Camaro ZL1 580HP

Are you guys ready for GM press release on the new Camaro ZL1 – This thing is amazing. Thank you Chevy!

GM PRESS RELEASE:

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s supercharged 6.2L engine is SAE-rated at 580 horsepower (432 kW) and 556 lb.-ft. of torque (754 Nm) – making it the most-powerful production Camaro ever.

The ZL1’s outstanding power is complemented by advanced powertrain and chassis technologies, including exclusive Performance Traction Management and third-generation Magnetic Ride Control.

“The Camaro ZL1 delivers supercar performance and technology in the sports-car segment,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “For sheer power, the ZL1 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.

“The Camaro ZL1 also features exclusive chassis and traction technologies,” Oppenheiser said, “to offer the best of all worlds – including balanced handling for the track, acceleration for a drag strip, and the comfort of a daily driver.”

The most-powerful production Camaro ever

• Supercharged, 6.2L LSA V-8 delivers 580 horsepower (432 kW) and 556 lb.-ft. of torque (754 Nm)
• ZL1 power complemented by exclusive Magnetic Ride Control and Performance Traction Management
• Track-capable standard equipment includes high-performance fuel system, as well as engine, transmission and differential coolers

The 2012 Camaro ZL1’s surpasses the advertised power of the legendary 1969 Camaro ZL1’s 427 cubic-inch big block by more than 150 horsepower (112 kW) – while meeting modern emissions requirements. And, the new ZL1 is backed by General Motors’ five-year / 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

“The torque is going to make the ZL1 a car you won’t want to get out of,” said John Rydzewski, assistant chief engineer for small block engines. “Not only will the ZL1 have more power and torque than the competition, we’re making it available with an optional automatic transmission, to appeal to a wider group of sports car enthusiasts.”

The all-aluminum LSA supercharged V-8 is part of GM’s legendary small-block engine family. For a solid foundation, the engine’s lower end uses six-bolt main bearing caps that clamp and lock in the forged steel crankshaft to the deep-skirt block. Its 1.9L Roots-style blower uses an efficient four-lob rotor set and compact intercooler to deliver boosted air into the high-flow cylinder heads.

For the Camaro ZL1, the LSA features a unique induction system, with a lower-restriction air filter, dual inlet paths, and improved airflow through the supercharger housing. Other changes include a higher-efficiency supercharger intercooler and electric power steering system, which consumes less engine power than hydraulic-steering systems.

The ZL1 will be offered with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The Tremec TR-6060 “MG9” manual features 30 percent more torque capacity than in the Camaro SS. The higher torque capacity results from a strengthened output shaft, high-strength rear housing, and additional roller bearing. The MG9 has also been tuned for improved shift feel, with a dual-mass flywheel, twin-disc clutch, and triple synchros for smooth, precise shifts.

Similarly, the Hydra-Matic 6L90 automatic 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. To make the ZL1 perform equally well on street and track, the 6L90 features three distinct drive modes:

• Drive: The shift pattern is calibrated for optimal fuel economy, including second-gear starts, while the shift feel is tuned for a smooth driving experience. Engaging the tap-shift feature on the steering wheel or shift lever engages temporary manual mode.
• Sport: The shift pattern is calibrated for more aggressing driving, including first-gear starts for maximum performance. The shift feel is also more aggressive, with a performance algorithm that holds the transmission in lower gears during aggressive driving.
• Manual: Here, the 6L90 offers the driver true manual control, with no automatic up shifts, and staged upshifts for incredibly fast shifts and maximum performance.

Other track-ready features of the ZL1 include:

• An engine-oil cooler, identical to the system on the Corvette ZR1. The integral liquid-to-liquid system is so effective that both the manual and automatic transmissions are deemed to be fully track-capable with the standard factory-installed cooling package.
• A rear-differential cooler, which pumps transmission fluid to a heat exchanger, reduces temperatures in the differential by more than 100 F.
• A high-performance fuel system delivers fuel to the LSA engine under any performance driving condition. For example, the system features additional fuel pickups on the primary side, and the secondary fuel pickup is moved outboard for continuous fuel access during high-g cornering under low fuel conditions.

