2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 First Ride Review

Jan 13, 2017 05:46 PM EST | Ileen Jasmine

The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 should be fined. No car should ever be this good. It should be considered a deadly thing - and in some ways, it is.

In the hands of the right driver, however, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is not only a thing of beauty - it is a work of art, a masterpiece. In fact, it is far more entertaining than some art pieces.

It is considered as the most powerful Camaro ever made. It's supercharged LT4 small-block V8 will overpower an inexperienced driver. The other model who dares compete with this beauty doesn't hold a candle to its 650 horsepower.

Some would argue that anybody can get the same power from Cadillac's four-door CTS-V, or Chevrolet's two-seat Corvette Z06, or even from a crate by GM performance parts. However, the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is by far the best option.

So far, the ZL1 is the cheapest car anybody can get with a top speed of over 200 miles per hour. And if the LT4 isn't enough, the ZL1 is well-equipped with the perfect engine amplifier.

According to Aaron Link, ZL1's lead development engineer, the car is electronically controlled. "That's the eLSD. It's scenarios like that that really sold us on the eLSD, despite its weight," he said.

It is true that the ZL1's active diff weighs more than the clutch-type differential in the Camaro SS by 44 pounds. However, it is a whole lot lighter than the massive 9.9-inch diff from the fifth-gen ZL1. And anybody can bet their money on the 2017 ZL1 because neither of those cars mentioned above offers as much authority as the 2017 model.

Appearance-wise, the latest ZL1 model boasts an all-new front body look. It's got wider fenders. Not only that, the front has also been remodeled to provide air for all ten of the heat exchangers stacked behind it.

The tail has gotten some remodeling done as well. It now contains an electronically controlled limited-slip differential which helps turn power into thrust in a secure way. It also works during improvised aerobatics.

Of course, the best info is saved for last. The ZL1 is equipped with an all-new 10-speed 10R90 automatic transmission - the car's greatest technical achievement to date. The transmission is co-developed with Ford, and it is the very same thing that puts the ZL1 in comparison to the likes of 991 Porsche 911 Carrera S and the McLaren MP4-12C.

The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is available as a convertible or a coupe. With all of these said, there are only a few numbers fans need to know about the ZL1 - 650 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 650 pound-feet of torque at 3600 rpm. Those numbers alone are enough to describe just how powerful the ZL1 is.

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