The results are pretty impressive for a street-legal car with no modifications: the six-speed automatic-equipped ZL1 ran the quarter mile in 11.93 seconds at 116 mph; a ZL1 with the six-speed manual did the same run in 11.96 seconds at 117 mph. Chevrolet already put the ZL1 through its paces at Germany’s famed Nürburgring, clocking in a lap time of just 7:41.27. Other performance credentials for the Camaro ZL1 include a 0-60 mph time of a scant four seconds with the manual or 3.9 seconds with the automatic, and a top speed 184 mph.
Part of the stock kit for the ZL1 includes a 9.9-inch rear differential with a differential cooler that can lower the temperature by 100 degrees under heavy usage. To quell wheel hop, the ZL1 features asymmetrical half-shafts that work with the limited-slip diff and launch control (on manual-equipped cars) to create the smoothest and fastest launch possible. Chevy’s engineers also tuned the ZL1′s exclusive Performance Traction Management program for the drag strip with maximum performance in mind from the Magnetic Ride Control, stability and traction control, and electric power steering. In fact, the ZL1′s launch control features a mode specifically setup for drag strip launches (mode 5).
As a refresher, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is powered by a 580-hp 556-lb-ft supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V-8 engine and starts at $54,995 including the destination charge.
However, the Camaro ZL1 can get ever faster at the drag strip – Lingenfelter just tested its upgraded ZL1 and was able to put down a 10.79 quarter-mile time at a trap speed of 134.36 mph. Lingenfelter’s kits up the super-Camaro’s horsepower count to anywhere from 630 to 700 hp; the car they ran the quarter mile in put down some 720 hp at the wheels. To net that extra second, it will cost an additional $11,245 in Lingenfelter extras.
