Introduced in 2017, the current Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the most powerful Camaro you can buy. Thanks to a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 engine good for 650 horsepower, it hits 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.5 seconds and tops out at 198 mph (319 kph). But as impressive as it is, the ZL1 has fallen behind blown competitors from Ford and Dodge in recent years. And that's why many owners opt to update their Camaros.
The 2015 Camaro ZL1 you're about to see below is a previous-gen model, the one fitted with the old, 1.9-liter supercharged that produces "only" 580 horsepower. But even though it looks like a stock ZL1, it actually hides a race-spec, aluminum big-block V8 under the hood.
Displacing no fewer than 582 cubic inches (9.5 liters), the mean-looking mill cranks out 855 horsepower. On regular pump gas! Not only almost 300 horsepower more than the fifth-gen ZL1, that's also around 200 horses more than the current supercharged Camaro. Heck, it's even more than the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 and more than any Dodge Challenger unleashed until now.
And given that the Challenger Hellcat Redeye packs 797 horsepower and that the Challenger Demon delivers 840 horsepower, it's nothing to sneeze at.
Since this ZL1 was spotted at the drag strip, it's natural for you to wonder how quick it is. Well, the video below shows the Camaro running against a couple of beefed-up, classic muscle cars, scoring six-second ETs. It completes the first run in 6.39 clicks and the second one in 6.38 seconds. But these ETs are for 1/8-mile sprints.
Unfortunately, there are no quarter-mile times to run by, but a quick conversion reveals that this ZL1 would cover the distance in around 9.9 seconds. That's a bit slower than a drag-prepped Demon, but more than two seconds faster than a stock, sixth-gen Camaro ZL1.
It's also worth noting that this Camaro also packs a nitrous system, so it should go into the low nine-second bracket when running at full blast.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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