2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the top-of-the-line and track-focused Camaro. It starts at $61,500 and gets a supercharged V8 under its hood mated to a six-speed manual as standard. A ten-speed automatic gearbox is available as an option here. The standard features list of the Camaro ZL1 is based on the regular Camaro in the SS and 2SS trim. The only major difference here is the engine that the ZL1 gets.

New for this year is the 1LE Extreme Track Performance Package for the ZL1 which gets you special suspension dampers tuned for track races, 19-inch forged aluminum wheels but with wider rubbers, tinted taillights, fixed rear seats, and carbon-fiber hood and rear spoiler. Standalone options include a performance exhaust, navigation system, and sunroof. 

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As the Camaro ZL1 is itself a trim there is nothing much to recommend here. As for the optional features the ZL1 is well-equipped in the base form and unless you are a serious track-race enthusiast there is no point in spending money on the 1LE Extreme Track Performance Package although standalone options like the sunroof, navigation, and performance exhaust can be had as per need.

"A true sports car in muscle car guise, the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro will go toe-to-toe with any performance rival and usually come out on top." - The Car Connection

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 borrows the Corvette Z06's 6.2-liter Supercharged V8 engine spitting out 650 horses and 650 lb-ft of torque. All that power gushes down to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic gearbox.

The Camaro ZL1 is the most powerful production Camaro to date. Both the transmission will satiate purist equally as using a stick shifter keeps things under control while the ten-speed auto is the one that can clock the fastest lap times. Thus the 2018 Camaro ZL1 is faster, meaner, and ready to race more than ever.

There is no question as to who has the highest power and torque figures under its hood, yes you guessed it right it's the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat punching out a mammoth 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged V8. Another thing where the Dodge hits the chart is the price, the Challenger SRT Hellcat is the most expensive among the three and commands approximately three grand premium over the Camaro ZL1.

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Acceleration

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 equipped with launch control and a slick-shifting six-speed manual does 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and completes a quarter-mile in just 11.8 seconds. While the Camaro ZL1 equipped with the ten-speed auto hits the 60 mph mark in 3.5 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds.

The supercharged V8 pulls 3,883 pounds heavy Camaro ZL1 like a locomotive with a seat pinning acceleration and a rolling burnout start, without launch control, on slamming the gas pedal.

Critics had their eyes-pooped out when the Camaro ZL1 sprinted from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds beating the more powerful and expensive Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat by 0.3 seconds. 

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Ride and Handling

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has always remained a benchmark in handling between the three sports coupe. The 2018 Camaro ZL1 remains no different and it has a sure-footed feel at all kinds of speeds. Even in the base Camaro, the handling was among the best but the Camaro ZL1 with the upgraded hardware and aggressive tuning improves the handling even further. The steering wheel has sufficient heft to it and feels well connected to what's happening. Thus taking aggressive turns at silly speeds is bliss in the Camaro ZL1 although being hard on the throttle while exiting the curve could lead to a tailspin in no time.

The Camaro ZL1 gets a stiffer suspension with adaptive dampers for superior handling with a slight compromise over the ride quality. Overall the ride quality is a bit away from as plush as it is in the base Camaro but that's a sacrifice one has to make for superior handling. That said, the Camaro ZL1 1LE gets smaller size alloys but with a wider rubber section for an even better grip and a slightly improved ride quality over the Camaro ZL1.

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Braking

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 can stop from 60-0 mph under panic braking in just 97 feet. The numbers are really impressive for a sports car weighing over 3,800 pounds. The Camaro ZL1 comes equipped with six-piston Brembo brake calipers at the front and four-piston Brembo brake calipers at the rear.

That being said, the Camaro ZL1 with the automatic gearbox took one foot less to brake from 60-0 mph than the regular Camaro ZL1 while the Camaro ZL1 1LE will further astonish you with it stopping dead from 60-0 mph in just 91 feet. 

The heavier curb weight plays a spoilsport for the Challenger SRT Hellcat as it took almost seven feet more than the Camaro ZL1 to stop from 60-0 mph while the Shelby GT350 took the highest 106 feet to stop from 60-0 mph even though it weighs the least among the three.

The 2018 Camaro ZL1 has a respectable fuel economy figure of 14 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway, and 16 mpg combined. These are the numbers when the Camaro ZL1 is had with the six-speed manual while the Camaro ZL1 with the ten-speed automatic sees a drop of 1 mpg in the city and an increase of 1 mpg on the highway. That being said, the Camaro ZL1 is among the most fuel-efficient sports car and comes with the largest 19-gallons of fuel tank thus be it on the highway or in the city you won't be needing to take frequent fuel stops.

In this comparison, the naturally aspirated V8-powered Shelby GT350 matches Camaro ZL1's city gas mileage and beats the highway gas mileage figures by 1 mpg. As for the Challenger SRT Hellcat powered by a supercharged V8, just like the Camaro ZL1, and weighing heavier than the Camaro ZL1 returns 1 mpg less in the city and 1 mpg more on the highway. Although when it comes to range from a tankful of gas then none can beat the Camaro ZL1 with the biggest fuel tank.

