ZL1 Motor Splits Perfectly from Car in High-speed Colorado Wreck
Supercharged 6.2-liter mill is cleanly separated from the secondary cats and driveshaft on, suggesting damage originated from underneath.
Look, we get it. The Camaro ZL1 is an amazing, brutal track ninja that deserves to stretch its legs with intense jaunts here and there. However, it really goes without saying that if you’re going so fast that you end up crashing and ejecting your motor straight out of your car on a public road, you’re not just risking your own life but everyone else’s, too. Respect the speed limit. Save it for the track.
That being said, these unbelievable photos from the Aurora Police Traffic Section on Facebook last Thursday shows exactly what happens when you run 650 flywheel horses with reckless abandon on the road and lose control.
While Aurora PD did not disclose just how fast or the exact location of the crash, they did mention that the body and motor landed approximately 340 feet from the pavement. Still, a scenario like this is wholly uncommon, as there are pretty specific circumstances needed for an entire powerplant to egress an otherwise mutilated vehicle and look visually unscathed.
Furthermore, Aurora PD hasn’t released any info on the driver, nor any penalties levied. And by that measure, we’re assuming no one was seriously hurt or killed. Except for the poor sixth-gen ZL1, of course. Naturally, people flooded the comment section with offers to purchase the mill.
However, one user named Mike Varra claims to have “called in” the accident, and that there isn’t much left to use.”I called that car in this morning the only salvageable part off the body was the sun roof,” said Varra “…the oil pan was crushed into the crankcase, wiring harness ripped out obviously. The supercharger looked ok lol.”
While we’ll take the veracity of his statement with a grain of salt, it does logically make sense. There is plenty of dirt and grass on top of the blower, meaning it definitely took several tumbles before coming to a stop. In terms of physics, it makes sense that the oil pan would be severely pushed into the crankcase from sheer impact with the ground (hitting the bottom first). The car looks as though it rolled quite a bit as well, however it’s tough to determine whether the LT4 parted ways with the ZL1 before or during the rolling.
In any case, it is a very sad spectacle and a sore reminder to drive safely. And exercise common sense. Just because your car can smoke most other passenger cars on the road doesn’t mean you should do it.
Photos: Aurora Police Department
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