2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Overview

We drove the Camaro SS a few years ago and we came away fairly unimpressed, it just didn’t seem very fast, or cool. It under-steered on turn-in and over-steered on exits, all the while serving up a huge blob of body roll.

A few things have changed since then,  so we decided to take a drive in the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Body styling is still Transformers-esque (an updated version is on the way) however, the engine is a completely different animal.
The potent ZL1 is a high-performance version of the above mentioned Camaro only with a supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 that was shoe horned into the Cadillac CTS-V, with the addition of a two-stage exhaust system borrowed from the Corvette. In this iteration the supercharged motor is good for a thumping 580 horsepower and 556 lb-ft of torque. Our car was fitted with the Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed auto, which we felt let the car down somewhat…but more on that later. Most high-performance muscle cars have stick shifts only and having an automatic transmission available may make some enthusiasts cringe. I wish we had been able to get one with a stick shift……

Performance and Handling

The transmission has 3 modes, Drive, Sport and Manual. With Sport selected the ZL1 scorches to 60 in 4.1 seconds, which is pretty quick, however, there are faster cars out there …… but you pay a lot more. Sport by definition, gives faster and tighter shift points and a tendency to hold the gears longer for optimal power. We found that even under hard acceleration, the transmission would drop a cog then pause and drop another one, which we didn’t seem to get the best out of the engine. You do get a hefty shove in the back once you plant your right foot and the engine is not short on noise. It sounds positively angry, with a guttural bass rumble, a supercharger whine and crackles from the exhaust when you back off the gas….quite intoxicating.

Unlike the rest of the Camaro lineup, the ZL1 comes with electrically assisted power steering. Here it differentiates between forces on the front wheels and those coming from the steering wheel and it reduces any kickback. We honestly couldn’t tell the difference………it’s a better set up than most others out there.

Magnetic Ride Control

The ZL1 rides really well and with virtual no body roll……why?…….because it uses  GM’s third-generation Magnetic Ride Control system,  which works by having metal particles in the fluid, allowing the on-board computer to control the stiffness of the shocks by adjusting a magnetic field at each end. As a result, they’re the fastest reacting shocks on the market. They must be good, Ferrari use them.
This newest system allows for even more precise control and a wider range of comfort levels, allowing up to 1,000 adjustments per second.
The system has three preset settings: Tour, Sport and Track.

Interior

Standard features include heated leather seats with microfiber suede inserts with six-way power adjustment, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, unique alloy pedal covers, ZL1 door sill plates, Boston Acoustics premium audio, complete with nine speakers, four auxiliary gauges including boost, rear park assist, rear camera display in the mirror and more.
Options include a power sunroof, stripe package, exposed carbon fiber hood insert, interior suede microfiber package (covers steering wheel, shift knob and shift boot), automatic transmission and forged aluminum wheels.

Hard cheap feeling plastics abound inside and the design is definitely due for a makeover. The new Camaro will be based on GMs Alpha platform, so reduced weight, girth and length are expected. Front seats are supportive and the addition of grippy suede inlays are

Conclusion

The downsides to this car are interior quality and price…….you could get a Corvette for this money.  You get plenty of tech but the exposed hard plastics look and feel really cheap. As we noted before it’s still difficult to see out of, with blind spots a plenty.

On the plus side there’s the engine…….oh the noise……. and it does go when you stomp on the gas, it’s just let down by the transmission, even in Sport mode.

Gallery

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2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Numbers