"Front seats occupants will do just fine but don't get caught in the back seat of the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, and don't expect the trunk to hold a lot of groceries." - The Car Connection

The cabin of the 2018 Camaro ZL1 gives priority to function over form just opposite of the regular Camaro. In the Camaro ZL1, the dash is kept as simple as possible with a unique design for the driver's display. Although the quality of the material and fit and finish level remains the same as you get in the regular Camaro. Since the cabin of the Camaro ZL1 is heavily based on the regular Camaro don't forget to read our take on the interior of the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro.

The Camaro ZL1 comes with Recaro sports seats as standard with heating and ventilation along with power adjustment. The seats offer good comfort and the material of the Recaro sports seat feels good to touch. The side bolstering is a bit aggressive and folks with a wider body frame might find them a bit too intrusive. That said, the rear seats have negligible space whatsoever and are best suited for small kids only.

Only the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat boasts seating for five with usable and adult-friendly rear seats. While the Shelby GT350 offers the best front-seat legroom and the Challenger SRT Hellcat comes with the best front head and shoulder room.

Interior Features:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror
• Head-up display
• Wireless charging pad
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated front seats

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Infotainment System

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a nine-speaker Bose sound system. The infotainment is average in terms of usability and user experience. That said, closely placed physical buttons are difficult to use while on the move.

Key highlights of the 2018 Camaro ZL1's infotainment include:

• Built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot w/ 4G LTE
• Lap timer and recorder
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Chevrolet MyLink w/ Apple Carplay and Android Auto
• Navigation
• Bluetooth connectivity

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Cargo space

The 2018 Camaro ZL1 offers a paltry 9.1 cubic feet of cargo space. Thus restricting its practicality as the cabin also is short of in-cabin storage space.

Both the rivals offer better and more usable cargo space compared to the Camaro ZL1 with the Challenger SRT Hellcat getting the biggest trunk among all.

"Retro cool and menacing, the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro announces its sporty intentions with its looks but compromises some function for its form." - The Car Connection

The exterior design of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was last redone in 2017 and thus this year it comes with no change whatsoever. The overall silhouette of the Camaro ZL1 is based on the regular Camaro. Although there are a lot of differences between the two starting with the front splitters and a more aggressive front bumper at the front portion while at the rear you get a rear spoiler and tinted brake lights.

Dimensionally the Camaro ZL1 is slightly bigger than the regular Camaro measuring 190.2-inches in length ( longer by 0.9-inches) and having 110.7-inches of wheelbase (same as the regular Camaro). The Camaro ZL1 is wider than the regular Camaro by 0.3-inches but is shorter in height by 0.2-inches. 

The Challenger SRT Hellcat with the adult-friendly rear seats, seating for five, and the biggest boot is naturally the one with the biggest dimensions among all. While if we compare the Camaro ZL1 with the Shelby GT350 then except for the length and the wheelbase the Shelby GT350 is bigger than the Camaro ZL1. 

Exterior Features:

• Xenon headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• 20-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels
• Tinted taillights
• Available sunroof
• Available performance exhaust

The Camaro ZL1 constitutes a smaller portion of the total Camaro sales and happens to be the top-end variant of the regular Camaro thus neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA has crash-tested it. On the other hand, both the agencies have crash-tested the base version of the 2018 Camaro where it scored a perfect five-star score in overall safety rating from the NHTSA while the IIHS gave it the highest rating of 'Good' in four out of five parameters.

Safety Features:

• Rearview camera
• Chevrolet’s Teen Driver technology
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear parking sensors
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Head-up display

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe vs 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat sure commands a premium over the Camaro ZL1 but it comes with a more powerful engine, a spacious cabin, better practicality, and is an overall better-suited daily driver. Although the SRT Hellcat can't beat the Camaro ZL1 when it comes to outright acceleration and gas mileage.

That said, the overall build quality of the Challenger SRT Hellcat is a shade below compared to the Camaro ZL1 with the ride and handling also being better on the latter compared to the former. So unless you usually need to carry a couple of passengers we think the Camaro ZL1 is a better choice over the Challenger SRT Hellcat.

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe vs 2018 Ford Shelby GT350

The Shelby GT350 sure packs in a lot of punch from its naturally aspirated V8 but it is no match to the brutal supercharged V8 of the Camaro ZL1. The Shelby GT350 can't beat the Camaro ZL1 in outright acceleration or power and torque figures. Although the handling of the Shelby GT350 is almost in the same leagues as of the Camaro ZL1 while the ride quality is better on the latter.

The Shelby GT350 with time has lost its dominance as the most powerful or fastest muscle car but it blends a fine balance between track-like performance and day-to-day practicality. The former can be had in the Camaro ZL1 but it sorely lacks day-to-day practicality. Thus as a daily driver, we prefer the Shelby GT350 but as a second car in the garage dedicated for track duties, the Camaro ZL1 would be our pick.

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has upped the ante against the earlier segment dominators the Challenger SRT Hellcat and the Shelby GT350. The Camaro ZL1 isn't as powerful as the Challenger SRT Hellcat but is quicker than both its rivals. The Camaro ZL1 might not have a spacious cabin or a practical trunk as the Challenger SRT Hellcat but it rides and handles better than both cars. So there are certain compromises on the Camaro ZL1 but it remains the top-dog in the area where it matters the most for a track-focused muscle car.