The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is a big-numbers car. From the 640 horsepower its supercharged V8 engine produces to the amount of heads it’ll turn with its aggressive and muscular styling…
…to the total quantity of gears in its transmission?
Yep. No other production car has a 10-speed automatic as an available gearbox like the new ZL1 does. The Hydra-Matic transmission has a 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, which Chevrolet says “enhances off-the-line performance with an aggressive first gear ratio of 4.70. Smaller steps between the gears also help the engine maintain the optimal speed for maximum power at almost all vehicle speeds, especially when exiting a corner on a track.”
According to Chevy, the 10-speed’s 1-2 upshifts are 36 percent quicker than those of Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK unit. The 2-3 upshifts are reportedly 27 percent faster, while the 3-4 upshifts are 26 percent more rapid.
On top of all that, the new transmission, which is roughly the size of the eight-speed box available in other sixth-generation Camaros, has a lower top gear ratio than the eight-cog tranny, allowing the engine to run at a lower speed on the highway.
We can’t wait to see more numbers from the ZL1 – those it nails down at the drag strip when it goes head to head with a PDK-equipped Porsche.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
