Camaro News at the L.A. Auto Show
by Hib Halverson, Content Director
 

Fifty-Six and Change

A lot of Camaro news broke in mid-November, around the time of the 2011 L.A. Auto Show. First, was the ZL1 Coupe price announcement. Want to be one of the first to own the most powerful, quickest and fastest production Camaro ever built? You’ll need 56,295 bucks, including destination charge and a gas guzzler tax penalty, for the privilege.

Options? Well, because a ZL1 is pretty much loaded from the get-go, they’re only six: an automatic trans, power sunroof, stripes, polished wheels, an exposed-weave carbon-fiber hood insert and a “suede package” which adds suede microfiber inserts to items in the interior. If you want a full-boat, 2012 ZL1 Coupe, you’re looking at $61,720 before sales tax and registration. I can hear it now: “Holy moly. sixty-two grand?! Who’s gonna pay that for a Camaro?”

In fact, when it goes on sale next spring, the 2012 ZL1 will sell out quickly. We asked Chevrolet spokesperson Monte Doran how many of the supercharged Camaros the bow-tie guys will build and he sidestepped the question saying only that there would not be enough for every Chevy dealer to sell one. At this writing there are 3200 Chevrolet dealers nationwide–you do the math. Further, we suspect ZL1 will be a two- maybe three-year program with increasingly stringent fuel economy regulations making a near 600-hp, supercharged Camaro an impossibility by mid-decade.

Bottom line: the ZL1 will be a historic milestone for Chevy’s iconic Sports Coupe, a high point in production Camaro performance and a highly prized commodity. Find yourself a Chevy dealer who moves a lot of Camaros and place your order, now, because the few 2012 ZL1s will go fast and the 2013s will, too.

For more information, read the CHpg’s other ZL1 coverage.

So...Where’d the 24 Horses Come From?

Just released are official power and torque ratings for the ZL1’s 6.2-liter, supercharged, LSA V8. Five hundred eighty horsepower at 6000 rpm and 556 pound/feet torque at 4200-rpm, SAE-corrected, make it the most powerful production engine ever put in a Camaro.
 

“SAE J2723 is a standard which was written to certify tests run to SAE J1349. A third party witnesses the manufacturer's testing of the engine under J1349 conditions and certifies that the reported data are correct. The witness checks the equipment and instrumentation used in the test and ensure that the test is run properly and the results computed and reported accurately.

“A number of years ago,” Lancaster continued, “it became apparent from benchmarking data that the advertised power and torque numbers of some manufacturers were not consistent with the output of those engines measured in independent tests, with advertised numbers in some cases being significantly above the actual output. This harms both consumers and honest manufacturers.

“In response, GM led an effort to revise the existing SAE J1349 standard to eliminate loopholes and ambiguities as well as to accommodate the capabilities of advanced engine control systems. Once that standard had been revised, GM then led an effort to write SAE J2723 to implement a witness testing program similar to that used successfully in Europe. GM, also, committed to certifying the power and torque of all our production engines sold in the US. Manufacturers may claim they test to J1349, but the only way to be sure is to have (J2723) certified data.“

“The Camaro ZL1 delivers supercar performance and technology,” Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer, told the Camaro Homepage. “It delivers more horsepower than a Ferrari 458, more torque than an Aston Martin DB9 V12, and a better power-to-weight ratio than a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS.”

Let’s look at the 580-hp LSA with a historical perspective. Its power rating surpasses the advertised rating of the legendary, ZL1 427 cubic-inch Big Block installed in ’69 COPO 9560 Camaros by 150 horsepower and beats its actual power output, 560-hp, by 10 horses–all while meeting modern emissions requirements and backed by General Motors’ five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Another interesting fact? Back in the 60’s, car companies used a gross power rating, rather than the SAE net power rating of today. No one has tested an LSA using 1960s methods, but if they did; it would be more like 610-620-hp and it does that with 50 less cubic inches. Forty-three years of technology marching also gets you a flatter torque curve, vastly better fuel economy and far less exhaust emissions.

“The 556 lbs/ft of torque is going to make the ZL1 a car you won’t want to get out of,” said John Rydzewski, GM Powertrain’s Assistant Chief Engineer for Small Block Engines. “Not only will it have more power and torque than the competition, we’re making it available with an optional, six-speed automatic transmission, to appeal to a wider group of enthusiasts.”

The LSA has been used since 2009 in the Cadillac CTS-V and, in that application, it’s rated at 556-hp. That the Camaro version of the engine makes 580 begs the question: “Where’d the extra power come from.”
 

