The 2012 Camaro ZL1 is the highest-performing production Camaro of all time. It is literally like nothing you've ever driven before. Built to be track-capable right from the showroom, and tested on some of the most rigorous tracks around the world, including the Nürburgring, where it clocked in at 7:41.27. This is the car every engineer dreams about building. Every racer dreams about tearing around the track. And every owner dreams about—a sports car that looks mean, but feels comfortable and docile enough for daily driving.
In 1969, 69 regular-production Camaros were installed with ZL1 all-aluminum racing engines. In that moment, those mythical 69 cars became the pinnacle in Camaro performance.
Until now. The 2012 Camaro ZL1. Available Spring 2012.
Every part. Every function. Every feature. Every piece of the ZL1 has been rigorously put to the test. From the Milford Road Course to the drag strip to the Nürburgring, this car has been wired up, pounded on, checked, re-checked—it's the first model year and the 2012 ZL1 has already paid its dues.
The ZL1 video series takes you through the process, including testing the Magnetic Ride, the 24-hour track test and the 7:41.27 lap at the 'Ring.
The 2012 Camaro, shown in Victory Red, features a carbon-fiber composite functional "Mohawk" air extractor.
"At every stage of development we wanted things that improved performance and looked the part. This car brings the latest and greatest of everything, all proven on the most demanding tracks around the world."—Tony Roma, ZL1 Program Engineering Manager
ZL1 is designed to be driven exactly like it should be—hard. The fuel system has added fuel pick-ups to maximize the amount of fuel available even under high g cornering on the most aggressive tracks. The standard Tremec® 6-speed manual transmission comes with a revised short-throw shifter for increased precision.
The dual-mode exhaust enables peak performance at high engine speeds, and has been engineered to create an aggressive sound at idle without overwhelming when cruising at a steady speed—the drawback of some aftermarket performance exhausts.
Unlike many of its competitors, ZL1 comes fully equipped with factory-integrated auxiliary fluid coolers that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars to install, including a liquid-to-liquid engine cooler typically found on high-end sports cars. Both the manual and automatic transmissions are equipped with high-capacity oil coolers, consisting of a liquid-to-liquid and air-to-oil heat exchanger plumbed in series.
The differential cooler is a truly unique design. This innovative system pumps overcooled transmission fluid to a heat exchanger inside the housing, removing excess heat from the differential fluid.
Watch our team test durability over a 24 hour run on the racetrack.
The 580-horsepower, 556 lb.-ft. of torque, 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine can be mated to a Tremec
The uniquely designed sixth-generation intercooled 1.9-liter Eaton® supercharger gives ZL1 additional thrust and more force. The 4-lobed supercharger enables a broad range of power through the rpm band, giving the engine great low-end torque and excellent horsepower at the range where a supercharger generally loses its effectiveness.
The optional automatic is no afterthought—it's a fully integrated powertrain offering that is completely unique to the segment. The Hydra-Matic® 6L90 is built to handle the massive torque and power, steering wheel paddle shifting helps to make shifts quick and convenient. The upshift algorithm in TAPshift® mode reduces delay time, allowing for aggressive tap downshifts and upshifts. The algorithm has been designed to recognize aggressive throttle movement to hold lower gears for aggressive driving.
A true harmony of smooth and raw feel, ZL1 features the latest Tremec® 6-speed manual transmission with a revised short-throw shifter. The new shifter has a short-throw ratio and incorporates a revised shift knob, designed to be more performance oriented in the driver's hand. The system provides smooth transfer of the engine's exceptional power and torque, and the dual mass flywheel design ensures quiet, smooth operation. The smaller diameter and lower inertia of the twin disc clutch ramp up the 0-60 performance.
20" 10-spoke Black forged aluminum wheels come standard on every 2012 Camaro ZL1.
You can have the most powerful, supercharged engine in the world, but if you don't have the technology to support it, what do you get? A whole lot of power you can't use.
Every piece of ZL1 is built to support and optimize every single horse in this machine's command. Brembo® brakes help provide an exceptional 60-to-0 stopping distance. Performance Traction Management influenced by the Corvette ZR1 with five performance settings adjusts for ambient and track conditions, driver experience and vehicle familiarity. The weight distribution is an exceptional 52% to 48% front-to-back.
