LMR Cranks Camaro ZL1 1LE to the Max with 300 Extra Wheel HP
Along with the 850 package, this Camaro ZL1 1LE got a ported blower and bigger throttle body with mind-blowing results.
As it sits, the Camaro ZL1 1LE is already a formidable machine, touting all kinds of impressive parts like a functional carbon fiber wing designed in a Formula 1 wind tunnel, Multimatic aluminum-bodied spool-valve dampers, coupled with an already-powerful powerplant that gives it tremendous performance straight off the showroom floor. The ZL1 1LE was designed to carve up tracks, of course, and it does a fine job of that, with a max lateral acceleration of 1.18 g – a figure higher than just about anything out there (save for the very best of the best). However, as is the case with everything in life, even the Camaro ZL1 1LE can be made better.
Look no further than Late Model Racecraft as proof of that concept, as they recently finished working on this customer’s Camaro Zl1 1LE and simply needed to show off their work. This particular car is equipped with what LMR calls its “850 horsepower package on steroids,” which consists of things like a custom ground cam, a beefed up valve train, long tube headers, a unique calibration and dyno tune, along with various other bits and pieces.
However, in this case, LMR went a few steps further by adding a 103mm throttle body, as well as a port job on the 1.7-liter supercharger to unleash a bit more power. In fact, while the normal 850 package results in around 700 wheel horsepower on 93 octane pump gas or 750 on E85, this car laid down a whopping 895 horsepower and 816 pound-feet of torque at the wheels, which is a rather hefty difference for nothing more than a couple of relatively simple upgrades.
In this case, the owner of this Camaro ZL1 1LE is a bit of a weekend warrior, one who takes his car to meets and participating in some 60-130 mph races, but not so much the drag strip or a road course of any kind. The flex fuel capability is nice to have in that case, and obviously, this car is a hoot to drive on the street, to the point where LMR actually swaps out the sticky stock tires for a set of Mickey Thompsons on Weld wheels before heading out for a test drive on this hot summer day.
With that taken care of, the car completes a 60-130 mph run in 5.61 seconds, which is Bugatti Veyron territory – not too bad, we’d say, particularly for a car that’s designed to be more of a track weapon than a straight-line maven. However, as is usually the case, an extra 300 or so horsepower will make just about anything quick in that type of setting.
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