Very Good Commentary on New ZL1

Pretty good stuff! Read on.

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The automotive world has been eagerly awaiting the Camaro ZL1 ever
since it was announced earlier this year. This stunning riposte to the
2007 Shelby Mustang could easily become the HHR to the Mustang’s PT
Cruiser. In its excitement, however, Chevrolet forgot to invite TTAC
to the media event in which the Camaro ZL1 specs were introduced.
Therefore, what you are about to read will be stolen quoted entirely
from Eric Tingwall’s post on the Automobile blog last night.

To make it worth your while, however, I will make a few snarky
comments in-between quotes. Click the jump and help us pay the bills
around here!

Quoth Tingwall,

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be more powerful than the
Cadillac CTS-V with an output of 580 hp at 6000 rpm and 556 lb-ft of
torque at 4200 rpm from the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8… The 350-pound
weight gain from Camaro SS to ZL1 is right in line with the fattening
that a CTS coupe experiences on its way to becoming a CTS-V. Chevy
representatives were reluctant to talk about any numbers other than
power or torque—top speed, 0-to-60 time, and price were all off the
table—at a media event on Wednesday, but they did subtly reveal the
ZL1’s mass when they splashed the car’s weight-to-power ratio on the
screen. At 7.24 pounds per hp, the ZL1 would weigh 4,199 pounds.

Oh, that’s not so much. Just think of it as a Shelby Mustang with two
full-sized adults in the back seat. Or towing a 380-pound trailer. Or
a trunk full of taxpayer cash.

That didn’t stop the ZL1 team from taking a direct shot at the
GT500, though…. The ZL1, they say, is ready for track abuse straight
from the dealership floor

FROM A GT500, THAT IS. Get it? It’s ready for track abuse… from a
GT500. Like, the GT500 will beat it around a track. Gosh. That sounded
better when it was in my head.

with its standard transmission and rear-differential cooler and
cooling ducts for the front brakes.

The C5 Z06 was infamous for overheating its transmission on-track;
this is likely a direct result of that experience.

It’s unlikely that the Chevy’s hottest muscle car will undercut
Ford’s on pricing, as chief engineer Al Oppenheiser told us

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Wait. Wrong guy.

the ZL1 will be priced relative to the GT500 just as the six- and
eight-cylinder Camaros are priced against comparable Mustangs. The
Chevys typically land about $1500 to $2000 more than the Fords, so
we’d expect a price near $52,000 for the ZL1 based on the GT500’s
$49,605 starting sticker.

Then we have some business about the Camaro using the CTS-V’s hyper-
expensive-to-service-or-replace suspension, and also having a new
swaybar mount.

In a perfect world, we’d have the chance to run the ZL1 around Mid-
Ohio back-to-back with a GT500, using our own Traqmate. Opportunities
like that are likely to be saved for the color mags who can be trusted
to draw an advertising-friendly conclusion to the whole thing (“There
are no real losers in this battle”). Nevertheless, we will keep our
fingers crossed, and keep you all posted.

Here's the link to the article:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ed-to-compete/

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Patrick

" > wrote in message
...
> Pretty good stuff! Read on.
>
> ----
>snip<
>
> In a perfect world, we’d have the chance to run the ZL1 around Mid-
> Ohio back-to-back with a GT500, using our own Traqmate. Opportunities
> like that are likely to be saved for the color mags who can be trusted
> to draw an advertising-friendly conclusion to the whole thing (“There
> are no real losers in this battle”). Nevertheless, we will keep our
> fingers crossed, and keep you all posted.
>
> Here's the link to the article:
>
> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ed-to-compete/
>
> ----
>
> Patrick

I've never cared for a "winners" or "losers" aspect to an auto comparison
article. Even the decades-long rivalry between the Camaro and Mustang don't
call for that, since they're two very different cars. Yes, built to compete
head-on, but two very different cars.

Just tell me the pros and cons of both, and I'll decide which one is the
"winner." (And, obviously, in my case, it'll always be the Ford.)

((Speaking of which, why is my Ford stock in the toilet?))

dwight

On Sep 11, 9:11*am, "dwight" > wrote:
> " > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Pretty good stuff! *Read on.
>
> > ----
> >snip<
>
> > In a perfect world, we’d have the chance to run the ZL1 around Mid-
> > Ohio back-to-back with a GT500, using our own Traqmate. Opportunities
> > like that are likely to be saved for the color mags who can be trusted
> > to draw an advertising-friendly conclusion to the whole thing (“There
> > are no real losers in this battle”). Nevertheless, we will keep our
> > fingers crossed, and keep you all posted.
>
> > Here's the link to the article:
>
> >http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...l-deliver-580-...

> I've never cared for a "winners" or "losers" aspect to an auto comparison
> article. Even the decades-long rivalry between the Camaro and Mustang don't
> call for that, since they're two very different cars. Yes, built to compete
> head-on, but two very different cars.
>
> Just tell me the pros and cons of both, and I'll decide which one is the
> "winner." (And, obviously, in my case, it'll always be the Ford.)

I agree pros and cons are most important. But I don't mind winner and
loser. It's certainly MUCH better than the indecisive 'there are no
winners or losers in this comparison' -- to that I say BS. One of the
cars did more things, that your magazine values, better than the other
cars.

> ((Speaking of which, why is my Ford stock in the toilet?))

I don't know. But as long as Ford keeps their present chairman I would
keep it.

Patrick