http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/05/05/chevys-camaro-zl1-joins-11-second-club-video/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_autoIndustry_Driversseat
VIDEO: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1280283126001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA9K3O_eE~,BF-rjVZt6dyR5DIA5zxHwxbIuWQAPTjb&bctid=1620178657001
Chevrolet’s new Camaro ZL1 has set a number of performance benchmarks that are likely to excite speed-addled car fans. Now the car maker can add an 11-second quarter mile sprint to the list.
Actually the car’s elapsed time of 11.93 seconds was just a smidgen under the 12-seconds, but in drag racing being “in the elevens” is a big deal, especially for a factory-built car without extensive modifications. The car that set the 11.93 mark was equipped with factory-issued Goodyear Eagle tires, though the tires were custom developed and manufactured for this particular Camaro model.
In a way the 580-horsepower ZL1’s speed at the drag strip was almost “too fast” for National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned tracks. Rules require cars that complete the quarter mile in 11.49 or less to have five-point roll bars for safety. Some Camaro owners who install special racing tires or make other speed boosting changes may wind up having to install the roll bar as well.
General Motors engineers did the testing, and the ZL1 with an automatic transmission posted the best time and finished its run at 116 miles per hour. The stick-shift version ran an 11.96 at 117 mph. The ZL1 also accelerates from zero to 60 mph in four seconds, has a top speed of 184 mph and can lap Germany’s Nürburgring race track in 7:41.27.
The ZL1 is on sale now with a starting price of $54,995 that includes a $900 freight charge. The six-speed automatic transmission is a $1,185 option. The ZL1 convertible goes on sale this summer.
You can watch a video of the 11-second run.