Magnetic Ride Control 3.0 adjusts damping 1,000 times per second

The Camaro ZL1 will feature the third-generation of Magnetic Ride Control (MRC).

MRC employs valve-less damping and Magneto-Rheological (MR) fluid technology. MR fluid is a suspension of iron particles in a synthetic fluid. When the system is activated, the particles are magnetized and aligned into fibrous structures, changing flow resistance. By controlling the current to an electromagnetic coil inside the piston of the damper, the system varies the suspension firmness to match the road and driving conditions.

“Traditional suspension systems at some point compromise ride quality for road-holding grip and body control,” said Oppenheiser. “With Magnetic Ride Control, we can offer customers the best of both worlds: A comfortable ride that makes the ZL1 appropriate as a daily driver and the incredibly precise body control that makes the ZL1 so enjoyable on the track.”

For the third-generation, MRC uses new twin-wire/dual-coil dampers at all four corners. The smaller dual-coil system – with one coil at either end of the damper – replaces the larger single-core design of the previous generation.

The new design allows even more precise control of the electrical current (and magnetic flux), allowing greater range between the softest setting for ride comfort and the firmest setting for track driving. The new dual-coil design also enables faster response, with damping levels now adjusted up to 1,000 times per second – about one adjustment per inch of vehicle travel at 60 mph – making the system exceptionally responsive to changing driving and road conditions.

There are three settings for MRC in the ZL1: Tour, Sport, and Track.

Exclusive Performance Traction Management for the race course, and the drag strip

The Camaro ZL1 will also offer Performance Traction Management (PTM) as standard equipment, which is exclusive to General Motors. First introduced on the Corvette ZR1, PTM is an advanced system that integrates magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control and electronic stability control, to enhance performance on the racetrack and drag strip.

For example, the launch control feature (manual transmission only) automatically modulates engine torque for the best possible acceleration without excessive wheel spin. When the driver pushes the throttle to the floor, the system holds a predetermined engine speed until the driver releases the clutch. Then, the system modulates engine torque 100 times per second to maximize the available traction. The system is capable of approaching a skilled driver’s best effort and repeats it consistently.

Similarly, on a road course, the driver can apply full throttle when exiting a corner and PTM will automatically manage acceleration dynamics to maximize exit speed based on available traction.

Five PTM performance levels or modes are available to accommodate the given ambient and track conditions, driver experience/vehicle familiarity and driver comfort levels. They include:

• Mode 1 – Traction control set for wet conditions, with stability control on and Magnetic Ride Control set on Tour.
• Mode 2 – Traction control set for dry conditions, with stability control on and Magnetic Ride Control set on Tour.
• Mode 3 – Traction control set on Sport 1, with stability control on and Magnetic Ride Control set on Sport.
• Mode 4 – Traction control set on Sport 2, with stability control off and Magnetic Ride Control set on Sport.
• Mode 5 – Traction control set on Race, with stability control off and Magnetic Ride Control set on Track. Launch control tuned for VHT-prepped drag strips.

“Like the Magnetic Ride Control, the Performance Traction Management system improves the ZL1 experience as a daily driver and on the track,” said Oppenheiser. “By offering five distinct modes of traction management, the driver can select what’s best for them based on their experience and the driving conditions. As a result, novice drivers will find the ZL1 is very enjoyable to drive, while expert drivers will find PTM supplements their driving skill without interfering with their intentions.”

