Chevrolet Camaro ZL1: the most powerful
Of course, General Motors has a very bad moment. His Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 580 h.p. debuted a few months after Ford, which inevitably conquered everyone with its Mustang Shelby GT500 from 650 hp Who cares about a car, no matter how amazing it is, if its closest competitor has more power, weighs less and costs the same?
But even if he stopped holding back a little Camaro remains an incredible machine. Indeed, with this power of 580 hp. he goes to the territory supercar (although it weighs 1.900 kg).
Supercar performance
The V8 6.2 with compressor is the same as the Cadillac CTS-V, but for this case it was equipped with larger air intakes and an active exhaust system taken from the Corvette ZR1. Therefore, it is obvious that it is much more powerful than the standard Camaro. In addition to the CV, changes include constant velocity pivots and a heavier rear differential with stiffer drive shafts to prevent bouncing under high acceleration. Brakes Brembo with six-piston calipers.
All aerodynamic changes are functional and allow for increased downforce. First, there is a bulge on the carbon fiber hood that houses the upward-mounted intercooler and draws in air from behind the radiator. There are sockets on the back of the flat floor. NACA which directs air to cool the transmission. Finally, at the bottom of the front grille (reminiscent of the Transformers Beetle) there are air intakes for cooling the brakes.
From the point of view suspensions la ZL1 mount magnetorheological shock absorbers third generation with two available settings, faster response time and increased control. These new suspensions are capable of self-adjusting up to 1.000 times per second and provide excellent front end stiffness when braking. IN alloy wheels 20" - Available in the standard ten-spoke black version or an optional five-spoke metal version - and Goodyear Eagle Supercar G: 2 save 10 kg of unsprung masses.
From track to road
All this painstaking work makes the Camaro ideal for transitioning from road to track without making the slightest change. The only performance related option is Automatic transmission six-speed, also designed for track use, lap by lap. Chevrolet announces 0-100-inch automatic version 3,9 seconds (a tenth less than the version with a manual transmission) and a maximum speed of 296 km / h (compared to 290 for the version with a manual transmission). But even if it is slower, the Camaro is better with a manual, not to mention the fact that it has launch control and an interesting control to keep the throttle pressed down when shifting gears.
Il Traction control system The ZL1 has five settings that progressively reduce traction and stability. In the last mode, Race, they almost never interfere: in order to wake them up, you have to do a really stupid maneuver. If you turn everything off, the ZL1 will go sideways, which is a miracle. It has a neutral balance that tends to oversteer, and when you're driving to the limit, the only problem is ill-fitting seats. On the track, it is so sharp that even the M3 fades.
On the road, the Camaro's considerable width is more problematic than on the track, but otherwise the ZL1 handles easily in traffic and is comfortable even over long distances. With her help, Chevrolet was able to turn the Camaro into a real GT.
Purchase problem
In the United States, the ZL1 will be priced at $ 54.995 42.000 (about € 1.300 € 2.600): a real deal in terms of cost and income, even if buyers in America have to pay another $ 500 in pollution tax (which goes up to 1 per version with a change ) .automatic), which is not in Shelby GTXNUMX. It's a real shame for Chevrolet: Shelby outperforms the ZLXNUMX in almost every way, but the Camaro remains one of the best in its class.
Unfortunately, finding it in European dealerships will be very difficult: according to Chevrolet, the chances are less than 50 percent. To convince her, we must first love (and import) the less powerful SS. The road is still long ...
