The sixth-generation Camaro started off very well in 2015 for the 2016 model year. It was the perfect response to Ford's pony car, and the ZL1 proudly matched the peak torque of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Be that as it may, Chevrolet didn't update the Camaro as often and as meaningfully as it could.
Yet another styling package and yet another stripe color simply doesn't cut it nowadays, not when sports cars from all segments are struggling to stay afloat. For example, Chevrolet delivered 24,652 units of the Camaro in the United States last year. The Mustang and Challenger totaled 52,414 and 55,060 vehicles.
It's widely believed that General Motors canceled the seventh-generation Camaro sometime in 2018, right before chief engineer Al Oppenheiser was relegated from the Camaro to the Detroit-based automaker's electric vehicle program. Are you surprised that General Motors couldn't make a case for a Z/28? The ZL1 with the 1LE package is extremely capable on a track, but a large naturally-aspirated small block (such as the 7.0-liter engine in the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28) hits differently.
Back in March 2023, the Camaro was confirmed to head into the sunset after the (very short) 2024 model year. Production will come to a screeching halt in January 2024, with the Lansing Grand River Assembly tasked with making electric vehicles from there on forward. It's widely rumored that an electric sedan will be given the Camaro's nameplate at some point in the nearest of futures, and there's also a rumor according to which an electric Corvette sedan is under development. There's even hearsay in regard to an electric Corvette SUV and two ICE Corvette SUVs. Intriguing or vaporware, you be the judge of that.
As we prepare to bid farewell to the Camaro, the biggest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit unleashed a special edition that nobody asked for. The ZL1 Garage 56 Edition takes inspiration from the NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1, which is going to race at Le Mans this weekend. The Next Gen racecar has been modified for this very event, but still is humongous compared to European rivals from the LMGTE Am class.
As you can tell from the main pic, the road-going car stands out from any other Camaro ZL1 by means of cool graphics. A few Garage 56 details on the inside pretty much seal the deal. Nothing remotely functional has been added over the standard ZL1, which makes the special edition feel very unspecial.
Pricing for the Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition isn't available yet, but we're looking forward to $80,000 or thereabout. At press time, the most expensive Chevrolet Camaro for the 2024 model year is the ZL1 Collector's Edition we've covered only recently. 350 units will be available to order, with prices kicking off at $88,690 sans freight. Depending on the trim level, the Collector's Edition treatment hikes up the final price of the Camaro by $4,995 (for the 1LT) to $14,995 (for the ZL1).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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