5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

The sixth-generation has spawned its highly anticipated ZL1 track monster. Here are all the key things you need to know....
5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

More power, less weight

5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

As with the previous ZL1, the new car is powered by a General Motors LT4 6.2-litre supercharged V8. This time though, it’s a lot pokier, with 631bhp and 640lb ft available - up from 572bhp and 556lb ft.

It’s also 90kg lighter than the old car, and while there are no performance stats just yet, expect the 3.8 second 0-60mph and 11.94sec quarter-mile times of the previous gen machine to tumble.

All the gears!

5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

You can have your ZL1 with a six-speed manual gearbox, but there is the option of an automatic. A 10-speed automatic.

You can have your ZL1 one as either a manual (pictured) or an automatic
You can have your ZL1 one as either a manual (pictured) or an automatic

It’s a conventional torque converter auto with paddle shifters rather than being a dual-clutcher, and it’s a transmission we’ll be seeing a lot more of, with GM installing the many cogged ‘box in eight of its cars by 2018.

The brakes are gigantic

5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Sat under the ZL1’s 20-inch forged wheels are a set of massive two-piece brake rotors. Chevrolet hasn’t said how big the rear brakes are, but up front we have 390mm discs with six-piston Brembo monoblock callipers.

It's all about maximum grip

5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

The new ZL1 picks up where its predecessor left off - continuing to smash stereotypes concerning muscle cars and corners. We have a set of adaptive magnetic dampers - controlled via a Driver Mode Selector - an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, and something called Performance Traction Management.

To aid handling further, there’s a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tyres developed especially for the Camaro. The bodywork does its bit too: there’s a new spoiler at the rear, a larger front splitter, wider front wings and unique side skirts.

It has a clever bonnet

5 Things You Need To Know About The New Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

The bonnet, sorry hood of the ZL1 is no ordinary hood. There’s a special carbonfibre insert and heat extractor in the middle, which should help keep the 631bhp supercharged monster under there nice and cool.

The ZL1 goes on sale later this year, for an as-yet undisclosed price.

Sponsored Posts

Comments

Jared G.

Man I can’t wait to see how hardcore the z28 varient is gonna be when it is revealed

03/17/2016 - 12:36 |
16 | 2

Possibly a LSx fitted in?

03/17/2016 - 14:34 |
2 | 2
Mario L

Lol there will be a manual btw

03/17/2016 - 13:05 |
4 | 0
Turbo Prius

10 speed? The Camaro is now officially a lorry.

03/17/2016 - 13:23 |
92 | 2

Also Fast&Furious approved

03/17/2016 - 19:52 |
4 | 0

New Jeep (whose name escapes me) did it first with a 9-speed automatic.

To be a lorry you need minimum 12, preferably 14.

03/17/2016 - 23:41 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Honestly i never thought id word a sentence like this but, that looks dope as hell

03/17/2016 - 13:36 |
4 | 2
Max Schmalfuß

Hope the guys from Jalopnik don’t see that, otherwise they’re crash another one

03/17/2016 - 13:49 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

With that 10 speed gearbox I expect 6310HP and 6400 lb/ft.

03/17/2016 - 14:06 |
8 | 0
James Boerema
  1. The last generation used a supercharged LSA V8 as found in the CTS-V of the same vintage.
  2. 10 speed auto is shared with Ford Raptor; not an economy slush box.
  3. Muscle cars can turn since the Boss 302, released six years ago, get over it.
03/17/2016 - 14:29 |
0 | 0

I believe it’s been since the Trans-Am, for real.

03/17/2016 - 15:02 |
0 | 0
bctlegendary

Fast and furious official car..

03/17/2016 - 14:48 |
2 | 0
TacomaMan14

Christ its got the transmission from a combine harvester…

03/17/2016 - 14:51 |
4 | 2
Jordan Mellinger

Quick correction the previous ZL1 has the LSA not the LT4 under the hood.

As for the auto just because it has 10 speeds doesn’t mean it has to use them all. I suspect in normal driving it would start out in 2nd gear instead of 1st and that gears 8 and 10 are overdrive. So in spirited driving it would start in 1st gear and have 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 9th gears at it’s disposal. That would make it a 8 speed for transmission when you push it. And that would be similar to offering for almost every company. While this is just my speculation I would be willing to bet that it’s the case, so you can gain some fuel economy in the day to day use and still have the gear ratios for when it counts.

03/17/2016 - 15:05 |
6 | 0