I know this is a camaro site, but this makes me really excited about the next gen corvette after all this. Hard to say you are late to the game when you have something like this ZL1. Who knows...maybe we will see some tech move up the food chain to the C7. Except it will likely have direct injection.

 

That is an impressive time for the camaro ZL1.

 

to run those times i am thinking it has around 600hp esp. that its heavy......

 

I finally got to watch the video. I can't be the only one that thinks the A6 version might be a tad quicker can I?

 

All the pictures I see of this 'ring driving ZL1 show it with a cage. Will the production car have a cage?

 

Not likely. I think that they just used it for safety reasons. I want to say the last ZR1 and Z06 runs had a cage too.

 

Wouldn't a cage significantly tighten the chassis and improve handling?

 

on a stock car i doubt it would do much.

 

I just watched the video. That car is one astounding piece of kit. I wonder how it will handle in the production release? I would imagine they would have a restrictor on the speed? Any word on that?

 

Yes, a cage would certainly improve the handling if it ,was done right. You have to assume that it was done right.

 

This.

 

I would hope that GM lets the ZL1 run free with no governors on the speed! I would think that probably it will be a case of drag limited as opposed to a governor. I am guessing somewhere in the 190's it would be drag limited! The ZR1 tops at 205 I believe, but the Vette has better aerodynamics than the Camaro does. Plus the CTS-V I think tops out at 190, probably a bit better for the ZL1.

 

yes and I posted saying adnauseum wondering if anyone would listen...


Wasnt too long ago someone up the chain when talking about the camaro, and I think it may have been Bob Lutz who said this;

"You always want a couple more horse power in the Vette than in other cars."

To me that made NO sense on any level what so ever. If the Vette is more expensive because it is a 2 seater upscale sports car that helps it handle better, why the need to short change the Camaro against its competitors? If the more expensive components lower slung lighter car is an advantage that will stand on its own.

The Camaro was often seen as a cheap Vette.

While that is true to an extent. BMW was one of the first to really push the idea that a coupe or sedan can handle almost on bar with a 2 seater coupe.

With GM's LS drive trains I always thought it was nuts that GM didnt seem to have a contender performance wise without the pricy interior and expensive stuff.

Throw another sacred cow on the barbie!

 

Ha, no he didn't say directly that he was scared. This is what he did say at the time though:

 

I think the reason that was said was to not create competition within chevrolet. Pricing aside, because we don't know it, people may cross shop a base corvette and a ZL1. Why would I buy a new vette, our a slightly used Z06, when I could get a new ZL1 with more power, and better suspension/handling for (allegedly) a similar price? Competition is good, but bad within the same company. Ford doesn't really have that problem, so they aren't scared to step on its own toes.
Like I said before though, it does make me excited for the next gen corvette as we make a step forward with a new power plant (smaller displacement with direct injection I'm betting), and it may find itself in the camaro later on. Unfortunately, we won't know more on that until the ZL1 had been selling so they don't steal sales from it.