2017 CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 CONVERTIBLE
TOO COOL
Powering the Camaro ZL1 is General Motors’ LT4 supercharged
V-8, delivering 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of neck-straining
torque. To keep this nuclear reactor of a drivetrain from having a
meltdown, Camaro engineers incorporate 11 heat exchangers,
sticking them into any orifice that air passes through to keep
the various fluids from overheating. Torque is routed through a
standard six-speed manual transmission or the all-new optional
10-speed automatic.
The six-speed manual gearbox is controlled via a well-weighted,
suede-wrapped shifter that travels through its gates with preci-
sion. Clutch effort is surprisingly low for an engine capable of so
much thrust, and the clutch-pedal feedback leaves no question of
when engagement is going to occur. A no-lift-shift feature makes
aggressive gearchanges a breeze, and selectable automatically
rev-matched downshifts bark an authoritative tone from the du-
al-mode exhaust.
The ZL1 is the first recipient of GM’s 10-speed automatic,
denoted as the Hydra-Matic 10R90. This $1595 option was
co-developed with Ford, but the Blue Oval gearbox is coded
10R80. To handle the ZL1’s torque, Chevrolet engineers use
more robust clutches, planetary carriers, and output gears.
Other changes include the use of a different torque converter
and shift-control software, the latter of which is something spe-
cial. The gearchanges around town go virtually unnoticed, and
the hunt for the right ratio always bags a trophy. An impressive
10th-to-third-gear downshift occurs when the throttle is mashed
while cruising at 60 mph or so, rocketing the Camaro up to carri-
er-takeoff speeds in little more than an instant. Although manu-
ally