mmarshall

I pulled this article out of the latest Road and Track (which I subscribe to). It confirms that the long-awaited 2012 Camaro ZL-1 is on the way. It will use the 6MT from the Cadillac CTS-V and (essentially) the same powerplant.....a 550 HP 6.2L LS-8 V8 with 550 ft-lbs. of torque (and, yes, with push-rods), making this arguably the most powerful factory-stock Camaro in history, though, because of different power-rating methods today, one cannot necessarily compare the figures directly to the rare 1969 ZL-1 models (only 69 were built) and its 7.0L, 427-cubic-inch V8. The old ZL-1's 427, for insurance purposes, was somewhat underated (430 HP and 450 ft-lbs)....as were a number of the muscle-cars of that era.

Last year, I reviewed both the Ford Mustang GT and the Camaro SS......I much-preferred the SS, despite its somewhat cheapish and poorly-designed interior (retro, with the secondary gauges on the floor). The SS's road manners, and particularly its 6-speed manual, were, IMO, noticeably better than the Mustang's....and the Camaro didn't have the annoying forced 1-4-skip-shift feature the Mustang had, which sometimes, depending on driving conditions, blocked out 2nd and 3rd gears.














http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-c...let-camaro-zl1

We’ve referred to it as the Z28 for almost two years. Chevy, however, is calling its new high-performance Camaro the ZL1, and this 550-bhp pony car will be the most potent Camaro ever. Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser and Program Engineering Manager Tony Roma have provided the details on the car, which will have stand*ard Magnetic Ride Control damping.

In 2006, when John Heinricy was head of Performance Vehicle Operations, he made sure the Camaro could someday house a larger differential and bigger rear tires. Slight changes to the floorpan created the space. As such, the ZL1 retains its stock chassis and bodywork. Only the hood and fascias are changed externally. The standard fenders house the 305-width rear tires, while the aluminum hood is modified with a black carbon-fiber vent for clearance over the supercharger and heat extraction.



The ZL1 is designed to shine on road courses and dragstrips, with the Shelby GT500 as its benchmark. Says Oppenheiser: “The ZL1 takes the SS to a new level. Roughly 30 percent of the car has been engineered to go out and dominate…our new leadership has told us we don’t just compete anymore, we win.”

From pistons to tires, the ZL1 has been built to take abuse. The word “beefy” was in every other sentence describing the drivetrain components. In back, the asymmetric halfshafts and clutch-type limited-slip differential are built to handle repeated drop-clutch launches.

New ZL1-specific forged wheels are shod with custom Goodyears. The wheels and tires are lighter than those on the SS, even though they are larger. There are still 10 months left in the ZL1’s development, so the tire has another round of changes before being finalized. Rather than focus on a square tire setup (same size rubber front and rear) to aid cornering performance, GM says it will do this via tweaks to the rear suspension, anti-roll bar and tire compounds.



A 6-speed manual from the CTS-V will be standard, with shorter throws than in the current SS. A smaller steering wheel with improved ergonomics will be welcomed by performance drivers, and the smaller shift **** is said to offer a more natural feel. The seats are basically unchanged, but they will have vibrant stitching and suede inserts. Updated gauges will feature a shift light or indicator, plus a standard head-up display.

Other neat ZL1 technology includes electric-assist power steering and exhaust flapper valves. As for launch control, we can expect the ZL1 to have it, and maybe the Performance Traction Management from the Corvette ZR1. This might alter bracket racing forever, with repeated sub-12-second quarter mile passes a real possibility. Look for the ZL1 early next year, priced at about $50,000.

lamar411

i wonder what the price will be.

grabber2

I'm guessing $45K

mmarshall

The article, BTW, guesses factory-sticker around 50K. Like you, I'd also guess 45-50.

Factory-sticker, probably yes, but after the inevitable dealer mark-ups, it's almost sure to be more than that. Even run-of-the-mill SS models, listing in the mid-high 30s, were dealer-marked up to 50K and over when they first came out a couple of years ago.

JessePS

Seeing it is a Chevy, so there is a possibility that the steering wheel might come off while driving

Nice specs though, it just needs more power. Seeing that Mustang coming out with like 800 hp

mmarshall

Just adding more horses isn't always what it's cracked up to be. With 800 HP and a heavy right foot, the limitations on street-legal tires can sometimes cause an excessive amount of wheel spin (which means you just sit there in white smoke, ruining an expensive set of tires, and go nowhere) or bog down the traction control/VSC to the point where a fair amount of that massive torque is filitered out before the rear-tires can grip and get you rolling. That is sometimes a problem on the 600-700 HP Mercedes AMG products, too....some of them have over 700 ft-lbs. of torque.

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

It will be the same price as a GT500, $48k.

What amazes me is you can buy a stock 550 hp car for less then $50k

Motor

http://youtu.be/Xb4DT-cwUbs

Have a listen to the LSA.

CDNROCKIES

I'm confused?

The 2011 ZL1 is a 750 hp limited edition (only 69 built) that is much more intriguing than this 2012 model. It's also $80K on top of the base, manual SS.

http://slpcamaro.com/zl-models/zl1/

mmarshall

The 2011 ZL-1 models produced that you refer to (69 of them) appear to be aftermarket-conversions, with some SLP parts....not factory-built originals. That's why it's 80K over the price of a base SS. The 2012s will be Chevy-built, at the plant, with full-warranties.....though we don't know how many will be built (the article doesn't say).