Spied: Camaro ZL1 Track Package / High Performance Package In Testing?!

[DuhKoDuh]

I like those rims, does anyone know what they are?

[htron50]

WE LIKE THE AGGRESSIVE MODIFICATIONS:
1) HOOD SCOOP PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS
2) POSSIBLE FULL FIBER REDUCED WEIGHT HOOD
3) HOOD PIN NECESSITY; CONNOTATIONS
4) POSSIBLE REAR QTR BRAKE SCOOPS

ALL spell performance focus.

My problem now is that IF the ZL1 is released without the above mentioned items what in the h%&# am I going to do? PULL THE TRIGGER or NOT?

What I do know is I want that stuff on the ZL1!!

Thanks GM for listening!

[IOMZL1]

Originally Posted by htron50

My problem now is that IF the ZL1 is released without the above mentioned items what in the h%&# am I going to do? PULL THE TRIGGER or NOT?

What I do know is I want that stuff on the ZL1!!

Thanks GM for listening!

That's my situation exactly.

[united1]

G.M. will always come out with something better , so if your waiting to pull the trigger on the zl1 to see if it will improve then you'll never get one.

[IOMZL1]

Originally Posted by united1

G.M. will always come out with something better , so if your waiting to pull the trigger on the zl1 to see if it will improve then you'll never get one.

I give up.

[OldJedi]

Originally Posted by BiggFoot

Finally some sense to the insanity.

Thanks Biggfoot! If this picture was taken four months AFTER ZL1 production started, then I would be much more prone to go with ZL1 Track Pack or Z28 prototype. But with four months to go before they start building and five months before they start arriving in showrooms, I have to go with last minute tweaking / testing. The ZL1 has made huge news everywhere from the early prototype testing pictures with the GT500 to it's debut in Chicago. Every car enthusiast out there, no matter what their favorite make is, is waiting to see what the ZL1 can really do. Chevy knows and can feel the pressure to get the ZL1 done right the first time. When they go gunning after the GT500 and others in the 550+ horsepower class, they do not want egg on their face with something going wrong. It has been touted as the most technically advanced Camaro ever built and it honors the name of the original ZL1, it has to be done right the first time. I still believe that this is final testing and adjustments to a proposed 570+ HP engine. I also believe that there will be a Z28, BUT, not till after the ZL1 has hit the streets and has been sorted out. It has big shoes to fill with the name ZL1 and I don't believe that Chevy is going to let us down.

[radz28]

Originally Posted by wildpaws

Overdone and worn out?? Ooooooh, you've done it now, I'd expect a barrage of posts replying to that one. Good thing it wasn't posted over in the Z/28 forum!!
Clyde

The follow-up post helped to smooth out the first post a little...

Originally Posted by hairtrigger

Why in the world would GM spend time and money on a Z28 to compete (sales wise) with Ford's Boss 302 when the 302 is a very limited production car? They have developed the ZL1 to beat all versions of the Mustang IMO. The pics of the black Camaro look like all the rest of the pics of the ZL1 in developement. The hood is a ZL1 hood cut up. The wheels are standard ZL1. The roll bar and seats, who cares all developement ZL1's have them. The rear brake vents, how can they test them, if they're there, if they're all taped over? Probably not vents at all. That's what I think anyway.

Great points. Especially with the covered alleged rear vents, lol. You can't test for their effectiveness if they're covered! It will definately be interesting to see how it competes with the Manager though. What - it'll probably be a good 200 pounds more, but have more power, better chassis (IMO), but I always go back to the tires... Are these F1:G2s going to be as good as those P-Zeros or PS2s on some other GMs? I think GM's really going to have to come out with guns blazing with PS2s, at the least, in order to compete with the Jefe. I like the Track Pack idea because they can add some Sport Cup tires for maybe another grand (I really have no idea how much they could reasonably offer a tire upgrade, so please forgive me) and maybe a little more aggressive spring and bars with a touch more aggression from the shocks (or even add another rigorous mode for the MR on top of what we've already been teased with). I think I could see a package like I just suggested for another $3K or so, and think that would be enough for all their Ponys. That might make Z28 unnecessary, which I wouldn't want to do.

Originally Posted by DLB

what if they called it the ZL1 with a Z/28 performance package!!!!! so you would have yourself a ZL1 Z/28!!!!!! Best of Both!!!!!!! Chevy has WON!

