Ford Steps Up to the Plate, and then, when realizing that Chevrolet was actually prepared to pitch, backs away slowly…
Ford has obviously been planning this move for some time now. Their marketing guys have surely been waiting and salivating for the precise moment to strike and drop this bomb. It's brilliant marketing, it really is, but it also shows how afraid they are of the Chevrolet beast. The Mustang, which for the longest time was the de facto best-selling American sports car, has been dethroned by the Chevy Camaro and it looks like Ford was afraid of losing even more market share with the release of the ZL1.
Knowing that Chevrolet has spent the last 6+ months talking up their new Camaro (and, seemingly, with great reason), Ford waited until the precise moment--when Chevrolet announced the vehicle's price--to strike. They've just announced an updated version of their GT500 come 2013 that will be sporting a new, upgraded, 5.8L version of the same engine and promising HP numbers somewhere are 650HP, and a top speed of 200mph+. These numbers are impressive. Very impressive, in fact; also, they're most certainly a play against the ZL1 to steal some of its thunder as anticipation over the new Camaro has reached a new peak.
Of course, while these numbers are impressive, they didn't seem to scare Chevrolet. Upon hearing them, Joel Ewanick--the senior VP of Marketing at Chevrolet--came out and said "We should take a Camaro, Ford brings a Mustang, we each pick our drivers, and see who has the best time on the Nürburgring". This was a direct response to Jim Farley, head of Ford's marketing division, making a public claim that he would like to "take a bat" to Chevrolet with their new GT500. However, upon hearing of this "I wish we could," challenge, all Farley had to say was: "I wish we could. Who wouldn't want to do that?"
Wish you could, but you can't, or you won't? This reads to me like maybe Ford's blue oval is a little yellow about facing the ZL1--which has already released official Nürburgring times. Seems like maybe Ford knows their heavier, solid transaxle Mustang can't run the ring with the Camaro.
Of course, none of this is meant to lampoon Ford here, either, as the vehicles they've made and are in the process of developing have all been fantastic. In fact, when America's two largest automotive companies start competing head-to-head like this, everybody wins--especially the consumers. Here's to hoping the release of the GT500, and what will certainly be drag-racing numbers in that vehicle's favor, will bring GM to continue pushing the envelope and having Ford push back.
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Camaro ZL1 Gets a Price Tag
Chevrolet officially announced the base price for the new Camaro ZL1 coupe, and it's actually a little higher than I had expected. The new Camaro ZL1 will start at $54,995 (just shy of $55k) and go up in price from there based on options selected. It's a lot to pay for a Camaro, yes, but this is also a 580HP supercharged monster of a Camaro sporting MRS-Suspension.
Of course, even at $55k, this car is still a great bargain. To find cars against which the Camaro compares, you'll have to look in the $150k+ range--at least, as far as performance is concerned.
What do you think? Is $55k a fair price for this monster ride? It costs the same as a base C6 Corvette, which would you rather have at that price?
Also, for those interested, here's the official full color, photo-filled, 23 page Chevrolet brochure marketing the ZL1 in .pdf form. Enjoy! Camaro ZL1 Marketing Brochure
24 Hours of Testing the Camaro ZL1
At this point, most everything that there is to say about the soon to be released Camaro ZL1 has been said. Everything about Chevrolet's ante-upping racecar has been published, it would seem, but that's not enough for the engineers for Chevrolet. Before releasing the vehicle to the public, they had to be certain they knew all of the vehicle's abilities and limitations.
One of the most difficult things you can do to a vehicle is test it on a track, where it's running at 100%+, for a full twenty-four hours. In fact, many of the high-end endurance racers that are built and optimized for just this fall short in their attempts to complete a twenty-four hour race. Watch a complete twenty-four hour Le Mans race and you'll see million dollar car after million dollar fall out of the field as result of mechanical failures that occur under such grueling conditions, and that's exactly what Chevrolet wanted to see.
Normally, in testing, a breakage of any sort would be considered a failure; however, in this test, breakage was exactly what Chevrolet was looking for. Doing this test would allow them to see what aspects of the vehicle would be most likely to experience issues and correct them before it hit the market, and in that sense, the ZL1 made it look like a cake walk. The car seemingly ran all 24 hours without many hiccups, and, I'm certain that any hiccup they did notice the Chevrolet engineers involved in this project took care of with intelligence and craft.
