Chevy released some specs for its Camaro ZL1 coupe,
including output figures of 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque
from its supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V-8. Now Chevy has announced that
ZL1 will be available in ragtop form, too—and that it won’t be
diluted. As such, the Camaro ZL1 will become the most powerful
convertible ever to wear a bow tie. Shock? No. Awe? Yes.
Nearly
all of the enhancements of the ZL1 coupe (which involved swapping or
altering roughly a third of the regular Camaro’s parts) apply to the
convertible as well, including the new front clip with stacked ancillary
lights; the bulging, louvered hood; the beefed-up transmissions; the
stronger rear-end components; and the quad exhaust pipes.
However, considering the lesser rigidity and extra weight of
convertibles, the ZL1 convertible probably won’t be able to turn in the
claimed 7:41.27 Nürburgring lap Chevy claims for the coupe. The Camaro
SS ragtop weighs nearly 270 pounds more than the SS coupe, and we expect
a similar discrepancy between the ZL1 duo courtesy of this version’s
additional structural bracing. Even so, we predict that the convertible
to run from 0 to 60 mph in just over four seconds and turn in a
quarter-mile time of less than 13.
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| Camaro ZL1 Convertible |
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The ZL1 convertible will debut at the
upcoming L.A. auto show before arriving at Chevrolet dealerships in late
2012; the coupe goes on sale early in the year. With Ford already
prepping a 600-plus-horse GT500 coupe—a development we first reported last March—expect
the Blue Oval to announce a similar GT500 convertible to face off with
the ZL1.
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| Camaro ZL1 LSA Supercharged Motor |
