5 Reasons Why This Rare 2024 Camaro ZL1 Collector’s Edition Costs Hellcat Last Call Money

Wanting a ZL1-spec Camaro is perfectly normal. It’s the best Camaro ever made. It’s got the most power, the best drivetrain, the best interior, and it’s by far the most track-focused, if that’s your thing. But overall, it’s a mighty muscle car, capable of taking the fight to both Ford and Dodge in every capacity.

It’s also one of the best track weapons that General Motors has ever produced, powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 engine, just like the previous-generation Corvette Z06. It has the same output as the latter, at 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, which in turn can get you to 60 mph in the low 3-second range.

Meanwhile, a healthy ZL1 with grippy tires can cover a quarter mile in a little over 11 seconds, which is also mighty impressive. Oh, and if you keep going, you can accelerate all the way to 198 mph, but some things are better left alone, if you know what I mean. Anyway, that’s reason no.1. This thing is a beast in a straight line, and pretty good in the corners, too. It’s not the ideal track car, but it’s super solid by muscle car standards.

Moving on to reason no.2 and the fact that here’s only one thing more desirable than a Camaro ZL1. What could that be? Why, it’s still the ZL1... but the Collector’s Edition variant, which was built to commemorate the final model year of Camaro production. Chevy made the Collector’s Edition available on all trims, but again, nothing beats the flagship – of which only 350 cars were ever commissioned (300 for the U.S. and 50 for Canada).

Additionally, only the ZL1 Collector’s Edition is limited in numbers, making this convertible example, which by the way is up for grabs, truly special.

This is car #196 of 350, and it’s got just 9 miles on its supercharged LT4 V8. It’s never been abused. Heck, it’s never been used either, which means reason no.3 for hurrying up and placing your bid is quite straightforward – this muscle car could truly live up to its name and become a genuine collector’s item. In other words, its value should go up in time, if its future owner doesn’t put too many miles on the clock.

Visually, there’s a lot to unpack, from the Panther Black Matte exterior to the rear spoiler with Panther graphics, or the black fuel-filler door. Other highlights include the front splitter, dive planes, HID headlights, carbon fiber trim, split-spoke 20” alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 tires, and finally, the red-finished 1LE-branded Brembo brakes.

Moving on to the interior, that’s where you’ll find the Jet Black leather heated, ventilated, and power adjustable Recaro Performance front bucket seats with red contrast stitching. The cabin also features carbon fiber trim, wireless charging, keyless open and start, dual-zone automatic climate control, a Bose Premium sound system, head-up display, rear camera mirror, plus a heated suede-wrapped steering wheel with a serialized Panther badge identifying this vehicle as #196 of 350.

The way it looks, both inside and out, is reason no.4 why this Chevy costs as much as it does.

Before I forget, I should also mention how that 6.2L LT4 V8 sends its power to the rear wheels. As far as this particular car is concerned, it’s via a ten-speed automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential.

According to the window sticker, this cost $98,710 originally – yet you’ll need to pay above MSRP if you want to make it yours. Basically, this Camaro will cost you more than what you’d spend on a low mileage ‘Last Call’ Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody. Totally worth it? By comparison, hard to say. In a vacuum, definitely!

This brings me to the fifth and final reason why you might want to put this ZL1 in your driveway, as opposed to the previously-mentioned Hellcat or something like a Shelby GT500.

It may sound dumb and counter-intuitive, but the fact that the ZL1 was at one point banned in both California and the state of Washington because of its toxic brake pads, is kind of... cool? Maybe that’s the 15-year-old in me, but is there anything sweeter than forbidden fruit? And besides, what’s more harmful, the toxic metals in your brake pads or the fumes coming from the exhaust?

To clarify, what happened was that the copper used for the pads was toxic, and dust produced via friction from whenever the cars would brake could have leaked copper into nearby aquatic habitats, impacting fish and other life forms.

Rest assured though, because the brake pads on this 2024 Camaro ZL1 Collector's Edition meet all state regulations. While the ban was only in place for a single model year back in 2021, I reckon you can still tell your friends that you drive a car that was once considered illegal, without actually saying why. That’d be funny.