Chicago 2011: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the fastest, most powerful ever

There is a gaping hole for those of us that don't give a damn about keeping up with the Jones' and would like to go have some fun on Highway 94 to Hermann without having to worry about speeding tickets or insurance premiums higher than the mortgage payment.

Where do you live?

i like it. like the old ZL-1 it has real understated looks that could almost pass for a run of the mill camaro.



honestly the LS9's big power difference is the bigger displacement blower. the rest is just durability parts. with the blower cam the LS9 has i think i it would actually be lower hp numbers naturally asperated than the LSA is. remember from the factory they have to build these motors to go around 100,000 miles with all that power.

in conclusion i think if you felt like pushing it you could add the bigger blower of the LS9 powered car and be in the same ballpark of power as the ZR-1 vette.

Ballpark, yes. Same, no. They are different on a lot of things; pistons, cam, heads, etc. They share a common displacement, and maybe the block. It's been a while since I looked into it, but they are definitely different

Missing my point entirely. By greener I was just referring to fun cars that don't require living with low 20's (at best) MPG's and $40k entrance free's You know, like how in the 80's a lot of companies came out with lightweight, fun to drive, and fuel efficient cars? You know cars where the High Performance version was sold with the SMALLER engine. Turbo Dodges, SVO mustang, original M3 and 190e (of course buy in price was retarded on those 2), GM tried with the quad 4 ho cars.

FWIW, people turn over 30mpg in C6Zs all the time, even up to 35mpg, and that's with a 505hp 7L V8. Hell, my car can turn 30mpg highway. Smaller engine doesn't mean better mpg...if the engine doesn't have enough torque to move the bitch, mpg suffers.

I don't care if the Z28 is less powerful, it needs to be n/a and lighter than the regular production models. I see no reason for it to come with a back seat either.

Agreed. It will most likely be LS7 powered.

There's rear seats? I forgot they had them. Yeah those can come out. 10lbs saved.

It's not a 4th gen, they aren't that light. :lol:
 
2 things, i've always understood the ZL1 to be a prototype or show car, i wasnt old enough to see first gens as anything but old man cruisers.


Second, buy that miata LeVeL!
 
My RX weighs 3000 lbs.... isn't that considered a relatively lightweight car? My old Sebring weighed 2900 :lol:
 
That does sound really good, it's just too bad every American car with a V8 on sale today could easily make the same sound. I don't know any solutions to the problem but it's just starting to get repetitive IMO.
 
That does sound really good, it's just too bad every American car with a V8 on sale today could easily make the same sound. I don't know any solutions to the problem but it's just starting to get repetitive IMO.

I guess I have a good ear for different exhausts. That sounds nothing like, say the GT500, which is also a supercharged, all aluminum (in '11) V8:

And definitely doesn't sound like the Mopar stuff:

It will sound similar to any other LSX powered car with an X pipe, which is good because then it can sound like this with a nice cam:

Or this...drool x INFINITY.

 
That does sound really good, it's just too bad every American car with a V8 on sale today could easily make the same sound. I don't know any solutions to the problem but it's just starting to get repetitive IMO.

Really? I think the LSx stuff has a much different sound than the Ford OHC motors, especially the 3v and 4v versions. The Chrysler Hemi cars also make a different noise from the other 2. It is subtle, but there is a difference for sure.
 
Where do you live?
Near Disneyland here in Southern California.

I'm sure your real question is "how do you know of these? Did you just pull this off of g.maps?" I lived in Warren county. I've logged more miles than many truckers driving the shit out most roads between STL and columbia.

FWIW, people turn over 30mpg in C6Zs all the time, even up to 35mpg, and that's with a 505hp 7L V8. Hell, my car can turn 30mpg highway. Smaller engine doesn't mean better mpg...if the engine doesn't have enough torque to move the bitch, mpg suffers.

ANYONE who gets better than 28mpg in a sports car exceeding 400hp is not driving it right! Most Turbo dodges can't realistically break 30mpg. The M3 and 190e are lucky to get mid 20's realistically. The v6 Pontiac G8 got what, 1mpg better than the v8, and that was only on the freeway? MPG wasn't really my point.