I don't want to talk too long on it, because, the video really speaks for itself. Suffice it to say that Chevrolet is making some great promotional videos pending the upcoming release of this car, and my excitement over it grows with each new day and each new video.
Camaro ZL1 Runs the Nurburgring in 7:41.27
Expectations for the Camaro ZL1 are huge. I mean, when you have a 580HP LSR powered, MRC Suspension blessed, monster of a Camaro coming in at a sub $50k price tag it's difficult to keep them tempered. Well, fear not: there's no reason to temper them.
Last week, Mark Reuss, the president for GM North America, confirmed that the Camaro ZL1 lapped the Nurburgring in 7:41.27. 7:41.27! That's super-car level good. In fact, that time is better than a lot of official times by super-car level vehicles, such as: 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 (7:42.00), 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce (7:42.00), 2009 Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI (7:44.00), 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera (7:46.00), 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano (7:47.00), 2009 Ferrari California GT (7:56.00), and many many others. That's very good company for a sub $50k American sports car. Very very good.
Now, that great time isn't all. No, what makes this already impressive feat even cooler is the excitement with which Reuss delivered it.
From MotorAuthority's article on the Nurburgring time announcement:
Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America flew from sunny and warm Detroit to rainy and chilly Los Angeles to address media members on Wednesday. Once he arrived, the climate change was evident in the room close to Los Angeles International Airport; this man's enthusiasm for automobiles, motorsports and General Motors is evident by his demeanor and excitement for the future.
The first item Reuss addressed was the vehicle on display outside the hotel where the meeting was held - Chevrolet's Camaro ZL1. The street and circuit-worthy Camaro wasn't terribly pretty but it looked, at first glance, that it was worthy of great performance.
Reuss stated as much - from personal experience - as he was one of the drivers to conduct performance validation on this machine on the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit of 14.173 miles in Germany, where the LSR-powered V8 muscle car turned an incredible 7 minutes, 41.27 seconds in a single lap, he said. Can anyone remember a GM president that was enough of an enthusiast to take part in a session of this type? Didn't think so.
The ZL1 was "forgiving and neutral," Reuss, a Grand-Am-licensed competitor said. "I was able to drive deeper than I ever have." He especially enjoyed passing the Porsche GT3's that were lapping concurrently, before the car was boxed and returned from Germany to the GM proving grounds and then brought to Los Angeles for this morning appearance. The street car will have its debut during the mid-November Los Angeles International Auto Show.
It's great, ultimately, to see that the man in charge of the Camaro ZL1's production is such a fan of the vehicle himself. That sort of joy and excitement is rare in the world of automotive executives and provides even more reason to be excited about the release of the Camaro ZL1. At sub $50k, this car will be, without doubt, among the greatest performance bargains in the automotive world, and for that reason, and all the others we've talked about before concerning this ZL1, it's very difficult to temper my expectations and excitement concerning this exciting new vehicle.
For reference, here's a list of vehicles and their Nurburgring times. The ZL1's place cements it squarely in the realm of super-car:
Pos Make / Model Time Speed (km/h) Year Power (hp) / Weight (kg) Driven by
1. Radical SR8LM 6:48.00 182 0 455 / 650 Radical
2. Radical SR8 6:55.00 179 '05 363 / 650 Radical
3. Gumpert Apollo Speed 7:11.57 172 '09 700 / 1200 Gumpert
4. Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR 7:12.13 172 '08 600 / 1536 Dominik Farnbacher
5. Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package 7:14.64 171 '12 570 / 1509 Lexus
6. Donkervoort D8 RS 7:14.89 171 '05 350 / 600 Michael Duechting
7. Porsche 911 GT2 RS 7:18.00 169 '10 620 / 1370 Porsche
8. Radical SR3 Turbo 7:19.00 169 '03 320 / 500 Phil Bennett
9. Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 7:19.63 169 '08 647 / 1530 General Motors
10. Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR 7:22.10 168 '08 600 / 1536 Motor Trend
11. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Z07 Package 7:22.68 168 '11 512 / 1394 General Motors
12. Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package 7:22.85 167 '12 570 / 1509 Lexus
13. Gumpert Apollo Sport 7:24.00 167 '07 700 / 1200 Sport Auto
14. Nissan GT-R 7:24.22 167 '11 530 / 1736 Nissan
15. Maserati MC12 7:24.29 167 '04 632 / 1335 Marc Basseng
16. Pagani Zonda F Clubsport 7:24.65 167 '05 650 / 1230 Marc Basseng
17. Ferrari Enzo 7:25.21 167 '02 660 / 1365 Marc Basseng
18. Nissan GT-R 7:26.70 166 '08 479 / 1740 Toshio Suzuki
19. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 7:27.00 166 '11 500 / 1360 Porsche
20. Ferrari 458 Italia 7:28.00 166 '09 570 / 1485 Scuderia Autoropa
21. Porsche Carrera GT 7:28.71 165 '03 612 / 1380 Marc Basseng
22. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 7:30.00 165 '11 500 / 1360 Sport Auto
23. Porsche 911 GT2 7:31.00 164 '07 530 / 1440 Auto Motor und Sport
24. Porsche 911 Turbo S 7:32.00 164 '10 530 / 1585 Porsche
25. Pagani Zonda F 7:33.00 164 '05 602 / 1371 Sport Auto
26. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:33.00 164 '10 450 / 1400 Sport Auto
27. Koenigsegg CCX 7:33.55 164 '06 806 / 1456 Marc Basseng
28. Koenigsegg CCR 7:34.00 163 '04 806 / 1418 Sport Auto
29. Audi R8 GT 7:34.00 163 '10 560 / 1520 Sport Auto
30. Nissan GT-R Spec-V 7:34.46 163 '09 492 / 1680 Best Motoring
31. RUF RT12 7:35.00 163 '05 650 / 1573 Sport Auto
32. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:38.00 162 '06 480 / 1585 Porsche
33. Lexus LF-A 7:38.00 162 '10 560 / 1609 Sport Auto
34. Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera 7:38.00 162 '10 570 / 1430 Sport Auto
35. Ferrari 430 Scuderia 7:39.00 162 '07 510 / 1402 Sport Auto
36. Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 7:40.00 161 '06 640 / 1805 Auto Bild Sportscars
37. McLaren Mercedes SLR 7:40.00 161 '03 626 / 1693 Auto Bild
38. Porsche 911 GT3 7:40.00 161 '09 435 / 1376 Walter Rohrl
39. Porsche 911 Carrera S 7:40.00 161 '11 400 / 1415 Porsche
2012 Camaro ZL1 7:41.27
40. Porsche 911 GT3 7:42.00 161 '06 415 / 1395 Walter Rohrl
41. Radical SR3 7:42.00 161 '02 205 / 495
42. Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce 7:42.00 161 '09 670 / 1664 Sport Auto
43. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 7:42.90 160 '05 513 / 1437 Jan Magnussen
44. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:43.00 160 '03 381 / 1360 Motor
45. Pagani Zonda C12 S 7:44.00 160 '02 555 / 1250 Sport Auto
46. Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI 7:44.00 160 '09 525 / 1620 Sport Auto
47. Mercedes CLK 63 Black Series 7:45.00 159 '07 507 / 1745 Berndt Schneider
48. Gardner Douglas GD T70 Spyder 7:45.00 159 '10 710 / 900 Dario Margutti
49. Porsche 911 GT2 7:46.00 159 '00 460 / 1430 Sport Auto
50. Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 7:46.00 159 '07 530 / 1520 Auto
51. Jaguar XJ220 7:46.37 159 '92 549 / 1470 John Nielsen
52. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 7:47.00 159 '06 620 / 1748 Sport Auto
53. Wiesmann GT MF5 7:47.00 159 '08 507 / 1380 Sport Auto
54. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:47.00 159 '09 500 / 1570 Sport Auto
55. Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:48.00 158 '06 415 / 1375 Sport Auto
56. BMW M3 GTS 7:48.00 158 '10 450 / 1543 Sport Auto
57. Lamborghini Murcielago 7:50.00 158 '02 580 / 1800 Sport Auto
58. BMW M3 CSL 7:50.00 158 '03 360 / 1385 Sport Auto
59. Porsche 911 Carrera S 7:50.00 158 '08 385 / 1425
60. Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series 7:51.00 157 '09 670 / 1870 Sport Auto
61. Lamborghini Gallardo 7:52.00 157 '03 500 / 1613 Sport Auto
62. Ford GT 7:52.00 157 '04 550 / 1538 Sport Auto
63. Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 7:52.00 157 '08 560 / 1530 Sport Auto
64. Mercedes CLK DTM 7:54.00 156 '04 582 / 1678 Sport Auto
65. Porsche 911 GT3 7:54.00 156 '03 380 / 1380 Sport Auto
66. Ferrari F430 7:55.00 156 '05 489 / 1450 Sport Auto
67. Caterham R500 1.8L K Series 7:55.00 156 '99 233 / 450 EVO
68. BMW M5 7:55.00 156 '11 560 / 1870 BMW
69. Porsche 911 Turbo 7:56.00 156 '00 420 / 1540 Sport Auto
70. Ferrari 360 CS 7:56.00 156 '03 425 / 1280 Sport Auto
