ZL-1 Insecurity issues

[Oneslowz28]

Originally Posted by Wondering

The reason people with modded cars talk RWHP is largely because they really don't know what the crank HP is. Sure,there are percentages you can use as a rule of thumb,but they can still be pretty far off & the only way to truly know with a modded car is to pull the motor and put it on the dyno stand.....which no one is going to do.


And I can only speak for myself,but I am not impressed at all that a modded car can best a stock one. I am,however,very impressed that with all the regulations GM is saddled with (CAFE,EPA), that they can produce a car such as the ZL1.

And unless one of your "few" mods is a supercharger(or a big ol' shot of NOS), you still aren't going to touch a bone stock,as delivered,ZL1.

Well said. I just got done doing heads and cam on my car and i have no idea where i am on HP, or TQ for that matter. There is no way to calculate it when you toss on parts unless its a kit you buy that has been tested.

[2012ZL1]

haha another useless thread brought on by ZL1 envy..

[Happy_Dan]

Another myopic view of a single thread of a diverse car. It's the whole package that makes us want to have a ZL1.

How many laps around a road course can you go in your SS before your oil, rear diff, tranny and engine oil are all too hot and how many times can you get hard on the brakes before they start to fade and you go slower and slower and slower?

[Fenderaddict2]

Even if you Dyno the car it's really only useful as a yard stick to test performance mods. Stock Boss 302's (444 HP) were putting down RWHP numbers from the low 360's to the mid 410's. Different days, different dynos, different drivers and yes, even some variation in the motors.

[SixGracing]

Originally Posted by Happy_Dan

Another myopic view of a single thread of a diverse car. It's the whole package that makes us want to have a ZL1.

How many laps around a road course can you go in your SS before your oil, rear diff, tranny and engine oil are all too hot and how many times can you get hard on the brakes before they start to fade and you go slower and slower and slower?

This thread was only about how HP numbers are quoted. I started it off by saying in no way am I disrespecting the ZL-1. Hell, I wish I had known these were coming out when I bought mine. I would have waited. The ZL-1 is an awesome car and I'm glad to be a Camaro/GM owner because of it.

I knew everyone was going to get their panties up in a wad, it's why I started it. Another way to find entertainment on a slow work night.

[Happy_Dan]

Actually it's just more of the same. Thanks for letting us help entertain you.

[Rock36]

Originally Posted by Fenderaddict2

Even if you Dyno the car it's really only useful as a yard stick to test performance mods. Stock Boss 302's (444 HP) were putting down RWHP numbers from the low 360's to the mid 410's. Different days, different dynos, different drivers and yes, even some variation in the motors.

Only if people truly understood this. Instead you get guys who say "oh wow my 444 hp Boss 302 dynoed at 410 rwhp, with 15% drivetrain loss I'm really making ~480hp! All Boss 302s are underrated!!!"

I only used an example of a Boss 302 to build off your example. I've seen someone in every auto community/fanbase try to justify factory underrating by happy dynos....

[Rock36]

Originally Posted by actireman

I own a Mustang MD2000 chassis dyno that is eddy current. We dyno all the time to tune cars. The big thing that people don't realize is that all these big numbers come from an inertia dyno. An inertia dyno will give almost 75 more horse power than ours and also how the driver drives the car on the dyno makes a big difference. We are tuners so we don't care if the numbers were between 1 and 10, all we car is did the engine like it and go up or did it not and go down. I'm sure there are guys out there that have big numbers on an eddy current dyno, but I'm sure the vast majority don't. So I guess what I'm saying is that all these big numbers don't impress me at all.

On eddy current dynos, C6Z06s will make 430-440 rwhp. On inertia dynos you get guys making 460 rwhp and sometimes as high as 480 rwhp.

BUt reputable corvette engine builders like Katech who have and use actual engine dynos will tell you 99% of all stock LS7s will dyno 505-508 bhp.

If there is an SAE certified rating (the ZL1 is SAE certified IIRC), chances are that is exactly what the engine makes.

[Cabinetman]

I always have a hard time with the modded vs factory comparisons. Sure, there are plenty of ways to get more power out of a car through the aftermarket, but will the complete package be as good as a factory car with similar power?

I happen to think that the millions of dollars and thousands of man hours that went into developing the ZL1 are going to produce a factory car that will be hard to replicate in the aftermarket at a similar price point. I have no doubt you could build a quicker SS for similar money, but the overall package is what the ZL1 is about to me. The idea of a car that is comfortable enough to daily drive yet will hold its own on both the road course and the strip without falling apart are the reasons I want this car.

[BlackZL1]

2012 ZL1 Dynos at 580HP - SAE Certified

This is old news

[alex70olds]

Another "mine is bigger than yours" thread? Geeeeeez just look at the title. Fail.

[YellowGTO]

Originally Posted by SixGracing

This thread was only about how HP numbers are quoted. I started it off by saying in no way am I disrespecting the ZL-1. Hell, I wish I had known these were coming out when I bought mine. I would have waited. The ZL-1 is an awesome car and I'm glad to be a Camaro/GM owner because of it.

I knew everyone was going to get their panties up in a wad, it's why I started it. Another way to find entertainment on a slow work night.

Why does anyone talk peak HP numbers it should be all about curve.

Peak HP isnt that important.

[radz28]

A 2012 bone-stock CTS-V put down almost 520 RWHP on ADM's dyno recently. It's not yet known if it was a plane freak, or what, because the average in the past was from 30-40 RWHP less, in similar trim. If there's any indication of what power ZL1 might have, it could be this car.

Personally - I don't really buy it. I'm expecting ZL1 to be between 500-520, but the more the better

Additionally - I don't really understand the point of this thread. I, too, value RWHP vs FWHP, but I don't know why it really matters. GM uses SAE ratings, so I'm not sure what we're talking about here...

[Fiveg56]

Sounds like SS insecurity to me.