Chevrolet surprised everyone with an all-new Camaro variant a day ahead of the Daytona 500 yesterday. No, it wasn’t the 2018 Camaro Z/28, but it’s pretty darn close to being one.
The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was revealed with extra gear to further breed the track pedigree of the sixth-generation Camaro. And we say it’s close to a Z/28 because it uses identical suspension technology to pull off its agility.
The 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE takes the DSSV spool-valve dampers found on the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28 and puts them to good use. Along with the widest front tires ever fitted to a factory Camaro, 305s at the front and 325s at the rear, the 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE was able to clock a time three seconds faster than the standard Camaro ZL1 at GM’s proving grounds. The Camaro team is really outdoing themselves as of late.
So, get to know the Camaro ZL1 1LE in the video up above. We eagerly await additional information the track day beast ourselves.
Comments
Like everyone else, I thought the next Camaro introduction would be the Z/28. If this is what they are doing to the ZL1, I can’t imagine nor wait to see what kind of beast the Z/28 will be. Wow! If Ford was looking for an answer to the Mustang 350’s, this one must have smacked them right upside the head.
I suspect the Z/28 may be a non supercharged version of this car. A Grand Sport like package to make it potent but more affordable.
Oppenhieser stated the z is a natural aspirated model.
Another posibility is a high rev DOHC V8 that is coming.
No matter what it will not be disapointing.
After the release of this I kinda saw that, but I imagine just like Gen5 the Z/28 will stick even better than this one. With less weight over the front axle and all the other places they’ll cut weight the Z will be punching a lot of super cars right in the face. They have to do this so the traditionalist won’t miss the Vette when it goes mid-engine.
‘The problem is no matter the power and performance it is still not a Corvette.
I really do not see GM replacing the Corvette with the Camaro. They are not that not that nievie
to think people will make the change. People buy Corvettes because they are Corvettes no matter all other things.
Look for a entry level Vette at some point in the tranition that is midengine and aroun $70k.
Corvette people are Corvette people first and for most.
It is a myth that the engine is moved that the car in all forms needs to be Six figures.
I fully expect a full range of mid engine Corvettes at some point to cover $70k – $200k. Including a roadster.
The realities of today are V8 performance cars are no longer cheap and easy to make. The technology is expensive. The development it high and the volumes are no longer what they used to be.
There was a time you just rebodied a Chevy II and slapped in a
Corvette engine and made a proformance car that was cheap and easy to make. Today it takes a car build with a rpton of technology and high cost development.
There once was a time the Camaro was cheaper to make than the Corvair due to the volumes of the shared engineering and production of the engine and platform.
What I do see Ford and GM doing is turning the Mustang and Camaro into true global 2+2 coupes to go for global sales to keep them viable. Both need about 100k in sales and North America alone can not support that.
The bottom line don’t expect many to cross over from the Corvette to the Camaro.
They are two great cars targeting two different demographic.
You do realize ther is a crap load of C5 and 6 models out ther with few miles that most will turn to if they don’t want to spend the money on a new one.
There is just no cross over here and Chevy knows that hence the cheaper Stingray will have a affordable replacement a few years after the C8 arrives and it too will be a C8. Remember the ZR1 was over $130k but the C6 was still available for $55k. So they have the ability.
Mid engine cost only a little more to make. The real reason most mid engine cars are so expensive is because most are only built by small companies in volumes of 200 to 2000 units. GM will be looking at 20k – 25k once the entire C8 line is out. At that volume prices drop.
If the Mustang and Camaro do go global I hope they are able to retain most of their American character. My biggest fear is that in the quest for global competitiveness they move further away from their pony/muscle car roots and become indistinguishable from their European competitors. As a Brit who has been fortunate enough to drive some of Europe’s finest sports cars, this distinctive character is immeasurably valuable in a world where cars are getting more and more similar to each other. It’s why I would take a Mustang or a Camaro or a Challenger over any European sports coupe and I hope they never change that.
Then why do so many people in Europe complain about the camaro and corvette?