Now this would be particularly interesting!!! The car is still ZL1, but, like Z71 and Z66 suspension packages, they were just that - a package. Call this Track Pack the Z28 package... Hmm... I still don't like that could imply Z28 won't return this generation... I think Z28 needs it's own model. Will there be a good business model for Z28 though? I keep crossing my fingers, but I have to ask. As much as I want so many things for CAMARO, I know GM needs to earn a buck, and though I'm not a smart guy, I realize that.

Originally Posted by WYKOFF69Z

Limit the ZL1 not the Z/28.

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Why limit either one?

Originally Posted by Scarrzz

Why limit either? The price will limit the ZL1 to a select audience.

That would also work for a 40-45k "split the gap" between SS & ZL1.

.

These ^^^

Originally Posted by 2012ZL1

hahaha..all in good fun man...but, in all reality think about how washed out and diluted the z28 name was for many years. That name deserves a fresh start, and somthing true to its heritage. I think thats why you won't see one this time around.

That's not entirely fair to say, IMO. Look at those times and look at all the rest of the cars. It's not like CAMARO or Z28 was the only car to have to take a few steps back; all cars did. When a Buick Regal is faster than a Corvette, I think that's a sign of the times (I don't think that's the generation you might be thinking of, but I think it shows my point). I believe Z28 deserves nothing but the best from GM, but times change, and it's not like Z28 has ever been substandard on the whole, IMHO.

Originally Posted by OldJedi

Thanks Biggfoot! If this picture was taken four months AFTER ZL1 production started, then I would be much more prone to go with ZL1 Track Pack or Z28 prototype. But with four months to go before they start building and five months before they start arriving in showrooms, I have to go with last minute tweaking / testing. The ZL1 has made huge news everywhere from the early prototype testing pictures with the GT500 to it's debut in Chicago. Every car enthusiast out there, no matter what their favorite make is, is waiting to see what the ZL1 can really do. Chevy knows and can feel the pressure to get the ZL1 done right the first time. When they go gunning after the GT500 and others in the 550+ horsepower class, they do not want egg on their face with something going wrong. It has been touted as the most technically advanced Camaro ever built and it honors the name of the original ZL1, it has to be done right the first time. I still believe that this is final testing and adjustments to a proposed 570+ HP engine. I also believe that there will be a Z28, BUT, not till after the ZL1 has hit the streets and has been sorted out. It has big shoes to fill with the name ZL1 and I don't believe that Chevy is going to let us down.

Your insight, I think, focused my earlier response in my post. I think I'm taking it a little farther than you have suggested, however, your post stands out the most to me in this thread. Maybe the "base" ZL1 was pretty much finalized a few months ago but this could be the Track Pack that I was imagining. Doesn't the GT500 have something similar, and wasn't it available at release? The Supervisor has it's standard Boss and then an additional Laguna Seca Package. Why couldn't ZL1 have something similar? Maybe this could be a limited edition (I think ZL1's price will probably make it limited in it's own way, lol). I completely agre that ZL1 has HUGE shoes to fill and am certain GM knows this and that they are putting every penny where they can do fulfill these expectations. No changes on ZL1 that I can think of are without performance benefits. Rocker moldings - aerodynamics; spoiler - aero'; hood - downforce; etc. Maybe the fog lights and DRLs might go against my theory a little, but then I think it kinda' comes back to help distinguish ZL1 from SS and V6. Even the steering wheen (as not attractive as I think it is compared to the original wheel) is for performance. GM's spending the money exactly where I want to see it go, so to say I have high expectations is almost an understatement.

LET'S GO GM!!!

[stand-al0ne]

mystery!

[bad2000z]

Originally Posted by v6sonoma

Z28!!!

[ParisTNDude]

The hood scoop looks like it was cut by the 8th grade auto shop class!

[GoldenBear]

Originally Posted by kudzu74

I scream 'TEST MULE' and not for the ZL1. But rather the Z28 and here are the amature reasons why with the combination of already stated opinions and some new ideas.

I don't follow your reasoning as to why the photo in question is a Z28 mule rather than a ZL1 with a slightly modified hood than that which has been previously seen on the ZL1. Maybe you can clarify your logic for me and others who might not have arrived at the same conclusion that you seem to have reached.

