2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Ignites Inde Motorsports Ranch! - Ignition Episode 2
On this episode of Ignition
Transcript
00:00 On this week's Ignition, we're going to find out what happens when you give the Camaro 580 horsepower.
00:09 We are, of course, talking about the Camaro ZL1. Now what Chevy's essentially done here is give the Camaro the same core bits from the Corvette ZR1.
00:23 You get the same supercharged V8, the same 6-speed manual or the automatic like the CTS-V, the same magnetic ride control, and the same general fear for your life.
00:32 Now Chevy says this car will reach 60 in about 4 seconds, 3.9 if you get the automatic, it'll do the quarter mile in about 12 seconds at 120 miles an hour, and it'll generate 1g around a skid pad.
00:44 Today in Wilcox, Arizona at Indy Motorsports Ranch, we're going to see if those claims hold up.
00:50 So with the Camaro ZL1, you basically have 290 horsepower per rear tire. That would be a problem, but fortunately, Chevy's engineered a launch control system into this car.
01:06 It actually has five settings, the most aggressive of which, number five, is designed for VHT prep surfaces and drag radials.
01:13 We're not on that, we're basically on a runway on this straight here at Indy Motorsports Ranch. So we're going to set up in number four, and we're ready to go. Let's see how this works.
01:24 Revs are about 4,000 RPM.
01:26 Now you just hit your shifts.
01:31 [Engine revs]
01:33 That'll return a 0-60 run in the low 4s, and a quarter mile blast in the low 12s every single time you do it.
01:51 That number will actually decrease if you're using VHT and you're using drag radials, and you're in mode five.
01:57 There is a faster way to launch it, but it's nowhere near as consistent, and it takes very fine footwork in order to do that. We'll show you that next.
02:03 Now the fastest way to get an acceleration result in the ZL1 is to defeat traction control completely, launch at a little over 2,000 RPM, feed out the clutch, don't sidestep it, and maybe you have to pedal the throttle a bit, depending on how much wheel spin you get.
02:20 Let's see if we can do that.
02:21 [Engine revs]
02:25 [Engine revs]
02:27 Now that's the fastest way to launch a ZL1, but it's not the most consistent.
02:46 And by fast, I mean the corrected time we got out of that, hit 60 in 3.8 seconds, and a quarter mile in under 12.
02:54 Next, we measure how well those giant rotors work in our braking tests.
02:59 We slam on the brakes at 60 miles an hour and calculate the distance it takes to come to a complete stop.
03:05 That felt really good. These front tires really bite the ground when you ask them to.
03:10 Now we're on the skid pad, trying to chase down that 1G number Chevy's claiming.
03:17 Let's see if we can match it.
03:19 I do like how you can induce rotation with the throttle. That's a nice touch.
03:23 But of course, that's not a difficult thing to do when you have 580 horsepower.
03:27 It's a big, heavy car, but it's generating a lot of grip, I'm assuming thanks to these wide tires.
03:35 I'm seeing over a G on this heads-up display, but of course, we'll have to look at the data to see when that checks out.
03:47 So the ZL1 definitely meets the claims, but there's one more we'd like to investigate.
03:52 GM says this car can lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 41 seconds.
03:56 Now, of course, we aren't in Germany, but we do want to see how this car handles a racetrack.
04:01 Good thing we have one of America's winningest race car drivers on hand.
04:04 Let's see what Randy Pope has to say.
04:06 So Randy, this Camaro behind us is the one that lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 41 seconds.
04:13 Having been there and also having driven it here, what can you tell us about the Camaro?
04:17 Well, having raced at the Ring last summer and now driving in the Motorsports Park,
04:22 there's a couple sections here that are similar in that they're very fast, transitional, and rough.
04:29 And they really are a test of the suspension, especially the shocks, the damping.
04:34 And the Camaro's got that MR system. It's doing a great job.
04:38 The car is extremely stable, even though it has good steering accuracy at the same time.
04:44 Along with the braking that's powerful and consistent, and the handling stability along with the speed,
04:51 it would be a winner.
04:53 So not only is the ZL1 the baddest Camaro around, it's pretty much the baddest muscle car you can buy right now.
05:07 But remember, we'll soon live in a world of 650 horsepower, 200 mile-an-hour capable Ford Mustangs.
05:14 We'll be sure to see how the next GT500 stacks up as soon as we can get our hands on one.
05:18 Until then, let us know what you'd like to see on the next episode of Ignition in the comments below.
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