71. Ferrari California GT 7:56.00 156 '09 460 / 1787
72. Porsche Panamera Sport Chrono Turbo 7:56.00 156 '09 500 / 1974 Auto Bild
73. Porsche Panamera Turbo 7:56.00 156 '09 500 / 1870 Walter Rohrl
74. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 7:56.00 156 '02 411 / 1414 General Motors
75. Porsche 911 GT3 7:56.33 156 '99 360 / 1350 Walter Rohrl
A week of ZL1 Firsts – First ZL1 sells for $250K and Chevy releases First ZL1 Commercials
So, the release of the Camaro ZL1 to the public is nearing, and, excitement is really starting to build. To couple with this timing, Chevrolet made a few well-calculated moves this past week. The first of them was the auctioning off of the very first ZL1 to be sold. The second bit of news pertains to the release of the first set of commercials highlighting the power and potential of the ZL1 from Chevrolet. Both are exciting and fun.
First 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 goes for $250,000 at auction
The September 24th Barrett-Jackson Automotive Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada, saw the inclusion of one very special vehicle from Chevrolet. On that September Saturday the very first Camaro ZL1 of the new generation was sold, and it commanded a very serious quarter-of-a-million dollar price tag.
Purchased by renowned Chevrolet enthusiast, and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick the proceeds from the first ZL1 auction went directly to benefiting the Southern Nevada YMCA. This Camaro ZL1, in addition to being a ZL1 and the first sold, is a very special vehicle. This iteration of the 580HP GM Monster will be the only one produced in the 2012 model year in the gorgeous GM Carbon Flash Metallic paint finish. In addition to this beautiful and unique paint tone--just one other thing to set the ZL1 apart from all other vehicles on the road--this ZL1 will also bear the honor of being the official Camaro ZL1 number 69.
Possibly the only VIN Number more coveted than number 1 for this vehicle, the number 69 is meant to pay homage to the original 1969 Camaro. That vehicle, when first produced, made waves across the globe for its incredible all-aluminum reworking of the Corvette Big Block, and was produced in a very limited run of just 69 vehicles. In this way, this new ZL1 will not only replace the original '69 as the fastest production Camaro ever, but it will also honor the ZL1 that came before in both year and production numbers. In this instance, Rick Hendrick is actually purchasing a more viable collector's vehicle than even the coveted badge number 1. So, congratulations to Mr. Hendrick on his newest purchase, and thanks to Chevrolet for seeing that the sale of its very first Camaro went to benefiting a good cause.
Chevrolet Releases First Camaro ZL1 Commercials
Amazingly enough, one press attaining action wasn't enough for the men and women at Chevrolet this week. In addition to the ZL1 at Barrett-Jackson, Chevrolet also used this week as the ideal time to release their first official ZL1 commercials. These two 30-second spots are both well-made, and constructed to highlight the capabilities of the ZL1 in two very different applications.
The first ZL1 commercial focuses on the drag-racing power and potential of the ZL1, even as it's taken right off of the lot. The piece focuses on the Drag-Mode suspension option and shows a few clips of a test ZL1 burning some rubber on a drag racing track. The car, even in its camo-wrapped form, is still a beautiful and inspiring piece of American machinery certain to strike fear in the hearts of all other pony cars that try to go up against it.
Of course, in this world of YouTube videos and social media, Chevrolet also realizes that the drag race isn't the king of all American motorsport events anymore. Certainly focusing on the increased love of track and road race numbers and footage, Chevrolet's second commercial focuses on the suspension of the ZL1. This entirely unique ZL1 suspension package, highlighted by Chevrolet's Magnetic Ride Control suspension, is the focus of their second commercial and is certainly aimed at hinting towards the potential of the ZL1 around break-neck turns. Of course, with the Eaton Supercharged 580HP LSA engine, drag racing was never a question with the Camaro, and that's why I think this marketing angle is infinitely more important for the continued success of the Camaro brand.