Originally Posted by kudzu74

So in light of fact, I think if this was a recent picture (within the last month or so) I do not think it would have anything to do with continued testing for the ZL1.

Why would the photo being recent lead one to think that the vehicle would not have anything to do with continued testing of the ZL1? It would be consistent with the timing of final verification and validation of the ZL1.

Originally Posted by kudzu74

Basically, the ZL1 is the corvette of the camaro line-up.

I think you are mixing your metaphors. The Corvette and Camaro are two separate and distinct models rather than trim level designations of the same model, as Z06 and ZR1 are, and SS and ZL1 are. Did you mean to state that the ZL1 trim level of the Camaro is analogous to the ZR1 trim level of the Corvette, or, in other words, that the ZL1 is the ZR1 of the Camaro line-up?

Originally Posted by kudzu74

The Z28 has always been the affordable competition V8 for the camaro line-up.

Over the years the Z28 has quite often been the most expensive Camaro offered by Chevrolet. I'm not sure that many would use the term "affordable" when characterizing the most expensive trim option of a model.

Originally Posted by kudzu74

So looking at the picture and the two key arguements to it not being a Z28 is 1) Its a refining process for the ZL1 . Sorry, I had to raise the flag on that because we are too close to ordering time and production.

Why is four or five months too close to the start of production for the refining process to still be occurring? Have you ever been involved in the verification and validation of a product? Four to five months from start of production is well within the final validation time window.

Originally Posted by kudzu74

& 2) Its either a future ZL1 or race package for a ZL1 . Another flag on the play! Sorry, I am tending to go with the Z28 crowd on this one...there has to be something more performance than the SS and less expensive than the ZL1 now whether its going be sooner than later.

And why does there have to be "something more performance than the SS and less expensive than the ZL1?"

Originally Posted by kudzu74

Anyhow, my reasoning for saying its a mule is three-fold due to Chevrolet knowning we are waiting and watching for any little devation from the norm.

Why does Chevrolet knowing "we are waiting and watching for any little deviation," indicate that he photo in question is that of a Z28 mule?

Originally Posted by kudzu74

But look at the hood and think cover-up...so what its a chopped up ZL1 hood they have to hide the mule for a Z28 under something more familiar to us that has already be seen and remove or covered from below the extractors along with minus the supercharger and a different engine with a nice ram air intake for the LS7/LS9?

Please explain how it follows that using a "chopped up ZL1 hood" means that the vehicle is a Z28 mule. Using that logic if Chevrolet wanted to use "something more familiar that has already been seen" to hide a Z28 mule, why not use an SS hood with functional cowl induction, which would be undetectable and less conspicuous at a distance, instead of a very visible chopped up ZL1 hood with hood pins?

I realize that there are many who really do want Chevrolet to produce a Z28, or a direct Boss 302 competitor, regardless of what it is named, and would like to see it sooner rather than later, but from what has been stated by Chevrolet, I don't think a Z28 is likely to happen soon. And there is nothing material that I can see in the new "spy" photo that should lead one to believe that the vehicle in the photo is a Z28 mule.

[Fightinfire921]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Why limit either one?

Originally Posted by Scarrzz

Why limit either? The price will limit the ZL1 to a select audience.

That would also work for a 40-45k "split the gap" between SS & ZL1.

.

Believe me I don't want either car limited. If you can afford it you should be able to buy it without limitations. GM will sell more $40,000-$45,000 cars than $50,000+ cars. Just how many ZL1's do you think will be purchased not relying on a forum poll or here say but actually buying the car? Let's not forget the economy sucks and people are losing jobs every day. Hopefully I can keep my job and in four years someone else can have it.

Be safe!

[htron50]

that the ZL1 "should" have all the scoops and hood pins that any lesser Camaro (such as a Z28) might be adorned with.... Because those type modifications convey "horsepower".......

I wouldn't really like seeing a Z28 come out with more dress up goodies "implying" it has more horsepower than the ZL1, and I know most feel that way.

C'mon GM! Make me Happy!

[htron50]

Originally Posted by GoldenBear

And there is nothing material that I can see in the new "spy" photo that should lead one to believe that the vehicle in the photo is a Z28 mule.

This!!

ZL1, "Make My Day" = Make it meaner than hell!