The ZL1 is remarkably comfortable on the street—and capable on the track—thanks to a series of new applications and refinements to the chassis system, including the latest generation of Magnetic Ride technology. The bushings, mounts, dampers and tires have all been tuned for this vehicle's high-performance dynamics. New springs lower the vehicle to reduce its center of gravity for improved braking and handling. Both the front and rear stabilizer bars have been completely redesigned for a dramatic decrease in roll and precisely tuned for perfect handling balance.
ZL1 will be the first car for sale in North America with the latest generation of Magnetic Ride Control™, with three distinct damper calibrations just for ZL1: Tour, Sport and Track. These shocks employ magnetorheological fluid for damping levels adjusted up to 1,000 times per second, making the system exceptionally responsive and providing increased wheel control on even the roughest road or the most challenging track by dramatically reducing heave, pitch and roll. Watch our team test the magnetorheological shocks.
For ZL1, the goal was to create handling and control not just for street use, but to enhance acceleration performance under all racetrack conditions. The resulting Performance Traction Management is an advanced system that integrates the Magnetic Ride, Launch Control, Traction Control and Active Handling systems. The electromechanically powered steering system in ZL1 is specifically engineered for lower inertia and friction, resulting in a more direct steering feel and superior response.
ZL1 offers two 20-inch wheel3 options. Both have 20"x10" front and 20"x11" rear sizes, and are forged aluminum, optimized for high strength and low mass. The standard wheel is a Black 10-spoke, or opt for the polished 5-spoke.
The Goodyear® Eagle F1® SuperCar® Generation 2 (G:2) tires3 have been developed and optimized specifically for ZL1 to yield outstanding handling while maintaining requisite street tire performance for wet handling, treadwear, noise, mass and rolling resistance.
ZL1 is equipped with a Brembo® brake system with massive 14.6" front rotors, and is considered world-class in the high-performance, luxury vehicle niche. The unique, two-piece design provides excellent fade resistance and is engineered to stand up to repeated high-speed stops. Huge six-piston monobloc calipers are asymmetrically laid out in the front, with four pistons in the rear. Brake cooling ducts route air from the fascia to the rotor and caliper.
The 2012 Camaro, shown in Victory Red, features a carbon-fiber composite functional "Mohawk" air extractor.
ZL1 Features prominent exterior as well as interior badging, on the trunklid, hood, grille, steering wheel and instrument panel.
The unique front fascia on the 2012 Camaro ZL1 is both mean-looking and functional to its aerodynamics.
The 2012 Camaro ZL1 in Victory Red with standard Black 20" 10-spoke wheels.
The 2012 Camaro, shown in Victory Red, features a carbon-fiber composite functional "Mohawk" air extractor.
Looking to blend into the crowd? Want to just get by? You might want to keep walking. The exterior of Camaro ZL1 is as aggressive looking as anything on the street. But it's more than just a mean-looking face: the exterior was designed to function as a package to enhance the overall dynamics of the car. The "Mohawk" hood air extractor, large lower grille openings and lower splitter combine for improved cooling and aerodynamic efficiency. Unique ZL1 badging is located on the front plate, the rear, sill plates and under the hood.
Make a distinct statement with the standard full lighting package, combining foglamps, separate daytime running lamps and HID headlamps with halo rings.
The unmistakable "Mohawk" functional air extractor is engineered from carbon-fiber composites to achieve the highest stiffness and strength achievable with lowest mass. The air extractor pulls air through the lower grille and out through the hood, cooling the engine, increasing efficiency and reducing lift in the process. The significant feature of the front fascia is the large lower splitter, which reduces front lift significantly and forces air through the lower grille, which is larger than the opening on the SS model. Single-piece rockers with extensions are aero-designed and help keep the vehicle down to balance power. The rear diffuser extends to the rear wheel openings and incorporates metal heat shields to insulate the fascia from the hot exhaust tips. Watch our team test the aerodynamics of the ZL1.
The 2012 Camaro ZL1 front seats incorporate sueded microfiber inserts with red accent stitching and embroidered ZL1 logos.
The flat-bottom steering wheel in the 2012 Camaro ZL1, designed for use in open race cars, is tuned to give the driver a more connected feel.
The 2012 Camaro ZL1 black leather-appointed interior with sueded microfiber accents and red stitching.