See more picture here – Camaro ZL1

69 Chevelle COPO

Throughout the 1960s, Chevrolet did a very nice job of giving its high-performance customers what they wanted: many different RPO sheetmetal choices. But Chevrolet Engineering’s Product Promotion office, led by manager Vince Piggins and some of his staff, including Bill Howell and Paul Prior, had other serious thoughts. It was late in the decade-late 1968 / early 1969. Piggins, with the concurrence of drag racer Dick Harrell and dealership  owner Fred Gibb, had already created the 1969 ZL1 Aluminum 427 Camaro for competition in the two SS/B classes (stock and automatic) and the iron L72 427 ‘69 Camaro into the pair of SS/C classes.

What to do for NHRA’s SS/D manual and automatic transmission classes? Piggins, Howell, Prior and others collectively thought that the Chevelle sport coupe with the L72 427 engine would fit perfectly. So they began talking to many people in the know, including dealerships nationwide. In short order, the necessary Central Office Production Order (COPO) system for the SS/D ‘69 Chevelle sport coupe commenced. It really got carried away-in a good way. (See the COPO breakdown sidebar.) In the next few months, dealerships ordered somewhere between 350 and 375.
1969 Chevy Chevelle Side View
Here is one of 12 Yenko 9562…

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1969 Chevy Chevelle Side View
Here is one of 12 Yenko 9562 L72 427 Chevelles in Garnet red. We also dig Dover white and Daytona yellow. The Yenko 5-spoke wheels really set the car off.

Enter Don Yenko
A stellar Corvette road racer in his youth, Don Yenko followed in his father’s footsteps in running the family dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-a town of 8,000 south of the “Steel City,” Pittsburgh. Yenko also did his math and felt that the corporate COPO system, which he’d begun using in 1967 for some 427 Camaros, would benefit him greatly in 1969. Yenko told Piggins that the COPO 427 Chevelle was a winner, but he wanted around 100 of them to further modify into “Yenko SC 427 Chevelles.” He’d already done so with the Camaro for two years in 1967 and 1968. The Chevrolet Product Promotion department was struttin’ its stuff!

Of the 350 +/- COPO 1969 Chevelles produced, Don Yenko ordered 99 of them. The remaining 251 +/- Chevelles were ordered and sold through other Chevrolet dealers nationwide.

Today, these Chevys are considered “real estate” due to what they once represented back in the day. No one knows if every COPO performance car was indeed drag raced, as intended, against Fords and Mopars. Those COPO cars that remain today and have paperwork to prove authenticity are generally considered museum pieces.

How did COPO L72 427 Chevelles with various options come about?
1969 Chevy Chevelle 427 Engine
Does the 1969 COPO Chevelle…

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1969 Chevy Chevelle 427 Engine
Does the 1969 COPO Chevelle have any ancestors? Yes, the 1965 Z16 SS 396, the 1967 COPO 427 Chevelle (total unknown) and this 1968 Dick Harrell dual quad 427 Chevelle (total unknown).

Chevrolet, via Vince Piggins’ Product Promotion department, decided to assign at least 12 different COPO numbers and letters to Chevelles with different transmissions, suspension components, tires, brakes, and bucket seats.

COPO Chevelle Special Features:
- Super Sport blackout grille with bow tie emblem
- Super Sport hood
- Black rear cove panel
- 12-bolt differential with 4.10:1 gearing (code KQ)
- Standard Malibu interior
- Either SS emblem or Bow Tie emblem on steering wheel
- L72 425hp 427 (code MQ with four-speed transmission or code MP with TH400 automatic transmission).
- Optional: Side body stripes, RPO NC8 chambered exhaust.

1969 Yenko Chevelle Breakdown
Of the 99 built, 55 had a four-speed manual transmission, bench seat and standard steering. Six of these had a vinyl roof. Thirty-seven more were TH400 automatics with power steering, rear radio antenna and a vinyl top. One automatic transmission car had no vinyl top. Body colors included: Le Mans blue -20, Fathom green -18, Butternut yellow -16, Hugger orange -14, Garnet red -12, Daytona yellow -12, Dover white -5 and Olympic gold -5.