I drive the ever living fuck out of my cars. My TRACK mileage on the Miata is 22mpg on 87. That was lapping for 30 minutes straight around a road coarse in the desert and 90% of the time I was trying to put the gas pedal through the floor board.

On to my actual point. It was more about having lighter engines. Which improve MPG, handling, acceleration... yeah I'm sure you know the marketing BS that goes with it all. Honda's K series of engines are quit light (390lbs with a god damned transaxle bolted to it!), powerful, responsive and fuel efficient. All this also means you can make other things lighter to save more weight.

Proof... look at the inverse of that point with the Mercedes CLK black edition. After they stripped it out it weighed MORE to put up with the power.

It's not a 4th gen, they aren't that light. :lol:

I figure they are like most car rear seats... pieces of foam attached to some particle board.
 
They mainly added power, which wasn't on the list of things wrong with the SS. meh
 
One thing the exhaust video shows is that a stainless steel exhaust would be a good investment.
 
Near Disneyland here in Southern California.

I'm sure your real question is "how do you know of these? Did you just pull this off of g.maps?" I lived in Warren county. I've logged more miles than many truckers driving the shit out most roads between STL and columbia.

:lol: I figured you were a local or used to be local. Love those roads.. My friend's Contour SVT out there all the time and reach some very scary speeds. That's his handling car, and my another of my friend's take his 95 Z28...which makes for interesting runs: great handling car vs balls of steel. :lol:


ANYONE who gets better than 28mpg in a sports car exceeding 400hp is not driving it right! Most Turbo dodges can't realistically break 30mpg. The M3 and 190e are lucky to get mid 20's realistically. The v6 Pontiac G8 got what, 1mpg better than the v8, and that was only on the freeway? MPG wasn't really my point.

I drive the ever living fuck out of my cars. My TRACK mileage on the Miata is 22mpg on 87. That was lapping for 30 minutes straight around a road coarse in the desert and 90% of the time I was trying to put the gas pedal through the floor board.

Don't know about the G8 V6, but you're probably right. The LSX platform is very fuel efficient though, because they are all created with EXCELLENT torque curves as priority #1, peak hp #2.

My car now makes over 400hp (crank) and I can return 30mpg but I wouldn't consider it driving it wrong. Having a 6 speed really helps that mpg stay high. I'm not always going WOT, hardly ever. When I do go racing though...if you extrapolated it out to a full tank...I'd be looking at sub-10mpg ratings.

On to my actual point. It was more about having lighter engines. Which improve MPG, handling, acceleration... yeah I'm sure you know the marketing BS that goes with it all. Honda's K series of engines are quit light (390lbs with a god damned transaxle bolted to it!), powerful, responsive and fuel efficient. All this also means you can make other things lighter to save more weight.

Proof... look at the inverse of that point with the Mercedes CLK black edition. After they stripped it out it weighed MORE to put up with the power.



I figure they are like most car rear seats... pieces of foam attached to some particle board.

Just for comparison's sake, my engine WITH oil in it is 385lbs. I'm sure you've seen it compared in physical size and weight to other engines. 4bangers and 6 cylinders are getting HUGE these days. Pushrods FTW!

The seats are very similar to the GTO seats, and are pretty chunky.
 
They mainly added power, which wasn't on the list of things wrong with the SS. meh

Wrong. You must have missed a couple key points, like this whole section:

Drivetrain ? It is revised with a stronger driveshaft and rear axle system, featuring a larger and stronger cast iron differential housing, stronger axles and heavy-duty limited-slip differential. This patent-pending system is designed to ensure that ZL1's tremendous power is delivered smoothly to the ground.