The commercial is a short one, but a good one, and it really gets me drooling in anticipation over the first few waves of Camaro ZL1 race videos that will certainly start hitting the internet following the vehicle's release next year. I love the video's primary tagline of "It's all very technical until you bury your right foot", as that is exactly what I want out of a true sports car.
So, in short, this was an exciting news week for Camaro fans. What do you think? Is the 69th Camaro ZL1 worth the exorbitant price tag? Which Camaro commercial do you most prefer? How excited are you to really see one of these bad boys in action?
Would you like that in Manual or Automatic? The death of the six-speed car.
In 1964 Bob Dylan famously sang, "The times, they are a changin". Now, I don't think he was talking about cars at that point in time, but, the song seems terribly applicable when looking at the transmission shift being seen in the American vehicle market today, a shift that was made all the more apparent by the admission of Chevrolet executives that they expect more than half of the new 2012 Camaro ZL1s they sell to be purchased in the two-pedal, automatic, form. What?!
That's right: Chevrolet is producing a 580 HP, MRC Suspension, monster of a Pony Car, and they expect more people to want to buy it in Automatic than Manual. To me, this is insanity. I come from the generation of drivers who worship the clutch pedal for all of its power and potential, and who can't imagine driving a sport vehicle without one, but it seems that my generation of driver is becoming an anomaly. The current most-powerful Camaro, Chevrolet's Camaro SS of over 400HP, sells over 70% of its vehicles in Automatic, and there's reason for this.
Can you imagine driving this 580HP beast with only two pedals? Is the move from Manual to Automatic, even in the performance vehicle market of today, ultimately a good one?
Once upon a time, the only reason to go to Automatic was for the ease of it. A talented drive could shift with much less delay than automatic transmission had, and had control over their RPMs when shifting. Beyond those numbers, larger numbers of gears and more race-friendly gear ratios meant that manual vehicles were built, quiet simply, to outperform their two-pedal counterparts. Today though, advancements in technology have made the Automatic transmissions in most cars just as performance viable as manuals (and, in the case of some Ferrari/Lambo level vehicles, more efficient and race friendly than a human being can even manage). The up-tick in Automatic sales over the last many decades, based primarily on their ease of use, has also lead to an interesting phenomenon: fewer and fewer and fewer people are able to drive a stick shift, and this is a self-perpetuating trend, also, because as fewer people who can drive stick-shift exist there are fewer people with that knowledge available to teach the newer generations of automobile drivers how to handle the three-pedaled transmission. Ultimately, the Automatic transmission has killed the Manual slowly over time, and in the modern-day (where ZL1's sell more than half their vehicles in Automatic, and the base Corvette sells Automatics at a 65% tick) we live in, it looks as though we're seeing the final swan song of the stick-shift car.
Of course, and this is the hardest part of all of this for me to swallow, this isn't a bad thing. The demise of the manual means that, eventually, automobile companies wont even need to bother with the manufacturing and production of two different transmission types, and the cost of the transmission--as a component of the vehicle--will go down. Also, with the incredible advancements in technology I've seen in my lifetime, and the advent of Automatic assisted Manual transmission options--like the world-famous, Porsche derived Tiptronic and its counterparts--Automatic or Automatic Assisted Manuals (Manumatics) can actually lead to increased performance numbers. In fact, most of the world's most high-end performance cars, like the aforementioned Porsche line, utilize some form of Manumatic transmission.
Am I happy about this? No, I'm not, but I'm also a cranky old man with an extreme nostamania. Do I understand this? Absolutely.
So, what do you think? Is this shift in transmission a good thing or a bad thing? Should I, as a car enthusiast and automotive nut, lament the death of the manual transmission? Will the experience of driving, even without the involvement of the left-foot and the feel of the clutch engaging and disengaging, remain the same? What do you think? Me, I think something is lost in an Automatic, but this thinking probably has me lost in the past in the modern Automotive market.
