Before the experienced staff of Driving Mag
happily took to the task of test driving the Camaro
line's arsenal of V8 powered cars, they started their weekly article with an
interesting thought: “In the old days you used to be able to build some weird
cars”. Even though there are many car aficionados out there that greatly
appreciated the ability to customize every single inch of a car, it is true
that cars today come in pretty well-defined packages.
Features writer Clayton Seams was very excited to
officially spread the word that there ARE still exceptions out there, and Chevy
still allows you to “have it your way” in terms of pairing the 1LE track
package with all four available Camaro engines. You also can order a track
package on a Camaro with any engine you want, and any level of trim. This gives
the driver the ultimate chance to focus on whether they want to travel at
breakneck speeds or zoom in on feeling more comfortable while they do so. The
reporting team on duty here would recommend that you see us at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis
soon to heap your plate high with a supercharged 6.2-liter ZL1, and the full
luxury treatment in regards to interior!
The first car the team jumped into was the SS 1LE
with a manual transmission and the naturally-aspirated 455-horsepower 6.2-liter
V8. This is as close as can be found to a classic muscle car formula in the
Chevy lineup, and the drivers had a massive amount of fun with it right off the
bat. They claimed happily that the 6.2-liter was apt at stretching its legs,
and the wide torque band meant that much fewer shifts were called for. Upgraded
four-piston bakes provided a great feel when really laying into corners hard,
doing well at fulfilling their duty.
Next up for speculation was the top-of-the-line
ZL1, stacked complete with supercharger and generating a full 650 hp. Deemed
automatically as a “completely different animal” from the SS, the harder this
car was pushed, the better it stuck to the track. Its flanks are lined
stealthily with aero bits, helping the car stay glued to the pavement at every
second. The team felt like true Formula One drivers while hammering down
through gear after gear in the braking zones, and reflected that they could
drive through a turn with the best in satisfaction no matter what gear you are
in.
Some of the best moments of the day were while
they all unleashed the full 650 hp, as Clayton claimed that they could
accelerate faster than the needle could even move. What's most exciting is the
fact that the 1LE package opens up the potential of the track's raw excitement
and offers up a track car for the masses. This crew ranked the SS as the
all-around most fun, but closing with the very serious sentiment that there's
“no substitute on Earth” for the mighty ZL1!