disappear and the blind spots are no longer a factor.
However, with the top up, rear visibility is even further
restricted than in the coupe, as the rear window in the
fabric top is basically a slit. At highway speeds with the
roof lowered, wind buffeting and noise are noticeable
but acceptably low. Run the speedometer into triple-dig-
it speeds—easy with this much power—and, as you
might suspect, the wind becomes very obtrusive.
Selecting the topless ZL1 tames the track-day specialist
coupe by stripping away some of the high-tech hard-
ware, creating more of a formidable Sunday cruiser.
The convertible lives without the coupe’s trick eLSD,
or electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The
folding roof hardware gobbles up the available space,
so a conventional limited-slip diff is installed instead.
More important, this in turn takes away Chevrolet’s
stellar Performance Traction Management (PTM) fea-
ture, a multilevel stability- and traction-control system
capable of turning any driving zero into a road-course
hero. While launch control is still selectable, the loss of
PTM means there’s no longer the ability to customize
launches by dialing in wheelspin off the line. Chevrolet
engineers are reluctant to use the word softer, instead
describing the adjustments to the magnetorheologi-
cal dampers and electronically assisted steering as
“expanding the bandwidth” when in Tour mode. Small-
er-diameter anti-roll bars are used in both the front and
rear to dial back some of the athleticism. Even with the,
ahem, expanded programming, the ride is compliant
and the lighter steering remains sharp.
Our 250-mile drive involved divided highways and inter-
states, not the best roads to accurately assess the ZL1
chassis with its upper structure removed. However, the
ability to drive the coupe back to back with the convert-
ible did provide some insight; it’s immediately apparent
how stout the Alpha architecture is with a metal roof.
While the convertible’s structure is solid, the lazier
dampers may mask some of the impacts sent through
the chassis, which seemed notably flexible in our initial
Camaro convertible drive. Over undulating surfaces,
a slight shake can be felt through the steering wheel.
One attribute shared by both body styles: Stomp on the
throttle in a straight line and the ZL1 feels like it’s being
shot off a flight deck.
The Camaro ZL1 convertible offers mind-bending pow-
er and hair-removing speeds, and it seems destined
to dethrone its kin, the Camaro SS convertible, as the
quickest droptop pony car we’ve ever tested, once we
get one to the track. And it offers something that Dodge
Challenger SRT Hellcat and Ford Mustang Shelby
GT350 owners are missing out on: an out-of-doors ex-
perience. Selecting an open-air cockpit may dilute the
performance, but it certainly doesn’t diminish the fun.
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