Camaro ZL1 Preview Video – Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser Talks About the New ZL1 Camaro
There's not a whole lot more that we can say about the Camaro ZL1 that isn't already public knowledge. The ZL1 is going to be a certifiable monster on both the road and track thanks to its LSA powerplant, aerodynamic exterior upgrades, improved exhaust, intake, and Brembo brakes. Of course, even when you already know all of this about the ZL1, it's nice to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, and that's exactly what this video does. Al Oppenheiser, the chief engineer for the Chevrolet Camaro line, proudly displays a new ZL1 Camaro in all of its glory at a GM Oshawa Plant Homecoming Event. The ZL1 in the video is absolutely gorgeous, too. Done up in red with black stripes and a carbon fiber active hood "mohawk"--as Al calls it--the new ZL1 Camaro is definitely an eye-opener. The new aggressive body pieces, including improved front splitter, side rockers, and rear spoiler, really give the new Camaro a more aggressive look when coupled with the 19x20 offset wheel stance. Other visual touches showcased in the video, such as vertically stacked fog lights, new rear diffuser, and huge gaping air intake scoop work really well together to make this one of the best looking Camaros you'll see anywhere. Al's definitely a proud father, and it's worth watching the video just to see the aspects of the vehicle in question as he goes over each one, so enjoy!
P.S. - It's definitely worth the wait on buffering to watch this car in full 1080p video glory.
The 750hp SLP ZL1 Camaro
The ZL1 is an engineering marvel to behold from Chevy regardless of where your allegiance lies. But, the ZL1 from SLP is an entirely different animal altogether. The ZL1 from SLP is a claimed 750 horsepower monster. SLP has been around the block a few times, and in their vast vault of creations, I don't think any are more recognizable than their Pontiac Firehawk… until now. The ZL1 has put SLP on the map as one of the meanest heavyweight contenders for big numbers and ferocious power in the new Camaro. The platform for the ZL1 is the already potent Camaro SS, but this is merely the vehicle for the magic. The shell if you will. Press on eager eyes, press on…
The crew at SLP takes the chassis of the 1SS or 2SS that is provided by the customer and then takes the guts and tosses 'em out. It's a splendid symphony of work that takes place on the body, kind of like the construction of a super hero-the old parts of the car are stripped away and new fancy, high tech, expensive parts are substituted. Hark back to the Six Million Dollar Man except this time it's in Camaro form. It's able to go faster quicker, run the competition down better, and of course it's going to have mad sex appeal. Not to mention a better soundtrack. The idea for the car comes from the original '69 ZL1. A beast of a machine. A god among mortals. The '69 ZL1 Camaro was the answer from Chevy, much to the chagrin of the other muscle cars. The ZL1 was the baddest of the bad, back in the day; and SLP aims to resurrect that namesake once again.
A quick synopsis of the original ZL1 from How Stuff Works: Muscle Cars:
First. Most powerful. Quickest. Only one Chevy combines it all: the 1969 Chevrolet ZL1 Camaro. It went a step beyond the 427 Yenko and even the mighty L88 Corvette, to where few production muscle cars tread.
Muscle Car Image Gallery
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Drawing a bead on NHRA Super Stock drag classes, Chevy performance guru Vince Piggins authorized the factory to fit a batch of '69 Camaros with a version of the 427-cid V-8 used by the all-conquering Can-Am Chaparral. This actually was another of Piggins' Central Office Production Order projects, and like the COPO Chevelles and Camaros being built for '69, the ZL1 was technically a Camaro option package.
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The cars began as 396-cid/375-bhp Super Sports with the F4l suspension. Engine and SS trim were deleted, and the cars were equipped essentially as other 427 COPO Camaros, with cowl-induction hood, front disc brakes, a choice of heavy-duty four-speeds or Turbo Hydra-matic, and a 4:10.1 Posi in the strongest axle Chevy could muster. But instead of the iron-block and head L72 427, these Camaros got a 427 called the ZL1.
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It was similar in design to the most-potent iteration of the aluminum-head L88, but it was the first production Chevy engine to also have an aluminum block. It shared the L88's 430-bhp factory rating, but actually had over 500 bhp -- making it likely the most powerful engine Chevy ever offered to the public. And it weighed just 500 pounds -- about the same as Chevy's 327-cid V-8.
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The entire car carried the full 5-year/50,000-mile warranty and was fully street-legal. With the factory's stock dual exhausts and tires, it turned low 13s; headers, slicks, and tuning got it into the 11.6s at 122 mph. Chevy never built a quicker production car.
