comparisons to an M3 are huge praise from C/D who are famous for their love of the BMW M-Series vehicles)

"We saw 0.98 g on a dusty skidpad (did we mention Tucson is in the desert?). This is supercar territory."

"Each body alteration either improves cooling or reduces lift. Or, in the case of the bulging center section of the hood, which is made of carbon fiber (and covered in clear-coat paint for an additional $600), both."

"Should you wish to save some fuel, or suffer a fit of social responsibility, you can comfortably drive the ZL1 gently, but that seems contradictory to the car’s whole mission. Isn’t 580 horsepower supposed to be—and feel—ludicrous?"

"What’s crazy is that the ZL1 is not crazy; it’s comfortable and easy to drive. With the ZL1, General Motors has made the Camaro into a true GT car—daily driver, long-range missile, and track-day special all in one. "

For the purposes of their review, MotorTrend ran the Camaro up against the fastest production Mustang available right now, the Boss 302:

"For 2012, Chevy aims to redefine the ponycar completely in one electronically optimized fell swoop. The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes the once-simple formula for all-American performance and reworks it into a recipe for a modern cyborg warhorse. Literally leaning on suspension technology originally developed for Cadillacs and Corvettes, the Camaro achieves better-than-Boss levels of handling with the highway ride quality of a CTS-V."

"With professional racer Randy Pobst behind the wheel, the ZL1 laps the 2.2-mile Inde Motorsports Ranch circuit 2.45 seconds faster than the Boss. That's huge."

"The Camaro felt far more composed on the track than the Mustang. "I can put this thing right where I want it!" barked Randy as he slid the car around with one hand. Although heavier than the Mustang, the ZL1 still changes direction easily and is capable of pulling higher g-forces mid-corner. The constantly variable damping rates make the Camaro feel as though its tires sink into the track. Bumps that shook the Boss simply disappeared and never upset the ZL1. More important, more of the track became usable since curbing wouldn't throw the Camaro into a tailspin."

"The Camaro clearly came out on top of this fight. Although the Boss 302 is probably the best Mustang ever built, it just feels and performs like it's a generation behind. Randy summed it up: "The Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca was my favorite American musclecar -- until today." It isn't the lack of power; it isn't the lack of amenities. It's simply a lack of technology."

Popular Mechanics did what they do best in their review (which is to say offer solid information in an annoying slideshow format whose embedding stopped functioning for me on slide 4 of 7 and required reloading and starting over at slide 1. We should be past this slideshow format in web journalism, guys!):

"The ZL1's headline-grabbing figure is 580 hp, which, admittedly, is an addictive amount of giddyup to have under your right foot. But focusing solely on the power overlooks the fact the ZL1 is probably the first Camaro in history that turns better than it sprints."

"Depending on the driver's skill, PTM can make the ludicrously quick ZL1 feel somewhat safe when pushing the car to its limits." (Never underestimate how important driver confidence is to performance and lap times.)

"Approaching a gentle but very fast right-hand kink at Arizona's Inde Motorsports Ranch, we cut the corner just a touch too tightly, dropping the right-side wheels into a hole next to the track surface. Running at 100 mph, that's the sort of mistake that can turn ugly in an instant. The ZL1, however, bounced out of the hole, immediately regained composure, and carried on as if we'd driven perfectly. That's the kind of forgiving nature that's rare in a car as fast as the ZL1. "

"We'd be just as happy to pilot the ZL1 on a mountain road or road course as we would on a drag strip."

"Many onlookers will focus on this horsepower war, but that misses the point of the ZL1. While we've always appreciated the style and, of course, the power of previous Camaros, the ZL1 is the first one that we actually want to drive. And for all it delivers, the asking price is a bargain."

Jalopnik's review begin feeling almost bitter and grumpy, but it quickly got very positive in favor of the Camaro ZL1:

"The ZL1 itself gives me my first scare a couple of laps in as I come around the 180-degree turn that empties onto the straight. I've decided the tires—and my abilities—are as warmed up as they're going to get. Gunning it on the straight to catch up to the Bondurant race instructor playing leader in a Camaro SS, the ZL1's tremendous torque pitches the back end of the car back and forth over the width of the drag racing road surface. The sensors that send information to the PTM system are doing a full reading roughly about every inch, so within a quarter-of-a-second the relatively timid Mode 2 has set the ZL1's fishtail back on a straight line and I'm at 100 MPH with no tail flash in sight.
I'd modulated the throttle when the back end started getting squirmy because that's what one does when getting a lot of unwanted wheel slip. But according to the Camaro's engineers, I didn't have to. In fact, had I kept the throttle smashed to the floor, the car would have still done what was necessary to keep the ZL1 from spinning out into a wall."

"You'd have to really hate cars not to enjoy throwing a ZL1 around a track."

"That is the ZL1 in a nutshell: an incredible, frighting behemoth of a car, entirely too powerful for its own good, but reined in by clever engineer-wranglers who have worked very hard to allow even terrible drivers to keep themselves safe."

"You can't ever grade over the rough disappointments of youth, but you can leave them behind. And with cars as mad and indignant as the Camaro ZL1, you can sure as hell make an adulthood worth remembering."

The reviewer for MotorAuthority absolutely loved the Camaro ZL1 and gave it my favorite comparison of all the reviews--a 2012 Porsche 911:

"I realized, while mentally re-visualizing the last set of laps, that from turn-in to apex, under fast entry speeds with a fair amount of trail brake, the ZL1 felt, acted, and moved almost exactly like the 2012 911 did under similar circumstances."

