2012 Camaro ZL1

[AutoInsane]

This car should have been called the Z28. But.... I must admit, it is pretty damn cool getting a supercharged 550hp engine from the factory! The interior also looks pretty nice too!! But it just kills me they called it the ZL1. Just does not sit right....

Oh,the goofy front end with all of those fog lights should go!

[PxTx]

Yeah, there is debate about what engine this car should have and what name. How about the suspension? If it is using the CTS-V stuff seems pretty cutting edge. Are the aftermarket cars capable of offering an equally performing package?

Seems with all of the electronic monitoring for the suspension and breaking and the fact the CTS-V is holding at Nürburgring, this might be just as important to discuss.

[jannes_z-28]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pxtx</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah, there is debate about what engine this car should have and what name. How about the suspension? If it is using the CTS-V stuff seems pretty cutting edge. Are the aftermarket cars capable of offering an equally performing package?

Seems with all of the electronic monitoring for the suspension and breaking and the fact the CTS-V is holding at Nürburgring, this might be just as important to discuss. </div></div>

Agree totally!, with the magnetic suspension and this engine package this car would be a killer.

I think that most of todays Camaro buyers are to young to relate to '69 ZL1s in a sentimental way that we &quot;old&quot; guys do. Most of todays buyers weren't even born in 69.

I think we should see it in another perspective. To have a new Camaro with a ZL1 badge will bring recognition and curiosity to the original ZL1. Look at the pressrelease from GM, they refer to the heritage of old Camaros.

It is also good for the Camaro brand to get a hot cool performer. I think that the Z28 name has lost some of its true potential with the gen 3 and 4 cars. They weren't really any performance cars to talk about compared to the rest of the lineup.

There will always be a market for dealer tuned Camaros but for the average guy to go and buy a 550Hp Camaro is OK for most customers. The true enthusiasts will always want more but they are few.

Jan

[70 copo]

The car as it is is likely not a Z28 simply due to the fact that GM could not skirt the build certifications and keep the car within the traditional Camaro price range. Car is going to be $20K over the price of a 1SS. Andy states above in post 443246 above that the LS-9 would have limited sales. I agree, however the ZL-1 name was associated with the COPO cars and was the top engine, so if you are true to history, you should be accurate in repeating it.

There is no denying this car was intended to be a Z28 from the get go and the car was in clay as early as 2008 with that great induction hood that SLP grabbed.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28710

Simply using the name z28 and cutting the fat to get the cost down would have boosted sales across the line. Instead we are left with a tarted up hood and some badges. Ford gets it with the new boss 302. Chevy might get it in (typical GM fashion) in 12 to 18 months from now. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/sleep.gif[/img]

[talwell]

I dont understand all the complaining here - this is a 550hp nearly supercar. 5 years ago none of us could have even imagined that Detroit would be pumping out such cars and now we have people complaining that they are missing the boat.

What should the ZL1 be? Should it bypass the ZR1? The CTS-V is already the fastest production sedan in the world and the ZL1 is based on that platform so I think GM did a good job on that one.

The only questionable thing I see is using the ZL1 model name rather than the Z-28 - but I am sure there is reasoning behind it. Lets wait and see what else they do but to date I extremely pleased with thier output. I took my $37k 2SS car, added a little engine work and forced induction and now have a 700hp monster that runs on pump gas and you would never know it is a 10 second car.

[sYc]

IMO, GM played all of their cards by naming this car ZL-1. Had GM called this a Z-28, if in the future they wanted to up the ante, say a real 427 Camaro, then they would have had ZL-1 as an option. Sort of like in '69.

[1969z280]

Maybe GM decided to steal the thunder from the aftermarket by using the ZL1 name first. They may be saving the Z28 nameplate for an 8,000 RPM small cubic inch light-weight edition to compete with the new Boss 302. Of course, it will take 3-4 years to come to market.

Or maybe they're just knucleheads?

[1969l78]

I like the car. Sure its cool to have 800+ hp but the 550hp will be waving at you when all you do is spin the tires. They need the SS badge like the SLP on the front grill. That big gold bow tie looks bad.

[resto4u]

Charley, you going to buy one, now that is built by gm instead of slp? I don't know why people are complaining about 550 hp from factory. If it is priced right, and built right it will sell. And if they build it strong, people will be able to get more power if wanted. For street use, how much horsepower do you really need? But i would like to see gm offer a drag car compared to the limited edition cobra jet or a 1LE or B4C camaro again.

[69 Post Sedan]

I went yesterday to see the show, specifically the ZL1 and it was one of if not THE hottest car there. I really like the looks of the car and the 550 hp with a 6-Speed will be fun to drive. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/[/img]

If the LSA motor is 376 cubic inches why should that be a Z28? They only had 302 in the first gen cars. What GM should do is build a high revving all aluminum 5.3. IMO

Anyway, the car was beautiful and looked MEAN. There were a lot of people carrying FORD bags looking at the car! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]

Kurt