[Graham Behan]

Featured on Camaro5 HOMEPAGE

Thought you may like this Hot Rod news update.

http://blogs.hotrod.com/the-race-to-the-10s-23325.html

When you get an email asking if you can be at the track tomorrow to photograph the first 2012 ZL1 Camaro breaking into the 10s, you don’t ask too many questions. When we rolled into Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan, and met up with Mike Copeland of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE), the questions we figured you would want to ask started flowing.

The ZL1 that wore the Lingenfelter banner at the track had minimal modifications. The only underhood upgrades was the LPE was outfitted with were a supercharger pulley to bump up the boost, reflashed ECM, 160-degree thermostat and a LPE ported and polished airintake leading to a K&N air filter. The only other modifications to the car were swapping out the street performance tires for skinnies up front and Nitto NT05R drag radials out back.

This very car had run 11.03 at 130 mph at Muncie Dragway. With great air temperatures and the Milan track team prepping the starting line, it looked like a promising day.

The first pass was decent, posting an 11.22. During the next series of passes, an assortment of launched styles, shift points and tire air pressure showed varied results.

Although no one was complaining about making passes at a dragstrip for a couple of hours, the team could only capture an 11.11 at 128 mph during this track outing.

So, the illusive 10-second ZL1 Camaro is still illusive! But the crew at Lingenfelter vows to be back, and soon, to try to be the first!



The only thing under hood on the Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) ZL1 Camaro that hints that the car is not stock is the polished air intake tube and open-element K&N air filter. A more trained eye will also notice that he supercharger pulley is not stock, which increases boost 3-4 psi over stock.



To help with traction, A set of Nitto NT05R drag radials were bolted on the rear of the car. These are P305/45R18s, while a pair of 5.50-17 tires up remove the drag of wide front tires.