commence ford vs chevy!
General Motors has come clean with pricing and performance details for the most powerful Camaro ever, and as expected, it's something of a bargain. An official MSRP of $54,995 includes a $900 delivery charge, and that pile of cash buys a 6.2-liter, supercharged and intercooled LSA V8 that's good for 556 lb-ft of torque. The ZL1 will also pack standard Performance Traction Management, a suite of electronic suspension and steering enhancements including magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control, stability control and electric power steering. Chevrolet is also touting the Camaro's track-readiness, thanks to standard rear differential cooler, engine and transmission oil coolers, and brake-cooling ducts.
Chevy's official performance specs for the Camaro ZL1 favor the automatic, which can do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds at 119 miles per hour. The manual is a tenth of a second slower in both exercises. Know too, that Chevy's stopwatches time from a rolling start. Top speed for the manual is 180 mph and the automatic is four miles per hour faster. Both cars can pull 1.0 g on the skidpad, according to the automaker.
There are only six options on the ZL1, starting with the choice of transmission. An extra $1,185 will get you a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Adding bright aluminum wheels will set you back $470, as will stripes. A sunroof is priced at $900, while the carbon fiber hood insert is $600. Finally, a suede package for the steering wheel and shifter is $500. Leather interior is standard, along with heated power seats, and a nine-speaker audio system with USB port and Bluetooth.
Dealers should get their ZL1 coupes in the spring of 2012, getting a head start on the forthcoming 2013 Ford Shelby GT500.