On this episode of HOT ROD Unlimited, HOT ROD Editor In Chief David
Freiburger drives the Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Camaro ZL1 to 202 mph, making it the first 2012 ZL1 to exceed 200 mph. This very same ZL1 in the exact same configuration (save for wheels and tires and the rollcage) was also the first to run 10s in the quarter mile.
The ZL1 Camaros were first delivered to the public in early April, making
580 hp from their supercharged, 6.2L, LSA engines. Within days of delivery,
Lingenfelter had its ZL1 making 720 hp at 6,500 rpm and 650 lb-ft at 4,650
rpm, both measured at the rear tires. The performance parts are all from
Lingenfelter: CNC-ported cylinder heads, a GT9 camshaft, a ported
supercharger cover, overdrive blower pulleys, a cold-air kit, 63-lb/hr fuel
injectors, a voltage booster for the fuel pump, a 160-degree thermostat, and
tuning. The entire package, installed, is $11,495. Everything else on this
manual-trans car is stock. The performance testing was done with 109-octane
VP fuel and 15 psi boost.
On April 18, 2012, the Lingenfelter ZL1 ran 10.79 at 134.36 mph at Muncie
Dragway in Indiana. That was on drag wheels and tires.
On April 30, 2012, the car was delivered to the Continental Tire Proving
Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. Shod with Continental Extreme Contact tires on the original ZL1 wheels, the Camaro was tested on the 8-1/2-mile oval. The
three-lane surface is like a road rather than a race track, the turns are
not banked, and there are a few elevation changes. During the top-speed run,
Freiburger pulled 0.4 to 0.5 g at 190-plus mph in the sweeping turns, then
held it down for nearly 40 seconds on the pull from 190 to 202.67 mph before
lifting to avoid cresting a small hill at corner entry at 200-plus mph. The
car had not reached terminal velocity. Conditions included a head/crosswind,
ambient temperatures in the 90s, and a density altitude of 3,280 feet. The
Camaro was aerodynamically stock except for some tape over the front
brake-duct openings in an attempt to channel more air through the stock
air-to-water intercooler, as the water was reaching temps in the 250s during
prolonged periods of WOT, leading to hot inlet air and reduced power.
Naturally, the comments here will lead to the upcoming ¹13 Ford Mustang
GT500, with claims of 200 mph capability in bone stock trim. A stock Camaro
ZL1 will run 185 mph. Will the GT500 be faster than the Lingenfelter ZL1?
Until someone shows up at the same track on the same day with both cars and a single driver, no one will know. Meanwhile, we present the first ZL1 to
eclipse the double century mark. See more at Lingenfelter.com and
HotRod.com.
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