TriShield
01-24-2012, 02:30 PM
Elevating The Muscle Car Rivalry To A Whole New Level
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/01-camaro-zl1-opt2.png
Ford versus Chevy. It's one of the greatest rivalries in the world, joining the likes of Coke versus Pepsi and Michigan versus Ohio State. While the Mustang and Camaro can't be credited as the first two vehicles to start the Blue Oval and Golden Bowtie wars, it's fair to say the two muscle cars kicked the battle into high gear in the 1960s.
Wherever there are rivals, you can be sure there will also be healthy levels of both respect and distaste for one another. In fact, emotions from Ford fans following the debut of both the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 culminated in Camaro lead engineer Al Oppenheiser being unwittingly cast in the lead role of another Downfall Hitler overdub spoof. Perhaps it was something he said...
Of course, none of this ZL1 versus GT500 smack-talk will amount to anything if either car isn't up to snuff. With that in mind, At Chevrolet's behest, we traveled to the Bondurant Road Course just south of Phoenix, Arizona to put the 2012 Camaro ZL1 through its paces.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead2-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead3-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead4-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
It used to be that the only meaningful bits of Camaro or Mustang performance data could be measured in a straight line. We're talking 0-60, 0-100 and the ever-important quarter-mile time and trap speed. Let's get them out of the way right now.
The Camaro ZL1's 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which shares its basic spec sheet with the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevy Corvette ZR1, puts out 580 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 556 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. The official 0-60 time is 3.9 seconds and the quarter mile is dispatched in 12 seconds flat. Top speed is listed as 184 miles per hour, thanks in part to an aero package that includes a new front fascia, a carbon fiber hood with functional air extractor vents and an undertray with NACA ducts for cooling.
Those data points still matter in a big way, and will undoubtedly be the most oft-quoted stats by Ford Fanatics and the Bowtie Brigade. But, these days, you've got to be able to do more than go fast in a straight line to impress the true diehards.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead6-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
And that's where the orange corner is placing its bets with the ZL1. Perhaps the most significant change to the ZL1 over its SS sibling, besides the supercharger, of course, are the magnetorheological dampers fitted at all four corners. We've seen this technology on a number of high-performance vehicles – from various Ferrari GTs to GM's own Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1 – but these shocks boast a new generation of both hardware and software that makes it all tick.
Chevrolet makes full use of the MR shocks' computer-controlled adjustability with the ZL1, and it pays big dividends on the track. The driver can choose from five settings using a trio of buttons just ahead of the shifter on the center console. A quick two-tap routine engages Performance Traction Management mode. The first stage of PTM is for adverse weather, and in the sunny climes of Arizona, we skipped it. PTM Mode Two affords moderately skilled drivers – even those unfamiliar with the car – the ability to have fun on a track with little danger of losing control. Modes Three and Four gradually allow more tire slip, stiffen up the Magnetic Ride Control and quicken the steering for drivers who have outgrown Mode Two.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead14-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead17-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead16-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead15-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
And then there's Mode Five. This is the setting Chevrolet recommends for the track, and it's tuned to improve lap times of even the most highly skilled drivers. It works. Countless algorithms are programmed into all facets of the car's most technological bits and pieces, particularly the MR shocks and traction control. The suspenders get race-car stiff and the rear wheels are allowed just the right amount of slip to help a trained driver eke out the most corner exit speed possible.
Thankfully, the ZL1's brakes have also been upgraded to cope with the power of its engine. The six-pot Brembo pistons clamp down hard on two-piece ventilated rotors up front, while single-piece rotors with four-piston calipers do the deed out back.
To say we were impressed by the overweight Camaro's ability at Bondurant would be an understatement. With an official curb weight of 4,120 pounds, this car should be more of a linebacker than a ballerina. And it is. But it's a linebacker wearing a fluffy pink tutu and those crazy lace-up shoes with blunt-tipped toe boxes... and we mean that in the best way possible. After all, the ZL1 rather impressively managed to lap the Nürburgring in seven minutes and 41 seconds. That's almost 40 seconds quicker around the 'Ring than the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/20-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd-opt.png
If there's one place its devotees would expect the ZL1 to shine, it's at the drag strip. Bowtie fans will not be disappointed. The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will easily eat up 1,320 feet of asphalt and spit out a time slip in the low-12-second range. We know, we tested it in far-from-ideal conditions ourselves and have slips to prove it. It won't take much more than good weather, a manicured track surface and adequate seat time to drop a few tenths from the mid-12s at 114 miles per hour that we instantly recorded.
