The pony car wars are still in full force and the Chevrolet Camaro is on the forefront of every battle. The seasoned muscle car boasts a muscular exterior with sleek lines and a powerful engine mounted behind that familiar face.
The rear-wheel drive Chevrolet Camaro is powered by a 3.6L V6 engine delivering 304hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, but the better choice is found in the 6.2L V8 engine cranking out 400/426hp and 410/420lb-ft of torque. These engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is considered the most powerful Camaro in the market today so the people at General Motors are working extra hard to ensure that every nook and cranny of the muscle car is on the up and up, even if it has to go through extreme lengths to get the job done.
Not a lot of cars are subjected to this kind of strenuous testing, but a lot is riding on the Camaro ZL1 to live up to the hype it has been given. For four hours a day spread across six days, the Camaro ZL1 was put through all sorts of tests, pushing every ounce of it to the limit.
In this particular test, the Camaro ZL1 is taken for a 24-hour track test to see if it can go the distance without any hiccups.
Check out the video as the Chevrolet engineers conduct the 24-hour extreme track test on the grueling Milford Road Course located on GM’s Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan.
If the Camaro ZL1 wants to live up to the billing, this video will show just how extensive testing has been for the muscle car.
The upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup series races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Richmond International Raceway will get a pinkish treat when a specially themed Chevrolet Camaro SS will serve as the official pace car for the two events.
Decked in an eye-catching pink color finish with all the matching decals, this special edition Camaro will be used in the continuous effort of raising awareness against breast cancer.
While there doesn’t appear to be any performance modifications done on the American muscle car, the significance of its participation in the Sprint Cup will come in the form of $200 donations made by Chevrolet for each caution lap the pink pace car does in the two races.
In society’s continuing battle with the deadly disease, Chevrolet has been one of the fiercest supporters in the fight against breast cancer. “For 100 years, Chevy has been helping people along the journey of life in countless ways,” said Alan Batey, the company’s vice president for Sales and Service.
"Together with our race fans, Chevrolet wants to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer, more birthdays and longer journeys.”
As it stands, the Camaro SS is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 412 horsepower and 408 lb/ft of torque. Impressive numbers to say the least; but in this particular case, powertrains and engine outputs aren’t all that important compared to the symbolism surrounding the pace car’s pink paint finish.
The ever continuing dialogue regarding the future of electric cars has drawn a fine line between the believers and the skeptics. But we’ve learned this year not to sleep on EVs just yet, especially when you have cars like this 1981 Camaro and the Volkswagen Beetle Black Current proving that EVs are the real deal.
The latter has already shown that it can blast off a quarter-mile time of 9.51 seconds, an astounding number for a car, let alone an EV. And recently, this 1981 Chevrolet Camaro by Team Haiyin EV Racing called the "Warp Factor II", managed to pull off a similar feat, clocking in a quarter-mile time of 10.08 seconds at the Lebanon Valley Dragway while hitting a top speed of 127 mph.
It’s not as quick as what the Black Current was able to accomplish, but it was impressive nevertheless, which lends to the belief - hollow as it may be for some - that high-powered EV cars like this one have a place in the future of the industry.
Find out more about the 1981 Chevrolet Camaro ’Warp Factor’ after the jump
Anybody that has ever had an appreciation of classic cars knows that the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the can’t-miss events of the calendar year.
Held annually at Michigan’s legendary Woodward Avenue, the world’s largest classic car cruise is shaping up to have another memorable 2011 staging, complete with over 30,000 classic vehicles and an attendance that’s expected to reach well over 1.5 million people.
This year, the Chevrolet-sponsored event will be held on August 20th when you’ll see some of your favorite cars in history. An event like this brings out all types of cars from different generations. You name it, it’s there: from hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars, rat rods, art cars, TV cars, and everything else in between. In fact, at least one of every type of Mustang model made since the car debuted in April 1964 will be in attendance, as well as the Shelby GT500, both street and racing versions of the Boss 302, and the Mustang GT and V6 Coupe with performance package. Getting back to the main sponsor, Chevrolet, the Detroit-based company is bringing many cars from their past, present, and future, including the Cruze, Camaro, Corvette, Volt, Sonic, and ZL1 Camaro.
If you happen to be in the area this weekend, you’ll get a first-hand look at some of those classic rides that you’ll have the chance to check off of your bucket list. But if you’re not within the vicinity, you can still keep up-to-date with the latest happenings courtesy of the event’s official radio station, 104.3 WOMC. Head over to the WOMC website and find out everything you need to know about the Woodward Dream Cruise 2011.
Chevrolet is quick to point out the Camaro is a vehicle bought out of love, devotion, passion, and the pinnacle of enthusiasm for an automotive brand. Camaro-obsessed customers will no doubt agree with that statement, and these will be the very same people to appreciate a video like this. By its very nature, every Camaro special edition is a consecration of a moment in the Camaro story, whether it’s the 1967 Indy Pace Car Replica or the 2012 45th Anniversary Edition, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the history.
