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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
This road rocket blends ’60s nostalgia with modern technology.
by kim reynoldsPublished: February 01, 2012
If you’re a car buff like I am, you’ve probably idled away far too many weekend hours watching the Barrett-Jackson auctions on the Speed channel. The show’s plot couldn’t be simpler: One by one, classic cars (some of them a lot more classic than others) roll onto a stage where they encounter a rapid-fire auction that’s replete with tense glances, sweating brows, flattering camera angles, and a shouted “SOLD!” as the gavel bangs down and the bewildered car rolls away. Right on its heels, another one rolls into place.
The Barrett-Jackson auctions specialize in 1950’s and 1960’s American cars – in particular, Mustangs, Camaros, ’57 Chevys and Corvettes. In fact, it isn’t unusual for a whole string of Camaros to be gaveled off the stage, one after another, production line-like, with the really rare ones hitting a hundred-grand apiece. That’s right, apiece. To which I mindlessly shout back at the screen, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” or “That’s nuts!” or other things I’d better not repeat.
That’s not to say that I don’t get the attraction of these old Camaros. They really are beautiful cars, but let me gently break the hard, bitter truth to you – they also steer like bowls of day-old oatmeal, stop like cargo freighters and aren’t nearly as fast as their rumbling exhausts suggest.
No, the good old days of the American ponycar are happening right now. The latest Mustang Boss 302, for instance, is a genuinely fast car (0 to 60 mph in about four seconds), its manual 6-speed transmission shifts like a Porsche’s, it’s got great handling, and it delivers 26 mpg on the highway.
And now, in the back-and-forth competitive spirit of the ’60’s ponycar wars, Chevrolet has created the fastest, most ferocious Camaro ever made. Ever. Whereas Camaros from the swinging ’60s were violins with one string to play – straightline acceleration – the new Camaro ZL1 has grown up on Germany’s notorious 14.7-mile, zillion-turn, roller-coaster Nurburgring racetrack, the place where all the great European sports cars are developed these days.
Astonishingly, the ZL1’s rousing 7-minute, 41.27-second lap time has actually beaten some Lamborghini Murcielagos and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs. And the ZL1 costs a fraction of their price: $54,995 – and that includes the destination charge. Wow.
Much of that lap time derives from its big rubber (285-mm wide up front, 305-mm in back), giant brakes (the fronts are six-piston, 14.6-inch Brembos), and its remarkable Magnetic Ride Control – GM-speak for magneto-rheological shock absorbers, which employ fast-acting magnets to almost instantly vary the shocks’ damping rate.
But the real story is what’s lurking beneath the ZL1’s carbon-fiber hood bulge. Historically, the name “ZL1” was applied to a famously small batch of 427-cubic-inch aluminum racing engines (69 in total) that were wedged into otherwise production Camaros. The new ZL1 Camaro is powered by an aluminum V8 as well, but in this case, it’s a 6.2-liter (376 cubic inch) engine fed pressurized air via an intercooled supercharger. Output? An impressive 580 horsepower and 556 lb.-ft. of torque. If you don’t comprehend what that means, consider that it’s more than the Ferrari 458 Italia, one of the fastest cars in the world. Coupled to it is a beefy 6-speed manual transmission, a heavy-duty driveshaft, and toughened differential and rear axles. Its 0-to-60 time is easily south of four seconds.
The coda here is that with the noose tightening on the automotive mileage requirements, it’s very possible we won’t see a Camaro this ferocious again. So now is maybe your last chance to buy a Camaro capable of smoking every single one of its ancestors at those Barrett-Jackson auctions.
Kim Reynolds is testing director of Motor Trend magazine.
STAT SHEET
Who should drive this car: If you’re old enough to have envied that guy in high school who had a fast 1960’s Camaro, now’s your chance to own a much, much faster one – with air bags, sanitized emissions and comparatively respectable mileage, too – for a fraction of his car’s price today.
How does it drive: The Camaro ZL1 is a heavy car – and feels like it. But the car’s acceleration, stopping and nicely balanced handling (a big improvement over previous editions) are nothing short of amazing.