Part of the ZL1's race-car-in-drag performance can be attributed to good old-fashioned horsepower and wide, sticky tires. There are 20-inch forged alloy wheels at all four corners, available in either black 10-spoke or polished five-spoke designs, to which 285-front and 305-rear Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are mounted.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/01-camaro-zl1-opt2.png
Ford versus Chevy. It's one of the greatest rivalries in the world, joining the likes of Coke versus Pepsi and Michigan versus Ohio State. While the Mustang and Camaro can't be credited as the first two vehicles to start the Blue Oval and Golden Bowtie wars, it's fair to say the two muscle cars kicked the battle into high gear in the 1960s.
Wherever there are rivals, you can be sure there will also be healthy levels of both respect and distaste for one another. In fact, emotions from Ford fans following the debut of both the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 culminated in Camaro lead engineer Al Oppenheiser being unwittingly cast in the lead role of another Downfall Hitler overdub spoof. Perhaps it was something he said...
Of course, none of this ZL1 versus GT500 smack-talk will amount to anything if either car isn't up to snuff. With that in mind, At Chevrolet's behest, we traveled to the Bondurant Road Course just south of Phoenix, Arizona to put the 2012 Camaro ZL1 through its paces.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead2-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead3-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead4-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
It used to be that the only meaningful bits of Camaro or Mustang performance data could be measured in a straight line. We're talking 0-60, 0-100 and the ever-important quarter-mile time and trap speed. Let's get them out of the way right now.
The Camaro ZL1's 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which shares its basic spec sheet with the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevy Corvette ZR1, puts out 580 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 556 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. The official 0-60 time is 3.9 seconds and the quarter mile is dispatched in 12 seconds flat. Top speed is listed as 184 miles per hour, thanks in part to an aero package that includes a new front fascia, a carbon fiber hood with functional air extractor vents and an undertray with NACA ducts for cooling.
Those data points still matter in a big way, and will undoubtedly be the most oft-quoted stats by Ford Fanatics and the Bowtie Brigade. But, these days, you've got to be able to do more than go fast in a straight line to impress the true diehards.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead6-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
And that's where the orange corner is placing its bets with the ZL1. Perhaps the most significant change to the ZL1 over its SS sibling, besides the supercharger, of course, are the magnetorheological dampers fitted at all four corners. We've seen this technology on a number of high-performance vehicles – from various Ferrari GTs to GM's own Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1 – but these shocks boast a new generation of both hardware and software that makes it all tick.
Chevrolet makes full use of the MR shocks' computer-controlled adjustability with the ZL1, and it pays big dividends on the track. The driver can choose from five settings using a trio of buttons just ahead of the shifter on the center console. A quick two-tap routine engages Performance Traction Management mode. The first stage of PTM is for adverse weather, and in the sunny climes of Arizona, we skipped it. PTM Mode Two affords moderately skilled drivers – even those unfamiliar with the car – the ability to have fun on a track with little danger of losing control. Modes Three and Four gradually allow more tire slip, stiffen up the Magnetic Ride Control and quicken the steering for drivers who have outgrown Mode Two.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead14-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead17-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead16-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/lead15-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd.jpg
And then there's Mode Five. This is the setting Chevrolet recommends for the track, and it's tuned to improve lap times of even the most highly skilled drivers. It works. Countless algorithms are programmed into all facets of the car's most technological bits and pieces, particularly the MR shocks and traction control. The suspenders get race-car stiff and the rear wheels are allowed just the right amount of slip to help a trained driver eke out the most corner exit speed possible.
Thankfully, the ZL1's brakes have also been upgraded to cope with the power of its engine. The six-pot Brembo pistons clamp down hard on two-piece ventilated rotors up front, while single-piece rotors with four-piston calipers do the deed out back.
To say we were impressed by the overweight Camaro's ability at Bondurant would be an understatement. With an official curb weight of 4,120 pounds, this car should be more of a linebacker than a ballerina. And it is. But it's a linebacker wearing a fluffy pink tutu and those crazy lace-up shoes with blunt-tipped toe boxes... and we mean that in the best way possible. After all, the ZL1 rather impressively managed to lap the Nürburgring in seven minutes and 41 seconds. That's almost 40 seconds quicker around the 'Ring than the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/20-2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-fd-opt.png
If there's one place its devotees would expect the ZL1 to shine, it's at the drag strip. Bowtie fans will not be disappointed. The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will easily eat up 1,320 feet of asphalt and spit out a time slip in the low-12-second range. We know, we tested it in far-from-ideal conditions ourselves and have slips to prove it. It won't take much more than good weather, a manicured track surface and adequate seat time to drop a few tenths from the mid-12s at 114 miles per hour that we instantly recorded.
Part of the ZL1's race-car-in-drag performance can be attributed to good old-fashioned horsepower and wide, sticky tires. There are 20-inch forged alloy wheels at all four corners, available in either black 10-spoke or polished five-spoke designs, to which 285-front and 305-rear Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are mounted.