Suspension ? The suspension features completely revised tuning and the inclusion of segment-exclusive Magnetic Ride Control. ZL1's Magnetic Ride system will include driver selectable modes (Tour and Sport) tailored for the preferred style of driving. It uses advanced magneto-rheological science to produce shock damping with the highest level of precision, enabling body control optimized for excellent performance in everyday driving as well as track situations. This technology appears on only a small roster of some of the world's finest performance cars. Other chassis elements are redesigned to support the car's high-performance limits. Rear stabilizer bars have drop links repositioned outboard of the control arms. This makes the bars more effective in controlling body roll in turns, with crisp response to driver commands.

Brakes and Steering ? Camaro ZL1 features an advanced track-capable braking system, developed in conjunction with experts from Brembo. The large 14.6-inch (370 mm) two-piece front rotors have six-piston calipers; the 14.4-inch (365 mm) rear rotors have four-piston calipers. ZL1 marks the entry of a new electric power steering system to Camaro. It is being developed to ensure precise control and feedback to the driver, with greater variability of effort for high-performance driving.

Exterior ? ZL1's signature from the front is the redesigned fascia and aluminum hood with a raised, carbon fiber insert. The fascia includes a front splitter and new vertical fog lamps. The fog lamp area includes air intakes designed for brake cooling. The hood features front-mounted air extractors that direct air precisely over the car. Visually, this center section, in satin black carbon fiber, communicates the car's high-performance intent as a visual contrast to the car's exterior color. Functionally, the air extractor is a key in connecting airflow closely to the bodywork, creating aerodynamic downforce. The carbon fiber center section reduces the mass of the hood. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and fog lamps are standard. The rear of the car includes a diffuser and spoiler, also functional elements that enhance the car's aerodynamics.

Nothing wrong with tons more power and torque though:D
 
:lol: I figured you were a local or used to be local. Love those roads.. My friend's Contour SVT out there all the time and reach some very scary speeds. That's his handling car, and my another of my friend's take his 95 Z28...which makes for interesting runs: great handling car vs balls of steel. :lol:
I used to live off highway U so I had a nice loop of highway U-94-B-i70 home. The section of 94 between those 2 highways is one of the best.

Don't know about the G8 V6, but you're probably right. The LSX platform is very fuel efficient though, because they are all created with EXCELLENT torque curves as priority #1, peak hp #2.

My car now makes over 400hp (crank) and I can return 30mpg but I wouldn't consider it driving it wrong. Having a 6 speed really helps that mpg stay high. I'm not always going WOT, hardly ever. When I do go racing though...if you extrapolated it out to a full tank...I'd be looking at sub-10mpg ratings.

I was quoting a friend of mine with a C5z. He can't realistically break 28mpg.


Just for comparison's sake, my engine WITH oil in it is 385lbs. I'm sure you've seen it compared in physical size and weight to other engines. 4bangers and 6 cylinders are getting HUGE these days. Pushrods FTW!

Keep in mind I was throwing in a weight with a transmission and accessories. A T-56 bolted to an LSx is gonna be near 600lbs.

so, did someone say "hey, we should show a very clear picture of the licence plate then go out and run the car to 150mph on a public road then lets post it on youtube!"

lol, oh my...

Not sure about Texas law, but in California the state has to prove who was driving it. They can't just ticket the licensed owner of the car. But yeah, that was pretty fucking stupid.
 
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Wrong. You must have missed a couple key points, like this whole section:

Nothing wrong with tons more power and torque though:D

Na I skimmed through it, they just didn't seem to put much emphasis on the suspension and steering changes in the press release. But now I realize that may be to discourage obvious comparisons with the 'Vette especially since they'll now be pretty close in price.
 
Sorry to bump this month-old-thread, but I think this might be relevant; As an answer to this, Ford's updated GT500 is rumored to get 620 hp...
Citing "well informed" sources, Car and Driver says the 2013 Shelby GT500 will feature a new 5.8-liter V8 which is a bored-out version of the current 5.4-liter V8. Furthermore, the model will be equipped with a TVS supercharger instead of an Eaton blower. Thanks to these changes, the engine could produce up to 620 hp (462 kW / 629 PS) which is 70 hp (52 kW / 71 PS) more than the current model.
 
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