The Black leather-appointed interior of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 with sueded microfiber seat inserts, instrument panel accents and red stitching.
The 2012 Camaro ZL1 leather-appointed front seats with red accent stitching and embroidered ZL1 logos.
If you're looking for rear-seat DVD players, tons of storage space and eight cup holders, you shouldn't even be on this page. The interior of the ZL1 is designed exactly like the rest of the ZL1—to outperform every other sports car in its class. That being said, with its finely tuned suspension, sueded microfiber-accented instrument panel and available sueded microfiber wrap on the steering wheel and shifter, you'll feel like you're in a touring car.
For ZL1, revised pedals allow for optimized foot placement for track use. The front seats incorporate sueded microfiber suede inserts with red accent stitching and ZL1 logos embroidered on the front headrests. The sueded microfiber inserts help add friction to the seat.
The flat-bottom steering wheel, designed for use in open race cars, gives your legs more room for heel/toe operation and makes getting in and out of the car easy. The wheel has a smaller diameter than the standard 2012 Camaro wheel, and the rim section has been thickened and tuned to give the driver a more connected feel, which can be improved even further with the available sueded microfiber wrap.
The ZL1 engineers thought of everything. Including drivers who want to feel the power of 580 horses as they blow through the air. So, from day one, the architecture of Camaro ZL1 was designed to accommodate a convertible model. Meaning you get the chance to take the roof off while preserving nearly all of the acceleration, road-hugging, high-performance capabilities of the ZL1 coupe.
When it goes on sale later in 2013, the 580 horsepower in the Camaro ZL1 convertible is predicted to be the second most powerful 2+2 seater convertible in the United States—second only to the $280,400 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible.
Four strategic bracing reinforcements enhance the already stiff body structure to reduce the cowl and steering wheel shake common in other convertibles. Additional structural reinforcements are designed to improve noise and vibration while reducing unwanted ride and body motions.
ZL1 includes a 12-month subscription to SiriusXM Radio
Red stitching contrasts the Black leather-wrapped steering wheel in the 2012 Camaro ZL1.
Camaro ZL1 comes with all of the technology you expect from a top-of-the-line Camaro. Amenities like the standard rear camera with inside rearview mirror display.
ZL1 comes with all of the technology you expect from a top-of-the-line Camaro. Amenities like the standard rear camera with inside rearview mirror display. OnStar® Directions and Connections® with Turn-by-Turn Navigation4 standard for the first six months. A premium Boston Acoustics® sound system and a one-year trial subscription to SiriusXM Satellite Radio5 Service.
The Head-Up Display in ZL1 is specially designed for high-performance driving situations. The HUD is a transparent display that presents data without requiring the driver to look away from the usual viewpoint. "Shift lights" are staged with increasing engine speed so the driver can execute perfectly timed upshifts, even under the most demanding conditions, without taking an eye off the road. Lateral g data is displayed for viewing on the straightaway.
Stay connected to your Camaro with the myChevrolet6 or OnStar RemoteLink™7 mobile apps. Start your vehicle, check diagnostics, contact roadside assistance, routine maintenance and more. Available from the iTunes Store and Android Marketplace.
Stepping into your car no longer means stepping away from your day. Take calls and connect your music with the touch of a button.
Have upcoming turns and street names displayed on the Driver Information Center or hear directions from the automated voice through OnStar®. Standard for the first six months.
Enjoy premium performance sound with Boston Acoustics® Premium Nine-Speaker Sound System.
Press the button on your key fob and start your vehicle remotely. Included only with automatic transmission.
Advanced electronic systems, coupled with engineering characteristics like ZL1's rigid body structure, high-performance Brembo® brakes, and electrically assisted steering, work in harmony to help prevent collisions — and help protect you if you're in one. It's optimal safety before, during and after a crash.
Standard on every Camaro, antilock brakes and the StabiliTrak® Electronic Stability Control System with Traction Control help keep you in control during emergency maneuvers. The control module compares your steering input with the vehicle's actual response and, if necessary, makes the corrections to help keep you on track.
In the event of a collision, six standard air bags10 help protect heads, chests and knees. And the ultra-strength steel safety cage helps keep everyone in the vehicle protected.
OnStar® Automatic Crash Response4, standard for the first six months on all Camaro models, means you can be automatically connected to emergency assistance if a crash occurs — whether or not the air bags deploy.