All this came at a price: $4,160 for the ZL1 engine alone, pushing the car's sticker to a stratospheric $7,200. Chevy needed to build 50 to satisfy the NHRA, and actually built 69. About 20 ZL1s went into organized drag racing, turning low 10s to set several Super Stock records. Well-heeled individuals bought others, but the high price took a toll: At least 12 engines were removed and sold separately, and about 30 unsold cars were returned to Chevy. It took until the early '70s to sell them off.
Pretty sweet, right? SLP and Chevy thought so too, and at the end of the 4th generation Camaro's run, Chevy produced a mere 69 more ZL1's on the 4th generation chassis and quietly blew everyone's mind. Here it is time again for some good old fashioned power hungry V8 action. Here's the breakdown on the new beast straight from SLP themselves:
Includes:
*Redesigned SLP front fascia with heritage-style grille/bowtie emblem and carbon fiber-finish splitter
*ZL1® fender and rear decklid badges
*SLP forged light-weight wheels, Michelin Sport PS2 tires, and Brembo GT front and rear brakes
*Rear 1/4 panel gill insert graphics
*SLP TVS 2300 Supercharger in Red with 10 PSI boost
*SLP all carbon fiber hood with functional scoop
*Carbon fiber-finish dashboard trim, steering wheel trim, and center console accents
*Katzkin® leather interior trim package (w/cloth Hounds Tooth shown) and ZL1 embroidered headrests
*SLP short-throw shifter with leather-wrapped ZL® shift knob
*High-lip rear spoiler with carbon fiber-finish
*SLP carbon fiber-finish rear diffuser with integrated exhaust outlets and polished aluminum tips
2011 ZL1® CONTENT MSRP $80,000 plus cost of a new 1SS or 2SS with manual transmission
Performance Upgrades
ENGINE
* SLP custom built 427 CID engine w/aluminum block and heads, 10.3:1 Compression ratio
* SLP High Capacity Dual Core Aluminum Radiator
* SLP 1.85:1 high-ratio rocker arms
* SLP TVS 2300 Supercharger with 10 PSI boost (E.O.#D-488-15)
* SLP Blackwing® cold-air induction system
* SLP non-adjustable PCM custom tune w/speed limiter increased to 205+ MPH (est. top speed)
* SLP injection molded engine covers with Carbon Fiber finish, 750HP graphics
EXHAUST SYSTEM
* SLP PowerFlo® exhaust system
* SLP long-tube headers w/stock cats
TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH
* GM 6-speed manual
* SLP short throw shifter w/ZL shift knob
* ZR-1 clutch assembly w/SLP flywheel
DRIVELINE
* SLP heavy-duty half shafts
WHEELS
* SLP forged light-weight 9″x20″ front wheels 10.5″ x 20″ rear wheels w/ZL1® center caps.
TIRES
* Michelin 255/40ZR20 XL Sport PS2 front and 295/35ZR20 XL Sport PS2 rear tires
BRAKES
* Brembo GT front and GT rear brakes with 2 piece 16″ front rotors and 6 piston calipers and 15″ rear rotors and 4 piston calipers
SUSPENSION
* SLP adjustable coil-over springs-shocks and sway bars
Exterior Upgrades
* SLP ZL® all carbon fiber hood
* SLP ZL® high lip rear spoiler w/carbon fiber finish that matches the hood
* Trunk lid carbon fiber finish that matches the hood
* SLP front fascia with unique grille assembly
* SLP front splitter with carbon fiber finish
* SLP gill insert graphics
* SLP rear diffuser with carbon fiber finish and unique exhaust tips with polished aluminum tips
* ZL1® fender and rear deck lid badging (heritage styling)
* Factory bowtie badges front and rear with blue inserts (heritage styling)
* Painted Rear Tail Light Black-Out Panel
INTERIOR UPGRADES
* ZL1® sequentially numbered dash plaque and key fobs (1-69)
* ZL1® floor mats
* Katzkin® leather interior trim package for front and rear seats, center console, and arm rests, available in 7 colors that
compliment all available body colors, plus hounds tooth cloth seat
inserts (heritage), with ZL1 embroidered logo in head rests, and bowtie
on seat backs.
