The 2017 Daytona 500 has now come and gone, but the essence of the Chevy Camaro ZL1 pace car is still resonating after being driven by none other than Jeff Gordon, who has won the Daytona 500 in 1997, 1999, and 2005. There were a total of three pace cars on site, for the Daytona 500, all of which shared the same graphics. Based on the latest Camaro ZL1 design, each model was practically bone stock, save for the special graphics and Whelen LED safety lighting system. But, the ZL1 is a pretty special car in the Camaro lineup, so that’s okay – I mean, who can argue with a 6.2-liter, LT4, V-8 that’s paired with a new 10-speed automatic and magnetic ride control? Surely, the pace car was an absolute blast to drive around the track even if Gordon didn’t get all up in the action.

Can you imagine how hard it must have been not to just jump on it and take over Daytona? The new ZL1 is the most powerful, factory-built Camaro to date and it’s certainly ready to play with the big boys. But, there’s also something to be said for a man that has that kind of self-control, as I’m sure none of us here at TopSpeed could have restrained all that much. Anyway, let’s take a better look at the pace car and talk a little more about it.

Continue reading to learn more about the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Daytona 500 Pace Car.

2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Daytona 500 Pace Car

Specifications
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  • Model: 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Daytona 500 Pace Car
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What makes the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Daytona 500 Pace Car special

So, as a ZL1, this pace car rocks out a Silver Ice Metallic exterior finish and rides on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels that are wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. As a pace car, it’s bone stock, so don’t expect any powertrain upgrades or anything else of that nature, but with that 6.2-liter LT4 under the hood, that’s okay, thanks to the 640 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque on tap. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission whose internal design is the result of a collaboration between GM and Ford.

With that Corvette Z06 power on tap, the ZL1 hits 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hit a quarter mile in 11.4 seconds at 127 mph, both big improvements over the previous model. And, thanks to the big Brembo brakes with six-piston front calipers and two-piece rotors, this baby can come to a halt from 60 mph in just 107 feet. It can also pull more than a G when cornering, so there’s that.

So, that’s the stock goodness of the ZL1, but what does the official pace car version bring to the table? To be honest, not much. It rocks the same limited-slip rear diff and magnetic ride control. It’s got that Silver Ice Metallic finish and the Whelen safety lights on the roof. Otherwise, the only real difference is the updated Daytona 500 decal on the front doors and the “Official Pace Car” lettering down above the side skirts. There’s also “Camaro” lettering atop the windshield. Chevy wasn’t nice enough to let us look inside, but it should be relatively stock aside from the required safety equipment like a roll cage, five-point harness, and a roll cage – you know, the things required for the car to be on the track, even if it isn’t actually racing.

In the end, the car is nothing more than an official pace car, but that makes it a little more valuable that your standard ZL1 even without any special upgrades. GM has said that each of the three pace cars featured “selected accessories and personalization features,” but failed to elaborate what that really means. Either way, it’s not a bad way to draw interest to the most powerful factory-built Camaro ever, and one can’t help but be a little jealous of Gordon getting to roll that baby around the track.