"Wait for the lights, step off the clutch, and WHAM! it's off, scrabbling and chirping down the 60-foot, making the most of the tsunami of torque-producing atmosphere being crammed down the gullet of the V-8 engine by the supercharger."

"It's not that the ZL1 isn't really, really good on a road course. Its 7:41 Nurburgring time says it is, as does my own first-hand experience. It's even outfitted from the factory with transmission and differential coolers--bits the ZL1's main rival, the Ford Shelby GT500, makes optional add-ons."

"The ZL1 is a true driver's car, and regardless of its ultimate pace in comparison with sports cars or supercars in its price, power, or performance categories, it delivers an experience that, at times, is on par with the very best of them."

So, there you have it. Six of the world's biggest automotive publications have great great things to say about the Camaro ZL1. Anyone else as excited as I am to get behind the wheel of one and see for themselves?

]]> http://www.camaronewsblog.com/2012/01/24/camaro-zl1-reviews-are-coming-out-and-theyre-great/feed/ 0 http://www.camaronewsblog.com/2012/01/21/popular-windrestrictor-coming-for-camaro-convertibles/ http://www.camaronewsblog.com/2012/01/21/popular-windrestrictor-coming-for-camaro-convertibles/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:48:11 +0000 admin http://www.camaronewsblog.com/?p=1053 Extremely Popular Corvette WindRestrictor Product Coming Soon for Camaro Convertibles

The etched acetate and LED lit Convertible WindRestrictor Product that has taken the Corvette world by storm will be available for Camaro Convertible owners as well. (1/21/2012)

The Corvette community has fallen in love with the WindRestrictor convertible wind screen by King Penn Industries, and with good reason. While browsing through their YouTube channel I stumbled across a video yesterday that shows, without question, that they're about to release a new version of their popular Camaro WindRestrictor for the Camaro Convertible as well.

The product sets itself apart from other wind screens--a common product for the Corvette line and one I'm sure to see begin picking up popularity in the Camaro line as well--by combining the incredible functionality and wind buffering of others, but with a gorgeous and stylistic visual design. The piece is made from high quality materials that are certain to retain their look and finish for quiet some time, and which are finished with your choice of GM official licensed engravings/etchings, and LED light options. The lights provide a fantastic look, and are able to be turned on and off. If you want even more show from them, also, there's also an option for a special LED package that includes remote control and availability of switching between all color options, with dimmer and fader functions.

Here's the video for you to check it out for yourself:

And their press release concerning the new product:

"Introducing the brand new, patent pending Windrestrictor for the Camaro Convertible from King Penn Industries Inc. No we do not own rights to this song but it is All American just like the Chevy Camaro so we hope you enjoy! This product is now available through our online shop at www.KingPennIndustries.com or simply give us a call at 972-487-5987. The all new Camaro Windrestrictor is an official licensed product of GM. Our product will fit the SS Super Sport, and all other models of the Camaro Convertible. Our patent pending design is the only product in the world that you can fully customize. You can choose from multiple color options. We offer Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple and Pink LED illumination systems. Or, if you prefer, we offer an "Extreme Lighting Kit" with remote control. This option allows you to choose whichever color you want at any given time. It also has a fading option that is HOT for car shows. Our product will be featured at the world of wheels show in the Grabiac Chevrolet Booth as make sure and stop by and check it out! Our windscreen for the Chevy Camaro is also customizable with different graphics options. You can choose from multiple GM licensed graphics or you can use your own and make it custom! Don't do another burn out without having one of these hot, head turning products on your Camaro. It's the best personalized accessory for the Camaro that is available today. Also, it's brand new so be the first in your city to have one! There is no comparrison between our version and others on the market. We also have this awesome product available for the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Crossfire, Mercedes SLK, Honda S2000 and the Porsche Boxster. If you were to do a side by side review ours would wind hands down every time! The Windrestrictor for the Camaro is already highly reviewed by owners! This is the only personalized Camaro Windscreen in the world! Windrestrictor is a registered trademark of King Penn Industries Inc. All GM Trademarks are used under licencse to King Penn Industries Inc. If anyone knows about GM coming out with a convertible model of the Camaro ZL1 please let us know! Don't wait another day to add this product to your wish list of Camaro Accessories!"

88,249 Camaros sold in 2011 give it a decisive sales victory over direct muscle car competitors Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger

In sports, when a team or competitor dominates for the majority of the match and coasts to a decisive over-all victory by the very end, the term "blow-out" is typically used. In the case of the battle for most popular American muscle car in 2011, you might say that a "blow-out" victory was exactly the type that the Chevrolet Camaro enjoyed.

Following the vehicle's break-out success in 2010, 2011 saw the Camaro continue its dominance. For 11 of the 12 months the Camaro moved the most vehicles--and did so, in many of those months, with a considerable cushion of multiple thousand units. The only month that the Mustang took the sales crown was the month where Ford was moving all of its prior model year vehicles at a severely discounted price to make way for the new model year, and even in that month the Mustang only managed to move 400 more units than the Camaro.

In December alone 6754 Camaros were sold, which was good for a 20% increase over December of 2010, and a 1697 unit lead over the second place Mustang for that month. On the entire year, the Camaro's 88,249 units sold took a commanding victory over the Mustang at 70,438 and the Challenger at 39,534.

So, there you have it, the Camaro is the victor in its sector for a second straight year, and with the ZL1 hitting showroom floors--and the sales for both the coupe and convertible models of the Camaro continuing to climb--it looks like a safe bet to take home the crown on a threepeat.