Initially, we suspected the Camaro’s Corvette-derived, dual-mode exhaust was responsible for most of that. At the LA Auto Show, the Camaro Homepage had some face time with Al Oppenheiser. The full interview with will be posted on the CHpg at a later date but in that discussion, we asked Al about the 24 additional horses and he set us straight. The dual-mode exhaust is good for three, perhaps five horsepower over the Cadillac CTS-V and that most of the difference–almost 20 horses–comes from the Camaro’s air filter assembly and induction plumbing which, obviously, are more free-flowing than is the Cadillac’s. 

ZL1 Droptop
 

Convertibles are about 25% of Camaro sales so, after finishing development of the LS, LT and SS convertibles then debuting them at the L.A. Auto Show a year ago, the folks who bring you America’s Sports Coupe pondered, “Why not a 580-hp convertible?” Management gave the “ok” so development began on the ZL1 Convertible and it debuted at the LA Auto Show’s 2-day “Media Days/” The convertible version of the Camaro ZL1, which goes on sale in the fall of ’12 as a ’13 model, includes all the performance features on the Coupe but comes with one additional characteristic one in four Camaro owners want–open air motoring.

From day one, the fifth-gen Camaro architecture was designed with a convertible in mind which ensured the car’s driving dynamics would be nearly the same as the coupe version. “Our goal in development," Al Oppenheiser told us, "was to make the convertible match the coupe as closely as possible in ride quality and handling. To compensate for an open car's decrease in structural rigidity, engineers often opt for a softer suspension, making the convertible a 'boulevard cruiser'. Instead, we took the more difficult, but better path of reinforcing the Convertible's structure rather than softening its suspension. We didn’t change a strut, bushing or spring rate from the coupe.”
 

Four structural reinforcements enhance the convertible’s body structure to quell the cowl and steering wheel shake which plague some other convertibles. They include: an underhood strut tower brace, a transmission support reinforcement, an underbody tunnel brace, a front “X” brace,  a stiffer suspension cradle and rear underbody “V” braces.

Additional reinforcements in the ZL1 convertible are designed to improve noise and vibration characteristics, while also reducing unwanted ride and body motions. They include  hydroformed tubes inside the A-pillars, a reinforcement bracket in the windshield header, a reinforced door hinge pillar and reinforcements inside the rocker panels.

These changes to the Camaro Convertible structure have it bettering the Mustang Convertible in torsion and bending and exceeding BMW's 3-series Convertible in torsion. The result is a convertible which preserves nearly all the acceleration, road-holding and performance capabilities of the coupe.

 “The Camaro ZL1 convertible will be one of the most powerful and most capable convertibles available at any price,” Oppenheiser, proudly stated. “This is a car guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you drop the top...or hit the gas.”

To see a video clip of Al Oppenheiser and other Camaro development engineers discussing the Camaro Convertible structure, click here.

For additional information on Camaro Convertibles, please read the CHpg’s 2010 L.A. Auto Show coverage by clicking here.

Beefy Gearboxes

ZL1s will come with the MG9, Tremec, TR-6060 six-speed manual as standard equipment and the Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic as an option. The  manual features 30 percent more torque capacity than that used in the Camaro SS. The higher torque capacity results from a strengthened output shaft, high-strength rear housing and an additional roller bearing. The MG9 has also been tuned for improved shift feel with triple-cone synchros. 

The Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed auto has been strengthened to handle the torque and horsepower produced by the 6.2L supercharged small block. The 6L90 features a strengthened input gearset with two additional pinion gears, additional clutch plate, and a strengthened output shaft and gearset.
 

Camaro Aero

A ZL1 can hit 170-mph at the Nürburgring and its ultimate top speed is 180, if equipped manual trans, or 183 with an automatic trans. To enhance stability and steering feel at those speeds, the ZL1 team developed aerodynamic enhancements which generate downforce to improve handing at high speed.

“A six-speed manual ZL1, driven by Ride-and-Handing Engineer, Aaron Link, lapped Nürburgring in 7:41.27 seconds.”  Al Oppenheiser, told us. “That would have been impossible without the work of our aerodynamics team. Like a racecar, a ZL1 creates downforce to press the tires against the track for extra grip and control at high speeds.”

Most production cars, the Camaro LS and SS included, are designed with some lift at highway speeds to reduce rolling resistance for improved fuel economy. This lift contributes to the LS’s 30 mpg EPA highway rating.