Supercar Reunion
Every year, the Yenko Sports Car Club hosts a Super Car Reunion in the St. Louis suburb of Collinsville. Every COPO and dealer-built car is invited. A show /display, drag races and seminars are included.

Click here to see Chevelle COPO photos

1970 Corvette Stingray

Chevrolet seemed to get everything together for the 1970 model year.  Because of a UAW strike, the 1969 model run was extended two months longer than usual, which may have been the time Chevy needed to make the 70′ a better car.  The strike was no doubt a factor in the 69′ production record, but it also delayed the 70’s from reaching dealer show rooms until February, and that sent Corvette production plummeting to just 17,316 – its lowest point since 1962.  

Corvette cosmetics were again altered only in detail for 1970.  The extreme body-side tuck-under on the 1968-69 models was found to be susceptible to stone damage, so Chevy flared the aft portions of each wheel opening, which helped somewhat. The grille – actually false since the radiator air intake was on the car’s underside was changed from horizontal bars to an egg-crate pattern, and the parking lamps changed from small, round units to clear-lens, amber-bulb, rectangular fixtures.  The grille pattern was repeated on the front fender vents, replacing the four “gills” used previously.  The dual exhaust outlets also shifted from the round to the rectangular.  

Inside, the seats were shaped to provide better lateral support, more headroom, and easier access to the still-lidless cargo bay.  The shoulder belts, separate from the lap belts, got inertial storage reels, thus ending some cockpit clutter.  Carried over from the 1969 was a three-pocket map pouch on the passenger side of the dash, which provided more convenient small-item stowage than the hard-to-reach twin lidded bins behind the seats.  A deluxe interior group was added to the operations list, consisting of full cut-pile carpeting and ersatz wood trim on the console and doors.  

Road and Track tried a 1970′ Corvette with the stock 454 and automatic.  It recorded 7.0 seconds in the 0-60 mph run, a 15.0 second quarter mile at 93 mph, and top speed of 144 mph.  Editors described it as “one of the better Corvettes they had driven lately.”

1970 Corvette Specifications 

Mechanical Dimensions

Engine Specifications

1967 Chevelle / Malibu SS

The Chevrolet Chevelle earned its reputation as a high value, fun and reliable car with models such as this week’s ride, a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible owned by Jack Grabowski of Berwick.

The Chevelle was produced by Chevy from 1964-1977 and was one of General Motors’ most successful cars of all time. During the Chevelle’s run, the model’s top level was the Malibu, which became so well known that the Chevelle was renamed that. Grabowski’s 1966 Malibu is the two-door convertible that features a 283 cubic inch V8 engine and a Powerglide automatic transmission.

“The 283 inch engine and the four barrel carburetor give this car a lot of power,” Grabowski said. “I also added an aluminum intake and an aftermarket air cleaner to get the air in there a little better.”

The 1966 Chevelle Malibu was the first year for the “Coke bottle” body shape, which became a fad for American cars in the mid to late 1960s. The 8-cylinder Chevelle was the only one to earn the “SS” (Super Sport) designation in 1966.

The car was originally light blue, so Grabowski had it repainted maroon metallic and replaced the convertible top so that it would be bright white.

“The car really pops when you see the bright white top against the darker body color,” he said.

The car also features a white interior with a column shift, original factory AM radio, an in-dash electric clock, and enough seating for six.

“I laugh sometimes because my daughter has a minivan,” Grabowski said, “but sometimes we all fit better in the Malibu.”

The Malibu currently sits on Rally wheels and raised white letter tires and has power steering and brakes.

“The car just runs and drives great,” Grabowski said. “I’ve owned it for maybe 15, 16 years now, and it always gives me a thrill to put the top down in the summer and take it for a ride.”

Grabowski’s Chevelle will be kept in the garage for the winter months, but he is waiting patiently for the first warm and sunny weekend in the spring to take it out for a drive.

by Michael Golubiewski
www.theweekender.com