Available Katzkin Interior Accent Colors
ASH – MEDIUM RED – ORANGE – PACIFIC – VANILLA – SUNRISE RED – HOUNDS TOOTH (CLOTH)
ACCESSORIES
* Faux Leather Bound Portfolio, Owner's Manual, Window Sticker, Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin
* ZL1® Car Cover
WARRANTY
* One Year/12,000 Mile (19,000 Kilometer) Limited Warranty
* Not legal for sale or use in California
So, in a nutshell, this bad boy gets a lot of praise and attention in its own right, but don't take our word for it, Edmunds Inside Line recently reviewed this machine and had some things to say about it. Check out their video below, and for a full rundown on their thorough findings, check out their review here and their rebuttal to the naysayers here.
Edmunds Inside Line Review:
June Sales Figures Posted by Chevy/GM et al
General Motors posted sales figures for the last month and the year to date, along with the rest of the industry, and is up 11% for the year. Great news for the guys and gals at GM. I figured I'd also post up Fords sales figures as well just to get another company's look on things. We've all heard that the recession is over, and although it doesn't feel like it, things are starting to turn around. Finally. It will be a slow process for sure, but the figures are proof that more vehicles are being taken and deliveries are up from a year ago. Altogether GM is up 11%, and Ford is up 14%. Also of note, it looks like the Mustang has trumped the Camaro for the first time in months, even after the introduction of the convertible into the Camaro lineup.
Blendmount Radar Detector Mount for 2010 Camaro
We're all familiar with our cars, and how fast they CAN go. I'm not saying we all drive well above the posted speed limit but when your right foot feels a little heavy some added precaution goes a long way. There's an old saying in the car world that has sort of a double meaning, "Speed costs money—how fast do you want to go?" This not only applies to the exorbitant amount of money we could spend on our cars to get the results we desire, but it also applies to the risk you run when you drive, shall we say, less than how Johnny Law would like you to in your car. A speeding ticket not only costs you up front, but on the back end as well with higher insurance, etc. So, keeping that risk in mind—you can safely assess that if you speed, chances are you'll get tagged. So, you bought some peace of mind and snagged a top of the line radar detector.
Good call.
Now you have to mount that sucker so it stays put. Good luck. Many have tried, and many have failed and felt the pangs of frustration with the use of a suction cup mounting system. It never fails, eventually it will fall off. And if you bought a $300-$500 dollar radar detector, then the last thing you want to have happen is for it to come crashing down onto the dash, and then try and fool with getting it to re stick to your windshield while you're cruising down the road. Not cool. Not surprisingly, more than a few have attempted to come up with a solution. I've seen everything from superglueing the visor mount to the windshield, to drilling the detector into the mirror housing and screwing it in place, to duct-taping visors to roofs, and a hundred other terrible ideas. Your car deserves better and so does your radar detector. Blendmount, out of Cotati, California has come up with a great solution. Their mount has taken the multitude of bad ideas and come up with a combination that solves all of the common woes and mounts the detector cleanly and efficiently.
The Blendmount detector mount mounts to the mirror stem itself, and then the detector mounts to the clip stemming from the Blendmount. No wobbling, no falling suction cups, no constant hassle to get it situated just right. Once it's in, it's in—but still quick and easy to remove for security reasons or to transfer the detector to a different vehicle. The other great thing about this mount is it's compatible with an array of different equipment. The mounts are designed for Escort, Valentine One, ScanGauge II, even Bully Dogs for the diesel crowd. The fitment varies from make to make, but these are designed to work with the widest array of vehicle manufacturers possible. Due to the shape of some mirror stems, the Blendmount might not work but most vehicles are covered. For the Camaro however- the team at Blendmount have gone so far as to make sure we V8 loving folk have been well taken care of. The Camaro mirror is shaped slightly differently than a regular rear-view mirror due to the technology (on mirrors equipped with the AutoDim function) inside of the mirror. However, Blendmount has decided that they weren't going to leave out the Camaro crowd due to its awkward mirror shape. In fact, they designed a mount specifically for the Chevy Camaro.
We installed the Blendmount on our 2010 Camaro SS with a nice new Escort 9500IX detector. We also used an Invisi-Cord that plugged into the back of the mirror and got rid of that unsightly coiled power card. The installation was very simple and the final completed product looks OEM and keeps the detector neatly tucked up under the mirror.