Designing a Camaro for high-speed track capability requires other considerations. For the ZL1, the Camaro aerodynamics team set out to generate downforce for improved handing at speed while minimizing the increased drag additional downforce usually brings. With the computer-assisted design recommendations, engineers tested full-scale clay models and full-size prototypes in the General Motors’ wind tunnel, shaping clay and trimming foam board by hand to affect changes and measure them immediately. 
 

Outside of the aerodynamics laboratory, engineers tested the ZL1’s aero aids on GM’s Milford Road Course, other race tracks and the unique “rolling road” wind tunnel at the Auto Research Center in Indianapolis.

When the aero folks got done, the ZL1 produced 65 pounds of downforce at 150 mph– compared to 200 pounds of lift from a Camaro SS–and that downforce was offset by an increase of only 40 counts of additional drag or an increase in Cd of 0.040.

“The added downforce makes a huge change in the feel and responsiveness of the ZL1 at high speeds,” said Oppenheiser. “One of the best examples of how aerodynamics improved the handing of the ZL1 is the ‘Fuchsröhre,’ or ‘Foxhole’ at the Nürburgring. In the ZL1 with a manual trans, you can take that sweeping, left-hand corner flat-out in fifth–nearly 160 mph. That’s a great testament to the confidence-inspiring stability and control the aerodynamic work we did gives the Camaro ZL1.”

Seven aerodynamic enhancements contribute to the downforce of the ZL1:
 

1) Front Fascia. The front fascia channels air for engine and brake cooling. The lower opening is larger than that in a Camaro SS front end, providing greater airflow to the supercharger’s charge air cooler. Even the grille “fins” were shaped for optimal airflow. The corners of the front fascia were reshaped to minimize lift, while the brake-cooling ducts in the outer corners of the lower grille opening helps improve braking performance, particularly on the racetrack.

4) Front Tire Deflectors. These deflectors direct airflow around the wheels and tires more efficiently, reducing lift and drag. By using deflectors in place of a traditional air dam, the downforce is less sensitive to pitch changes, making the ZL1 more stable at high speeds.

5) Belly pans. ZL1s have two of them, one beneath the engine cradle and another just ahead of the transmission. Both extend the width of the chassis and minimize airflow turbulence under the car. For transmission cooling, NACA ducts are incorporated into the rear belly pan.

6) Rocker panels. The carefully contoured, subtile-appearing rocker panels help reduce lift and drag, while contributing to stability during high cross winds. They, also, provide stone protection with the ZL1’s wider tires.

7) Rear spoiler. The Camaro aero team saved the best for last. One of the most significant improvements in a ZL1’s aerodynamics comes with its rear spoiler. It is taller and wider than the Camaro SS spoiler and contributes approximately 150 pounds of down force at a cost of only 1 count of drag.  

Crashworthy Coupe

The 2012 Camaro Coupe earned a five-star score, the highest possible, in every rating segment of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program. The ’12 Camaro is the first vehicle to receive a perfect score since the federal testing procedures were revised for the 2011 model year.

“Camaro has always been about performance and that includes safety performance,” Al Oppenheiser states “Obviously, we strive for five-star ratings. That we achieved them under more rigorous requirements is quite an accomplishment.”
 

All Camaros are designed to help drivers avoid crashes, while protecting occupants in the event a crash occurs. Standard or optional safety features include:

New Rear Vision Package, which includes a new rearview camera system which standard on Camaros ordered with 2LT and 2SS packages and optional on those with 1LT or 1SS.

Standard remote keyless entry system provides a second function for the red panic button. Drivers can use it to quickly locate their cars in a crowded parking area without sounding the panic alarm.

Standard four-wheel disc brake system for less brake fade and shorter stops.

Six standard air bags including head-curtain side air bags, which provide added head and torso protection in the event of a side-impact crash.

Front safety belt pretensioners to reduce forward movement and load-limiting belt retractors to help manage forces during a collision are standard.

“StabiliTrak” electronic stability enhancement system (SES) helps the driver maintain control by electronically comparing what the driver wants the car to do with how the car is actually responding. If the car isn't responding the way the driver wants, or is in danger of spinning or skidding out of control, the SES automatically engages the appropriate suspension, steering, and braking controls to help stabilize the car and help the driver retain control. No system can overcome the laws of physics, but by enhancing driver control in difficult driving conditions, StabiliTrack makes Camaro drivers feel more confident and improves safety by enhancing their control in difficult driving conditions.