MPG: city 14, highway 19, combined 16
Cost: base price: $54,995, which includes a $900 destination charge
Comparable: Ford Mustang Boss 302, Dodge Challenger SRT8
Fact: Available for sale on Sept. 29, 1966, the Chevrolet Camaro was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird.
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The Barrett-Jackson auctions specialize in 1950’s and 1960’s American cars – in particular, Mustangs, Camaros, ’57 Chevys and Corvettes. In fact, it isn’t unusual for a whole string of Camaros to be gaveled off the stage, one after another, production line-like, with the really rare ones hitting a hundred-grand apiece. That’s right, apiece. To which I mindlessly shout back at the screen, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” or “That’s nuts!” or other things I’d better not repeat. That’s not to say that I don’t get the attraction of these old Camaros. They really are beautiful cars, but let me gently break the hard, bitter truth to you – they also steer like bowls of day-old oatmeal, stop like cargo freighters and aren’t nearly as fast as their rumbling exhausts suggest. No, the good old days of the American ponycar are happening right now. The latest Mustang Boss 302, for instance, is a genuinely fast car (0 to 60 mph in about four seconds), its manual 6-speed transmission shifts like a Porsche’s, it’s got great handling, and it delivers 26 mpg on the highway. And now, in the back-and-forth competitive spirit of the ’60’s ponycar wars, Chevrolet has created the fastest, most ferocious Camaro ever made. Ever. Whereas Camaros from the swinging ’60s were violins with one string to play – straightline acceleration – the new Camaro ZL1 has grown up on Germany’s notorious 14.7-mile, zillion-turn, roller-coaster Nurburgring racetrack, the place where all the great European sports cars are developed these days. Astonishingly, the ZL1’s rousing 7-minute, 41.27-second lap time has actually beaten some Lamborghini Murcielagos and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs. And the ZL1 costs a fraction of their price: $54,995 – and that includes the destination charge. Wow. Much of that lap time derives from its big rubber (285-mm wide up front, 305-mm in back), giant brakes (the fronts are six-piston, 14.6-inch Brembos), and its remarkable Magnetic Ride Control – GM-speak for magneto-rheological shock absorbers, which employ fast-acting magnets to almost instantly vary the shocks’ damping rate. But the real story is what’s lurking beneath the ZL1’s carbon-fiber hood bulge. Historically, the name “ZL1” was applied to a famously small batch of 427-cubic-inch aluminum racing engines (69 in total) that were wedged into otherwise production Camaros. The new ZL1 Camaro is powered by an aluminum V8 as well, but in this case, it’s a 6.2-liter (376 cubic inch) engine fed pressurized air via an intercooled supercharger. Output? An impressive 580 horsepower and 556 lb.-ft. of torque. If you don’t comprehend what that means, consider that it’s more than the Ferrari 458 Italia, one of the fastest cars in the world. Coupled to it is a beefy 6-speed manual transmission, a heavy-duty driveshaft, and toughened differential and rear axles. Its 0-to-60 time is easily south of four seconds. The coda here is that with the noose tightening on the automotive mileage requirements, it’s very possible we won’t see a Camaro this ferocious again. So now is maybe your last chance to buy a Camaro capable of smoking every single one of its ancestors at those Barrett-Jackson auctions. Kim Reynolds is testing director of Motor Trend magazine. STAT SHEET Who should drive this car: If you’re old enough to have envied that guy in high school who had a fast 1960’s Camaro, now’s your chance to own a much, much faster one – with air bags, sanitized emissions and comparatively respectable mileage, too – for a fraction of his car’s price today. How does it drive: The Camaro ZL1 is a heavy car – and feels like it. But the car’s acceleration, stopping and nicely balanced handling (a big improvement over previous editions) are nothing short of amazing. MPG: city 14, highway 19, combined 16 Cost: base price: $54,995, which includes a $900 destination charge Comparable: Ford Mustang Boss 302, Dodge Challenger SRT8 Fact: Available for sale on Sept. 29, 1966, the Chevrolet Camaro was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird. |
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